BAGHDAD // For much of the past seven years, Omar al Naqishbandi has been fighting against the US military and the Iraqi governments that he saw as nothing more than Washington's puppets. In Sunday's election, however, for the first time, the insurgent will put down his rifle and pick up a ballot paper to cast a vote.
"Before, I didn't have any hope, but this year I do, and I will be voting," he said. "I think this time the nationalist movement will have a real voice and by the elections it will be able to liberate Iraq from the Americans and Iranians."
A member of the Army of Naqishbandi in Diyala province, the militant agreed to an interview on condition that his real identity be concealed.
The Army of Naqishbandi, a Sunni nationalist insurgent group, has grown over the past 18 months to be one of the most prominent movements still staging attacks on US forces in Iraq.
Army of Naqishbandi members insist they only target US soldiers, a claim the US military dismisses as the propaganda of a criminal organisation trying to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the general public.
Regardless of the truth, for the election period Omar said he and his colleagues had called a two-week truce, so that voters could go to the polls without fear of violence. "We have put our weapons down for now. We will not stage any attacks that will harm the political process. We want people to vote, we want the people of Diyala to vote. We are sure they will vote for Ayad Allawi, he is a nationalist who will stop Iraq being a satellite state for Iran."
That such former rejecters of the entire political process in Iraq are now taking part in the election bodes well for those hoping the contest will be seen as legitimate. Although the election results could prove controversial - insurgents may return to violence if their preferred candidate does not win - the fact that militants are taking part in the ballot is a sign of some progress for Iraq's fledgling democracy.
Not all militants have taken the same view. Al Qa'eda in Iraq has vowed to stage attacks against election sites.
Mr Allawi, the Naqishbandi fighter's professed favourite, heads the secular Iraqiyya list and, with a promise to put more political distance between Baghdad and Tehran if elected, there is anecdotal evidence he is collecting support among those who fought the current Shiite-dominated government.
That includes Baathist rejectionists, those blamed by the Iraqi authorities for some of the worst recent atrocities in Baghdad. According to Mouayid Abdulqadir, editor of al Saut, a pro-insurgency nationalist newspaper based in Damascus, Baathist militants will also vote.
"The Baathists say they don't recognise the legitimacy of the political process or the election while there is still a US occupation, but in truth they are all going to vote this time," he said. "I've spoken to many of the Baathist leaders in central Iraq and they all say quietly they will be voting for Allawi."
Nazar al Samarai, a Baathist who worked in Saddam Hussein's presidential council before fleeing to the safety of Syria after the US-led invasion, shared that assessment.
"As a Baathist figure, I can say that I consider Ayad Allawi the most acceptable candidate; let's say he is the best of a bad bunch," Mr Samarai said. "He has a vision for Iraq as an independent country and wants to put an end to this Iranian control. That makes him the choice for Sunnis and Baathists."
On the other side of the political divide, among Shiites backed by Iran, there are similar signs that militants are looking to the ballot box, at least for now, as a way of settling their grievances.
"We no longer have our weapons. We are going to dominate Sadr City by the election; that is how we'll regain our power," said Abu Zeynab, a former commander of the Mahdi Army in its Baghdad stronghold, the sprawling slum now known as Sadr City. It was formerly Saddam City.
The Mahdi Army, the military wing of the Sadr movement, once fought pitched battles against US forces and Iraqi government troops, under the current prime minister, Nouri al Maliki, and when Mr Allawi was in charge of the country between 2004 and 2005.
Led by cleric Muqtada al Sadr, the Sadrists are a major component of the Iraqi National Alliance, a sectarian Shiite grouping that, like Mr Allawi's Iraqiyya list, is expected to perform well at the polls.
Abu Zeynab said he had been in hiding in Iran until a month ago, returning at his leader's request to take part in the ballot and ensure that his followers cast their votes.
"We have not been harassed or arrested by the security forces since coming back," he said. "They have promised not to do anything against us before the elections, and we have promised not to fight until 2012. We are on the political path until then."
Another former Sadrist militant, Abu Zahrah, a commander from Kut in Wasit province, said a strong election platform would be used to end the US occupation.
"We are voting because that is the best way to hold the US troops to account for their bad actions, and it is the best way to get them out of the country," he said.
However, he stressed, a return to violence was on the cards - if his political goals were not met.
"I'm happy to take the political route for now and our orders are not to fight. But if the Americans do not leave Iraq by the end of 2011 as they have said they will, then there will be a new uprising.
"Remember the first day of 2012. That is the date when these ceasefires end and the uprising begins again."
nlatif@thenational.ae
psands@thenational.ae
Phil Sands reported from Damascus
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
FIGHT%20CARD
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors