US Secretary of State John Kerry has come out with some comments praising Iran for being “helpful” in the common mission to eradicate Daesh in Iraq. When asked whether Iran’s influence in Iraq was “more helpful or more harmful” at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, Kerry gave an unexpected response.
Looking at this unexpected statements and discussing how the interests of Washington and Tehran actually coincide, journalist Shemshadi Hassan spoke to Sputnik in an interview.
“Recent statements by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, on the role of the Iranian military in the fight against Daesh in Iraq can be seen from two perspectives. Firstly, this statement is a kind of recognition of the enormous positive role of the Iranian military advisers in Iraq,” Hassan said.
“After all, our specialists with their participation provided with the greatest assistance to the Iraqi Army and the People's Militia of Hashd al-Shabi in their fight against terrorism, in particular, Daesh.”
But the statements of John Kerry also have a second point which according to the journalist is an “attempt to take an offensive.”
By such remarks, Kerry wants to show the world community that Daesh is the US and Iran’s enemy.
“Thus, he seems to be trying to distract the public and move their attention from the fact that the US played a backstage role in the formation, support, sponsorship, financing and supplying of weapons to Daesh, to make it sound like the US was doing that because Daesh is the US’ greatest enemy,” the journalist said.
Thus, the Pentagon expects to receive approval within the United States and beyond, to strengthen its military presence in Iraq, by sending troops and equipment.
Hassan further said that Hillary Clinton also mentioned the US role in the formation of Daesh in her book.
“During those years, when she took this position (Secretary of State), Clinton made many trips to different countries and met with representatives and leaders of various countries behind closed doors, of course, she informed them of what was happening in Syria, Iraq and West Asia, in fact, she was presenting documentary evidence,” the journalist said.
Since then, John Kerry, has set the task to refute the validity of the evidence and conceal or destroy all photos, video confessions of Daesh terrorists proclaiming the US support for the terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
"Kerry launched a campaign for public opinion that suggested that all of that was fabricated material, nothing more than that,” Hassan said.
Hence, the recent statement by Kerry must be viewed keeping these two points in mind, Hassan stressed.
But in any case, participation of the Iranian military advisors and specialists in Iraq over the past 2 years has been organized at the request of the central government and the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. Within the framework of military cooperation of the Iranian military advisers in Iraq and Syria, a crucial role was played in fight against Daesh.
According to the journalist, the liberation of the important Iraqi city of al-Fallujah would have been impossible without the active participation of the Iranian military experts and intelligence officers who were able to help the Iraqi Army and people's militia Hashd al-Shabi get closer to the goal and to defeat the terrorists and take this strategically important point back.