Iran’s Deputy FM Rejects US General’s Provocative Remarks on Iraq

Iran’s Deputy FM Rejects US General’s Provocative Remarks on Iraq
Sat Aug 15, 2015 15:58:52

Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs dismissed recent remarks by a US General about the disintegration of Iraq, saying such interventionist claims are against the path of peace in the Arab country, tasnimnews reports.

The US Army’s outgoing Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno claimed Wednesday that reconciliation between Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq is becoming harder and that partitioning the country "might be the only solution."

In reaction, Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Friday that “such remarks are provocative and in contradiction to the path of peace and security in Iraq and the region.”

"These (claims) are even against the stances held by his own country’s politicians,” he added, reiterating that the US interference and wrong policies in the region and Iraq have been the main cause behind serious problems in the Arab state.

Amir Abdollahian further noted that Baghdad’s political system is clearly defined by its constitution, adding that the disintegration would just exacerbate the ongoing crisis and problems in Iraq.

“If there is a serious international resolve to fight terrorism, the wise people and political and religious leaders of Iraq are well capable of resolving the problems of their country,” he stressed, reaffirming Tehran’s support for the national unity and sovereignty of Iraq.

Since June 10, 2014, Iraq has witnessed a fresh wave of violence after militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group took control of large swathes of the war-stricken country.

The US said on September 5, 2014 that it had created a "core coalition" to battle the ISIL militants in Iraq, calling for broad support from allies and partners around the world.

However, ISIL militants, who are believed to be supported by the West and some regional Arab countries, made swift advances in much of northern and western Iraq.

This is while a combination of concentrated attacks by the Iraqi military and the volunteer forces, who rushed to take arms after top Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling for fight against the militants, have blunted the edge of the ISIL offensive.

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