US Playing with Terrorism

A review of US policies toward the Middle East reveals that Washington’s strategy is based on playing, not battling, with terrorism, Larijani said in an address to the 10th general assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), held in Russia’s St. Petersburg on Friday.

The Iranian speaker also lashed out at the US for arms sales, fueling crises in Middle East countries, and seeking to commercialize the issue of security.

"A review of the US record in the Middle East region and its attempts to create instability and crisis in the parts of the world demonstrates that we should be sensitive about the presence of the US and NATO in our peripheral areas, and should tap into regional capacities and synergy with neighbors to ensure security,” he added.

Describing terrorism as a threat to world peace and security, Larijani warned that the defeats that the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group has suffered in Iraq and Syria over the past year could force the militants to move to other areas such as Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The Iranian speaker also stressed the need for a genuine fight against the root causes of terrorism and extremism, their ideological origins, and states providing financial support for extremists.

The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed in May 1992 among Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus. The treaty was renewed in 2002 as a military alliance.