WASHINGTON, JULY 1 (RIA NOVOSTI), Leandra Bernstein - The jihadism seen in recent weeks with ISIS’s takeover of territory in northern Iraq and Syria is a global phenomenon with a recruiting center in neighboring Syria, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily, told RIA Novosti Tuesday.
Addressing the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Faily identified Syria, as well as other areas in the region, as the recruiting grounds for jihadis. Faily observed sardonically, “The situation in Syria is a global phenomenon. In syria, the jihadists have a tourism market which they promote Syria as a tourist destination where they blow up themselves and others, including schools and hospitals, etc. And Iraq is the victim of that.”
Jihadis from numerous parts of the world have been trafficking into Syria and now the safehaven established by ISIS in northern Iraq. According to Faily, “We have been capturing everyday foreigners from Afghanistan, Chechnya, to others. And I am also aware that even [from] the United States there have been cases where they apprehended people going to Syria and Iraq.” Later in his remarks, Faily also identified the threat posed to the European Union, saying he received reports of cars entering Iraq and Syria with European license plates.
“This is a global phenomenon that requires a global solution,” concluded Faily.
Addressing the question of how to cooperate among traditionally uncooperative neighbors in the region, Faily remarked that he believes support for ISIS “has been gained externally.”
He also cited Saudi Arabia as a country that has not made adequate efforts to disrupt the flow of funds, or jihadis into Iraq. “We know for a fact Saudi Arabia did not pull their weight in protecting our border. We know for a fact that they have not done what they can to minimize damage, minimize jihadis going in, or minimize the funds.”
Faily repeated that in speaking to neighboring governments, he emphasized that no state is immune. “No one in our region, not Saudi Arabia, not Turkey, not Iran, no one is immune from it because this is a global disease. It is a cancerous disease,” said Faily of jihadism and terrorism, “and as far as I know you have not found a treatment for cancer.”
