Leader Dismisses US-Led Coalition against ISIL as “Absurd, Biased”
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Monday dismissed as “absurd, hollow and biased” the US announcement of leading a coalition to battle the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group.
“The move that occurred in Iraq and broke backbone of the ISIL was not performed by Americans, but it was done by the Iraqi people, army and popular forces, and the American themselves, as well as the ISIL, are aware of the reality,” the Leader said on Monday, after being discharged from hospital following a last week’s surgery.
Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the contradictions in words and deeds of the US officials, stressing that the main objective behind the US plan to battle the ISIL is to have military presence in the region.
The Leader’s remarks follow Washington’s bid to build global support for military action against the ISIL.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has been touring the Middle East in recent days to rally support for the fight against extremists in Iraq and Syria.
Earlier in September, Ayatollah Khamenei had underlined that the terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the ISIL have been created by the West and its regional proxies.
“Although, the Western countries, particularly the US, claim that they have nothing to do with these groups (al-Qaeda and ISIL), there is ample evidence suggesting that these movements have been fabricated by Western powers and their regional elements,” Imam Khamenei said on September 4.