Salih Renews Call to Keep Iraq Away from Tutelage, Foreign Interference

 Iraq’s president Barham Salih addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files
Iraq’s president Barham Salih addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files
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Salih Renews Call to Keep Iraq Away from Tutelage, Foreign Interference

 Iraq’s president Barham Salih addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files
Iraq’s president Barham Salih addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files

For the second time within a week, Iraqi President Barham Salih renewed the call for a new political pact among Iraqis, after the failure of the post-2003 government system.

“Iraq has important challenges ahead, mainly the holding of early and fair elections…” Salih said.

His remarks came during his participation in a ceremony on Tuesday to commemorate the bombing of the Baghdad International Airport in Jan. 2020.

“There are those who want the Iraqis to be preoccupied with internal conflicts that are weakening them and threatening their entity… The situation in the country will not recover unless the people regain sovereignty, away from any foreign tutelage or interference,” the Iraqi president underlined.

“There is a need for a new political pact that enables Iraqis to build a state with full sovereignty, and addresses the accumulated mistakes that led to the failure of the existing system of governance. This will not be achieved without reforms.”

Salih noted that the Iraqis were going through “extremely complex and sensitive conditions, in light of regional challenges and economic crises that require a spirit of national responsibility and restraint.”

“An independent and fully sovereign Iraq is a decision that abides by the state and the constitution, and a fundamental pillar of a regional system based on respecting peoples’ rights and rejecting conflicts. We should not accept the country to be an arena for others’ struggles or a starting point for aggression against any side,” he remarked.

Commenting on the Iraqi president’s speech, Dr. Fadel Al-Badrani, Media Professor at the Iraqi University said: “It is clear that President Barham Salih began to sense the seriousness of the Iraqi situation, its prospects, the state of political deadlock and its dangers.”

“The president openly addressed the political parties, by asking them to stop depending on external forces that underestimate Iraqi sovereignty,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.



Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)

As Lebanese authorities proceed with the deportation of Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, the son of the late cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian source involved in the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo plans to formally request his extradition from Abu Dhabi once he arrives there.

Controversy has surrounded the case since Lebanon announced that the government had approved the deportation of Qaradawi to the UAE instead of Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that citizenship is not an obstacle in extradition cases between countries, saying that a state may decide to extradite a person to another country even if they hold the nationality of a third state, as in the case of Qaradawi’s son.

According to Lebanese sources, the decision to extradite Qaradawi to the UAE is based on a warrant issued by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. As a member of the council, Lebanon is obligated to comply with the UAE’s request, despite the absence of a direct bilateral extradition agreement between the two countries.

Additionally, the extradition decision was influenced by the fact that the charges against Qaradawi are criminal, not political, as political charges would prevent extradition and instead warrant protection under international conventions.

An Egyptian judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the International Cooperation Office of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor had prepared a comprehensive file containing all rulings issued against Qaradawi to ensure that the extradition request met all legal requirements. This file was sent to Lebanese judicial authorities through official channels. However, Egypt has yet to receive a response from Lebanon, though one is expected in the coming days.

Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mehran, a member of the American and European societies for international law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international law generally allows extradition when the individual is either a citizen of the requesting state, has committed a crime on its territory, or when the requesting state has a direct legal interest in the case.

As Qaradawi is an Egyptian citizen, Egypt “has the legal right to request his extradition under international law and bilateral agreements, provided all legal conditions are met,” Mehran said.

Meanwhile, Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, confirmed plans to file an urgent appeal in Lebanese courts to prevent his client’s extradition, according to Reuters. Mehran explained that extradition laws grant the individual the right to appeal in court, while the requesting states also have the right to challenge decisions.

Mehran suggested that if Qaradawi is ultimately handed over to the UAE, it is highly likely he will later be extradited to Egypt after procedural requirements in the Emirates are fulfilled. This is due to the strong bilateral relations and close security coordination between Egypt and the UAE.

Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, who holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria. His arrest followed an Interpol red notice issued based on an in absentia ruling by an Egyptian court sentencing him to five years in prison for spreading false news, inciting violence, and terrorism. Before his arrest, Qaradawi appeared in a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, where he made remarks considered offensive to both Egypt and the UAE.