Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader has accused the U.S. and President Barack Obama of creating the Islamic State, using the words of presidential hopeful Donald Trump as proof.
Quoting the Republican candidate, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also accused Trump’s Democratic Party rival Hillary Clinton of helping create the militant group.
“This American candidate, who speaks in the name of the American Republican party, has facts” that can support this claim, Nasrallah said in a speech on Saturday, according to a transcript published by Al Manar TV.
Trump made his accusations about Obama during a campaign rally on Aug. 10. He has since dismissed the comments as sarcastic, echoing his response to an outcry over earlier comments in which he exhorted Russia to hack Clinton’s emails. A White House spokesman declined to comment on the most recent remarks.
Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist group by the U.S. and Israel. Many in Lebanon credit the group for playing a key role in ending the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000.
“Who can imagine that the U.S. can’t know who is behind sending money and arms to the terrorists in Syria and Iraq?” Nasrallah said. Beyond quoting Trump, he offered no proof to back up his claim.
Nasrallah’s remarks come after U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, along with Gulf Cooperation Council countries, labeled Hezbollah a terrorist organization in March, blacklisting companies and individuals with ties to the group.
(c) 2016, Bloomberg ยท Nour Al Ali
