Iraqi Tribal Leader Rejects US Help to Volunteer Forces in Anti-ISIL War

“The US only speaks and it has not helped Al-Anbar tribes (in their fight against the ISIL),” Sheikh Naeem al-Kaod, leader of Iraq’s Bu Nimr tribe, told FNA on Friday.

He pointed to the US officials’ remarks on arming al-Anbar province’s tribes, and said, “It is for two years now that we hear such news, but no action has been taken in this regard thus far.”

Sheikh al-Kaod reiterated that if al-Anbar’s tribes had been armed they could have resisted the ISIL’s attacks, but unfortunately they have not been helped so far.

The US and western media have repeatedly stated that it has cooperation with Iraqi volunteer forces, a claim that has been strongly rejected by the popular troops.

In late June, a Bloomberg View column, citing two unidentified American administration officials, claimed Hashd al-Shaabi forces groups are sharing use of a military base with US troops.

In response, the Iraqi Volunteer Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) categorically rejected the Bloomberg report.

“There is no cooperation and coordination with the Americans to win back the regions controlled by the ISIL,” Spokesman of Iraqi Volunteer Forces Karim al-Nouri said in reaction to news reports on Hashd al-Shaabi’s cooperation with US forces.

Also in June, Secretary-General of the powerful Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri underlined that the Iraqi forces, including the Shiite volunteers, have no need to the US assistance in their fight against the ISIL terrorist group.

Al-Ameri said that sending more American troops will damage the plan to free Iraqi cities and towns from ISIL control.

The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.

Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.

The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.