Baghdad's anti-IS security pact with Syria's Assad angers lawmakers

Baghdad's anti-IS security pact with Syria's Assad angers lawmakers
Several Iraqi MPs and politicians have voiced their rejection of the recently signed four-party anti IS security pact involving Iraq, Syria, Iran and Russia.
3 min read
30 September, 2015
The four-party alliance intends to wage an extensive war on the Islamic State group [AFP/Getty]

Iraqi MPs and politicians say the are opposed to the government entering into a security apct with Russia, Iran, and Syria.

They also warned against a US-Russian conflict in Iraq, while the security and defence parliamentary committee said that the alliance had become a reality with the arrival of Russian and Iranian experts in the country.

According to MP Mohamed al-Karbouli, member of the Iraqi national powers coalition, the four-party alliance's support for Assad remaining in power makes the future of Iraq dependent on the fate of another country.

Karbouli added that there had been a clear division in the global public opinion following the emergence of the Russian team, which includes Iran, Iraq, and Syria, versus the US team, which includes Arab Gulf countries.

In addition, the head of the al-Hal [Solution] bloc warned against a US-Russian conflict in Iraq and Syria, explaining in a statement that Iraq would suffer the most losses in such conflict.

In a related context, MP Mohamed Abdullah al-Mashhadani, also a member of the Iraqi national powers coalition, expressed doubts regarding the intentions of Russia, which seeks to settle scores with the US in Iraq and Syria.

The conflict between Moscow and Washington may create endless devastation wherever it takes place.
- Abdullah al-Mashhadani

"The US military presence in the Anbar governorate, as well as the preparations underway for an extensive war on the Islamic State group, have drawn the ire of the Iranians, who in turn resorted to their allies in Russia, Iraq, and Syria, to form an anti-US team," Mashhadani told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

He also pointed out the threat of the increasing Iranian and Russian influence in Iraq, which he said would increase the control of militias and gangs who carry out killings, kidnappings, and extortion, using Russian and Iranian weapons.

Political analyst Hussein al-Wendawy said that major powers were trying to re-establish the global power-balance from Iraqi territories.

"The conflict between Moscow and Washington may create endless devastation wherever it takes place," he told al-Araby al-Jadeed, adding that Russia's team cannot last long in the face of the US, as the latter has managed to win over a large number of Arab, regional and European countries, while Russia only depended on the Iran-backed governments of Iraq and Syria.

"The people's rejection of any alliance that includes Iran in Baghdad and northern and western governorates will thwart any plans to reinforce the power of the four-party alliance in Iraq," Wendawy added, "as this alliance intends to wage an extensive war on the Islamic State group."

Hakem al-Zamili, head of the security and defence parliamentary committee, had announced that the four-party alliance had already become a reality after Russian and Iranian experts arrived in Iraq, adding that the US was not serious about its obligations towards Iraq's security forces, which led to their failure.

According to Zamili, a budget was allocated for the foreign experts and their accommodation. He also explained that Iraq needed to exchange expertise and intelligence with other countries.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi had officially announced there was military cooperation between Russia and Iraq, revealing the formation of intelligence committees with a number of countries to support Iraq's war on the Islamic State group.