Ayatollah Khamenei Urges Iraqis Not to Trust US
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei recommended the largest Iraqi political bloc not to trust the US, saying Washington has no real intention to wipe out the Takfiri terrorist groups and wants to use them for future purposes.
In a meeting with Ammar al-Hakim, leader of Iraq’s National Alliance, Ayatollah Khamenei recommended the influential Iraqi bloc “not to trust the Americans at all.”
“The Americans have been always opposed to might of the Islamic countries, including Iraq, and one should be never deceived by their pretentious behavior and smiles,” the Leader said in the meeting, held in Tehran on Sunday.
Highlighting the Islamic Revolution’s unchanging recommendation to mistrust the US, Imam Khamenei said the Islamic Republic itself has always gained advantages by heeding that warning and, conversely, has suffered disadvantages whenever it neglected the US untrustworthy nature.
Contrary to its claims, the US is by no means after defeating Takfiri terrorists and tries to preserve part of them for its future plans, the Leader warned.
Ayatollah Khamenei also reminded members of Iraq’s National Alliance of their great responsibilities, stressing that any decision by the major bloc will affect “Iraq, the region and Islam.”
The Leader further hailed Iraqi voluntary forces (known as the Popular Mobilization Units or Hashid al-Shaabi) as a “great asset and reserve” for Iraq’s present and future.
The Leader also emphasized the necessity for Iraq’s progress in the scientific, academic and research fields, especially given the murder of many Iraqi scientists by the US and other enemies of the Iraqi nation.
Imam Khamenei also referred to solidarity and unity as the essential prerequisite for achievement of the National Alliance’s goals.
The National Alliance, comprising all Shiite groups and partisan blocs, is the largest political bloc in Iraq in the post-2003 era that holds 185 out of 328 parliamentary seats.
Hakim, the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), was elected as leader of the National Alliance on September 5.
Over the past two years, there has been some discord within the National Alliance. Due to the lack of consensus on a new leader, the post had remained occupied by Ibrahim al-Jaafari following the August 2009 death of Supreme Council head Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.
Iraq has been facing the growing threat of terrorism, mainly posed by the Daesh terrorist group, which made advances in northern and western Iraq over the summer of 2014, after capturing swaths of northern Syria.