US Sets Up Eight New Military Bases Near Iraq’s Borders With Syria
A commander of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi (popular forces) revealed that the US forces have established 8 military bases in Western Iraq, near the border with Syria, warning of Washington’s plots to gain control over the strategic and oil-rich region.
The Arabic-language Baghdad al-Youm news website quoted Qassem Mosleh as saying on Monday that recently the US forces have set up bases in al-Qa’em, the international road, area between al-Rotba and region 160, the area between al-Walid and al-Rotba and 4 bases in al-Rotba in al-Anbar province in Western Iraq.
He added that the Americans will take control of Western and Southern al-Rotba, which has not yet been cleansed, once it is through with setting up these bases.
He accused the US military of cooperating with the ISIL, saying that the terrorists will move more and more easily in the region if the US forces stand in control of the region.
Mosleh also disclosed that the US plans to gain control over the strategic region which is rich with oil and hosts important trade routes.
A senior commander of Hashd al-Shaabi had also said last Tuesday that the ISIL commanders were hiding at US bases at Iraq’s border with Syria and warned that Washington sought to use the terrorists as a leverage against Baghdad and Damascus.
The Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website quoted Hashem al-Moussavi as saying that a number of ISIL leaders were sheltered at Iraq’s border with Syria to survive current attacks by the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi.
He added that Syria’s al-Tanf base is the main stronghold of the terrorists and supplies the ISIL remnants with weapons, military equipment and intelligence, noting that Washington aims to use the ISIL commanders as a leverage to pressure Baghdad and Damascus.
Al-Moussavi said that the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi are at present trying to cleanse Wadi Houran region in al-Anbar (at the borders between Iraq and Syria) from terrorists, adding that the US fighter jets often provide a cover to the ISIL moves between Iraq and Syria.
The US-led coalition has long been suspected of colluding with the ISIL terrorist group in Eastern Syria for quite a few years now. Experts believe the US needs to keep a contained group of ISIL terrorists operating in the region in a bid to justify its buildup in Eastern Syria.
