Sunni resistance calls for closing ranks against the Mosul campaign

In a statement published yesterday by the Political Office for the Iraqi Resistance (Sunni factions the biggest of which is the Islamic Army in Iraq), and summarized this morning in AlHayat, the group described the current military campaign in Mosul as an "an attack on one of the strongholds of the People of the Sunna and the Community [referring to all Sunnis], in order to put down all of the voices of rejection and resistance to this tyrannical occupation," and called on all the factions to close ranks and escalate their armed operations against the government.

The statement called the attack on Mosul "a confirmation of the mission of the new Iraqi army, via the destruction of Iraqi cities and the ejection of the mujahideen and everyone honorable, and the violation of the precincts of Iraqi men and women, nor to they distinguish between mujahid and others, because for them anyone who carries a weapon in the defense of his religion, his honor or his country is a target."

The statement described the Mosul campaign as part of a series of campaigns including those in Baghdad, then Basra, then Revolution City (Sadr City), and now Ninawa, by "the so-called moderate participants in the political process" to prepare the ground so that local elections can be held without incident. In the Mosul campaign in particular, the statement said, the aim to help realize "the dreams of most of the Kurdish leaders, who have thrown in their lot with the Safavid project for Iraq".

The Mosul campaign is also an effort by Maliki "to vindicate [or whitewash] himself with his brothers in the Shiite ranks, after the events of Basra and Revolution City, as well as an effort to win the favor of the Kurdish leaders and come out appearing as a strong-man in the eyes of his patrons and his followers."

AlHayat also sumarizes a statement by the "Abu Mohammed", spokesman for the Izzat al-Douri or loyalist wing of the Iraqi Baath party. The Baath spokesman condemned what he called the criminal activities of the occupation govenment, supported by the sectarian and racist militias and the American forces, against the people of Mosul in general, and against their Baathist comrades in particular. This statement too called for strengthening of the resistance in the face of the continuing attack by the government and its allies.