Only "pro-imperialists" could say such unkind things about the gallant Sunni-sectarian militias in Iraq, surely? After all, they are fighting the USA, so they must be good?
Actually the description comes from the rump Workers' Power group, enthusiastic supporters of the "resistance".
Workers' Power attended the "Campo Anti-Imperialista" conference in Italy in March. Iraqi "resistance" speakers "were given pride of place". "Naturally", says Workers' Power.
However... however, with much coughing and clearing of their throats, Workers' Power have to admit to feeling compelled to criticise the glorious Iraqi "resistance" on one point.
"There was a virulent streak of anti-Iranian chauvinism running through a number of their speeches".
As they show with car bombs and assassinations, the Sunni "resistance" considers the Shia majority of Iraq's population the enemy as much as the USA. And, because of the religious link between the Shia and Iran, and the fact that all the main Shia parties in Iraq are linked to Iran to one degree or another, the Sunni-sectarians can easily translate their sectarianism into language of Iraqi-nationalist resentment against Iran.
Saddam's regime preached racist hatred of Iranians. An official pamphlet, written by Saddam Hussein's foster-father, was entitled "Three Whom God Should Not Have Created: Persians, Jews, And Flies", and described Persians as "animals God created in the shape of humans".
Supporting the Sunni "resistance", and seeing its Iranophobia as merely an incidental blemish, is like supporting the UVF in Northern Ireland, in one of its phases of conflict with Britain, and seeing its hatred of the Irish Republic and of Catholics as just a marginal flaw.
