State of Law leader: government and resistance agree on ideology, differ on methodology toward U.S. challenge

BAGHDAD, January 11 – Alaa Al-Hadadi, a prominent figure in the State of Law Coalition, addressed the complex situation facing the Iraqi government amid attacks by resistance factions against American interests in the region. Speaking in an interview, he highlighted the nuances of the challenge.

Al-Hadadi stated, “The strikes carried out by the resistance factions in Iraq are embarrassing for the Iraqi government and the Coordination Framework forces. Since the formation of Al-Sudani’s government and until the Al-Aqsa Flood, the government experienced a real period of calm where the resistance did not carry out any action that embarrassed it. But with the Al-Aqsa Flood and the public’s sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinian people, this was translated into striking American interests in Iraq in retaliation for their supportive stance [towards Israel] in hitting the Palestinian people.”

Al-Hadadi noted that the government and factions were on the same page in terms of ideology, but differed in which methodologies they believed would help them achieve their objectives. “These factions, although they agree with the Coordination Framework in thought and ideology, their methodology is different, otherwise, they would have participated in the government,” he said.

Regarding the American response and its implications, he noted, “The American response to these factions, by bombing a Popular Mobilization Forces site, as a governmental institution, was more embarrassing for the government because it is an official institution within the Iraqi government’s formations, and obeys the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”

Al-Hadadi further emphasized the need to balance the resistance’s approach with diplomatic strategies. He remarked, “Matters got intertwined here, and we entered a crisis called, ‘factions resisting the occupier,’ while the government adopts the diplomatic path in drawing a line between us and the American side, especially since logic says there must be a relationship with the American side based on mutual interests, as America is an important and large country, which can offer a lot in the fields of reconstruction, services, and others if the relationship is good.”

Responding to a question about the Coordination Framework’s stance on resistance, Al-Hadadi clarified, “No, absolutely not, no one argues about the militancy and jihadism of Mr. Maliki, in resisting the former regime, and resisting the occupier, and he had a different opinion on the military invasion of Iraq, but his struggle was diplomatic, and he is the one who led us to sign the agreement to withdraw American forces, which we celebrated and named the Day of Expulsion.”

He concluded by stressing the importance of engaging with the factions and respecting agreements with the U.S., “So I say, today, we need a movement by the forces of the Framework to move towards these factions, and the American side must respect the agreement with the Iraqi government regarding the implementation of the terms of this agreement, and return to the Iraqi government in case of executing any military strike, and it is conditional upon the approval of the Iraqi side.”