Hezbollah deputy leader: Israel, US don't really oppose Islamic State

Lebanese Shi'ite organization's second in command accuses America of creating ISIS, and Israel of helping members of hardline Islamist groups.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Hezbollah's second in command, Sheikh Naim Qassem, on Friday accused the United States and Israel of undertaking a "dishonest" scheme in their opposition to the Islamic State group, the Beirut-based Daily Star reported.
While Hezbollah considers Islamic State an infidel group, the deputy leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite organization took a stab at Israel and the United States, attempting to delegitimize their positions on the issue.
The Shi'ite cleric said the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State had actually created the extremist group. Meanwhile, he accused Israel of aiding its members.
“We hear the world wants to confront ISIS because it represents takfiri [infidel] terrorism. Who created ISIS? Those who want to fight [them] are the ones who raised and funded ISIS,” the Daily Star quoted Qassem as saying in a statement released by Hezbollah Friday.
He alleged that American weapons and training had reached Islamic State fighters "starting from Afghanistan all the way to Syria and Iraq."
According to the report, the Hezbollah deputy secretary-general added that funds from Gulf states involved in the anti-Islamic State coalition had strengthened the insurgents "in order to [carry out] acts of sabotage in their name and on behalf of America."
He also indicated that the medical assistance Israel has offered casualties from the civil war in neighboring Syria has in fact been a cover for undeterred communication with "infidels," such as the predominately hardline Sunni groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida.
“Israel opened hospitals [to ISIS casualties]; and contact between takfiris in Syria’s Quneitra and Israel is constantly ongoing, uninterrupted, because they are part of this scheme,” Qassem was quoted as saying.