Canadian FM Not in Position to Comment on IRGC Quds Force Commander’s Performance

(FNA)- A senior Iranian lawmaker lashed out at Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird for his statements against the Commander of Iran's Quds Force, and said Major General Qassem Soleimani is a leader of the war on Takfiri terrorists in the region.

"The Canadian foreign minister is not in a position to make comments about General Soleimani and these are only nations who can judge him," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Esmayeel Kowsari said Sunday.

Kowsari underlined that the Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force is leading the war on terrorism.

"If the so-called anti-ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is really meant to fight the ISIL, then it would be enough for the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the Zionist regime (Israel) to give up their support for the Takfiri terrorists and there would be no need for the existence of a coalition," the senior lawmaker said.

He reiterated that Canada's unacceptable accusations against General Soleimani come as the ISIL has grown with the help of the West.

^{_{Member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Esmayeel Kowsari}}

Kowsari's remarks came after the Canadian foreign minister raised some allegations against General Soleimani at a meeting themed Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on December 5-7 in the Bahraini capital.

Baird described General Soleimani as "a representative of terrorism who tries to cast himself as an anti-ISIL hero".

In relevant remarks last week, former Iranian negotiator in talks with the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) Hossein Mousavian blasted Baird for his allegations against General Soleimani, and said, "Mr. minister John Baird), while you spend your time in palaces and hotels across the region, General Soleimani puts his life on the line, fighting against the ISIL and terrorist groups on the frontlines."

"However, you pin the blame of the ISIL acts of terrorism on Iran. It is widely known that acts of terror by ISIL, al-Nusra Front, the Taliban and al-Qaeda have roots in a harmful ideology championed by members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC)."

"What have you done to uproot terrorism? ISIL and other terrorist groups have been born and bred with the flow of financial and arms aid of PGCC countries. What action have you taken in the face of such disturbing fact? These are the facts that no one dares bring up at this forum," he said, addressing the Canadian foreign minister.

Also last week, Iranian university professors in a letter sent to General Soleimani appreciated him for his successful and positive role in the regional developments and against the hegemonic policies of the western governments in the region.

"In the current sensitive conditions that the hegemonic US government seeks to make geopolitical changes and do some new engineering in the region and the Muslim world and dreams of creating a larger Middle-East in the old Asian continent to safeguard its political-economic interests and provide long-term security for the illegitimate Zionist regime… the IRGC Quds Force has been the main obstacle to the materialization of those hegemonic geopolitical objectives," the letter said.

The Iranian university professors praised General Soleimani for his and his colleagues' non-stop efforts in the region, reminding that the anger felt by the US, its western allies and the regional reactionary governments at his presence and efforts vindicate the efficiency and efficacy of his actions.

After the ISIL fled from the embattled town of Jurf al-Sakher late October, the Iraqi military gained a victory against the extremist group, with state television showing tanks and Humvees parading through the town and soldiers touring government buildings that had been occupied by the militants since August.

Photos soon emerged on independent Iraqi news websites revealing presence of the powerful Iranian general Soleimani, whose name has become synonymous with the victories of Iraqi ground forces, AP said in a report.

An Iraqi militia commander, who agreed only to be identified by his nickname, Abu Zeinab, said Soleimani began planning the Jurf al-Sakher operation three months ago.

Militia commanders told the AP that General Soleimani was on the front lines in Jurf al-Sakher, providing weapons training to some 7,000 troops and militia fighters, and coordinating with military commanders ahead of the operation.

Some other militia commanders, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media, describe Soleimani as “fearless” — one pointing out that the Iranian general never wears a flak jacket, even on the front lines.

“Soleimani has taught us that death is the beginning of life, not the end of life,” one militia commander said.

The crisis in Iraq escalated after the ISIL militants took control of Mosul in a lightning advance on June 10, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) Northwest of the capital, Baghdad.

They have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations and crucifixions, against all Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others.

The West and its regional allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are giving financial and military support to the militants.