The Iraqi official in charge of disbanding Iraq's Baath Party, Mithal al-Alousi, was fired when it was discovered that he had visited Israel. Now, al-Alousi told the London-based ash-Sharq al-Awsat that he plans to take legal action to get his job back – defending the visit and saying he was not the only Iraqi to visit Israel recently.
He told the Arabic newspaper (translated by UPI) that "incumbent officials and leaders in Iraq have gone on secret visits to Israel," adding there were leaders in the Iraqi National Congress, led by Ahmad Chalabi, who visited Israel as well. He defended the visit, saying it was "legitimate as a politician and researcher in issues of combating terrorism, its causes and results, especially in Iraq."
He said he had received approval from the Iraqi National Council for his visit to Israel, adding: "If we want to build a new Iraq, we should establish good relations with the rest of the world, based on respect for Iraq's sovereignty."
Al-Alousi also said the handshake between Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom during the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York last week was "nice."
He told the Arabic newspaper (translated by UPI) that "incumbent officials and leaders in Iraq have gone on secret visits to Israel," adding there were leaders in the Iraqi National Congress, led by Ahmad Chalabi, who visited Israel as well. He defended the visit, saying it was "legitimate as a politician and researcher in issues of combating terrorism, its causes and results, especially in Iraq."
He said he had received approval from the Iraqi National Council for his visit to Israel, adding: "If we want to build a new Iraq, we should establish good relations with the rest of the world, based on respect for Iraq's sovereignty."
Al-Alousi also said the handshake between Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom during the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York last week was "nice."