In an interview given to Al Aan TV, Munaf Al-Rawi, who was known as the ruler of Baghdad (Wali Baghdad) in what is named "Iraq Islamic state", submitted a rare insight into the shadowy terror group that continues to plague Iraq after years of the invasion by the USA.
Al Aan TV presenter, Rafah Al Saad, was allowed by Iraqi security officials to interview Munaf al-Rawi in an undisclosed location in the Baghdad area.
Al-Rawi told the channel that he fought against U.S. troops in Fallujah battle in April 2004. And added that he met Abu Ayoub al-Masri, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born militant who would ally himself with Osama bin Laden and create al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Munaf Al Rawi confessed that they were attacking governmental targets as well as civilian places aiming to put pressure on the Iraqi government where they killed innocents among them children, women and old people. "We targeted foreign ministry, finance, justice ministries provincial council in order to pressurize the government to fail".
Al Rawi declared "Iraq Islamic State had a presence on ground in the years of 2006, 2007 and early 2008, now this state had no real presence in terms of ability and control on ground". He described Al Qaeda's situation now to be weak especially that the top leaders were killed or arrested.
As a ruler of Baghdad appointed by the Iraq Islamic State, Munaf Al-Rawi said he was giving instruction to lower ranks like the military commander in Baghdad and the commanders of sectors in Baghdad who were requested to execute the operations.
Asked about their way of communication, Al Rawi said that they used the old postman system always for messages, instructions and finance transfers.
And regarding the funding, he assured that the main two funding sources were certain mobile operators and Baiji oil refinery.
Speaking about his family, he said he is married and has a son. His wife had no idea that he was working with Al Qaeda until his name was announced on TV stations and newspapers. This led her father to take her away with the son. Al Rawi said "If she is my life partner it doesn't mean I need to tell her everything".
Finally, Al- Rawi refrained from answering whether Al Qaeda in Iraq has ended as an organization after the blow that killed and arrested several Qaeda leaders. Answering the reporter's question: if you go back in time, would you do the same? He confirmed, "We were able to avoid such things".
The interview was broadcasted on Al Aan TV last Saturday June 12th in Iraq Al Aan show, which is presented by Rafah Al Saad.
