The people of Iraq are increasingly blaming the United States for the spread of ISIS in their country, a Wall Street Journal report reveals.
While interviewing Iraqi refugees in a tent city in Baghdad, journalist Yaroslav Trofimov discovered that a growing number of residents believe ISIS is receiving direct support from the American government.
“We all know that America is providing ISIS with weapons and food, and that it is because of American backing that they have become so strong,” said Abbas Hashem, a 50-year-old who recently fled Ramadi.
Others, such as prominent lawmaker Alia Nusseif, made equally striking comments, accusing the US of using ISIS as a proxy army to split up the country.
“We don’t have any trust in Americans anymore,” Nusseif said. “We now think ISIS is being used as a tool by America to divide and weaken Iraq.”
Sabah Karhout, chairman of the Anbar Provincial Council, stated that America’s shockingly “shy” role towards ISIS has been disastrous for opposition groups.
“If you want to help someone, do it with strength to achieve results, not with drip-drip-drip as if you expect them to die anyway,” said Karhout. “The Americans are playing a very shy role—and if this American support had not been so shy, the Sunni tribes would not have gone over to the side of ISIS.”
In response to the comments, the Wall Street Journal alleged that “such conspiracy theories about America’s support for Islamic State are outlandish, no doubt,” a statement that ignores key points regarding the continued rise of ISIS.
Declassified Pentagon documents recently obtained by political watchdog Judicial Watch revealed that the US has deliberately supported al-Qaeda and other radical groups in an attempt to destabilize Syria.
As noted by Insurge Intelligence writer Nafeez Ahmed, the US went forward with the policy despite admittedly knowing it would lead to the rise of ISIS and the fall of Iraq.
“According to the newly declassified US document, the Pentagon foresaw the likely rise of the ‘Islamic State’ as a direct consequence of this strategy, and warned that it could destabilize Iraq,” Ahmed wrote. “Despite anticipating that Western, Gulf state and Turkish support for the ‘Syrian opposition’ — which included al-Qaeda in Iraq — could lead to the emergence of an ‘Islamic State’ in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the document provides no indication of any decision to reverse the policy of support to the Syrian rebels.”
Since the secret 2012 report was written, the Obama administration has continued its support of so-called “rebel” groups despite their admitted ties with ISIS.
Just last September, a commander with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group deemed “moderate” by the President, admitted to cooperating with multiple terrorist groups including ISIS.
“We are collaborating with the Islamic State and the Nusra Front by attacking the Syrian Army’s gatherings in… Qalamoun,” Bassel Idriss, an FSA commander, told the Daily Star.
In July of 2014, “several factions within the FSA” openly gave their US-supplied weapons to ISIS shortly after pledging allegiance to the group.
An ISIS fighter speaking with Al-Jazeera the year prior confirmed that the FSA would regularly donate or sell their weapons after reciving shipments from the US, a well-known issue ignored by the Obama administration and supporters of the Syrian war.
“We are buying weapons from the FSA,” Abu Atheer said. “We bought 200 anti-aircraft missiles and Koncourse anti tank weapons. We have good relations with our brothers in the FSA.”
One of the most troubling aspects for Iraqis has also been the repeated US weapons airdrops to ISIS fighters, a continuous mistake according to US officials.
The Obama administration’s transparent support of radical extremists in the region, a move aimed solely at toppling the Assad government, has even lead to a drop in ISIS’ recruitment numbers, causing ISIS leaders to demand potential jihadists ignore “sinful” conspiracies.
US troops also protested the arming of terror groups in 2013 by posting photos of themselves online holding up signs stating they would not fight on the same side as terrorists in Syria.
Unsurprisingly, this endlessly-documented issue is mainly deemed conspiratorial by mainstream news outlets, ISIS recruiters and corrupt elements of Western intelligence.
