Barzani: Abadi is a pragmatist, al-Maliki is his biggest problem

(IraqiNews.com) President of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani described Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as a “pragmatic,” saying that his biggest problem is Nuri al-Maliki.

Barzani emphasized that Iraq is no longer a unified country and the war against ISIS will take long.

Barzani said in an interview with Reuters, followed by IraqiNews.com, “The prospects for defeating ISIS are limited in light of the war that is raging in Syria, the absence of the Iraqi Army as an actor on the ground and the lack of gear that is ailing the Kurdish Peshmerga forces,” noting that, “The current U.S. strategy will lead to a better approach to restrict ISIS that will continue to threaten the region and the world for years to come.”

He added, “ISIS controls more than 15 million people in Iraq and Syria,” indicating that, “They are organized and have the ability to recruit from all over the world, because the structure of this organization was established in a way to guarantee its safety.”

Barzani also stated, “It is not possible to destroy this organization by air strikes alone, what we need is special forces, not ordinary soldiers on the ground, but joint military operations fighting alongside the Peshmerga.”

“The Kurds take no heed in retaking Mosul,” Barzani continued, explaining that, “We want to avoid any further conflict.”