US used ISIL as political tool to pressure Iraq : Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Sa'ad al-Muttalibi, the representative of the State of Law Coalition in Baghdad, to discuss the remarks made by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani hailing the nation’s role in helping Iraq push back ISIL Takfiri terrorists.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you make of the Iranian President’s remarks that had it not been for the Islamic Republic, Erbil and Baghdad would have fallen into the hands of ISIL?

Muttalibi: Definitely. As a matter of fact I am not surprised at all to hear this comment from his Excellency Dr. Rouhani. When ISIS started its attack on Iraq, the US, the Americans and the European partners put a host of conditions for the US and the allies to assist Iraq and unless those conditions are met, then the Americans would help Iraq fighting ISIS.

At the same time Iran did not hesitate at all and we know very well that when ISIS was less than 30 kilometers from Erbil, the Iranian forces managed to lobby in and sent enforcement and advisors and military support to the Peshmerga in Kurdistan and they actually halted the ISIS advances on Erbil and the same thing in the southern side of Iraq where Baghdad is and there was a real advance by ISIS close to Baghdad and with the help of the Iranian arms and the Iranian advisors at the initial shock we managed to push back ISIS and defeat them in every battle that followed that.

So as a matter of fact the Iranian support was sent at a very critical time while at that time the Americans were putting their very harsh conditions on the Iraqi government and they would not support Iraq unless these conditions were met and as a matter of fact they did not support Iraq until very recently.

Press TV: Let’s look at that aspect of it you said that the Americans had put very stringent demands on Baghdad. Why would that be the case if the Americans’ goal as they say is to fight against the terrorists and the Iraqi forces were trying to fight them? Why wouldn’t the Americans try to help the Iraqis reinforce and then fight the terrorists at that point in time?

Muttalibi: I believe and many here in Iraq believe that ISIS was a political tool used by the United States to put pressure on the Iraqi government actually to change the Iraqi government and change the form that the politics are played here in Iraq.

So it is not a secret that ISIS has been a tool that was used by the US, by Turkey, by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to influence politics here in Iraq and to derail the political process from one direction to another and it was all in the hope that there will be a total collapse in the Iraqi government and they will have the upper hand in dictating the return of the Baathists and the return of those who ruled Iraq in the past.

 Press TV: So how significant is it that that has not happened and that the Iranians as you have just said had been the one to actually help keep their neighboring government intact to fight against the terrorists? In international scheme of politics how significant is that in your perspective?

Muttalibi: I think it played a very major part in defining the new Middle East - an Iranian government that is strong, supported by its nation, that has an excellent cordiale and friendly relationship with its neighbors, that stands by its neighbor at the time of need, that hurried their support to the nation of Iraq when Iraq was facing the most dangerous and vicious of its enemies.

This I think, I do believe that we will see or we are witnessing now the birth of a new Middle East with new centers of powers in the Middle East and that changes that happened in the last month with the nuclear agreement with Iran even changed the course that Turkey was playing in the Middle East and forced Turkey to play its hands against ISIS. I believe that all the changes that are happening in the Middle East were because of the wise and very excellent policies of the government of Iran which of course had the support of the Iranian nation.  

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk