It’s not every day that you’re told to rush in because there are four drones monitoring the compound you’re on – probably armed US drones. There’s a short break, then you pack up your gear and head inside.
As we drive past the lawn and into the nondescript building, we are asked to park in the shade, presumably to provide protection from the curious killer robots watching us.
It is April 18, a day before Israel fired multiple drones at Iran, after Iran itself fired a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel on April 13. This, in turn, was in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate compound in Damascus, which killed 16 people, including two high-ranking generals.
This is a building in Baghdad on the banks of the Tigris, perhaps intentionally opposite the sprawling US embassy compound on the other side. Non-state actors in Iraq say the US occupation will not be over until all American troops leave the country.
Inside the building is the man I wanted to meet, who has been designated a terrorist by the US government. This is the safe house where Abu Ala al-Walai – the secretary general of the Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) – is waiting for us.
As we enter the premises, men with pistols in holsters line the hallway while an assistant greets us warmly. We are treated to traditional Iraqi hospitality and discuss the parameters for the interview.
To understand all sides of a story, you have to interact with all sides. This often means talking to people who are viewed as “terrorists” by one side or another.
As journalists, our job offers rare opportunities for interaction and insight into the thought processes of many people – including those who may be a daunting prospect to talk to because of their violent actions and “terrorist” labels that make them outcasts.
I interviewed members of Iraqi armed groups, Syrian armed groups, Afghan armed groups, as well as a range of other non-state actors. But even when we interact with American, British, Italian or other troops, they too are often labeled “terrorists” by their adversaries.
Each side always has a list of reasons why “the other” is a terrorist.
“We will have the final blow”
Abu Ala al-Walai is not known for public appearances, particularly in the last six months. His group KSS has launched attacks on US interests in Iraq and Syria, which it links to Israel.
He enters the room with a smile and tells our cameraman not to be afraid as he approaches to put on the microphone. Judging by our calm demeanor, he asks, “Aren’t you afraid?” I explain to him that he is one of the many “wanted and unwanted” men I have spoken to in the past.
We had agreed on a five-minute interview, but much later we realized that it had already been half an hour.
He is open in his characterization of what the KSS sees as acts of defiance but which its opponents see as acts of terrorism. He says he is proud to wear the “terrorist” badge awarded by the United States. As he tells us, he believes in the ideology of Ayatollah Khomeini – that the US is the greatest evil in the region.
“Whoever is attacked by America – whether Arab or Muslim nation – Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada will stand up for them,” he explains.
I ask him: What will they do if Israel attacks Iran again?
Al-Walai says: “In our culture, in the culture of resistance, we will have the final blow. If Israel attacks the Islamic Republic again, we are sure that the Islamic Republic will strike back again with a stronger and faster response.”
He has no concerns at all that his group might not be able to strike back against Israel.
As a group fully integrated into Kataib Hezbollah, the KSS carried out around 1,200 armed operations against US forces from 2003 to 2011, when US troops occupied Iraq. “Three hundred to 400 of these missions were filmed and documented,” he says.
As a fully-fledged armed group in its own right, the KSS has only grown stronger since then, he claims, as has the broader Islamic Resistance.
“The term “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” includes disclosed and undisclosed factions, there are undeclared armed factions working with us. The military capabilities of the Iraqi Islamic Resistance have developed more than 20 to 30 times since the days of the occupation.
“I remember in 2006 the Americans managed to break into one of the resistance warehouses in Babylon and they said that the resistance in Iraq had developed within two years. [as much as] the IRA managed to achieve this in 25 years.
“We have manufactured an arsenal of missiles and drones. And what was used in support of the six months of the Gaza war represents only 5 percent of our arsenal.”
“Shouldn’t Hamas share responsibility for this after its attacks on October 7th?” I ask him.
Al-Walai tells me: “Israel occupies the land of Palestine. We believe that it is legitimate for all Mujahideen to fight against the occupiers and expel them from their land.
“We don’t believe they [Hamas] started a war. The occupation has already enforced it with a more than 18-year blockade of Gaza and thousands of detainees in Israeli prisons. This operation was unique and humiliated the Israeli enemy, and what comes after the Al-Aqsa flood operation is not what we have seen before. We have moved on to a different phase.”
“Israel’s days are numbered”
He believes that Israel’s time is up. “We believe that Israel’s days are numbered, even though all other countries support it. In the Islamic Republic’s (Iran) latest operation, all air defense systems were deployed – the British, French, US and Israeli jets were deployed along with Jordanian jets. Some fighter jets also took off from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but were unable to repel the attack.
“Our estimates are that 20 percent of the missiles and drones reached their targets, even though the operation was publicly disclosed and was not a secret. Many goals were achieved, including to show the world that Israel alone cannot and will not defend itself against the Mujahideen in Palestine.”
He doesn’t mince his words, so I ask him what the consequences would be if there were an all-out war: Wouldn’t that mean unimaginable suffering for so many countries, including Iraq?
It seems that he has thought about it. “We believe in our axis of fighters in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It is Allah’s promise that evildoers like Israel will be wiped out from the occupied territories.
“We believe that Americans are occupiers and that it is legitimate to fight occupiers. In the event of an all-out war, we stand with the Islamic Republic; We stand side by side with the heroes, the children and women of Gaza. Our message in the event of all-out war is that Americans in Iraq will be hostages under the control of the Islamic Resistance.”
“US aircraft in Iraqi airspace are unacceptable”
Once the cameras are off, I deviate from the agreed-upon rules of engagement and ask him directly about rumors that the Americans have been sending his group a message through the Iraqi government – that they know where all the leaders are stationed and all their movements are being monitored.
To ensure that there are no attacks on the Islamic Resistance, this message purportedly states, the Islamic Resistance must stop attacking U.S. bases and personnel.
I urge him to ask whether that is the case and whether this is the reason why attacks in Iraq have decreased significantly and attacks in Syria have increased.
Al-Walai leans in and reiterates that if there is a war, there should be a war: “The Americans will be the hostages – not the other way around.”
He then asks his aide to call his bodyguard, who instructs him to bring a file from his car. He lowers his head thoughtfully and motions for us to wait until the file is there.
The guy comes back and asks him which file. Al-Walai tells him about the red file. A few minutes later the file is brought in, his employee stands up and asks him if he is sure he wants to show us the contents of the file. He tells him to sit down.
From the red file he takes out a folded printout that appears to show flight routes in different colors. He claims these are flight paths of all enemy aircraft, including drones, in Iraqi airspace.
He smiles and tells us that they can monitor the drones that monitor them. Of course, this is a claim that we cannot independently verify, but most likely the information came through their Iranian connections.
Al-Walai says he doesn’t want to embarrass the Iraqi government, but these drones are being used by the Americans to monitor Iraqi politicians and resistance leaders. And this alleged takeover of Iraqi airspace by US-led coalition military aircraft is completely unacceptable.
Our interaction lasted longer than I expected.
Al-Walai stands and leaves to the admiration of those immediately surrounding him – guards and political aides clearly looking up at him.
And I think of a fleeting moment that reminded me that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.