Iraqi army will remain neutral in crisis, says former FM

Washington: On Monday, as Kurdish forces continued to battle Islamic State militants in northern Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki mobilised security forces and appeared on the verge of mounting a coup to stay in office.

On Tuesday, Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd who served as Iraq’s foreign minister from 2003 until July, spoke by telephone with The Washington Post from Arbil, Iraq. Zebari said that he believed the prospects for forming a new Iraqi government have improved.

How do you see the situation?

“We have two battles going on — one military, with [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]. The other is political in Baghdad. We are in the thick of both of them.

The Baghdad battle has been won by the new president, who has named a new prime minister. Yesterday, the situation was very tense because of the deployment of military forces and of Al Maliki’s defiant statement against the president. Today the situation has improved significantly. The military command in Baghdad informed the president and the prime minister designate [Haider Al Abadi] that they will not take sides. The main Shiite militias also came out with a statement that they would not undermine the security of Baghdad.

The other important development is support from the Iranians for the new government. They have come out with a very clear statement of support for the process.”

So you don’t think Al Maliki is trying to stage a coup?

“He was threatening. His posture was one of defiance. But many people spoke to him, asking him to refrain from using the military, because this would constitute a coup. Today the situation has eased.”

So the army will not stand with Al Maliki?

“That’s correct. He has his own special forces in the Green Zone, but the army as a whole has reassured the president of their neutrality.”

You are hopeful today?

“I am hopeful. The country is facing an existential threat by the jihadists and Isil. President Obama has taken a courageous decision to turn the tide — to order air strikes and stop the progress of Isil in the north. Otherwise, believe me, it could have been disastrous.”

Have the air strikes worked?

They have brought back the confidence of the [Kurdish] Peshmerga forces and the people that we are not alone in this fight. The US has come to our aid, with the mighty US Air Force deployed against these savage groups of people, the Isil. Immediately after the strikes, the Peshmerga took their fight to Isil, they pushed them back south of Arbil.

How long did it take before you got the aid?

“It didn’t take long because the case was very clear. They were definitely threatening Arbil, and people started fleeing Arbil — running to the mountains. It would have created a massive exodus ... If US air strikes had been delayed for a couple of hours, it would have gone the other way.”

Are you getting the weapons you need from the United States?

“I think everyone recognises we are fighting not a bunch of jihadist amateurs but that they are well organised and have obtained sophisticated weapons.”

Where do their weapons come from?

“Mostly from the Syrian army and from the Iraqi army barracks they left in Mosul and Tikrit. Nearly four Iraqi divisions and all their equipment have fallen into their hands.

This is a different war. It isn’t a war between two armies or a classical guerrilla war. It is a very aggressive mobile war with a lot of firepower and suicidal fighters. And the Peshmerga have very little weapons and only small arms.”

Are you getting from the United States what you need?

“They have started to supply us with some munitions. We ... [need] anti-tank weapons, machine guns, intelligence and the air strikes, which are in place. We have not requested any military forces.”

How will you get those Yazidi refugees off the mountain?

“US planes have increased their attacks around the Sinjar Mountains because Isil has been regrouping there to make an advance on the remaining besieged Yazidis. The Peshmerga forces have managed to secure a corridor for them to come down from the mountain toward the Syrian border and back to Iraqi Kurdistan.

The humanitarian airdrop has been life-saving.”

How many more are up there?

“Fifty thousand would be a moderate figure.”

Wasn’t there a time when you said you might favour independence for Kurdistan?

“I think that now the danger is so threatening to everybody, all these plans have been put aside.”

So independence has been put aside?

“Not abandoned, but priorities have changed.”

Your main goal?

“To defeat Isil and to have a new government. There were clear signs of genocide with Isil jihadists threatening thousands and displacing over 250,000 people in the last 10 days. And they were planning to do more damage.”