France Warns Middle East Tensions May Encourage ISIS to Regroup

Arab World

January 6th, 10:16am

Asharq Al-Awsat

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire. (AFP)

France warned on Monday that tensions in the Middle East could encourage the ISIS terrorist organization to regroup. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on France-Inter radio that “you must always ask who is served by and who profits from this instability. The instability in the Mideast today benefits only one organization: the ISIS group." Le Maire added that the instability “will increase the terrorist threat over France and Europe.” And he said that “all tensions always affect global economic growth." Tensions flared in the Middle East after the United States killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and deputy chief of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in an air strike near Baghdad on Friday. Iran has vowed revenge against Washington and the Iraqi parliament backed on Sunday a recommendation by the prime minister that all foreign troops should be ordered out. Despite decades of enmity between Tehran and Washington, Iranian-backed militias and US troops fought on the same side during Iraq’s 2014-2017 war against ISIS. Around 5,000 US troops remain in Iraq, most in an advisory capacity.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2068966/france-warns-middle-east-tensions-may-encourage-isis-regroup