US seeks to fabricate feud, division in Iraq: Commentator

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ibrahim Mousawi, political commentator from Beirut, about Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasizing that hegemonic Western powers, particularly the US, are behind the crisis in Iraq.

What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Your take on the situation what the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has said today that basically the same entities on the one hand that are saying are condemning what is going on supposedly but actually these are the main entities such as the United States that are actually responsible for the problem that we see on the ground in Iraq and especially they are trying to fan the sectarian, trying to make this seem like a sectarian situation is taking place on the ground in Iraq?

Mousawi: Absolutely. This is a very right and correct diagnosis about the kind of American intervention in Iraq. We know very well when Rahbar-e Moazzam Imam Seyyed Ayatollah Khamenei says this then it is so. It is what he says. Who knows better about the American conspiracies? Who knows better about the American plots and plans than Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Ummah who has experienced all kinds of American conspiracies against Iran and against the Islamic Ummah and against Islamic nations?

We have to remember also, they still resonate in our ears the teachings and the directives of Imam Khomeini about the American plots and conspiracies, so when we talk about Iraq, Iraq has been dismantled as a state, Iraq has been invaded by the Americans under a very fake alibi.

We all remember the pretext that has been used, the weapons of mass destruction and what did they say, what did they use in order to talk about it was weapons of mass destruction. They deceived their own people, they deceived the world and it ended up that there was no kind of weapons of mass destruction. It was only another attempt by Americans to destroy Iraq.

The same thing is trying to happen now. After the Iraqis put themselves together and they have proved to be immune to the American conspiracy that they are not going to be used as a mere tool in the hands of the Americans, now we know that the Americans are trying to portray what is happening there as if it is a kind of feud or division among the Shiites and the Sunnis which is not the situation. Here we are talking about exactly what Imam Khamenei talked about that there is a kind of American attempt in order to shuffle the whole situation in Iraq and put it into its own camp.
This has always been the fixed policy of the Western powers, the fixed policy of America to try to handle everything, try to use it as a tool otherwise they would divide and rule so the seeds of sedition that would boil down to their interest.

Press TV: Well also Ayatollah Khamenei talked about that he felt that the Iraqis themselves would be able to take care of it and of course with the role of the Ulama and the leadership there. I want to look at that aspect of it, the role of the Ulama, the clerics whether it is talking about from Ayatollah Khamenei and talking today and giving perspective or as we have seen Ayatollah al-Sistani and calling on Iraqis to come out and defend the country.

Tell me how significant this role is and do you think that this role will be strong enough to actually defeat those who are trying to spread terrorism in Iraq?

Mousawi: This is an excellent question. Believe me, I mean if we want to talk about the history of the region, if we want to talk about the history of Iran, if we want to talk about the history of Iraq, if we want to talk about the history of the Levant, the religion is deeply great there, it is deeply rooted in the hearts and in the minds and the conscience of the people there and when you talk about the role of the Ulama and religious scholars, we have to remember and study history.

I believe the Americans, the American administration are ignorant about the history of this region. We have to go back to the history of Iraq and see what the Ulama did in the 1920 revolution in many areas and in many places.

This is the Islamic Revolution of Iran; this is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Who has been able to found this Republic after 1,340 years of the Prophet Muhammad? It has been Imam Khomeini. So you are talking about religious scholars, you are talking about the Ulama and the very pivotal vital role that they assume in this situation.

I believe what has been said by Seyyed al-Sistani and other Ulama, this kind of awakening of the people and the fatwas that have been given in order to defend the people of Iraq, all the people of Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites, it is a very important and alarming whistle for the Westerners to understand they cannot meddle and they cannot interfere in the affairs of Iraq and Iran and they can go like without being asked about what they are doing.

I believe the people are going to prove that they hear and they respond to the calls of the Ulama and this is going to thwart all the attempts to make any sedition or to try to sabotage the already achievements that has been done by the government in Iraq and by the Islamic Revolution in Iran as well.