MOSCOW (Sputnik), Yulia Shamporova – The United States and Britain’s 2003-2011 occupation of Iraq led to the rise of the Islamic State militant group, the executive director of Veterans for Peace (VFP) organization told Sputnik on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, British Labour Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, speaking in the House of Commons, said Britain must not undertake additional military action against IS until the so-called Chilcot Inquiry on the Iraq War has been published.
"The invasion and occupation of Iraq by the US and allies like Britain set the stage for the rise of ISIL or DAESH [Islamic State]. But the primary specific actions that have directly led to DAESH was L Paul Bremer's dismantling of the Iraqi military and the poorly planned and implemented De-Ba'thification processes. Both alienated Sunni military and political leaders and many average people," Michael T. McPhearson said.
"It seems clear to me that the US bears the primary responsibility for creating the conditions for DAESH to come to power. It is also clear that continued use of military force is not the solution. A political solution is the answer," McPhearson told Sputnik.
The United Kingdom was part of the US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003 after accusing Iraq's then-leader Saddam Hussein of backing terrorism and possessing weapons of mass destruction.
The Iraq War claimed the lives of over 100,000 civilians between 2003 and 2011, according to the Iraq Body Count database.
