US using Daesh as repression tool against Mideast countries: Analyst

Screenshot from interview

The United States government is using the Daesh (ISIL) Takfiri terrorist group as a repression tool against various governments in the Middle East, says an American political analyst.

Professor Derek Ford made the comments while discussing America’s possible new deployments to Iraq in order to fight Daesh.

US Army General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military's Central Command, said on Thursday that Washington may increase its troop level in the country.

The general’s comments came just three days after US President Barack Obama's administration announced a 560 troop increase to allegedly fight the Daesh terror group in Iraq and Syria.

The US now has just over 4,600 troops formally assigned to Iraq after the latest troop increase, although the actual figure is higher due to temporary assignments.

“The United States is not interested or pursuing a policy that will actually address the root causes of the spread and empowerment of Daesh forces throughout the region,” Ford told Press TV on Friday.

America’s military intervention in Iraq, Syria and Libya allowed Daesh to form and expand, the analyst added.

He said Washington could not be “trusted” in its fight against the terror group as mounting evidence suggests that it is only trying to “contain” Daesh and use it to the benefit of its own regional interests in the Middle East.

Daesh militants were initially trained by the CIA in Syria’s neighboring countries and were tasked with bringing down the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Ford said Washington was using Daesh as a means of “repression” against Assad and other leaders in the region.

The US, along with its regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have been known to openly support the terror group by air dropping ammunition to them.

In October 2014, Daesh released a new video showing American weapons the US military had reportedly intended to deliver to Kurdish fighters in the Syrian city of Kobani.

Some Iraqi MPs have also accused the US of deliberately arming Daesh, citing an arms air-drop case in Tikrit. Washington acknowledged the move but said it was unintentional.