 A self-styled Shiite Muslim insurgent group made its public debut in a videotape aired by a Lebanese TV station, pledging to fight U.S., British and other coalition forces but to spare Iraqi civilians and soldiers.
| This'd be the Hezbollah branch of the insurgency... |
"We have been patient enough and we have given the political process a chance," the Islamic Resistance in Iraq — Abbas Brigades said in a statement that accompanied the tape Sunday. It could not be independently authenticated. It was the first public appearance by a Shiite group claiming a role in an insurgency that has been dominated by Sunni Arabs, who lost the power and privilege they had under Saddam's regime to the majority Shiite Arabs and minority Sunni Kurds. The statement, read by a TV announcer, said U.S. troops came to Iraq under the pretext of overthrowing Saddam Hussein's government but are now "building bases, looting our resources, interfering in everything, sowing sectarian sedition between Sunnis and Shiites, Arabs and Kurds."
The group said it aims to rid Iraq of foreign occupation and preserve its territorial unity. It pledged to limit its attacks to foreign forces. "We assure them (Iraqis) that operations against civilians are great transgressions. Members of the Iraqi army, police and Iraqi security agencies are our sons, brothers and beloved. They are our hope for the future to preserve the land of Iraq and its security. So are state employees," the statement said.
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