Al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition warns that the Baathists are ‘reorganizing’

BAGHDAD — Saad Al-Muttalibi, a member of the State of Law Coalition, says that coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki’s concerns over the return of the Baath Party are ‘genuine’ and ‘not meant to frighten political forces’.

Al-Muttalibi says that the pursuit of Baathists will continue for ‘another 70 years’ if necessary.

Nouri Al-Maliki has warned of escalating regional tensions and called on Iraq to fortify its security and political stability in response to the ongoing conflicts. In a televised address published by his media office on Saturday, Al-Maliki highlighted the threat posed by terrorism and criminal groups, particularly the remnants of the Baath party, and urged the Iraqi government and political leaders to fulfill their responsibilities in ensuring national security.

“Close and vigilant attention must be paid to the activities of the criminal Baathist cells, which act as tools for Iraq’s enemies who aim to cause destruction. We call on the government and security agencies to track down these criminal Baathist cells, and we urge citizens to monitor their movements,” Al-Maliki said.

Excerpts from Saad Al-Muttalibi’s interview with Dijlah TV:

Mr. Nouri Al-Maliki is the constant figure in the political process, proving to be the most understanding of its course. The positions he expresses reflect the information he has received, as the majority of the political class visit his office and “unburden” their concerns.

Al-Maliki’s recent speech represents his perspective and his reading of the political landscape and its associated risks. He is the father of this political process and looks out for the interests of the country rather than his own, as he leads Iraq’s oldest political party, unlike the smaller political blocs that prioritize their own interests to maintain their presence.

American weapons are unregulated, and any weapon not under the control of the Iraqi state is unregulated, whether American, Iranian, or Chinese. Here, the Popular Mobilization Forces must be exempted, as they operate under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and I know of no armed faction outside this framework, meaning they are not the intended targets of the recent statement from the religious authority.

The Ba’ath Party is working to reorganize itself, transitioning from the older generation to the youth. Those who glorify the Baath today are primarily young people, including the children and orphans of former Baathists. This is a real issue, not meant to frighten political forces. The same applies to terrorist cells; anyone who claims they have been eradicated is naive.

Ideas do not die. To this day, Germany prohibits Nazism, and young people bearing Nazi symbols continue to be arrested in Germany and Italy, despite 70 years since Nazism’s defeat. This requires generational education, and it is our right to combat Baathism for another 70 years, if necessary, as Germany has done, or as Israel did when it arrested a Nazi officer in Argentina at the age of 92.

We rely on facts, not illusions. Security and intelligence agencies have apprehended organized youth promoting Baathist ideology with Baathist books and pamphlets in their possession, and they have been presented before the judiciary to face these charges.