ISIL strengthened by US coalition strikes: analyst
Press TV has interviewed Hafsa Kara-Mustapha, a journalist and Middle East expert in London, to discuss the violent attacks the ISIL terrorist group has been conducting in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Following is a rough transcription.
Press TV: Talk to us about the acts of savagery that the ISIL has been carrying out specifically in areas in territory in Mosul?
Kara-Mustapha: Well, this goes very much in line with what they have been doing for the past two years. It is difficult really to establish what part of it is true and what part of it is being exaggerated by their adversaries.
We know for a fact that they do like these rather spectacular attacks. They are trying to antagonize as many people as possible. What reason? That is difficult to explain because of course, the more enemies they enlist, the weaker they become but of course, because they seem to enjoy widespread support from outside of the region, essentially, through western attacks that are actually weakening their adversaries, I think they feel that they can continue with impunity, but of course this level of savagery is very difficult to explain and clarify, because of course, rather than actually encouraging recruits to join their ranks, if anything, they are pushing them away. Of course, for all those who abort whatever they stand for that is a very positive step but I really cannot work out what strategy is behind these savage attacks.
Press TV: And also there is a big question mark over the conduct of the so-called US-led coalition against the ISIL of whether it is battling ISIL itself or it has ulterior motives?
Kara-Mustapha: Well, that is the thing. I mean officially the Western coalition aimed at weakening ISIL, has been actually working for over a year now and yet ISIL is still there, it is still strong and still expanding.
So it really begs the question of what exactly are Western forces doing to weaken this organization? I mean, at the end of the day, regardless of how savage and how committed to terrorism these people are, they can’t be a match for the most powerful armies on the planet and yet somehow the most powerful armies on the planet have not managed to weaken them in any way shape or form and if anything, they have actually strengthened them because we are seeing ISIL pretty much everywhere across the region.
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