Terrorism, US main tool for dominating Mideast: Russian official

Moscow, Feb 20, IRNA – Head of Russia-Iran friendship association said here on Wednesday that the United States has both secretly and openly been supporting terrorists in countries all across the Middle East region. Terrorism is the main tool the US uses to achieve domination over the regional countries, Alexander Palishok told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) in an interview. Palishok said the start of US direct military interference and [the presence of] terrorism in the region are interrelated. He went on to refuse US claims that it counters terrorism, and said such claims are demagogic. During the recent decades, the US has proven that it is ready to use anything to topple the Iranian government so it tries to justify its support for the terrorist group of Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) which is responsible for organizing bomb attacks [against Tehran] in this context, the official said. Commenting on the Saudi attitude towards the regional issues, Palishok said Saudi Arabia as a close ally of the United States also supports the terrorists. Riyadh has described the terrorists active in Syria as fighters for freedom, the description which will have negative impact on regional stability, he added. Elsewhere in his remarks, Palishok condemned the recent terrorist attack on Iranian forces’ bus and noted that the US and its allies have failed to blame the assault. A Suicide attack on a bus carrying the Islamic Republic Guards Corps (IRGC) personnel martyred 27 and wounded 13 in southeastern Iran on February 12. A terrorist group so-called Jaish al-Adl, affiliated to Al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the incident. The Russian official said the terrorist group of Daesh (ISIS) is part of the US army and that is why Washington is unhappy about broad military operation organized by Russia and Iran-backed militants in Syria. After Daesh defeat, the US has been trying to support terrorist groups in order to justify its presence in the Middle East, he said. He added that Jabhat al-Nusra is a good instrument in the hands of the US to follow its [pro-terrorist] policies in the region. Also to keep its presence in Afghanistan, the US coincidently makes Daesh stronger and holds talks with Al Qaida, he said. Tranquility will not come to region as long as the US is present in the region, the Russian official said. At the end of his remarks, Palishok called on the regional countries including Iran to promote solidarity against the terrorist groups and fight them. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish