‘Big Country…Big Problems’

Has there been much reconstruction help?
There is one big problem with reconstruction in Basra and that is the lack of a comprehensive reconstruction plan. Until they put together a plan, not only Iran but no country or company can come. Because they don't know what they want to do. They say they want to fix a particular bridge or something else but it's always in the talking stages. There's no foreign company who's going to come to Iraq to invest 100 million dollars for a one million dollar pay off.

Do you have contact with all the political parties in Basra?
All the important parties, yes.

Is there more of a political struggle or an economic struggle between these parties?
It's a political struggle. A struggle to gain power. There's no doubt about that. But it goes back to the bottom line that the presence of the occupiers feeds the violence.

Do you think the provincial elections scheduled later this year will be violent?
I don't think it will be as bad as what we've seen before.

Are you surprised that these various Shia groups have been fighting against each other?
A part of it is expected if you know this society. Iraqi society is practically a tribal society. In a tribal society, rivalries exist and sometimes disputes can leadto armed clashes. A part of it goes back to the serious differences between [pause]…well, after all the Sadrists see the situation one way, the Supreme Council [Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq] followers have their own views. Part of it goes back to the way the previous regime treated people. And the regime's injection of violence into society. So you've got a society that has been brought up with war and conflict and confronting enemies. Where the use of force and strength are encouraged- so the violence increases.

Are you closer with the Sadrists or the Supreme Council?
The Islamic Republic, in general, has ties with all sides- with Sunnis, Shias, Kurds, Arabs. For us, there really isn't a big difference who comes to power. It's more important that whoever comes to power can solve the internal problems of the country.

© 2008