Exclusive: Interview with the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)

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Last Updated (Monday, 29 November 1999 19:00) Written by Evan Kohlmann Sunday, 06 July 2008 19:00

The NEFA Foundation has released an English transcript of a third exclusive insurgent interview recently conducted by NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann--on this occasion with Dr. Ali al-Naimi, official spokesman of the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), one of the largest and most influential Sunni insurgent factions fighting in Iraq. During the interview, Dr. al-Naimi portrayed the IAI as a more mainstream Islamist political alternative to Al-Qaida, which is "respectful of the realities of Iraq--social, political, and economic" and is determined "to establish a state based on equal justice for all citizens." Sending his "blessings to the intelligent people of America", Dr. al-Naimi insisted, "we wish the American soldiers would leave us in peace, for we are not murderers and we do not experience joy in killing anyone." Dr. al-Naimi also had extremely harsh words for Al-Qaida and its leadership both in Iraq and Afghanistan. He repeatedly accused Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) of carrying out "continuous mistakes" and "crimes against innocents": "we have our own evidence that has purposely not been published proving that the so-called Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) is not legitimate. The statements of [Dr. Ayman] al-Zawahiri do not obligate us whatsoever, and the errors of Al-Qaida in regards to spilling the blood of the innocent are more numerous than can possibly be covered in a single response, statement, or interview."

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