Unlike US, Iran acts honestly in anti-terror fight: Russian expert

In a interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency in Moscow, Leonid Ivashov, retired colonel general and ex-head of the main department of international military cooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry said the US campaign against terrorists was actually a kind of game played with political goals to deceive the international community.

For instance, he referred to the behavior of American troops in Iraq in recent years when they secretly supported Daesh terrorists and on some occasions they transported the ringleaders of the terrorist group by helicopters from the regions that had come under siege of the Iraqi army to safe places.

The Russian expert said the United States is openly supporting terrorists in Syria under pretext of backing those fighting for the freedom of Syria which is just a lie.

Had it not been for Washington's all-out support for terrorists, Syria would not have faced such an issue as terrorism today, Ivashov said, adding that Washington in cooperation with its allies are trying to keep alive the flames of war and conflict in Syria.

The Russian expert on geopolitical affairs said the US sees its interests intertwined with war, massacre and insecurity in various parts of the world in a bid to prepare the grounds for dominating the key areas of the world.

He went on to say that the US strategy is to foment tension in the Middle East, as the most important region of the world by creating insecurity and helping terrorist groups and then American troops are dispatched to the target country apparently for suppressing terrorists and extremists but instead they do whatever they wish there. 'We have already seen such a behavior in Afghanistan and Iraq.'

These two countries were under occupation of American troops for years during which thousands of innocent civilians were killed while the US was boasting about its crimes as an anti-terror campaign, the Russian expert said.

But, he said, Iran has a quite a different behavior and its military consultants and volunteer forces are helping the Syria army with its fight against terrorists.

In helping its neighboring states, Iran has no covetous eyes on their soil and its measures are solely aimed at providing security for those countries, the Russian expert said.

The difference between the approaches of Iran and the US to the anti-terror fight is that Tehran is helping regional countries to fully suppress terrorists for the sake of the security and stability of the Middle East by Washington is backing terrorists in order to deal a blow to the security structure of the region, Ivashov said.

The Russian expert noted that regional countries should act with caution in dealing with the US and not to be deceived by the promises of the American officials about freedom of expression or defense of democracy because these are the instruments Washington uses to attain its goals. Washington's main goal is to weaken the Middle Eastern countries and hold a grab on their wealth and resources.
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