Baku, Azerbaijan, June 11
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
There was no doubt that the Al-Qaeda-linked radical Islamic groups emerging in Syria during the clashes between the armed opposition and President Bashar al-Assad's supporters will cause a threat to the whole region.
There are various causes of radicalism in the Middle East. Many experts point out that the radical Islamists have become more active against the background of economic problems.
The studies show that radical Islamic groups are mainly active in the regions where conflicts prevail and undoubtedly, they are used for certain goals. From this point of view, the bloody clashes in Syria can be regarded as a good opportunity for the radical Islamic groups that are permanently there and are waiting 'in the wings', to be in the spotlight again.
But the capture of Mosul, the second most populous city in northern Iraq, by the terrorist organization 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) was a real surprise for the Nouri al-Maliki government which was stating that Iraq is a secure and democratic state in the region.
Al Arabiya TV channel reported that after seizing the Mosul city, the militants took control of the Zab and Abbasi areas in Iraq's Kirkuk, which is one of the economic centers of the country. This gives ground to say that the conflict will significantly escalate. Because the Peshmerga special-purpose military units, subordinate to the KRG in northern Iraq, said they will not allow them to seize Kirkuk.
At the same time, the KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said that they knew in advance that the terrorist groups would attack Mosul, and told the Maliki government about this. But the Iraqi government didn't react. Barzani also said that the Iraqi army is helpless as compared to the terrorist groups.
One of the missed moments is to return the ISIL, the center of which is now located in Syria, to its "Motherland" - Iraq (the organization was established in Iraq in 2003. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi headed the terrorist organization in 2004-2006).
Why did the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant return to Iraq given favorable conditions for their "activity" in Syria?
One of the main reasons the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant returning to Iraq is the unsuccessful internal politics of Maliki's government. At the least, the reason is that along with the various political blocs in Iraq, the Sunni blocs and Sunni population are dissatisfied with the pro-Iranian policy of the Prime Minister and his re-election for the third term. Of course, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant noticed this.
Another important moment is that the governments of Syria, Iraq and Iran are the "common enemy" for the ISIL. One of the most important issues for the ISIL after their "successful operation" in Syria is to open the front to the borders of Iran, including Iraq. The helplessness of the Iraqi army in the fight against terrorist groups creates good conditions for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to reach the Iranian border.
If one takes into account that terrorist groups in the Middle East devoted to various ideologies, repeatedly worked together to achieve the common goals, it is possible that the"PJAK" organization, an Iranian wing of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), will intensify its activity when the ISIL approaches the Iranian border.
Unless the activity of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist organization is suspended today, it will boost more serious and large-scale military operations in the region.
Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Arabic News Service
Edited by CN