IS Advance a ‘Failure’ for Whole World – Iraqi Premier
By: Agence France-Presse
June 2, 2015 4:12 PM
An Iraqi Shiite fighter from the Popular Mobilization units holds a position on the Tharthar frontline on the edge of Anbar province, 120 kilometers northwest of Baghdad. (photo by Ahmad al-Rubaye, AFP)
PARIS, France — The advance of the Islamic State in Iraq is a “failure” for the whole world community, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Tuesday, hours ahead of a crunch international meeting to refine strategy against the jihadist group.
He said Iraq “needs all the support of the world” to counter the jihadist advance, but “we are not getting much. I think this is a failure on the part of the world … There is a lot of talk of support for Iraq, there is very little on the ground.”
Abadi also urged the international community to help Iraq purchase weapons to fight the jihadists, saying the country had received “almost none. We are relying on ourselves.”
“Because of our fiscal problems, we were not able to get into new contracts for arms supply. Most contracts were done in the previous government with the Russians,” he said.
“The Russians are under sanctions now by the US, so we are finding it very difficult to pay for these arms to get them. The money is there sitting in the bank, but we cannot get them.”
Abadi said sanctions also ruled out buying arms from neighboring Iran.
“We are not asking for arms, but please let us purchase arms easily.”