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Press TV has interviewed Ali al-Hilli, an Iraq affairs expert based in London, to discuss Iraqi military’s plans to retake the city of Ramadi from ISIL Takfiri terrorists.

Press TV: We are looking at a major push by the Iraqi government forces to retake Ramadi and this comes on the heels of the US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter saying “you know what?! The Iraqi forces don’t have the will to fight these terrorists.” Do you think that the US is not doing enough to perhaps get rid of these terrorists so that Iraq could be free from it?

Hilli: Absolutely! I mean if you really think about it this is America we are talking about. They claim they are the most powerful country in the world, they have got the best military, they have got the best weapons, and you come to think of a few thousand militants, a few thousand terrorists who have tried to occupy certain land in Iraq, can’t the Americans get rid of them? And I heard news that Americans could have easily stopped ISIL to advance in Ramadi but they chose not to. To be quite honest, as an Iraqi it is really frustrating… you cannot grasp the American policy. I know in America they are within the Congress, within the government; there is the Pentagon and there the State Department and they all sort of disagree with each other. But then again the victims are once again the Iraqi people and it is very frustrating.

Press TV: And quickly if you can, I like to refer you back to a statement made by Leon Panetta, I don’t know if you remember him. He was the ex-US Defense Secretary… back in November, October he made these statements and he said “You know what? We are looking at a 30 year war against these terrorists!” and then after that the US comes on and says we underestimated the number of terrorists; there are not 5 thousand of them, there is about 30 thousand of them. Do you think that is a coincidence? And why would Leon Panetta back then make that type of statement? Never really got an answer on that.

Hilli: Well, to be quite honest with you I think the Americans know exactly how many ISIL members are in Iraq. From the Iraqi sources, they started with hundreds and now they have become a few thousand. I do not think it is 30 thousand at all. I think America is trying to make the whole region and the ISIL problem a big problem. They do not seem to have got a hold of Syria, now they are coming into Iraq and trying to see what they can do in there. But you know as the Iraqi government have done and Iraqi forces have done, they continue to fight ISIL in Iraq and hopefully they will take over Ramadi and Mosul soon.