WASHINGTON — The leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force is contributing to instability in Iraq and complicating the U.S. mission against terrorism with his command of some of the Iraqi forces battling Islamic State militants, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency said.
The comments by John Brennan, broadcast Sunday on “Fox News Sunday,” are among the strongest yet voiced by U.S. officials about the involvement of shadowy Gen. Qassem Soleimani in the war against the extremist group.
Brennan described Soleimani as being “very aggressive and active” as he advises Shiite militias battling the extremists, mostly recently in the offensive targeting Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown.
Brennan said he would not “consider Iran an ally right now inside Iraq” even though Iran and the U.S. both consider the Islamic State group an enemy.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, testifying at a congressional hearing this past week, said the U.S. worries that Shiite militiamen might turn against Sunni and Kurdish Iraqis, further destabilizing the country.
Brennan said he doesn’t think the presence of Soleimani and his advisers pointed to Iran having a larger position in Iraq and its future. However, he acknowledged it’s not for lack of trying.
“We’re not letting them play that role,” the CIA chief said.
Brennan said the Iraqis themselves, not the pullout of U.S. troops, are responsible for the country’s insecurity.
