Could ex-ISIL fighters be used against Iran, as a Russian official claimed?
Summary
A top Russian security official claimed that Western countries are trying to use former ISIL fighters from Syria as armed groups against Iran. However, he did not provide any proof to support this claim. Experts and critics say these statements may be attempts to influence Russia’s allies or reflect misinformation.Key Facts
- Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), made the claim in late May.
- He said Western intelligence wants to use ex-ISIL fighters as proxy forces against Iran.
- Bortnikov gave no specific evidence or named which Western services were involved.
- In February, the US moved thousands of imprisoned ISIL fighters from Syria to Iraq after Syria’s government agreed to reassert control over areas held by Kurdish groups.
- Bortnikov repeated past Russian claims that the West created and trained ISIL fighters.
- Critics, including ex-KGB officers, say Bortnikov’s statements lack proof and may be politically motivated.
- The FSB, successor to the Soviet KGB, has a record of providing misleading information to Russian leaders, including on Ukraine.
- Thousands of fighters from Russia’s North Caucasus region once joined ISIL, with some later acting as Russian informers.
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