August 23, 2007

The Baath party denied that it is negotiating with the US or with the iraqi "government".

On August 21, 2007, Al-Hayat reported that the leader of the Baath party, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, decided to join efforts by the Iraqi authorities to fight al-Qaeda.

Al-Hayat quoted a party's former top officials, Abu Wisam al-Jashaam, as saying : "Al- Duri has decided to cease coordination with al-Qa'ida, and join a project of national resistance which will bear arms against al-Qa'ida and launch a dialogue with the government and foreign forces." According to the London-based pan-Arab paper, in return, for cooperating in the fight against al-Qaeda, al-Douri would have asked for guarantees over his men's safety and for an end to Iraqi army attacks on his militias.

In a statement posted on Albasrah.net, the Baath party strongly denies the content of the report published by Al-Hayat .

The Baath party says that "Al-Hayat's article " contains blatant lies" and reaffirms that rejects again any negotiation with the US unless based on its announced condition. The Baath party's statement adds that al-Hayat article is part of a campaing to split the resistance and to confuse people.