Hussein Sheikholeslam, former deputy foreign minister and ambassador to Syria, said the US had left Iraq ‘crazy, crippled, wounded, retarded and disabled’ and billions of dollars poorer.
He told the state-run TV network on August 10: “Iraq is a successful experience in democracy for the region. Despite the existence of various tribes, ethnic and religious groups they were able to create a government based on parliamentary elections and the majority represented a prime minister that stands against US.
“The Americans planned to impose an agreement on Iraq under the pretext of a security agreement which would have institutionalized the presence of Americans and capitulation.
“But the people of Iraq have relied on religious authority and democracy and resisted very well, and the government did not let the agreement proceed. That was a bitter defeat for America, because they lost many lives there while Iranian goals were realized.”
Sheikholeslam, once involved in taking American diplomats hostage, added: “Before the 1979 revolution in Iran, it was the Iranians that were killed and American goals were realized.
“Now Americans have lost more than 5,000 lives and tens of thousands more have become crazy, crippled, wounded, retarded and disabled, while they spent billions of dollars but our goals for the downfall of Saddam was realized.”