A UNIVERSAL STRUGGLE

- Islamic State (IS) is still the main destabilizing factor in the Middle East. Despite the bombing by the international coalition, headed by the US, which led to the destruction of the infrastructure, they still haven't succeeded in eliminating many of the leaders or in breaking down IS…

- The Islamic State organization is to some extent a unique phenomenon. For example, it stands out from other terrorist organizations, including al-Qa'eda, by its large financial resources. IS gets its funds through various financial channels: banking structures seized from Syria and Iraq, oil fields - IS has up to 2m dollars a day from the sale of oil, and added to this are American weapons seized from the Iraqi army. The Iraqi army was armed with up-to-date weapons of the US Army.

From the military point of view IS, unlike other Islamist groups, is well armed. On the other hand it is a very heterogeneous organization. Although its core is made up of ideological fanatic Islamists, they are not the ones doing the fighting. The basis of the combat detachments is comprised of troops who fought under Saddam Hussein. After the fall of Hussein's regime, they spread out via various channels all over the Islamic world and now they have united around IS. Apart from this, a substantial part of the army of this organization is made up of people from Europe, the CIS countries and even Latin America. According to some reports, the IS has over 1,000, so to speak, religious extremists from Russia. The IS' combat detachments comprise people from 80 countries, including Germany, France and the North and South Caucasus.

The professional level of IS' soldiers is quite high. The ideological work of this terrorist organization has also been set at a high level. They are conducting a populist policy among the Sunni population on the occupied territories of Syria and, partially, Iraq. They have developed a good recruitment and propaganda drive.

In the occupied territories the Islamists offer considerable subsidies and privileges to those people who support IS. In that way they have ensured support from the population. So there is no doubt about the power of this organization. The world faces a great danger from the ideas promoted by the members of IS. And this is a danger not just for the Middle East, but also Central Asia, Europe and other parts of the world.

- According to one Kuwaiti paper, Iran has concentrated a military contingent of 350,000 men on the border with Iraq. In what circumstances would Iran to decide on a ground operation against IS?

- Iran is aware that the strengthening of the Islamists in neighbouring Iraq is a threat to Iran's security. IS' offensive last year almost ended in the fall of Baghdad. It was then that a large group of Iranian officers and generals took part in the defence of Baghdad, having effectively organized it. It is no secret that special groups of Iranian troops from the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution are taking part in the fighting against IS. Moreover, recently Iranian planes, as well as American and British, have been striking at IS targets in Iraq. But there is no coordination of actions between the Iranians and the Americans. Tehran is also supplying the Iraqi army and the Kurdish armed formations - the Peshmerga - with weapons. Besides this, Iranian military advisors and instructors are training the Iraqi army and Kurdish units.

Iran's influence in Iraq is extremely high. Tehran believes that IS cannot be defeated without a ground operation. Indeed, a large number of the Iranian armed forces, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are concentrated on the Iran-Iraq border. But they say that unless IS threatens Shia holy places in Karbala and other cities, the Iranian military will not engage in direct fighting in Iraqi territory. If such a threat happens, then the Iranian army, with Baghdad's permission, may move against IS. But a situation could develop whereby Iran begins an operation without this threat.

- It's a strange situation: the Islamists can't be allowed to run rampant in Iraq, but wiping out IS raises the risk that experienced and organized terrorists of all kinds will spread all over the world. The British prime minister has already spoken about the global threat from IS…

- In order to eliminate the threat from IS other states, especially the Islamic countries, must completely block off all the territory controlled by this organization, cut off opportunities for selling oil and receiving funds, and so on. In addition, propaganda work must be stepped up in the region, and this must be done by Islamic religious leaders. They must actively oppose IS' misanthropic ideology. And, of course, there must be an operation on the ground and to do this a coalition must be set up of all the forces opposing IS. But this coalition should not be headed by the US, whose image in the region has suffered badly, but, for example, France, in whose capital major Islamist terrorist attacks took place recently. But such a coalition is possible only on the basis of a UN Security Council decision. Iran will never accept the leadership of the US, but France could attract Iran, and consequently, a united headquarters and a general plan of struggle against IS could be created. IS' ideology is extremely dangerous. Recently, addressing their supporters, they said: "Not everyone need flock to Iraq; create local areas for a future explosion."

- In that case, what should be done when the fighters go back to the countries they came from?

- The general strategy of the struggle against IS should not be restricted to Iraq and Syria. The struggle against this phenomenon must also be waged inside the US, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries. The IS leaders have decided to train so-called "dormant groups" in other countries, prepared to do battle at any time. Anti-terrorist activity must be stepped up in every country.

- To what extent is IS linked with the countries of the Persian Gulf? One story says that this is the product of Saudi Arabia and Qatar…

- Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not funding this organization at government level at the moment. But there are a lot of rich sheikhs in the Persian Gulf region. And it is quite possible that some sheikhs are independently, privately, funding Islamic State. The basis of the ideology of Saudi Arabia and IS is, broadly speaking, close. But IS included the territory of Saudi Arabia in a future caliphate and is threatening al-Riyadh, as a consequence of which Saudi Arabia joined the coalition with the Americans against IS.