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Interview With Rajan Menon of Council on Foreign Relations

Aired April 17, 2003 - 14:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: With the war coming to an end, many Iraqis are anxious to learn who will lead them next. The United States has promised them the choice will be theirs.
Joining me now to talk about the future of Iraq, Rajan Menon with the Council on Foreign Relations. Rajan, thank you for being with us.

RAJAN MENON, COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about all the political groups in Iraq, and just how religion plays such a pivotal part in this. It's not just about politics, but politics and religion, correct?

MENON: That's right.

PHILLIPS: Let's lay it out.

MENON: Well, there are several groups that are relevant here. One is the Iraqi National Accord, which Americans probably know best. It is a group that was set up in 1992, moved to London in 1996, and is headed by Ahmed Chalabi, who recently went back to Iraq with the help of the United States. This is an umbrella organization that brings together all of Iraq's political and religious and ethnic rivalries.

In terms of religious groups, the key group is the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Its leaders are largely based in exile in Iran. It has strong ties with Iran. It has its own independent military force, the Badr Corps, and its leader, Ayatollah Mohammed al-Bakir al-Hakim (ph) is a key and pivotal figure.

Then, there are, in the north, two Kurdish groups that really are ethnically defined rather than religiously defined.

PHILLIPS: So, taking into account all these different factions, you're talking about the support for the Shi'a Muslims. You are talking about either support for Ahmed Chalabi -- of course, you hear different voices in different villages. You also mentioned the Kurds. How do you find a balance here? How do you find a little bit of everything and lead this country in a way that satisfies everyone? Division is the last thing that they need right now.

MENON: Well, the answer is, you do it very carefully. But one way you do it is by taking into account that communities that we speak of as if they were monoliths, for example, the Kurds or the Shi'a, themselves are riven by very significant divisions. There are, for example -- the Shi'a community, people who stayed behind and experienced the brutality of Saddam's reign, and would now like to play a role and would not like to be cast aside. There were other Shi'a who collaborated with the Saddam regime and are reviled by the people. There are Shi'a in exile. For example, Abdul Majid al-Khoei, who was slain recently in Najaf after he came back from London, as an example.

Then there are other members of the Supreme Council, who are returning from Iran and the chief figure there is Ayatollah Bakir al- Hakim (ph). The Kurdish groups are divided between the Kurdish Democratic Party in the northwestern part of Iraq, and the PUK, which is the southeastern part of Iraq. And so, there are differences between the communities, but within them as well.

PHILLIPS: Rajan Menon of the council on foreign relations. We'll be following all factions of who will possibly be the actual leading group of Iraq, and how the U.S. will play a major role in helping out with that. Thank you so much for your time, sir.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





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Aired April 17, 2003 - 14:55   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: With the war coming to an end, many Iraqis are anxious to learn who will lead them next. The United States has promised them the choice will be theirs.
Joining me now to talk about the future of Iraq, Rajan Menon with the Council on Foreign Relations. Rajan, thank you for being with us.

RAJAN MENON, COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about all the political groups in Iraq, and just how religion plays such a pivotal part in this. It's not just about politics, but politics and religion, correct?

MENON: That's right.

PHILLIPS: Let's lay it out.

MENON: Well, there are several groups that are relevant here. One is the Iraqi National Accord, which Americans probably know best. It is a group that was set up in 1992, moved to London in 1996, and is headed by Ahmed Chalabi, who recently went back to Iraq with the help of the United States. This is an umbrella organization that brings together all of Iraq's political and religious and ethnic rivalries.

In terms of religious groups, the key group is the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Its leaders are largely based in exile in Iran. It has strong ties with Iran. It has its own independent military force, the Badr Corps, and its leader, Ayatollah Mohammed al-Bakir al-Hakim (ph) is a key and pivotal figure.

Then, there are, in the north, two Kurdish groups that really are ethnically defined rather than religiously defined.

PHILLIPS: So, taking into account all these different factions, you're talking about the support for the Shi'a Muslims. You are talking about either support for Ahmed Chalabi -- of course, you hear different voices in different villages. You also mentioned the Kurds. How do you find a balance here? How do you find a little bit of everything and lead this country in a way that satisfies everyone? Division is the last thing that they need right now.

MENON: Well, the answer is, you do it very carefully. But one way you do it is by taking into account that communities that we speak of as if they were monoliths, for example, the Kurds or the Shi'a, themselves are riven by very significant divisions. There are, for example -- the Shi'a community, people who stayed behind and experienced the brutality of Saddam's reign, and would now like to play a role and would not like to be cast aside. There were other Shi'a who collaborated with the Saddam regime and are reviled by the people. There are Shi'a in exile. For example, Abdul Majid al-Khoei, who was slain recently in Najaf after he came back from London, as an example.

Then there are other members of the Supreme Council, who are returning from Iran and the chief figure there is Ayatollah Bakir al- Hakim (ph). The Kurdish groups are divided between the Kurdish Democratic Party in the northwestern part of Iraq, and the PUK, which is the southeastern part of Iraq. And so, there are differences between the communities, but within them as well.

PHILLIPS: Rajan Menon of the council on foreign relations. We'll be following all factions of who will possibly be the actual leading group of Iraq, and how the U.S. will play a major role in helping out with that. Thank you so much for your time, sir.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Relations>