Iran's Ex-Deputy FM: US Seeking to Manage, Not Eradicate ISIL in Iraq

EghtesadOnline: Former Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian blasted the US claims about fighting against the ISIL, and said Washington is only seeking to administer the terrorist group to keep its own foothold in Iraq.

News ID: ۷۶۸۴۴۲

21 July 2016

"The US is seeking to manage and not to eradicate the ISIL in Iraq," Amir Abdollahian, who is now the parliament's director general for international affairs and the speaker's top advisor, said on Wednesday.

He further expressed regret that Iraq faces attempts by many foreign states to interfere in its internal affairs, and said, "The US is always attempting to strengthen its presence in Iraq; one day under the pretext of fight against terrorism, another day under the pretext of establishing security at the airports and passages and now under the pretext of fighting the ISIL."

"The Americans have surely not adopted any effective measure on the path of Iraq's stability and security in recent years," FNA quoted Amir Abdollahian as saying.

US President Barack Obama said in November 2015 that the US strategy had always been to “contain” and not to crush the ISIL.

“From the start, our goal has been first to contain them, and we have contained them,” Obama told ABC News at the time.