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Russian General Staff blames "democratization" for IS success in Iraq

According to the chief of Russia’s General Staff, the majority of dismissed armed forces and political elite left without work formed the backbone of the terrorist group

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. "Democratization" of Iraq resulted in the establishment of terrorist control over a large part of the country’s territory, Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday at the 5th Moscow International Security Conference.

"Occupation of Iraq, liquidation of another leader and ‘democratization’ of the country at gunpoint led to the situation when the majority of dismissed armed forces and political elite left without work formed the backbone of ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - former name of the Islamic State terrorist organization banned in Russia) and established their control over the considerable part of the territory of this country," Gerasimov said.