| From MEMRI... |
With the defeat of the Saddam Hussein regime on April 9, 2003, the Ba'th ruling party was outlawed and a committee for the de-Ba'thification of Iraq was established. However, the Ba'th's propaganda machine appears to have found a new abode in Paris, France, whence threats to the U.S. are issued regularly in three languages - English, French, and Spanish. Not surprisingly, the Ba'thist propagandists use the word "resistance" (in French, "la resistance") to underscore the association with the struggle against the Nazi occupation of France during WWII. The resurrection of the Ba'th Party on French soil was further strengthened by France's proposal that representatives of "la resistance" should participate in any future conference that will be convened to discuss the future of Iraq. This position was clearly stated by Michel Barnier, the French Foreign Minister, in an interview with the French TV station " France Inter." In the interview, Mr. Barnier called for a political process in Iraq that would include "a number of groups and people who have today opted for the path of resistance through the use of weapons."
The National Council for the Iraqi Resistance
The National Council for the Iraqi Resistance, also referred to as the United Council for the Iraqi Resistance, was born in June 2003, comprising Ba'th activists (referred to as militants), remnants of the Iraqi army and Republican Guard, and what are described as "heroes of the national security apparatus." The membership of the leadership of the Council remains secret, although in an interview with the former Iraqi Vice President, Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri, he was identified as the leader of the resistance. A press release identifies the forces operating under the umbrella of the Ba'thist Resistance. They include:
- The Ba'thist Socialist Arab Party of Iraq (as a clandestine organization)Joining them "on the sidelines," according to the news release, are the various "patriotic formations" which include communists and Nasserites.
- The [Iraqi] "Resistance and Liberation" movement
- The Unified Council of Iraqi Resistance
- Many military forces like the "Fedayyoun of Saddam" and the "Second Army of Mohammad"
Locus of Information
The Council's material is published by the Comités Irak de Base under the editorial direction of Luc Michel... In a later publication, the site of the Iraq Committees is listed as: http://comitesirak.free.fr... A newsletter identifies Luc Michel as "a Belgian publisher, well-known for the defense of the Arab cause, and editor of the newsletter 'Al-Ba'th Al-Iraqi.'" A legal team under Me. Dominique Jourdain, "was also identified at djavo@club-intenet.fr". Free subscription to the newsletter "Al-Ba'th Al-Iraqi" (Iraqi Resurrection) is offered at commiteirak@yahoo.fr...
Given that most of the publications are issued through Yahoo France, one might suspect that most of the production is done in that country. There is no information as to who finances this production but it is worth mentioning that the group which calls itself Amitiés Francaise-Irakiennes may be the same Iraqi-French Friendship group which is listed as a beneficiary of Saddam's oil vouchers in the amount of 15.1 million barrels.