farquar
03-19-2005, 12:25 AM
AL-RUBAY'I TELLS RFI NOOSE TIGHTENING ON AL-ZARQAWI. RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) interviewed National Security Adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i in Baghdad on 9 March. He contended that Iraqi and multinational forces are "weeks" away from apprehending fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi. The interview was broadcast on 10 March.
RFI [Ahmad al-Zubaydi]: Dr Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i, Iraqi national security adviser, refused to divulge the way through which the Iraqi cabinet has obtained new photos of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, who has been sought by Iraqi and multinational forces. He confirmed in a telephone conversation with our radio that Iraqi forces "have come to tighten the noose around Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's neck," as he described it.
Al-Rubay'i: Due to security reasons, I cannot go into details on this matter but I can conclude from this that we have come close to al-Zarqawi and to al-Zarqawi's inner circle. It is possible that, God willing, the coming few weeks will bring some joyful news to our people, God willing. There has been a big change in the readiness of our people, especially in some critical areas and especially after the elections, to provide information on terrorists loyal either to al-Zarqawi or to Saddam [Hussein]. We have seen very big interest among the people of our nation to provide such information on the places where the terrorists reside and move, on the cars they use, on the contacts they keep, and also on their leaders. This has been, in fact, a very important factor in changing the nature of the battle now. As you know, the battle is in its nature between the Iraqi people and the terrorists. And in this battle, the Iraqi security forces have now got the edge after they had been in defensive. We believe that within a short period, [al-Zarqawi] will either be arrested or [killed and then he will] find his evil destiny in hell.
RFI: You mentioned in an earlier statement that the multinational forces would leave Iraq within two years. How did you arrive at this deadline?
Al-Rubay'i: In fact, I did not specify any time, or I said that this problem was related to several issues. The first issue is reaching a high stage in the training, qualification, and armament of Iraqi security forces -- the police, the army, and the [Iraqi] National Guard. These forces must be completely ready, qualified, and trained so that all of them are able to face terrorism themselves. For now, the fast growth and the big development that has currently been going on in these forces, really gives us determination and increases our confidence for asserting that we will not need multinational forces, or foreign military presence, in Iraq within a very close period. There is, however, another issue that is in fact more important than the former. It may be laid on the shoulders of the interim cabinet that will be formed the coming few days. It is closing an agreement with the multinational forces on regulating the presence of these forces. As you know, these forces are currently conducting operations all over Iraq. They conduct intelligence and security operations. They use Iraqi facilities in all Iraq. It is necessary that we close an agreement regulating the presence of these forces so that we are able to move these forces out of some big cities and replace them with Iraqi forces -- the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Police, or the [Iraqi] National Guard. [We should move the multinational forces] also out of some small towns that are calm and thus we do not need the presence of these forces there. It is possible that we will launch negotiations and a serious dialogue on relocating these forces and on trying to transfer them from calm cities, especially from cities south of Baghdad, in Kurdistan, and in other areas where [the multinational forces] could leave the cities and move outside them. :wave:http://www.rferl.org/reports/iraq-report/default.asp
RFI [Ahmad al-Zubaydi]: Dr Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i, Iraqi national security adviser, refused to divulge the way through which the Iraqi cabinet has obtained new photos of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, who has been sought by Iraqi and multinational forces. He confirmed in a telephone conversation with our radio that Iraqi forces "have come to tighten the noose around Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's neck," as he described it.
Al-Rubay'i: Due to security reasons, I cannot go into details on this matter but I can conclude from this that we have come close to al-Zarqawi and to al-Zarqawi's inner circle. It is possible that, God willing, the coming few weeks will bring some joyful news to our people, God willing. There has been a big change in the readiness of our people, especially in some critical areas and especially after the elections, to provide information on terrorists loyal either to al-Zarqawi or to Saddam [Hussein]. We have seen very big interest among the people of our nation to provide such information on the places where the terrorists reside and move, on the cars they use, on the contacts they keep, and also on their leaders. This has been, in fact, a very important factor in changing the nature of the battle now. As you know, the battle is in its nature between the Iraqi people and the terrorists. And in this battle, the Iraqi security forces have now got the edge after they had been in defensive. We believe that within a short period, [al-Zarqawi] will either be arrested or [killed and then he will] find his evil destiny in hell.
RFI: You mentioned in an earlier statement that the multinational forces would leave Iraq within two years. How did you arrive at this deadline?
Al-Rubay'i: In fact, I did not specify any time, or I said that this problem was related to several issues. The first issue is reaching a high stage in the training, qualification, and armament of Iraqi security forces -- the police, the army, and the [Iraqi] National Guard. These forces must be completely ready, qualified, and trained so that all of them are able to face terrorism themselves. For now, the fast growth and the big development that has currently been going on in these forces, really gives us determination and increases our confidence for asserting that we will not need multinational forces, or foreign military presence, in Iraq within a very close period. There is, however, another issue that is in fact more important than the former. It may be laid on the shoulders of the interim cabinet that will be formed the coming few days. It is closing an agreement with the multinational forces on regulating the presence of these forces. As you know, these forces are currently conducting operations all over Iraq. They conduct intelligence and security operations. They use Iraqi facilities in all Iraq. It is necessary that we close an agreement regulating the presence of these forces so that we are able to move these forces out of some big cities and replace them with Iraqi forces -- the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Police, or the [Iraqi] National Guard. [We should move the multinational forces] also out of some small towns that are calm and thus we do not need the presence of these forces there. It is possible that we will launch negotiations and a serious dialogue on relocating these forces and on trying to transfer them from calm cities, especially from cities south of Baghdad, in Kurdistan, and in other areas where [the multinational forces] could leave the cities and move outside them. :wave:http://www.rferl.org/reports/iraq-report/default.asp