US paving way for foreign boots in Iraq: Expert
Press TV has conducted an interview with Zayd al-Isa, Middle East expert, about Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Ibrahim al-Ja’afari, rejecting foreign boots on the country’s soil to battle the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group.
What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.
Press TV: At this time how do you view this statement coming out of the Iraqi foreign minister because certainly it does not make sense? There are mix messages from the US especially, now they are saying that there will be ground troops to some points?
Al-Isa: Well that is part and parcel of what we call “mission creep.”
They stared off by saying there will be no boots on the ground but it seems that the ultimate goal and they are preparing the ground and paving the way for justifying boots on the ground by saying well we tried our best, we gave it our best shot and still we are not succeeding in dislodging these so-called ISIL.
I do believe that their claims that ISIL cannot be pushed back or beaten back without the use of forces or boots on the ground basically does not hold any water because we have seen that happening.
They actually used the resurrection of al-Qaeda in Iraq or ISIL by the staunchest and closest ally, most reliable ally in the Middle East that is Saudi Arabia which went out of its way by actually propping up al-Qaeda in Iraq with financial arming, logistical support, paying even salaries to the Wahhabi Salafi militant groups.
Press TV: Considering the US and Saudi role as you correctly mentioned there, why are they then doing all this? Is it to divide Iraq? Is to weaken Iraq? What is the mission here?
Al-Isa: The mission is actually quite apparent. That is what the Saudis have been trying for the last two years.
The overarching goal was to overthrow, to topple the Syrian regime and the legitimate Syrian government which was elected. When they failed in doing that they actually widened their strategy and that is at the behest of the Saudis who widened this strategy to encompass and gave the green light to al-Qaeda or ISIL to actually start destabilizing Iraq.
