He added that he was a soldier in the army of Saddam Hussein, and that some militants have come from Baghdad. Ani also said that Islamic State was not in control of al-Qaim.
In the same context, Morshedi told Al-Monitor, “Tribal rebels are controlling and managing the liberated cities, and governing the affairs of the people through local councils that were formed for this purpose.”
Ani recounted that when IS entered the area of al-Qaim on June 21, it told the residents that they have to govern their affairs by themselves. “A governor will be assigned soon and will be one of the well-known Baathist figures in the city,” he added.
It seems that the extremist organizations are pushing the Baath Party to the forefront in the Sunni provinces, as Hashem Gammas, a former army officer, was assigned as Ninevah governor. Additionally, Ahmad Abdul Rashid was assigned as a governor for Salahuddin province. In fact, during the rule of the Baath Party, Abdul Rashid had occupied the same position.
Ani said, “The borders between Iraq and Syria were opened,” noting that “part of the Iraqi light weapons were smuggled into the Syrian Abu Kamal province.”
Morshedi, however, denied sending any weapons to Syria, saying, “This is not true. The weapons, equipment and vehicles that were seized by the rebels after the defeat and withdrawal of the army and militias will be used by the rebels to liberate Baghdad and Iraq as a whole.”
Morshedi said there were “Baathist cells in the southern provinces of Iraq, just waiting to act.”
But in reality, entering the capital, Baghdad, or any movement in the southern provinces seem impossible, especially after Maliki, the general commander of the armed forces, declared the formation of a reserve army. In addition, more men joined this army after the supreme Shiite leader Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa in that regard, while the people of southern Iraq, who are mostly Shiites, hold a grudge against the Baath Party because of the repression they were subject to throughout Baath rule in Iraq.
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