Konashenkov: IS Emerged Because of US Invasion of Iraq

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On Saturday, Minoborony source Major-General Igor Konashenkov told reporters that the Islamic State terror group emerged because of the US invasion of Iraq and that most of the weapons that the USA provided to the Syrian opposition fell into the hands of IS and Jabhat al-Nusra militants. In comments on US Defence Sectary James Mattis’ statement that Bashar al-Assad, supported by Iran and Russia, led the Syrian people to a catastrophe, while the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces was the only organisation that succeeded in defeating terrorists in Syria, Konashenkov said:

We’re surprised at Pentagon chief Mattis’s verbal manipulations in regard to developments in Syria. We’d like to remind Mattis that the emergence and development of the ISIL in Iraq was a direct and undisputed result of the US invasion of the country under the false pretext of Saddam Hussein possessing chemical weapons. ISIL’s further expansion to Syria was possible because of the culpable inaction of the USA and the so-called US-led coalition, which made it possible for ISIL militants to take control of major oil-fields in eastern Syria and ensured a steady revenue from illegal trade in petroleum products. All this time, Washington focused on providing financial support and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons to the imaginary “Syrian opposition”. However, most of the weapons and ammunition provided by the USA fell into the hands of Jabhat al-Nusra, affiliated with al-Qaeda, and ISIL, whose objective to topple the legitimate Syrian government coincided with Washington’s goals.

9 June 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/defense/1008903

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