Popular Forces Commander:

Saudi FM in Iraq to Help ISIL

Rasa - The military and political brass in Baghdad are showing frenzy over the Saudi Foreign Minister's visit to Iraq with a senior commander of Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi forces saying that Adel al-Jubeir was in his war-ravaged nation to set incarcerated ISIL terrorists free.

News ID: 427730

Date: 27 February 2017 - 21:26

RNA - The political circles in Iraq believe that there are many ambiguities behind the Saudi foreign minister's visit to Baghdad, calling on high-ranking officials to show utmost vigilance against Riyadh's plots, specially after it was revealed that the media weren’t informed of the trip before Jubeir's arrival at Baghdad airport.

The trip has stirred controversy, specially because it took place concurrent with ISIL's defeats in Iraq.

Javad al-Talaybawi, a commander of Asa'eb al-Haq Movement affiliated to Iraqi popular forces of Hashd al-Shaabi, downplayed the importance of the visit, and warned of Riyadh's attempts to release the Saudi terrorists imprisoned in Iraq.

"The Saudis are known for their historical hostility towards the Iraqi nation and trouble-making on the path of the political process in the country and therefore, Jubeir's visit cannot be seen in any positive respect at all," he told Fars News Agancy on Monday.

Talaybawi urged the Iraqi officials to keep vigilant, and raised the possibility that Riyadh might be working on a deal over the swap of Saudi terrorists from jails in Iraq.

He also referred to the time of the trip, and said, "The timing of the visit creates many questions about the real goals behind it at a time when the ISIL has sustained heavy defeats in the Mosul operations."

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister made a rare visit to Baghdad in an attempt to mend the kingdom's tense relations with Iraq.

Jubeir's surprise trip on Saturday marked the first official visit by a Saudi foreign minister since 1990, and the first high-level visit since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Jubeir, who met his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also announced Saudi plans to appoint a new ambassador to Iraq.

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