By: Reza Shafa
The history of mullah’s regime meddling in Iraq goes as far back as the idea of creating an Islamic empire similar to the Ottoman Empire which was dissolved in 1923. In his writings Khomeini vaguely refers to having a united governing entity for "Nation of Islam," and Iran as its epicenter. Not long after the 1979 revolution, with Khomeini and his followers in power, the theoretical idea was revitalized. To embark in the direction of establishing such an empire, Iraq seemed the best first step to take.
History shows that Iran and Iraq had difficulties in their relationship, prior to 1979 upheaval, not because they had so much territorial disputes, while border claims ignited the hostilities from time to time, but much of the problem rested with the geopolitical aspects and the race between the two world superpowers.
To that end, from the very first days, Khomeini’s menacing intentions about Iraq were very clear. "We have to dispatch an ambassador to Iraq who is a seasoned diplomat with enough experience in secretly contacting the Muslim groups opposed to Iraq’s government," said Ibrahim Yazdi, the regime’s first foreign minister in what was called Provisional Islamic Republic.
"In recent days, [our] brothers arriving from Iraq have a single request that Imam Khomeini lead their revolution to victory just like he did in Iran," said Hossein Ali Montazeri, Khomeini’s deputy until 1988 when he fell out of favor with him and was reported by daily Bamdad on April 13, 1980.
On September 9, 1980, the semi-official Jomhouri Islami, the ruling Islamic Republic Party’s official daily wrote, "On the order of commander-in-chief [referring to Khomeini], the revolutionary forces, backed by the Muslims, have declared their readiness for occupying Iraq."
Such direct comments and other preparations led to one of the most devastating wars of the last millennium, leaving only on Iranian side, more than one million casualties and a trillion dollars in economic losses.
The same philosophy led to seven years of continued war despite Iraq’s withdrawal from Iranian territories in September of 1981. Khomeini was often quoted as saying, "We have to conquer Jerusalem by first freeing Karbala [the holiest Shiite shrine in southwestern Iraq]."
War ended however without Khomeini’s victory and expectedly only less than a year later he died. His heirs however did not make peace with Iran’s western neighbor officially to date and still both countries are maintaining a ceasefire.
When forced to accept the UN Security Council resolution 598, Khomeini did not offer any logical explanation as to why war in the first place with Iraq and what triggered the sudden change of heart. "I drank the poison chalice [referring to signing on to the resolution to end the war]," said he.
Now that close to two decades have passed it is quite clear as to why the mullahs have not given up the idea of devouring Iraq. They are still nostalgic about Khomeini’s idea of an Islamic empire with Iraq as its springboard.
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Reza Shafa is an expert on the Iranian regime’s intelligence networks, both in Iran and abroad. He has done extensive research on VAVAK (MOIS), IRGC’s Intelligence Office, and Quds Force among others. Currently he is a contributor to NCRI website.
