Shiite Authority Caused Upheaval in Iraq: Senior Iranian Lawmaker

“I believe US policy in Syria through the past three years is a good reason for the presence of the terrorist group ISIL in Iraq” said Boroujerdi to Tasnim, adding that the strong presence of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the country is the result of their failure in Syria.

The Iranian lawmaker noted that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi youths have made their way down to army camps to help the armed forces in their campaign against the extremist group following a Fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Sistani. Boroujerdi added that this is on one hand the beginning of a new move in Iraq, and on the other hand makes terrorism suffer a devastating blow in the country and also helps bring stability and long-time security in Iraq.

After Grand Ayatollah Sistani issued a fatwa calling on Iraqis to take up arms against the Takfiri militants advancing towards Baghdad, tens of thousands of volunteers have joined the armed forces to fight against the ISIL.

Grand Ayatollah Sistani, who rarely appears in public, is highly influential in the Shiite Muslim world and is adored by millions.

Around 1.5 million Iraqis have volunteered to join battles against the militants of the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The volunteers consist of people from all ages including retired army officers.

In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, ISIL seized control of most parts of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq, its surrounding Nineveh province. ISIL militants have been in control of Fallujah city since December.

The terrorists’ attacks have reportedly forced more than half a million people in and around Mosul, the capital of Nineveh Province, to flee their homes.

The Takfiri (extremist) militants are said to have entered Iraq from neighboring Syria and Saudi Arabia to destabilize the Arab country.