Najaf Friday Prayers’ Leader:

US congress bill to strengthen ISIL

Rasa – Najaf Friday prayer, Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Sadruddin Qubanchi criticized the US Congress’ plan to send weapons to the Kurds and Sunni as if they were two independent states separate from Baghdad, describing this act as "support and planning for ISIL terrorists."

News ID: 2482

Date: 09 May 2015 - 22:06

RNA – During his weekly Friday prayers’ sermon in the Iraq holy city of Najaf, Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Sadruddin Qubanchi criticized the US Congress’ plan to send weapons to the Kurds and Sunni as if they were two independent states separate from Baghdad, describing this act as support and planning for ISIL terrorists.

He said that all Iraqis, including Kurds, Arab and Turkmen, have opposed the US’ scheme to divide their country.

His Eminence pointed to the strong opposition to the dangerous plan from Iraq’s most senior Shi’a cleric, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, saying that the revered source of emulation insists that the destruction of ISIL is only possible through maintaining Iraq’s unity and warned that if the nation is divided, ISIL would be able to take control of large swathes of Iraqi territory.

The draft of the US annual defense bill, which was released on April 27 by the House Armed Services Committee, urges the US government to recognize separate Kurdish and Sunni states and provide them with at least 25 percent of the USD-715-million aid money planned to be given to the Iraqi government to help it fight the ISIL terrorist group.

The draft bill also says the figure could even amount to 60 percent of the money, about USD 429 million.

Hujjat al-Islam Qubanchi stressed that if the world powers are truthful in their fight against ISIL, why do they consider all types of discussions about dividing Iraq equivalent to planning, supporting and partnering with these Takfiri terrorists? “Of course, after witnessing this plans’ lack of the popularity, the United States has officially announced that it supports a unified Iraq,” he exclaimed.

In another part of his Friday prayers’ sermon, Hujjat al-Islam Qubanchi discussed the readiness of a coalition of 14,000 members of the Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraqi army forces to liberate Mosul. He noted that these forces must solve their technical and political problems in order to successfully liberate the northern Iraqi city.

Saudi failed in Yemen

Hujjat al-Islam Qubanchi also referred to the failure of Saudi Arabia during its “Operation Decisive Storm” against Yemen. He said that after the collapse of Saudi Arabia’s attempts to form a coalition, they have now “purchased” 2,100 Senegalese mercenaries. “This plot is almost certainly doomed to failure in the near future and we will witness the victory of the people of Yemen,” he explained.

111/112