I KEEP reading in the SA about ISIS in Iraq and Syria and a few letters with the reference that this is all the doing of the western world led by the USA.

If you did not invade Iraq there would be no ISIS operating. That is quite wrong; it may have inflamed the situation, ISIS has been active since about 1988 after the eight-year war between Iran (Shia) led by Ayatollah Khomeini and Iraq (Sunni) led by Saddam Hussein.

Both saw themselves as having a date with destiny and ruling the Middle East. the cleric Khomeini, having overthrown the Iranian monarch, then went to war with Iraq.

In turn, this war arguably created the extremists we now know as ISIS, because the persecuted people in these areas of Iraq and Syria were living in fear of a Shia takeover and that’s when ISIS came about.

The eight-year war killed between 450,000 to 730,000 Iranians and between 150,000 to 340,000 Iraqis and between the two countries up to 1.9 million were wounded.

There is no true figure, so no one knows the true costs in lives.

Iran and Iraq are now staunch allies and Iraq is now a vessel to move supplies and Shia militia to help Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

What the future holds for the region is anyone’s guess.

My own opinion on the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq is not only did it stop Saddam Hussein and his Ba’athists party from ruling Iraq but it also shifted the power in the region to Iran.

Now you have Iranian commanders commanding Iraqi Shia military units and an influence into Bahrain and Yemen.

Where and when will it stop?

JOHN L CROOK Haydon Wick, Swindon