Iraqi MP to Al-Manar Website: Incubator Environment for ISIL in Nineveh

Saturday 14 June 2014

Iraqi MP to Al-Manar Website: Incubator Environment for ISIL in Nineveh

داعش تأسر بنات من الموصل

Local Editor

The so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) seized the Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday. The terrorists swiftly overran the city’s facilities, in a move that raises many questions about the reasons behind it and the repercussions.

Talking to al-Manar Website, Iraqi Lawmaker from the “State of Law” alliance, Abdul Abbas Shayya’, described the events in Mosul as conspiracy against Iraq.

Iraqi Lawmaker from the “State of Law” alliance, Abdul Abbas Shayya’

He said that several officers had betrayed the Iraqi army as they dropped their weapons, noting that rumors have been spread around about the city’s fall in the ISIL’s hand.

“The rumors said that the national army had surrendered and there had been no resistance against the ISIL,” Shayya’ told our website, adding that the Media portrayed the ISIL as a huge army which was invading Mosul.

The morale of the Iraqi army hit lowest level as these rumors were spread, the Iraqi lawmaker added.

However, Shayya’ pointed out that this collapse was temporary, stressing that the Iraqi army has the ability to combat ISIL and al-Qaeda.

He also acknowledged that the environment in Nineveh province became incubator for terrorism, noting that such environment is not like that in other provinces like Baghdad, Najaf or Karbala.

“There is an incubator environment, some security forces, from Nineveh province, who are colluding with foreign militants… And surely if this environment was not found, ISIL could not seize Mosul.”

ISIL terrorists in Iraq

The Iraqi lawmaker assured that the government has put plans to take over the reins, saying that the urgent measures now is to reorganize the security forces and to unite the army.

Meanwhile, he noted that all traitorous forces will be hold accountable through investigations and trials.

Asked about military interference by other countries in order to help the Iraqi government against the ISIL, Shayya’ stressed that the Iraqis who will counter terrorism in their homeland, but said “there is no problem if we were offered help from other countries like arming the military institution in Iraq, providing us with technical or intelligence aid.”

“However, the major effort exerted in order to cleanse our country from terrorism remains exclusively a local effort.”

As for the repercussions of the Iraqi events, the lawmaker said: “No doubt, Iraq is affected by the events in Syria. What happens in Iraq affects Syria, and vice versa.”

He noted that all options are possible if these events were not contained, saying: “We are working hard as possible in order for the crisis not to escalate. Applying foreign agendas would not affect Iraq only, but the entire region.”

To read the original text in Arabic click here.