| 05 February 2013 | 3 Comments
 
 

Abou Iyadh during the radio interview with Mosaique FM

Jihadist leader Seif Allah Hassine, also known as Abou Iyadh, blamed the Tunisian Ministry of Interior for the September 14 attack on the U.S. Embassy during an interview recently recorded by Tunisian radio Mosaique FM

Broadcasting of the interview was banned by a court order, but a version became available on YouTube Tuesday.

Described by journalist Ben Hadid as “a man between politics and religion,” Abou Iyadh, the leader of Ansar al Sharia, said the January 3o interview was recorded in secret because the Ministry of Interior issued a warrant for his arrest after the September attack.

Abou Iyadh denied that he was involved in the events at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. He said that police forces broke into his house at the same time the U.S. Embassy in Tunis was being attacked.

“Thanks to my family and neighbors, I managed to escape,” he said.

Additionally, he accused Ali Laarayedh, minister of the interior, of being weak and unable to control the security apparatus.

“The question is: Who are these people in charge of security forces in Tunisia? Who refused to protect the US Embassy that day? And why?” he added.

According to Abou Iyadh, groups of security forces conspired against the Ministry of the Interior and refused to follow orders to protect the U.S. Embassy. Instead, as a condition to finally follow instructions, they asked to use live bullets, he claimed. He also condemned the arrest of a significant number of Salafists and the conditions of their imprisonment.

In a meeting with leader of the ruling Ennahdha party, Rached Ghannouchi, Abou Iyadh addressed the inhumane conditions and torture Salafist detainees are enduring in Tunisian prisons, he said.

On January 26, security unions held a large meeting that drew thousands of security agents and unionists. Abou Iyadh said the security unions’ protest against their own minister, Laarayedh, exposed his failure in his current high-level position.

Abou Iyadh accused the United States and western countries of conspiring to blame Salafists and Jidhadists for all violent incidents in Tunisia.

“The U.S., the West, and Israel are concerned because Tunisia has a jihadist current that’s being structured,” he said.

All Islamist forces and movements must be included in national debate in order to save the country from disaster, he said.


Comments (3)

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  1. elmouldi maaroufi says:
    06 February 2013 at 07:16

    Ennahdha is having an open dialogue with all legally registered parties regardless of their directions. It is the only serious point that has been made by abou iadh.but to attack people or properties of others is nothing short of barbarism.

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  2. Patrick Batchelder says:
    06 February 2013 at 06:56

    Of great importance is the breakdown of “diplomatic” rule of law. Host countries pledge to secure foreign country embassies. If that can’t be accomplished, then diplomacy will come to an end. There may be some political elements that would like that to happen but it is of the highest interest of the host country, Tunisia, for it to keep it’s promises. How many times has it been seen where a North African or Middle Eastern embassy has been attacked and burned in a Western country without it being defended? Even Christian soldiers against Christian protesters? World perception is a great and long-lasting force. The idea that Arab and Maghreb countries are not “civilized” nor part of the 21st Century can affect many, many positive things for them.

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  3. mark says:
    06 February 2013 at 04:46

    So this is a transcript that comes from UTube from someone who is on the run from police…..Why?

    Reply

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