The United Political Command of the Iraqi Resistance is born

A momentous step on the anti-occupation consolidation and its national and democratic alternative

Carlos Varea, Pedro Rojo and Houmad El Kadiri, 31 October, 2006

Translated by Manuel Talens

“The announcement of the creation of the UPCIR is an important step towards the practical unification of an anti-occupation social, political, and military base, bringing together individuals and organizations from the Nationalist and Islamic Patriotic Front as well as from the Iraqi National Foundational Congress, which up to the present time were two separate blocs, related but without formal connection to each other. This will considerably reinforce the anti-occupation camp and its armed resistance, at a time when the USA has, through its embassy in Baghdad, established new contacts with sectors of the Iraqi resistance and a request for mediation by neighboring arab states, steps which, though immediately dismissed by representatives of the Iraqi armed forces, at least show the attempts of the Bush Administration to slow down the final collapse of the occupation."

On information from various iraqi sources, the London-based independent newspaper, al-Quds al-Arabi, in their October 27th issue, confirmed the creation of what has been called the Unified Political Command of the Iraqi Resistance (UPCIR), through "[...] contacts [made] and steps [taken]" between individuals and social, political, and military organizations from the anti-occupation camp, contrary to the political process being imposed by the USA [1].

Iraqi representatives of the Campaign Against the Occupation and for the Sovereignty of Iraq (CEOSI), both in the country and in Europe, confirmed the creation of the UPCIR for the newspaper.

The UPCIR is made up of 25 members (15 from outside the country, and 10 from inside Iraq) which represent the Arab Socialist Baath Party, the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance [2], the General Armed Forces Command (made up of old military leaders), the "patriotic communist" currents opposed to the collaborationist line of the directors of the Iraqi Communist Party [3], the Association of Muslim Ulemas (the highest sunni religious body in Iraq [4]), the shiite Ayatollah Ahmed al-Hussaini al-Bagdadi, the Nasserist and Nationalist Current, and the al-Rashidín army, the Islamic Army and the Revolution of 1920 Brigades; these latter three are also military organizations, the first made up of ex-military men, and the rest being of a non-takfirist sunni islamic affiliation.

Collapse of the Occupation

The announcement of the creation of the UPCIR is important because it is a practical unification of the social, political, and military base of the anti-occupation movement, bringing together individuals and organizations from the Nationalist and Islamic Patriotic Front [5] as well as from the Iraqi National Foundational Congress, which up to the present time were two separate blocs, related but without formal connection to each other. This will considerably reinforce the anti-occupation camp and its armed resistance, at a time when the USA has, through its embassy in Baghdad, established new contacts with sectors of the iraqi resistance and a request for mediation by neighboring arab states [7], steps which, though immediately dismissed by representatives of the Iraqi armed forces [8], at least show the attempts of the Bush Administration to slow down the final collapse of the occupation.
Amongst the members of this political Command are Qais Mohamad Nuri (baathist), Jader Wahid al-Murshidi (connected to the shiite Ayatollah al-Bagdadi), Auni Qalamyi [9], Ahmed Karim, Yusef Hamdan [10], Abdeljabar al-Kubaysi [11], Abderrazaq al-Saadi, Abdelkarim Hani, Arshed al-Zibari, Buzina Nasiri, and representatives from the Association of Muslim Ulemas.
According to Iraqi sources, the ex vice-prime minister of Iraq, Izzat Ibrahim, has been the nexus connecting the individuals and the political, military, and community organizations which make up the UPCIR.

A release from the Baath party - in which that group recognized the pluralistic character of the Iraqi resistance and reiterated its promise to establish an
integrated and democratic process of national reconstruction for Iraq [12] -
was issued a few days before the announcement of the creation of this new
structure for the anti-occupation camp, which is very good news, no doubt,
for the cause of the liberation of Iraq.

Notes (in Spanish):

1. www.alquds.co.uk:8080/archives/pdf/2006/10Oct/27OctFri/qds01.pdf , according to the translation made by Houmad El Kadiri and Pedro Rojo, IraqSolidaridad.

2. See in IraqSolidaridad : Reunión de la Delegación de la CEOSI con el Partido Baaz, la Unión del Pueblo y la Alianza Patriótica Iraquí - Proyecto de creación del Frente de Liberación Nacional [meeting of the CEOSI delegation with the Baath Party, the People’s Union and the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance - Project for the creation of a National Liberation Front] and references in notes 5, 9 and 11.

3. See reference from the previous note and those included in note 8.

4. See in IraqSolidaridad: Carlos Varea y Pedro Rojo: ¿Quién mata a quién en Iraq y por qué? El debate interno sobre los atentados indiscriminados y sectarios [Carlos Varea and Pedro Rojo: Who is killing who in Iraq, and why? The internal debate on indiscriminate and sectarian killings] (meeting in Baghdad with the CEOSI delegation) and El borrador para una nueva Constitución iraquí: Comunicados de la Asociación de Ulemas Musulmanes y de la de la Alianza Patriótica Nacional [the rough draft of a new Iraqi constitution: Communiqués from the Association of Muslim Ulemas and the National Patriotic Alliance]. The
AUM’s website is: www.iraq-amsi.org

5. On the NIPF, see in IraqSolidaridad: La resistencia armada se coordina bajo la dirección del Consejo Militar Supremo de los ’Muyahidines’. Creado el Frente Patriótico Nacionalista e Islámico de Iraq [the armed resistance is being coordinated under the direction of the Supreme Military Council of the ’Mujahedeen.’ The creation of the Nationalist and Islamic Patriotic Front of Iraq] | Carlos Varea: ¿A quién beneficia ¿A quién beneficia la violencia sectaria en Iraq? - Declaración del FPNI sobre operativos de los cuerpos de seguridad iraquíes en Bagdad y su periferia [Carlos Varea: Who profits from the sectarian violence in Iraq? - declaration of the NIPF on the operations of the Iraqi security corps in Baghdad and outlying areas] Al-Kubaysi presenta ante la Asamblea estatal de la CEOSI la creación del Frente Patriótico Nacionalista e Islámico como el mayor logro de la resistencia [Al-Kubaysi presents the creation of the Nationalist and Islamic Patriotic Front as the greatest achievement of the resistance at the State Assembly of the CEOSI]

6. On IraqSolidaridad one may read, concerning the NIFC: Un amplio abanico de fuerzas sociales y políticas anuncian el rechazo de las elecciones de enero de 2005 - Declaración del Congreso Fundacional Nacional Iraquí llamado al boicot de las elecciones [A large range of social and political forces announce the rejection of the January 2005 elections - Declaration of the Iraqi National Foundational Congress calling for the boycott of the elections] Documento Final de la Segunda Asamblea del Congreso Fundacional Nacional Iraquí Iraquí [Final Document of the Second Assembly of the Iraqi National Foundational Congress] Comunicado del Congreso Fundacional Nacional Iraquí tras las elecciones: Un proyecto soberano, democrático e integrador para Iraq [Communiqué of the Iraqi National Foundational Congress after the elections: a sovereign, democratic, and integrated project for Iraq] | Declaración del Congreso Fundacional Nacional Iraquí sobre el referéndum constitucional - Comunicado de la Asociación de Ulemas Musulmanes contra las amenazas a Siria [Declaration of the Iraqi National Foundational Congress about the constitutional referendum - communiqué from the Association of Muslim Ulemas against the threats against Syria]

7. The Washington Post, October 24th, 2006. The British daily, The Sunday Times, put out this information two days before. Jalilzad also offered to open the political
process up to incorporate the Baath Party.

8. Asharq al-Awsat, October 23rd, 2006. See an extract from the same in the column of this page.

9. . A resident of Europe, invited by the CEOSI; his writings may be found on IraqSolidaridad, among other texts : Auni Qalamyi: ¿Está la resistencia iraquí negociando con EEUU? [Auni Qalamyi: Is the Iraqi resistance negotiating with the USA?]

10. An invitee of the CEOSI and PCE in 2005 and 2006. See on IraqSolidaridad : El PCE reconoce a la Unión del Pueblo como "organización comunista hermana" en Iraq. Yusuf Hamdan, dirigente comunista iraquí de la UP, participará en la Fiesta del PCE y realizará un gira por el Estado español [the PCE recognizes the People’s Union as a "sister communist organization" in Iraq. Yusuf Hamdan, Iraqi Communist leader of the PU, will participate in the PCE’s celebration and make a tour of Spain] and Los comunistas iraquíes opuestos a la ocupación e Imán Jamás participan en la Fiesta del PCE 2006 [Iraqi communists opposed to the Occupation and the Imam will never participate in the PCE’s 2006 celebration]

11. Twice invited in the spanish State; see on IraqSolidaridad: Al-Kubaysi presenta ante la Asamblea estatal de la CEOSI la creación del Frente Patriótico Nacionalista e Islámico como el mayor logro de la resistencia [Al-Kubaysi presents the creation of the Nationalist and Islamic Patriotic Front as the greatest achievement of the resistance at the State Assembly of the CEOSI] as well as: Noticias breves y audio mp3 2004-2005 [brief news items and mp3 audio clips, 2004-2005] and Entrevista a Abdelyabar al-Kubaysi tras su liberación: "Varios detenidos murieron bajo tortura" ". [interview with Abdeljabar al-Kubaysi after his liberation: "many detainees died under torture"]. From
the API : Comunicado de la Alianza Patriótica Iraquí: "La resistencia iraquí es la resistencia del pueblo" - Tras los atentados de Nayaf y Karbala: ¿A quién favorecen? [Communiqué from the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance: "The Iraqi resistance is the people’s resistance" - after the attacks in Najaf and Karbala: whom do they benefit?]

12. See on IraqSolidaridad : Programa Político del Partido Baaz: El Programa de la Resistencia y la Independencia. El Baaz reafirma su compromiso con un Iraq democrático e integrador a través de la resistencia [Political Program of the Baath Party: A program of Resistance and Independence. The Baath party reaffirms its promise of a democratic and integrated Iraq through the resistance] as well as : Reunión de la Delegación de la CEOSI con el Partido Baaz, la Unión del Pueblo y la Alianza Patriótica Iraquí - Proyecto de creación del Frente de Liberación Nacional [Meeting of the CEOSI delegation with the Baath Party, the People’s
Union, and the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance - The project for the creation of a
National Liberation front] and La resistencia armada se coordina bajo la dirección del Consejo Militar Supremo de los ’Muyahidines’. Creado el Frente Patriótico Nacionalista e Islámico de Iraq [the armed resistance is being coordinated under the direction of the Supreme Military Council of the ’Mujahedeen.’ The creation of the Nationalist and Islamic Patriotic Front of Iraq]

Tlaxcala warmly thanks its comrades from IraqSolidaridad for sending them this momentous news. Added ilustración by Juan Kalvellido, a member of Tlaxcala, the network of translator for linguistic diversity.

Source: http://www.iraqsolidaridad.org/2004...

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