Iraqi oppositionists appear safe in Qatar for now
Politically besieged Doha is moving closer to Iraq, which raises concerns about the future of the Iraqi opposition residing in Qatar.
BAGHDAD — Qatar's relations with Iraq, which have been expanding since Qatar recently found itself shunned by its fellow Gulf countries, are raising questions about whether Doha will continue to host opponents of Iraq's government.
Among the most prominent figures hosted by Qatar are the wife of the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Sajida Khairallah Talfah; the last foreign minister in Saddam’s regime, Naji Sabri al-Hadithi; and Saddam's longtime aide Arshad Yassin.
There are also other Iraqi figures in Qatar, such as Abdul Hakim al-Saadi, brother of Abdul Malik al-Saadi, who is considered the most prominent Sunni cleric in Iraq; Tariq al-Hashemi, the former vice president whom Iraq convicted of terrorism; and other academic and military oppositionists.
A source in Doha close to the opposition told Al-Monitor by phone on condition of anonymity, “The figures affiliated with the Iraqi opposition in Doha don't carry out activities to demonstrate they are part of the opposition ... but they do include prominent figures such as Hadithi, Hashemi and Saadi.”
