Tribal Leaders Refuse US Help to Iraqi Forces in Fight against ISIL

Local Editor

Iraq: Tribal forces

An Iraqi tribal leader announced that in the ongoing fight against the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri group, the volunteer forces do not accept assistance from the US.

"The US only speaks and it has not helped Al-Anbar tribes (in their fight against the ISIL)," Sheikh Naeem al-Kaod, leader of Iraq's Bu Nimr tribe, told Al-Alam News Network on Friday.

He pointed to the US officials' remarks on arming al-Anbar province's tribes, and said, "It is for two years now that we hear such news, but no action has been taken in this regard thus far."
Sheikh al-Kaod reiterated that if al-Anbar's tribes had been armed they could have resisted the ISIL's attacks, but unfortunately they have not been helped so far.

The US and western media have repeatedly stated that it has cooperation with Iraqi volunteer forces, a claim that has been strongly rejected by the popular troops.

In late June, a Bloomberg View column, citing two unidentified American administration officials, claimed that Popular Mobilization forces are sharing use of a military base with US troops.

In response, the Iraqi volunteer forces (dubbed in Arabic 'Hashd al-Shaabi') categorically rejected the Bloomberg report.

"There is no cooperation and coordination with the Americans to win back the regions controlled by the ISIL," Spokesman of Iraqi Volunteer Forces Karim al-Nouri said in reaction to news reports on Hashd al-Shaabi's cooperation with US forces.

Also in June, Secretary-General of the powerful Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri underlined that the Iraqi forces have no need to the US assistance in their fight against the ISIL terrorist group.

Al-Ameri said that sending more American troops will damage the plan to free Iraqi cities and towns from ISIL control.