Russian intelligence chief accuses US of training ISIS in Syria for attacks in Russia

MOSCOW (AA): The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief has accused the US of training ISIS members to carry out sabotage and violent attacks in Syria and Russia.

Sergey Naryshkin claimed at the eleventh International Meeting of High Representatives in Charge of Security Issues in the Moscow region that the US Al-Tanf military base, located on the border of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, is used for training ISIS recruits to carry out sabotage and violent attacks in Syria and Russia.

The intelligence director pointed out that the US occupies Syrian territories, specifically those where it has built military bases and is waging an economic war in the form of sanctions against Damascus, which prevents the restoration of the country.

To back up his claim, Naryshkin cited the ongoing wave of rapprochement between Iran and Arab countries, claiming that the level of mutual trust in the Middle East has recently increased; nonetheless, the US authorities are “sharply” rejecting it.

Normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, he claimed, “provoked a painful reaction” in London and Washington.

According to the Russian intelligence chief, the US, and UK have been “used to playing on inter-Islamic contradictions,” in line with their positions, which is why their relevant bodies launched a smear campaign aimed at undermining the dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia and discrediting China’s mediation role.

“The traces of this destructive work are already clearly visible in the global information space,” he claimed.

He also mentioned the opportunities that have arisen in the region as a result of the restoration of relations between Riyadh and Teheran, such as the settlement of the conflict in Yemen and the de-escalation of tensions in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

Simultaneously, he alleged that the US is developing plans for an information war against Russia with the goal to drive a wedge between Moscow and the Middle East.

“Anglo-Saxons can be advised to deal with their internal civil conflicts, or even better – reach out to their old friend, to the devil,” he said.

The intelligence chief also claimed that the UK is “intensively” working with European partners to prevent any mediation between Russia and Ukraine “as long as Kyiv is able to carry out strikes on Russia.”