Ayatollah Sistani Warns of Western Interference

Rasa - Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the top Shi’ite cleric in Iraq, yesterday said he was open to the idea of a US-led military intervention against ISIS, but that any such operation required serious scrutiny from Iraqi officials.

News ID: 1222

Date: 24 September 2014 - 16:00

RNA – Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the top Shi’ite cleric in Iraq, yesterday said he was open to the idea of a US-led military intervention against ISIL, but that any such operation required serious scrutiny from Iraqi officials.

“Even if Iraq is in need of help from its brothers and friends in fighting black terrorism, maintaining the sovereignty and independence of its decisions is of the highest importance,” insisted Shaykh Abdul-Mahdi Karbalaei, Ayatollah Sistani’s spokesman ,during a Friday sermon.

The sermon went on to caution that cooperation with the ISIL must not be used as a “pretext to impose foreign decisions on events in Iraq, especially military events.”

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