Military Intervention Put Iraq's Territorial Integrity at Risk – Moscow

Military intervention into Iraq put the country's territorial integrity at risk, according to Russia's deputy foreign minister.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The complicated situation in Iraq is the result of interference in the country’s policies from outside, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Thursday.

"The situation in this country [Iraq] is a direct result of the military intervention meant to overthrow the unwanted regime under the pretext of democratization."

The country’s integrity has been put "at stake" by this external interference, Bogdanov said during a meeting at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow.

Since 2014, vast territories in Iraq and neighboring Syria have been occupied by Daesh, which has proclaimed a caliphate on the land under its control. The terrorist group, outlawed in many countries, including Russia, has committed many human rights atrocities in Iraq.

The United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple the government of Saddam Hussein, under the banner of a war against terrorism. However, the conflict continued as an insurgency emerged to fight the occupying forces and the new Iraqi government. Washington officially withdrew its military forces from the country in 2011 but became reinvolved in 2014, leading a coalition that is carrying out airstrikes against Daesh militants.