Unsaid interesting facts about the Saudis’ letter change and the message of Martyr Soleimani / How was the night of Haj Qasim’s assassination of Iraqi Prime Minister? / Tasnim’s conversation with Adel Abdul Mahdi

According to the reporter of the international group Tasnim news agency, at the same time as the fourth anniversary of the assassination of General Rashid Islam, martyred Hajj Qassem Soleimani and martyred Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, commander of the Iraqi Hashd Shaabi forces, Tasnim news agency in an exclusive conversation with Adel Abdul Mahdi, the prime minister of Iraq at the time, recounted the memories of decades of acquaintance and coexistence of this senior Iraqi official with General Soleimani, especially the details of his martyrdom.

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* When and how Adel Abdul Mahdi met Sardar Martyr Soleimani

Adel Abdul Mahdi in response to the first question The reporter of Tasnim says about his initial acquaintance with Sardar Soleimani: I have many memories of Sardar Soleimani in my mind, but I think it is much easier to talk about the first time. During Saddam Hussein’s regime, I was in contact with Martyr Soleimani, who was in charge of the Iraq case at that time, as one of the Iraqi opposition forces (against Saddam). Our meetings were mainly held in pairs or with the presence of other leaders of the Badr battalions, especially Martyr Mehrab Seyyed Baqer Hakim. In these meetings, the political future of Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime was discussed, and issues such as how to fight and establish communication between currents and political groups present in Iraq and designing an alternative system to the Baath regime. These meetings were held mainly in Tehran and in some cases in Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan and Diana. It was during these meetings that I realized the exceptional ability of Martyr Soleimani.

In these meetings, the Iraqi commanders expressed their points of view and they listened to the conversations. and then he gave one or two sentences to the discussions. Issues such as federalism, religious and nationalist issues and security plans and the role that the Iraqi opposition groups (against Saddam), both Islamist and nationalist, could play during these plans were evaluated in these meetings. Contrary to what others thought, these meetings were very specialized and held at a high level.

This division consisting of 1850 people was concentrated in Maidan area in Darbandikhan and was against the bombing of Iraq by the American military. With the cooperation of the late Jalal Talabani, the late president of Iraq, we tried to protect this division and at the same time as the beginning of the American invasion of Iraq, we organized a parade to show it in important international media to avoid the accusation of being Iranian or affiliated with it. Let’s reduce it to the Revolutionary Guards. This parade made a lot of noise at that time and many satellite channels such as CNN and BBC, which were represented in Iraqi Kurdistan, covered it.

Of course, holding this parade was also accompanied by risks, so that my dear brother Jabr Baqer Soulagh, who was in charge of the Badr Battalions office in Damascus, called me and said that there were reports about the possible bombing of the forces. We have received this parade at the time and we must be very careful. By holding this parade, we managed to present this message to the world that the Imam Ali (AS) division is composed of Iraqi forces and has been operating independently of the American forces for many years. It is clear that this important parade was actually organized and managed by Martyr Soleimani.

It was after this parade We advanced towards Baghdad from two axes. Seyyed Abdul Aziz Hakim accompanied by the forces of the Badr battalions left for Baghdad from the Kut axis, and I, accompanied by Sayyed Mohammad Al-Haidari, left for the capital of Iraq from the Diyala and Baqubah axis. We entered Baghdad on April 12, 2003, while Saddam Hussein was still in Baghdad. The American army began; I and Mr. Heydari were arrested 10 days after entering Baghdad. Many of the arrested people later reached important high ministerial and military positions in the future governments of Iraq. At this time, the responsibility of following up the situation of all Iraqi affairs was carried out by the person of Shahid Soleimani, who was in charge of the Iraq case.

How did Sardar Soleimani interact with Iraqi commanders and political groups?

The former Prime Minister of Iraq continued and in response to a question about the interaction and cooperation of General Soleimani with Iraqi political groups in the period after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime and the years of occupation of Iraq by the American military. He said: In the years before the overthrow of Saddam, Seyyed Baqir Hakim (Quds Sar) was the main party of consultations with Sardar Soleimani. We also attended some meetings and expressed our views, but with the overthrow of Saddam’s regime, the two-person meetings between me and Martyr Soleimani suddenly increased in terms of quantity and quality. For example, some of our meetings last for several days, and in them we discuss and exchange opinions on issues such as how to run the government, the formation of a transitional parliament followed by the drafting of the constitution, determining the limits of the powers of the three powers and how it interacts with others. Iraqi forces such as Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites, Turkmens, Christians, etc.

I don’t remember even a single day that something was imposed on us by Iran

It was from here that my personal relationship with Shahid Soleimani quickly strengthened and turned into a very close and sincere relationship. During these meetings, while discussing the current developments, we provided a complete explanation of the situation of Iran and Iraq and the security arrangements governing the region, and reviewed the role of foreign actors in the equations governing the region. This issue led to detailed meetings between us and senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the time, in which issues such as facilitating the meeting of Iranian and Iraqi senior officials and expanding economic cooperation and developing relations between the two countries were discussed. One of the important points of these meetings was trying to reduce the effects of the 8-year war between the two countries.

Abdol Mahdi then explained the role of Sardar Soleimani in organizing the opposition. Saddam’s regime and their interaction with senior Iranian officials added: the fundamental principle was governing the interactions of Iraqi opponents with senior Iranian officials, especially the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution; Iran fully supported its Iraqi brothers on the issues agreed upon by the parties, and respected the approach of the Iraqi side on the issues that we disagree with, and while maintaining its views, refrained from interfering or imposing anything on the Iraqi side. I don’t remember even a single day that anything was imposed on us by Iran. The relationship between Iraq and Iran is very brotherly, what is mainly planned outside the country is just born. The minds of the parties are strangers, because their interactions are governed by superior and inferior relationships, they think that this rule also applies to others.

Shahid Soleimani always defended the right, even if this issue was in conflict with the Iranian side’s intended approach

The former Prime Minister of Iraq in explaining the approach of Sardar Soleimani to the differences of opinion of the Iranian and Iraqi sides regarding the trends governing the relations between the two countries and regional and international developments He emphasized: In the joint meetings of Iranian and Iraqi brothers, we witnessed in many cases that the Iranian side defended the positions of their country and the Iraqi side supported their country’s approach in the same way, but Martyr Soleimani always defended the right, even if this The issue was in conflict with the Iranian side’s intended approach. I personally witnessed many times that he showed more sympathy with the Iraqis’ point of view, which was naturally in contrast with the point of view of {some} Iranian brothers. We always considered Shahid Soleimani as a real brother for us. Of course, it was natural that from time to time there would be a fraternal fight between us, but everyone knew that everyone’s goal was ultimately the public interest.

General Soleimani’s role in the fight against Takfiri groups in Iraq, praising his unique and exemplary role in defending the Iraqi government and nation against the threat of ISIS and other Takfiri groups, added: the danger of the attack of Takfiri groups is not limited to Erbil. but its ultimate goal was the fall of Baghdad. At the same time, there was a great concern that Baghdad might suffer the fate of many other regions of Iraq and fall, and if this happened, it would have a bad psychological effect on other provinces and the risk of a domino fall of other distant regions. It was out of mind. However, Martyr Soleimani went to Iraq from the very first moments of ISIS attack. I first met him in Erbil. Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Molla and I, one of the scholars of Mosul city, were planning to go to Tal Afar. But Sardar Soleimani and Martyr Abu Mehdi Al-Muhandis, who had traveled there before us, asked us in a phone call not to leave Erbil. After arriving in Erbil, Martyr Soleimani told us that Tal Afar fell and even when our helicopter {Martyr Soleimani and Martyr Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis} was taking off from the ground, a bullet was fired at it.

Martyr Soleimani, at the same time, in meetings with the commanders, explained the latest situation of the battle front from the maps he brought with him, and the priorities of each axis and the weak points of the defense of Baghdad, how to secure and drew the fortification around the city. I believed at that moment that there was no Iraqi commander who was fully aware of the scene of the operation, and the proof of the truth of my claim was the fall of the city of Mosul, during which we actually witnessed the complete fall of the city. Instead, Shahid Salmani presented a complete picture of the battle fronts from the Tigris to Tarmiya and Fallujah, outlined the priorities and how to push back the Takfiri forces of ISIS. Only when Hashd Shaabi entered the scene and became the main driving force in the battle lines of Iraq with Takfiri forces, we saw the halt of advances and the beginning of the withdrawal of ISIS forces from the sensitive and strategic areas of Iraq.

Martyr Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were one soul in two bodies

Abdul Mahdi in describing the relationship between martyr Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis likened these two to a soul in two bodies and added: There was always a strong relationship between them from many years ago, both during the time of the opponents of the Saddam regime and in the stages after the fall of the regime. Baath and the beginning of the process of legislation and administration of the country and drafting the constitution, whether in the face of Al-Qaeda forces and later ISIS; These two played an important role in uniting the ranks of various Iraqi groups.

Sardar Soleimani held all the keys

In addition, while praising the role of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in commanding Hashd al-Shaabi forces in the battle fronts against ISIS, he added: the success of the Hashd al-Shaabi forces was achieved as a result of the strength of the command of martyr Abu Mahdi and the all-round support of General Soleimani; Because he sent all the weapons needed to fight ISIS to Iraq in the first hours of the danger of Baghdad falling by building an air bridge. This was in a situation where the creation of an air bridge is logically not possible within a few hours, but Sardar Soleimani was the person who, as the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, held all the keys and the keys to all the weapons depots. His hand was opening. As a result of this, the required weapons were quickly sent to Baghdad and distributed among the Mujahideen with the cooperation of Hashd al-Shaabi and other groups, which played a key role in blocking the path of ISIS forces.

Abdol Mahdi then criticized the ingratitude of some people towards Iran’s support to the Iraqi people in the fight against the Takfiri forces and said: Everyone should re-read the newspapers of those days to know what A situation dominated the battle scenes. Many have forgotten the details of those days during which cities and military bases fell one by one or were on the verge of total collapse.

The former Prime Minister of Iraq, in response to a question about the way Martyr Soleimani interacted with Iraqi military commanders and senior officials on the fronts of the battle against ISIS, while praising Martyr Soleimani’s modesty in interacting with Iraqi authorities, added: “He never In dealing with the Iraqi military authorities, he did not cross the line and did not try to impose anything on them.

He would listen to all the talks of the Iraqi officials and commanders and then speak a few words and at the end, if he was asked for something, he would say, “I am at your service.” This rule was maintained in interaction with all Iraqi military commanders, including army commanders, union police and counter-terrorism forces, and even relations with Sunni nomads, Peshmerga and Kurds. In front of others, they respected Soleimani not because he was a high-ranking official, but because he was a very modest and humble person. For this reason, I believe that if you meet and talk with anyone who knew Martyr Soleimani today, they will all agree that this honorable Martyr conquered minds before hearts with his simplicity, humility, courage and knowledge. And he gets the favorable opinion of others, no argument was presented to him unless that argument was more acceptable.

How was the night of the assassination of Hajj Qassem Soleimani on the former prime minister of Iraq?

The Prime Minister of Iraq at the time of the assassination of Martyr Soleimani, describing the details of the martyrdom of the former commander of the Quds Force and The then commander of Hashd Shaabi said: Shahid Soleimani and I were supposed to meet at 8:30 the next morning. I usually sleep early at night, but that night I stayed up until one o’clock in the morning trying to write down my ideas about tomorrow’s meeting and what we should talk about, because the situation in Iraq was very difficult and critical in those days.

In this situation, I first learned about the news of the explosion at the Baghdad airport. Until that moment, I didn’t know how Sardar Soleimani traveled to Baghdad, and I didn’t know which way Haj Qasim was coming to meet him. He always personally organized support measures related to his travel and transportation, and this was a process that continued for decades.

Abdol Mahdi continued He had: With the passage of time, we gradually learned that an important figure was assassinated in the Baghdad explosion, but it was only after seeing the picture of his ring that I became sure that Soleimani was targeted and martyred. It was one of the social networks that announced the assassination of Martyr Soleimani for the first time. The calls of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Baghdad and the phone call of Mustafa Al-Kazemi, the then head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service and the manager of my office, I moved from home to my office and after entering the office, I started to follow News In those moments, the news of Martyr Soleimani’s martyrdom was being confirmed frequently and one after the other, and it was natural for us to deal with the security measures related to this incident and start the investigation.

Funeral of martyrs Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis is the biggest funeral ceremony It was in the history of Iraq. It had become our first priority. In this regard, there were two opinions, firstly, the opinion that the body of Martyr Soleimani should be transferred to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This was an issue that was specifically pursued by “Iraj Masjedi”, the then Iranian ambassador in Baghdad, and “Mohammed Kazem Al-Sadegh”, the current Iranian ambassador in Iraq. Mr. Al-Sadegh came to my office from the very first hours and was following up on things such as the documents and documents of martyr Soleimani and the situation of the assassination site, and he wanted to transfer the martyr’s pure body to Iran.

But on the other hand we put forward the idea that Martyr Soleimani was martyred on the soil of Iraq and the best thing for him is to have an official and decent funeral ceremony befitting for this great martyr. and make preparations for Martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and as a result, we started planning the preparations for the funeral ceremony. Soleimani mentioned his companions as the biggest funeral ceremony in the history of Iraq, in which all walks of life showed up to say goodbye to the martyrs on the funeral routes of the martyrs in different cities of Iraq.

For a long time I refused to accept any calls from the Americans

The former prime minister of Iraq in response to a question about how his government interacts with After this assassination operation, which was considered a violation of the country’s national sovereignty, the American officials added: After the martyrdom of Soleimani at the hands of the Americans, I refused to accept any calls from the American side for a long time, and despite Repeated calls from the White House, the Pentagon, the US State Department, and even despite repeated requests from Trump and the US ambassador in Baghdad for a short phone conversation, I refused to do so; Because I considered this incident as a deceitful act and as a stab in the back against my government and the Iraqi nation.

I am sure that the perpetrators of the assassination of Martyr Soleimani will be tried one day

Abdul Mahdi then pointed to the dual values ​​governing American foreign policy and added: the assassination of valuable figures such as Martyr Soleimani And the martyr of Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, even according to the laws and standards of the Americans, was a criminal act, and I am sure that the day will finally come when the people who committed this criminal act will be tried before God’s justice and will be punished for their actions. Receipt.

In response to a question about the possibility of assassinating Martyr Soleimani and Martyr Al-Muhandis before the Baghdad airport incident, the former Iraqi oil minister David stated: Terror is a part of the political tradition; However, even in the legal structure of the United States, based on the law known as the “Reagan Law”, admitting to the assassination of the officials of other countries is considered a crime. It is true that the intelligence agencies carry out assassination operations, but even they never admit it, but when Trump and Pompeo publicly announce that we have carried out this terrorist act, it is a matter of international custom. It is unprecedented.

He continued by referring to the efforts of the Biden government to cover up the crime of the former American government in the assassination of the martyred general. Soleimani added: The current American president criticized this action behind closed doors after coming to power, but such talks have no value at all, because it is clear that such actions are only carried out with the approval of senior officials. As a result, I must say that the assassination of the martyr general Hajj Qassem Soleimani was a stupid, wrong and criminal political decision that will have great repercussions and consequences.

Defending the Iraqi parliament’s decision to approve the law to expel Iraqi soldiers from Iraqi territory, Abdul Mahdi added: “On January 5, I Attending the Iraqi Parliament in a lengthy speech, I emphasized the necessity of expelling American soldiers and by sending messages to the American side, I informed them of Baghdad’s intention to expel the country’s soldiers from Iraqi territory. At the same time, an agreement was reached on the timing of the departure of the American soldiers and the American side was informed in writing. =”color:#e74c3c”>What was the story of the letter addressed to the Saudis by Shahid Soleimani?

Adel Abdul Mahdi, in response to Tasnim reporter’s question regarding his words of the past years about the efforts of the martyr General Hajj Qassem Soleimani to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh, said: I was in Beijing on September 23, 2019, when the martyr Soleimani was in a call He asked me to travel to Saudi Arabia if possible. I asked him the reason for this request, and he, who was aware of my previous desire to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia, especially after the Aramco incident, agreed to this request. I told them that I have just traveled to Saudi Arabia, however, I will contact the Saudi authorities after returning to Baghdad and if they agree, I will travel to Riyadh. I contacted the Saudi authorities after returning to Baghdad. And I talked about my intention to travel to Riyadh. They asked me what is the purpose of this meeting. I said mediation between you and the Islamic Republic of Iran. They then asked who is the party to our account? We said to Soleimani, they said: Very well, come.

On the same night, with the coordination of the Saudi authorities, I left for this country and after Welcoming the king of this country, I went to meet the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. During the meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, I realized that he has an unfriendly position towards Iran, and at the very beginning of the conversation, he said that this action is useless. But I continued to tell him, do you want war with the Islamic Republic of Iran? Bin Salman said: No, we don’t want war, we said: OK, if you don’t want war, you don’t want negotiation, so what do you want? There must be something. Otherwise, there is a possibility of war.

In response to my doubt about the goodwill of the Saudi side, Bin Salman said: What is your proposal? I told him, let’s open and create openings. What is your complaint and objection? By stating these complaints and objections, the door for negotiation and dialogue will be opened so that we can reach an agreement. Earlier, during the presidency of Hashemi Rafsanjani and King Abdullah Chinen, an initiative was made.

Bin Salman accepted my request and agreed to draft a letter in this regard addressed to the Iranian authorities. But when I received the letter I noticed its extremely dry and disappointing tone. I was shown the letter so that if I had any opinion about it, I would express it. In response, I said that such a letter will cause more tension in the relations between the two countries and will not help to solve the problems. I wrote another letter addressed to him, which had a more diplomatic and formal tone, and in it I mentioned the verse that “All of you, resort to God’s rope and do not disperse”. My letter was more in the form of a question. This was in the context that when Martyr Soleimani saw the first letter from the Saudis, he said that we do not accept it. We informed Shahid Soleimani that we have sent the amended letter to the Saudis and we are waiting for the letter to return in an amended form. In response to our letter, good reforms were made by the Saudis, which in practice was much better than the first letter, and it was written with conventional literature between the two countries, thinking of a future that is different from the prevailing situation between them.

When Shahid Soleimani saw this letter, he said that we will respond to this letter, a short time passed. The Saudi brothers asked, what was the response of the Iranians? When brother Soleimani came to Baghdad again, I asked him. In the last meeting, while we were parting, he said: I will bring the answer with me on my next trip to Baghdad. In fact, the message that Haj Qasim brought with him was an answer to the Saudi letter. Finally, I must say that this was the process that opened the way for future negotiations, and then a meeting between the Saudi and Iranian parties was held in Iraq, and after several meetings, these meetings were transferred to Oman and with the efforts of Jamila China , an agreement was reached between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Abdol Mahdi continued by confirming this famous proposition in the eyes of the public opinion of Iran and the supporters of the resistance axis, which says ” Martyr Soleimani is more dangerous for America than Qassem Soleimani.” Reciting verses from Mohammad Al-Jawaheri, a well-known Iraqi poet, he added: “There is no doubt that the blood of a martyr is more effective than his behavior and actions, because human life is limited. ; But the martyr’s blood has been flowing for centuries as a boiling spring, just as the martyrdom of Imam Hossein (AS) continues to be a boiling spring in the path of the Mujahideen and the Taliban, the right way to defend the oppressed. That’s why I believe that Martyr Soleimani is thousands of times older today than when he was alive.

America achieved its goals by assassinating Martyr Soleimani?

The former Prime Minister of Iraq continued this exclusive conversation with Tasnim News Agency, the situation is complicated. He considered America in the West Asian region as one of the consequences of the assassination of General Soleimani and added: You don’t need to be a politician, you just need to follow the news of the current developments in the region to see America’s failure in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and the position of America in this Be aware of the region.

Abdol Mahdi then referring to the decline of America’s position even among its allied countries, especially its European allies, it is a clear sign of the beginning A complex and long structural crisis for Americans. While confirming the deteriorating position of America in the global equations, he added: By involving Russia in the Ukraine crisis, America tried to bring down this country, but today everyone is witnessing the sufferings and negative consequences of this war all over Europe.

The former Prime Minister of Iraq, in response to a question about Iraq’s efforts to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of the assassination of martyred General Hajj Qassem Soleimani and martyred Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, said: when the cabinet I formed a fact-finding committee regarding this despicable action and legal and legal claims were sent to the Security Council.

The governments after I also followed these actions, I am currently following the actions that are being followed up between the judicial bodies of Iran and Iraq in this field; I must say that continuous meetings are being held to follow up on this case, and both Iranian and Iraqi sides are determined to bring this case to a conclusion, but as you know, international institutions and organizations are not performing their duties as they should. do Within a few days, these institutions will issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, whose country is one of the world’s major powers and has the right of veto in the Security Council, and in return, they will not pursue the crimes and genocides of the Zionist regime against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which have been going on for three years. continued last month, they refuse. As a result, I imagine that the process of dealing with this case will take a long time, but I am confident that it will eventually come to a conclusion and, as I said at the beginning of the interview, the perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice.

In another part of his speech, the Iraqi Prime Minister referred to the repeated attempts of the Trump administration to overthrow his government and Washington’s sense of danger from the expansion of Baghdad’s cooperation with eastern countries such as China. And Russia said: Let me be clear in the end that I had no intention of entering into a conflict with the United States, because I believed that Iraq needed friendly relations with all countries, I believed that we could have good and balanced relations with other countries like in the years 2003 to 2018. Let us have countries like the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. But the problem started when I announced that our government will not cooperate with the imposition of US sanctions against Iran, and this was the beginning of our problems with the US government. We emphasized that we will never allow Iraq to be an arena for aggression against Iran. With some Iraqi groups, the resistance in our country was on the pretext of their illegal activities. In this case, I also pointed out that the Iraqi government does not engage in any confrontation with Iraqi militia groups, and we cannot deal with them just because America is unhappy with some of these groups.

But what ignited the fire of differences between us and the Trump administration was my trip to Europe and visiting France and Germany and then China. The fact is that we did not intend to have a conflict with the United States, but from the very beginning of its work, the Trump administration took the path of hostility and enmity not only with Iran, but also with China, Russia, and European countries, by adopting an aggressive policy. In order to set conditions for the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, he made the continuation of his security support dependent on the payment of defense costs by the leaders of these countries. Trump publicly expressed that his purpose of being in Iraq was to contain Iran, which was not acceptable to us. According to the agreement between Baghdad and Washington, the presence of American troops in Iraq was only for the purpose of fighting ISIS, and we did not accept these claims from the Trump administration. As a result, I think the above set of factors became the basis for the practical actions of America against our government. Tasnim reporter’s question regarding his unspoken personal memory of martyr Soleimani, he said: I have had many memories with martyr Soleimani, but what I have not mentioned anywhere is that I have an ode that was written by martyr Soleimani describing me. . This ode has not been published anywhere. In the last few days when I traveled to Iran, some brothers asked me why I did not publish it until now? I gave a copy of this poem to the Iranian brothers. They said we are sending it to Zeinab (Soleimani), the daughter of Martyr Soleimani. Shahid Soleimani wrote this poem, which has about 30 verses, for me personally in 2007, which is a very beautiful and mystical poem in Persian language. I don’t know Farsi, but a copy of it was translated into Arabic by the embassy and provided to me. we have had together Shahid Soleimani and I used to go to the mountain and talk together. We often discussed many important issues related to global strategies. There are many cases like this and I hope that, God willing, conditions will be met so that I can talk about more issues in the future.

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