Arab Daily:

Iraqi Baath Party Attempting to Return to Power with Israel, S. Arabia's Support

TEHRAN (defapress)- Arab media sources revealed attempts by certain Baath party leaders to return to the political scene with the help of Israel and Saudi Arabia and by recruiting a number of extremist Sunni figures.

News ID: 67960

Date: 07 January 2018 - 13:42

The Arabic-language Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reported that recently a number of leaders of the Sunni Tahalof al-Qowa coalition have held a meeting with the Israeli ambassador in Amman.

"The meeting had been planned several months ago and it was recently held in Jordan and a number of members of the coalition met with the Israeli envoy and his deputy under tight security measures," it added.

Also, the Arabic-language Sadr al-Khalij news website quoted high-ranking political sources as saying that Amed Abdolmajid al-Sa'adoun, a senior Baath party leader, has participated in a forum held by a party named National Honor gathering in Baghdad, headed by Vasah al-Sadid, one of the tribal leaders residing in Amman.

Informed sources said that the gathering was held with the support of Thamer al-Sabhan, the former Saudi ambassador to Baghdad, in Iraq whose goal was returning the Baath party to power under a new title.

In relevant remarks in August, a former Iraqi legislator revealed that a senior advisor to US President Donald Trump is in negotiations with the Baath leaders in Iraq to return the dissolved party to power under a new name.

"A delegation of the dissolved Baath party is negotiating with the US officials, specially Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, to study the possibility for its return to Iraq's political process after changing its name," Kamel al-Dulaimi, also leader of the National Tashih Movement, was quoted as saying by Iraq's al-Rased website.

"We have access to certain intelligence which proves that the delegation is pursuing Baath party's return to power in Iraq under a new name," he added.

Kushner visited Iraq with the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff in April.