ISIS terrorist organization is not responsible for the recent attacks on Nineveh province, killing and injuring dozens, announced Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.
Speaking at a press conference, Abdul Mahdi said that most attacks in Nineveh are “economic and political, rather than being ISIS operations”, pointing that all economic offices in Nineveh will be closed because everyone wishes to overcome this issue and maintain security.
Former governor of Nineveh Atheel al-Nujaifi indicated that military commanders and deputies from Nineveh and the province’s commander of operations informed the Prime Minister that recent attacks were carried out by influential parties backed by military forces.
Nujaifi told Asharq Al-Awsat that this does not mean ISIS doesn’t a pose a threat in those areas, however, the parties took advantage of the matter for their own agenda.
He pointed out that “the conditions that created (ISIS) in 2014 began to recur again and instead of corrupt security agencies, we now have influential and corrupt parties”.
He warned that the terrorist organization is beginning to exploit these conditions to revive its sleeper cells that are growing strongly under the corruption.
Security expert, Hisham al-Hashemi noted that all the terrorist operations that took place inside the center of Mosul were not adopted by ISIS organization.
After careful investigations and examination, authorities discovered that intelligence groups and tribal mobilization extorted citizens and took money from them, according to the expert. He warned that those who don’t comply are threatened with arrest warrants.
However, former head of parliament’s Security and Defense Committee Hakim al-Zamili considered the Prime Minister’s speech false, however, he admitted the extortion claims are true.
Zamli warned that ISIS’ threat should not be underestimated because it is beginning to reinforce its presence in Mosul and Anbar desert all the way to Syrian border.
While ISIS takes advantage of the financial corruption and political situation, he told Asharq Al-Awsat, unfortunately some officials are “playing roles in name of ISIS for their own interests.”
