Iraqi National Accord
Encyclopedia
The Iraqi National Accord (INA) known inside Iraq as Wifaq is an Iraq
i political party
founded by Iyad Allawi
and Salah Omar Al-Ali
in 1991. Al-Ali subsequently left the party after he realised the extent of Allawi's links to foreign intelligence agencies, mainly the C.I.A. and MI6.
It was founded at the time of the Persian Gulf War
as an opposition group to Saddam Hussein
. At that time, the two most active anti-Saddam groups were the SCIRI
and al-Dawa
; both were Islamic Shi'ite parties, originating from Iraq, but operating from Iran
from which they received support. Both parties were disagreeable to the western powers, and Saudi Arabia
, who had long poor relations with the Islamic Republic. The INA was thus set up to be an alternative, largely funded by money from Saudi Arabia; with extra support coming from the UK and the United States.
INA membership consisted largely of military and security personnel who had defected from the Iraq
i army under Saddam Hussein
's rule. Because of the perceived connections between INA members and security forces protecting Saddam Hussein, the INA drew American
interest as an alternative ally to the Iraqi National Congress
.
The INA organized attacks in Iraq between 1992 and 1995 to demonstrate its capacities as a militant group, but these had little effect on the government. In August 1995, Saddam's son-in-law, Hussein Kamel al-Majid authorized the INA to operate from Jordan after he too defected. Unlike the INC strategy of fomenting revolution among Iraq's disaffected minorities, the INA felt the best way to remove Saddam was organizing a coup among Iraqi military and security services. To this end, the INA - in close cooperation with the CIA - was involved in a coup against Saddam in 1996. However, the INA had been infiltrated by agents loyal to Saddam, and in June, 1996, 30 Iraqi military officers were executed and 100 others were arrested for alleged ties to the INA. http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=agdsULUSsCdo&refer=europe. Allawi has claimed INA remained active in Iraq as of March, 1998.
With the fall of Saddam, the INA entered Iraq playing a central role in the occupation government. With the rift between the United States and the Iraqi National Congress, the INA's role was further enhanced and Allawi was declared Prime Minister of Iraq
on 28 May 2004. Under Allawi, the INA participated in the January 2005 Iraqi election, as part of the Iraqi List
coalition. In the December 2005 elections, it was part of the Iraqi National List
coalition.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
founded by Iyad Allawi
Iyad Allawi
Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative elections. A prominent Iraqi political activist who lived in exile for almost 30 years, the politically secular Shia Muslim became a member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council, which...
and Salah Omar Al-Ali
Salah Omar Al-Ali
Salah Omar Al-Ali was a member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council, and Iraqi Minister of Culture and Information, serving from 1968 to 1970, and subsequently served as ambassador to Sweden, Spain and the United Nations from 1973 to 1981...
in 1991. Al-Ali subsequently left the party after he realised the extent of Allawi's links to foreign intelligence agencies, mainly the C.I.A. and MI6.
It was founded at the time of the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
as an opposition group to Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. At that time, the two most active anti-Saddam groups were the SCIRI
Sciri
Sciri may refer to:*Scirii, people*SCIRI, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq...
and al-Dawa
Islamic Dawa Party
The Islamic Dawa Party or Islamic Call Party is a political party in Iraq. Dawa and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council are two of the main parties in the religious-Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, which won a plurality of seats in both the provisional January 2005 Iraqi election and the longer-term...
; both were Islamic Shi'ite parties, originating from Iraq, but operating from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
from which they received support. Both parties were disagreeable to the western powers, and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, who had long poor relations with the Islamic Republic. The INA was thus set up to be an alternative, largely funded by money from Saudi Arabia; with extra support coming from the UK and the United States.
INA membership consisted largely of military and security personnel who had defected from the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i army under Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's rule. Because of the perceived connections between INA members and security forces protecting Saddam Hussein, the INA drew American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
interest as an alternative ally to the Iraqi National Congress
Iraqi National Congress
The Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. It was formed with the aid and direction of the United States government following the Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.-History:INC was set up following the...
.
The INA organized attacks in Iraq between 1992 and 1995 to demonstrate its capacities as a militant group, but these had little effect on the government. In August 1995, Saddam's son-in-law, Hussein Kamel al-Majid authorized the INA to operate from Jordan after he too defected. Unlike the INC strategy of fomenting revolution among Iraq's disaffected minorities, the INA felt the best way to remove Saddam was organizing a coup among Iraqi military and security services. To this end, the INA - in close cooperation with the CIA - was involved in a coup against Saddam in 1996. However, the INA had been infiltrated by agents loyal to Saddam, and in June, 1996, 30 Iraqi military officers were executed and 100 others were arrested for alleged ties to the INA. http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=agdsULUSsCdo&refer=europe. Allawi has claimed INA remained active in Iraq as of March, 1998.
With the fall of Saddam, the INA entered Iraq playing a central role in the occupation government. With the rift between the United States and the Iraqi National Congress, the INA's role was further enhanced and Allawi was declared Prime Minister of Iraq
Prime Minister of Iraq
The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraq's head of government. Prime Minister was originally an appointed office, subsidiary to the head of state, and the nominal leader of the Iraqi parliament. Under the newly adopted constitution the Prime Minister is to be the country's active executive authority...
on 28 May 2004. Under Allawi, the INA participated in the January 2005 Iraqi election, as part of the Iraqi List
Iraqi List
The Iraqi List is a political party list in the Iraqi National Assembly election, 2005, consisting of mainly secular Shia. It is dominated by the Iraqi National Accord led by former exile and interim prime minister Iyad Allawi...
coalition. In the December 2005 elections, it was part of the Iraqi National List
Iraqi National List
The Iraqi National List is a coalition of Iraqi political parties who ran in the December 2005 Iraqi elections and got 8.0% of the vote and 25 out of 275 seats...
coalition.
External links
- http://www.ayadallawi.com/ Ayad Allawi's official website
- http://www.iyadallawi.net/ Iyad Allawi's official website
- http://www.wifaq.com/ Iraqi National Accord official website (Arabic)
- http://www.wifaq.com/index_e.html Iraqi National Accord official website (English)
- http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/crs-iraq-op.htm
- http://middleeastreference.org.uk/iraqiopposition.html#ina
- INA's charter