| Saddam
should have faced US tanks with a gun, says envoy
By Harinda Vidanage
Iraq's head of mission in Colombo, Wajdi Abbas, has called for the
Sri Lankan government to protect him under international law and
said that he is crest-fallen because President Saddam Hussein did
not die a martyr facing a US tank alone, with a gun.
 Claiming
to be a close associate of President Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi Charge
d’affaires concedes that the government he represents has
collapsed in Baghdad; admits the US-UK forces are in control; and
that 1.5 million Iraqi civil servants are without jobs.
"I thought
he would fight till the last minute and face a US tank alone with
a gun in his hand. Even if he died then he would become a big name
in history," said Mr Abbas.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times at the Iraqi embassy
in Colombo, Mr. Abbas says he has no information about his family
back home.
Excerpts:
* What
is your role after the fall of the regime and to who do you report
to, under this condition?
According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations,
the host country is responsible for the safety of the diplomat and
is bound to protect the resources of the mission in a situation
of a power vacuum in the country of the diplomat, until such time
a new government is installed. In terms of this convention, to which
both Sri Lanka and Iraq are signatories, I will continue as the
ambassador to Sri Lanka, until such time the new government taking
over in Iraq decides to nominate another diplomat.
I appreciate
the cooperation of the Government of Sri Lanka in supporting us
at this difficult time.
* You
must be closely monitoring the situation in Baghdad. How do you
assess the situation?
I was keeping close contacts with officials in Baghdad till March
27, the day the communications and telephone facilities in Baghdad
were cut off due to US bombardments. But I was in touch with Iraqi
ambassadors in Damascus and Jordan and got myself updated with the
changing situation in Iraq. I also watch the CNN and BBC programmes
and browse the web.
* Do
you concede that the Iraqi regime has fallen?
Of course. The Iraqi regime is gone. It is the occupation force
which is responsible for providing the needs of the civilians.
The occupation
force cannot run the country without the help of the Iraqi people,
especially Iraq's 1.5 million civil servants. Without their support,
nothing can be brought back to normalcy. The electricity and water
supplies have to be restored immediately for Iraq to be back on
its feet.
* On
Tuesday in Nasiriya, there was a meeting of Iraqi opposition leaders
to discuss the future Iraq regime. Will this process be successful?
I don't consider the meeting in Nasiriya as a conference for democracy.
I see it as a conference for chaos and disagreement. These so-called
opposition leaders had been living in London and other western capitals.
Some of them had hardly visited Iraq. They will not be accepted
by the Iraqi people. If people were sidelined in the process of
forming a new regime, there will be a brutal civil war in Iraq.
Iraq is a complicated mosaic of diverse racial, ethnic and religious
groups. Therefore the situation is very fragile.
* In
the event of a civil war in Iraq, will the neighbouring states also
be drawn in?
The civil war portends the breaking up of the country. That is the
saddest fallout of this war. Iraq is the cornerstone of West Asia
and if Iraq is destabilized, the whole region will be affected.
* What
will be the spillover effect on Sri Lanka, with Iraq being Sri Lanka's
largest tea buyer?
I don't see a very big negative effect on the tea industry of Sri
Lanka. Iraqis drink more tea than water. The demand for tea in Iraq
will not decline with the fall of the regime. Earlier it was the
export ministry which made the buying decision, but with the fall
of the regime, I don't know how the tea will be purchased. It is
hoped the regime change will also bring about the open economy.
So there can be more buyers and more markets.
* How
has the government and the people of Sri Lanka treated you in the
aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime?
I thank the stance of the Sri Lankan government and the people on
this war. I will never forget that. The President, the Prime Minister,
ministers, government officials and friends have called me during
and after the war and they have given me a lot of moral support.
* Do
you think the international community has done enough to oppose
the war?
Are you saying that all those protests were organized by the Iraqi
government? Twenty seven million people demonstrated in six hundred
cities, including Sri Lankans, against the war. The Sri Lankan people
are educated and know the difference between good and bad. Not just
governments, but international figures such as Pope John Paul, British
Cabinet Minister Robin Cook and former US president Bill Clinton
said that this was an immoral and illegal war.
* Will
you go to Iraq?
I am at the disposal of the Iraqi people. I have served them with
all my heart and if a new government hands me a duty I will do it.
But the new government must be one which honours values and beliefs
that I uphold. I cannot go against my conscience and work for a
government that has no support of the Iraqi people. I have no fears
as I have done no wrong. There is a saying in Iraq that "As
long as your shirt is clean you don't have to be afraid of anything."
As for my residence
in Iraq I have received information that it has been destroyed due
to US-British shelling and I don't know what has happened to my
brothers, sisters and friends.
* Have
you heard from Saddam or do you know anything about his whereabouts?
It is a mystery for all, and even the Americans who boast of superb
intelligence have not been able to locate him. But I never expected
the regime to fall or Saddam to flee.
* Are
you disappointed with the Iraqi resistance against the invaders?
Yes, I knew Saddam personally and I never expected him to flee or
the regime to fall. I thought that he would fight till the last
minute and face a US tank alone, with a gun. Even if he died, he
would become a big name in history.
Do
you think he fled to return another day to fight the occupying forces?
It is impossible for Saddam to return. The Iraqi people will not
accept him again. The moment, he fled he lost his credibility. A
leader must always stay with his people until he dies fighting. |
