Iraq strongly determined to fight off ISIL: Analyst

The Iraqi government and nation are strongly determined to fight off the Takfiri militants from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a political analyst tells Press TV.

Iraq has a “very powerful” political will to counter ISIL attacks and regional countries are providing Iraq with “very very strong” support, Naseer al-Omari, an author and political commentator, said in an interview with Press TV.

“This group (ISIL) has no friends. This terrorist group is even fighting against the Syrian army and they are fighting against the Kurds. This group is killing, engaging in mass executions of both Sunnis and Shias, and Iraqi army members,” Omari added.

He noted that the ISIL terrorist group, however, enjoys the support of some wealthy countries in the Persian Gulf region and across the Arab world.

The commentator said the ISIL militants are “likely to fail in Iraq” as they have failed in Syria, saying the terrorist group would not be allowed to pose a threat to Baghdad.

“The international community will not allow this terrorist group to have a permanent foothold in Iraq,” Omari pointed out.

Iraqi armed forces have been engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorists, who have threatened to take their acts of violence to the capital, Baghdad. However, advances by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been slowed down as Iraqi military and volunteer forces have begun engaging them on several fronts.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has stressed that his government remains steadfast in defeating the ISIL Takfiri militants, blaming Saudi Arabia, Qatar and some Arab states of the Persian Gulf for the growing terrorism in his country.