'Fearless' Ayad Jamal Aldin corrects Labour MP Ivan Lewis on his misunderstanding of Iraqi politics
Friday, 15 January 2010 15:59
Prominent British political commentary website, Guido Fawkes, added further pressure on controversial Labour MP Ivan Lewis after his interpretation of Iraqi politics is met with a cold reaction from Baghdad.
Read the article below:
Even the Iraqis are laughing at Labour
Sex-text pest and FCO Minister Ivan Lewis has been slapped down by Iraq's Ahrar Party leader Ayad Jamal Aldin after wading into Baghdad politics. In a move straight out of the New Labour playbook, Lewis used a piece in the Arab newspaper The Daily Star to urge Iraqi voters to judge their politicians on "better public services, fixed roads and transport systems and providing new jobs", while ignoring the rank corruption that is crippling the country. Sound familiar?
Fearless transparency campaigner Aldin, who has survived six assassination attempts, hit back hard though:
"Ivan Lewis MP misses the point with the Iraqi people's political dissatisfaction. Corruption within the government must be the major issue on which the forthcoming election is fought. It is the corruption that prevents these services from being implemented as the money to fund them is siphoned off by Maliki's government ministers. We will not stand for this anymore and promise to tackle corruption head on so that all Iraqis can benefit from a fair and transparent administration which will benefit all the people of Iraq."
Guido's man in the Green Zone got in touch to put the boot in "It's no surprise a UK Labour politician wants to ignore corruption, their spin won't work here." It's a new low when even Iraqis are lecturing Labour about corruption.
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About Ayad Jamal Aldin:
Ayad Jamal Aldin is a Shia cleric, best known for his consistent campaigning for a new, secular Iraq. He first rose to prominence at the Nasiriyah conference in March 2003, shortly before the fall of Saddam, where he called for a state free of religion, the turban and other theological symbols. In 2005, he was elected as one of the 25 MPs on the Iraqi National List, but withdrew in 2009 after becoming disenchanted with Iyad Allawi's overtures to Iran. He wants complete independence from Iranian interference in Iraq. He now leads the Ahrar party for the 2010 election to the Council of Representatives, to clean up corruption and create a strong, secure and liberated Iraq for the future.