Jihadists Seize Iraq's Nineveh Province!

[GaryTaylor]

Almost everyday the main oil refinery is fought over near Baghdad and at the end of everyday Isis ends up with the refinery. I don’t get it. CNN said a thousand people killed this month and mostly civilians. Obama has to be mighty skeptical about that mess.

Need a regional solution here, this won’t end with this immediate issue.

 

[Seamus_L]

The American government is opposed to the idea of Kurdish independence. Really ? I wonder what the Kurds opinion is regarding any number of issues concerning the United States and it’s immediate neighbors.

 

[gilliam]

The American government is opposed to the idea of Kurdish independence. Really ? I wonder what the Kurds opinion is regarding any number of issues concerning the United States and it’s immediate neighbors.

US policy is for a united Iraq. How realistic that is now is anyone’s guess.

 

[Ridgerunner]

US policy is for a united Iraq. How realistic that is now is anyone’s guess.

It might not be possible to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Certainly it won’t if the Sunni tribal leaders don’t want it, and there are reasons why they wouldn’t. The only ways I can imagine it are: a) if somehow they get an even break from a Shia-dominated government that resents them and which they’ll likely never trust, and b) if they see a united Iraq as a better bulwark against Iran than having their own Sunni Arab state.

Both seem doubtful at present. They do not seem resistant to ISIS, which their own trained fighters greatly outnumber. Possibly they want a caliphate too.

It is impossible for me to believe there are no relationships between some of the Sunni leaders and some U.S. operatives. If the former are telling the latter anything about their intentions, we don’t yet know about it. It’s probably the only information worth hearing from over there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The American government is opposed to the idea of Kurdish independence. Really ? I wonder what the Kurds opinion is regarding any number of issues concerning the United States and it’s immediate neighbors.

I’m not a Kurd, but if I were:

1. I could accept formally being part of a united Iraq without really being governed by other Iraqis at all.
2. I would consider the U.S. an unreliable ally. After all, our support of even Israel has weakened, so how would we treat the Kurds any better? But I would get what support I could from a West that probably would at least tacitly accept any kind of friend in the region. I would go along with the pretense of being part of Iraq as long as the U.S. administration didn’t insist on the reality of it.
3. I would continue building up a separate military. I would want U.S. special forces to train it, even if I had to hire former ones. I would get the best equipment I could with oil money; from France, the U.S., Russia, whoever. The Kurdish part of Iraq is highly defensible in its core, but not on its peripheries, so they will always need a strong military. Still, ISIS is a long way from being a match for the Kurds, and the Kurds could enhance that.
4. Probably this is impossible at present, but I would want at least a “long spoon” defense relationship with Turkey. Turkey is a weak reed right now, and has its own Islamic mess going. But the military have taken over before, and might again. The Turkey of yesteryear could have swept into Syria and owned the joint. One remembers its annexation of Hatay and Syria’s impotence to do anything about it. There are a lot of “not Arab, not Persian” people in the region, none of which want to be ruled by either, and Turkey is the only non-Arab, non-Persian outlet a de facto independent Kurdistan has.

 

[Coatimundi]

The Iraqi government says they have retaken control of two of the border crossings which ISIS had recently captured.

Iraq’s military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, said that security forces had regained control of two key border crossings after briefly losing them to the militants.
…
In a briefing in Baghdad aired on state TV, Atta said Iraqi forces, aided by Sunni tribes, retook al-Walid, which connects Iraq with Syria – as well as the Trebil border crossing between Iraq and Jordan.

He also said that all towns between Samarra and Baghdad, 80 miles (129 kilometers) to the south, are in the hands of Iraqi security forces.

The al-Qaim border crossing, which is some 217 miles (350 kilometers) to the north of al-Walid, remains under the control of militants.
cnn.com/2014/06/24/world/meast/iraq-crisis/

If accurate, that is very good news. The government is also insisting that they have not stopped fighting for control of the Baiji oil refinery.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The Iraqi government says they have retaken control of two of the border crossings which ISIS had recently captured.

Iraq’s military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, said that security forces had regained control of two key border crossings after briefly losing them to the militants.
…
In a briefing in Baghdad aired on state TV, Atta said Iraqi forces, aided by Sunni tribes, retook al-Walid, which connects Iraq with Syria – as well as the Trebil border crossing between Iraq and Jordan.

He also said that all towns between Samarra and Baghdad, 80 miles (129 kilometers) to the south, are in the hands of Iraqi security forces.

The al-Qaim border crossing, which is some 217 miles (350 kilometers) to the north of al-Walid, remains under the control of militants.
cnn.com/2014/06/24/world/meast/iraq-crisis/

If accurate, that is very good news. The government is also insisting that they have not stopped fighting for control of the Baiji oil refinery.

I see where Syrian planes bombed what it believed were jihadis in Iraq. Obama has, I believe, declined to do anything in Iraq other than put a few more Americans at risk in the embassy there. Looks like probably this is going to be a “Caliphate/Iranian” war from here on out.

A shame since the U.S. was once firmly in control of the battleground and was supported by Sunni, Shia and Kurds alike. I think the U.S. role outside the U.S. is essentially over. In any event, we’re being invaded from the south and this government doesn’t want to do anything about it. This administration won’t defend our own borders, let alone someone else’s.

 

[gilliam]

Kerry is going to Saudi Arabia on Friday. The kingdom could very well be the next ISIS target. They have a lot of support there.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Lebanon is quickly becoming a part of the regional conflict and Jordan is expected to see spillover. Help from Syria and Iran. Isis controls more territory than any radical group to date. Mailiki not changing the election decision, not leaving and apparently doesn’t need Americas help.

 

[Coatimundi]

Suicide bombings can happen anywhere, but shelling south of Baghdad is surprising. Could a few mortar rounds be fired, and then the assailant quickly disappear?

A suicide bombing and shelling killed 12 people and wounded at least 23 south of Baghdad Wednesday, officials said, as Iraq struggles to stem a major militant offensive.

The bomber detonated explosives in a market in Mahmudiyah, while shellfire struck various areas of the town.
news.yahoo.com/attacks-kill-12-south-baghdad-172450348.html

Both tactics are terrorizing.

Mahmudiyah is part of what, in the US, used to be called the Triangle of Death. There is a significant Sunni minority in an otherwise Shiite region. Two Saddam-era weapons depots were looted after the US invasion, which helped fuel insurgent attacks.

 

[Coatimundi]

An update on the Haditha dam situation:

Iraqi security officials said Wednesday that fighters with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria were advancing on the Haditha Dam, the second-largest in Iraq, raising the possibility of catastrophic damage and flooding
…
The ISIS militants advancing on the Euphrates River dam, about 120 miles northwest of Baghdad, were coming from the north, the northeast and the northwest. The fighters had already reached Burwana, on the eastern side of Haditha, and government forces were fighting to halt their advance, security officials said.

Alarmed army officers told employees to stay inside and to be prepared to open the dam’s floodgates if ordered to do so, one employee said.
…
This would not be the first time that dams have figured in the conflict. In April, when ISIS fighters seized the Falluja Dam, they opened it, flooding crops all the way south to the city of Najaf. The water at one point washed east as well, almost reaching Abu Ghraib, close to Baghdad.
nytimes.com/2014/06/26/world/middleeast/isis-iraq.html?ref=world

 

[Coatimundi]

The current problems in the Iraqi military were evident, even when the US was engaged in training its troops. Here is an interesting first person account:

After a few weeks together, Lieutenant Amir told me about his path as a soldier. He had been a captain in the army under Saddam Hussein, and was Sunni, like most of the officers in Anbar Province. He was 10 years my senior, with enough time in service to be a major. Yet we held the same rank. If he was bitter about his station in the new Iraqi Army, he did not show it.

But Lieutenant Amir was openly dismissive of his commanding officer. Rumor had it that the battalion commander had bought his position for $20,000. The man had no military experience, just good connections at Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s Defense Ministry in Baghdad, Lieutenant Amir said, and he was abusing his power to cheat soldiers out of their pay and to steal supplies and fuel.

My Marines trained the Iraqis in map-reading, weapons maintenance, first aid, patrolling, and room clearing, among other things. There was no ammunition for marksmanship practice. The company had more than 20 new Humvees, but no fuel. The trucks stayed parked in neat rows. Iraqi soldiers washed them every week.

First Commando had many good soldiers. They endured the privations of their dusty, remote camp with the improbable cheer of shared hardship. Amir and his lieutenants were eager to improve their unit. But as Sunnis, they could not imagine much of a future for themselves in the Iraqi Army without huge sums of bribe money to secure promotion. Corruption in Baghdad and sectarian preference for the Shiite majority were blunting our progress and weakening an already fragile army.
atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/swearing-allegiance-iraq/?ref=world

These are some of the same problems which were recently identified by Western advisers.

 

[GaryTaylor]

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said the American advisers already in Baghdad included two teams of special forces and about 90 advisers, intelligence analysts, commandos and support personnel needed to set up a joint operations center in the Iraqi capital. Another four teams of special forces would arrive in the next few days, Kirby said.

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQqQIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fworld%2F2014%2F06%2F25%2Firaq-pm-concentrates-troops-around-baghdad-as-iraq-becomes-increasingly%2F&ei=a3mrU5bDLtWZqAah_4GQBg&usg=AFQjCNEfBruePq1iH0b_2e3ND8Svxiw5Ow

This I didn’t see till now. No surprise though.

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fnews%2F2014-06-20%2Frussia-reignites-proxy-war-putin-offers-complete-support-iraq-prime-minister-scorned&ei=HnurU4vVO46WqAaCuYKwDQ&usg=AFQjCNFlXOKX5K7_GaXgrVcSUq1QXFKR5g

 

[Coatimundi]

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQqQIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fworld%2F2014%2F06%2F25%2Firaq-pm-concentrates-troops-around-baghdad-as-iraq-becomes-increasingly%2F&ei=a3mrU5bDLtWZqAah_4GQBg&usg=AFQjCNEfBruePq1iH0b_2e3ND8Svxiw5Ow

While Iraq’s security forces number a whopping 1.1 million, with 700,000 in the police and the rest in the army, corruption, desertion and sectarian divisions have been a major problem. With a monthly salary of $700 for newly enlisted men, the forces have attracted many young Iraqis who would otherwise be unemployed. Once in, some bribe commanders so they can stay home and take a second job, lamented the officials.

Pretty grim.

 

[Ridgerunner]

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said the American advisers already in Baghdad included two teams of special forces and about 90 advisers, intelligence analysts, commandos and support personnel needed to set up a joint operations center in the Iraqi capital. Another four teams of special forces would arrive in the next few days, Kirby said.

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQqQIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fworld%2F2014%2F06%2F25%2Firaq-pm-concentrates-troops-around-baghdad-as-iraq-becomes-increasingly%2F&ei=a3mrU5bDLtWZqAah_4GQBg&usg=AFQjCNEfBruePq1iH0b_2e3ND8Svxiw5Ow

This I didn’t see till now. No surprise though.

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fnews%2F2014-06-20%2Frussia-reignites-proxy-war-putin-offers-complete-support-iraq-prime-minister-scorned&ei=HnurU4vVO46WqAaCuYKwDQ&usg=AFQjCNFlXOKX5K7_GaXgrVcSUq1QXFKR5g

Your second citation has to do with Putin supporting Maliki. Of course he does. Maliki is a tool of Iran and Iran and Russia are (at least temporary) allies in the task of driving western influences and relationships out of the Middle East. This administration is, allied with Russia and Iran as well, in effect if not in intent. We’re in the strange position of supporting the purposes of both ISIS and Iran; both enemies of the U.S. I doubt any administration has ever had a worse foreign policy.

 

[GaryTaylor]

I doubt any administration has ever had a worse foreign policy.

America appears to be the only ones confused about what they are doing. I searched the Christian issue, the AP released this…

“Meanwhile, a new insurgent artillery offensive against Christian villages in the north of Iraq sent thousands of Christians fleeing from their homes, seeking sanctuary in Kurdish-controlled territory, Associated Press reporters who witnessed the scene said.”

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworldnews%2Fmiddleeast%2Firaq%2F10927086%2FIraq-latest-Syria-airstrikes-on-Isis-threat-to-region-as-Christians-flee-northern-Iraq.html&ei=2ResU7D_GIiAqgbuhoCADA&usg=AFQjCNFbu1KewhCZspnFvSkwaIAQHgEKXQ&sig2=LVhAL33bbo2uYU0-BPnRUA

Also…

“Iraq’s Christian community is hardly a western innovation or a colonial relic. It dates from the 1st Century, when two of Jesus’ disciples – St. Thomas and St. Thaddeus (also known as St. Jude) – preached the Gospel in what was then Assyria. There has been a Christian presence in Iraq ever since.”

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fopinion%2F2014%2F06%2F20%2Freligious-cleansing-iraq-christians%2F&ei=nxisU–rAoSGqgbwqoCQAQ&usg=AFQjCNEz7vA4XIm_1XOkyvBgCqhozcz-gQ&sig2=VXJGzWhsf3TCJpzZAWOZlg

“Like the Jews before them”, sad. “Mosul is also very important for Christians, the prophet Jonah is buried there and also Abraham is supposed to be born in that part of Iraq,” Kino said,

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.algemeiner.com%2F2014%2F06%2F25%2Flike-jews-before-them-iraqs-christians-may-be-expelled-if-islamists-win-in-iraq%2F&ei=WxqsU_2FNMmXqAao0YG4Bg&usg=AFQjCNEYkaguXS3gFrGT1OzCUwAPMdHsCA&sig2=OBs2zKRbJQ75gx2SIWBfug

 

[Ridgerunner]

America appears to be the only ones confused about what they are doing. I searched the Christian issue, the AP released this…

“Meanwhile, a new insurgent artillery offensive against Christian villages in the north of Iraq sent thousands of Christians fleeing from their homes, seeking sanctuary in Kurdish-controlled territory, Associated Press reporters who witnessed the scene said.”

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworldnews%2Fmiddleeast%2Firaq%2F10927086%2FIraq-latest-Syria-airstrikes-on-Isis-threat-to-region-as-Christians-flee-northern-Iraq.html&ei=2ResU7D_GIiAqgbuhoCADA&usg=AFQjCNFbu1KewhCZspnFvSkwaIAQHgEKXQ&sig2=LVhAL33bbo2uYU0-BPnRUA

Also…

“Iraq’s Christian community is hardly a western innovation or a colonial relic. It dates from the 1st Century, when two of Jesus’ disciples – St. Thomas and St. Thaddeus (also known as St. Jude) – preached the Gospel in what was then Assyria. There has been a Christian presence in Iraq ever since.”

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fopinion%2F2014%2F06%2F20%2Freligious-cleansing-iraq-christians%2F&ei=nxisU–rAoSGqgbwqoCQAQ&usg=AFQjCNEz7vA4XIm_1XOkyvBgCqhozcz-gQ&sig2=VXJGzWhsf3TCJpzZAWOZlg

“Like the Jews before them”, sad. “Mosul is also very important for Christians, the prophet Jonah is buried there and also Abraham is supposed to be born in that part of Iraq,” Kino said,

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.algemeiner.com%2F2014%2F06%2F25%2Flike-jews-before-them-iraqs-christians-may-be-expelled-if-islamists-win-in-iraq%2F&ei=WxqsU_2FNMmXqAao0YG4Bg&usg=AFQjCNEYkaguXS3gFrGT1OzCUwAPMdHsCA&sig2=OBs2zKRbJQ75gx2SIWBfug

Persecution of Christians in the Middle East is only going to get worse. Persecution of Christians in the U.S. will too, but for different reasons.

 

[Coatimundi]

Al-Jazeera has a description of the major groups which figure in the Iraqi crisis:

**Iraqi Sunni Armed Groups **
There are well-known Sunni groups like the Islamic Army of Iraq and other less known ones such as Ansar al-Islam (Supporters of Islam), Jaish al-Mujadiheen (al-Mujhaideen Army), Kata’ib Thawarat al-Ishreen (1920 Revolution Brigades).

General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries
The General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries was announced in January to capitalise on the anti-government protest movement that has been going on in several Iraqi provinces since 2011. Government military intervention in Anbar, armed crackdown on protest camps, and the arrest of prominent Sunni member of parliament, Ahmed al-Alwani in late 2013, triggered an armed response by pro-revolution activists and loyal tribal forces.
…
In June, GMCIR spokesperson, former General Muzhir al-Qaisi, told Al Jazeera that his group in not sectarian and it answers to local tribal forces who are revolting against the injustices committed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government. He said his group is led by former Iraqi military officers and fighters who fought against US forces in Iraq during the occupation.
…
When it comes to the relationship with ISIL, Qaisi told Al Jazeera that his group does not condone any human rights abuses and does not coordinate with ISIL. He noted that the GMCIR wants a democratic political solution to the Iraqi crisis. He claimed that his group is in control of Mosul, Salahaddin, Fallujah and Baiji.

Islamic Army of Iraq
One of the major Sunni armed groups formed after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the group is thought to be led by former Iraqi military officers. It has kept a distance from armed Sunnis groups affiliated with both the Baathists and al-Qaeda.
…
After a relatively inactive period, the group was seen as a supporter of the anti-government protests that has spread since 2011.

During the recent fighting, the group released a video , allegedly showing its troops patrolling the eastern areas of Baghdad. It also proclaimed its intention to enter the Iraqi capital. The group is thought to be more active in areas around Anbar and Baghdad

The Men of the Naqshbandi Order
This armed group is loyal to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the most senior member of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime still at large. It started its armed activities in July 2003 against US forces in Iraq, and launched itself as a group at the end of 2006, after the execution of Saddam.
…
The group is active in Nineveh, Diyala, and Salahaddin provinces in Iraq. It claimed responsibility for many attacks against US forces in Iraq and vows not to fight against any other groups seeking to liberate Iraq.

The group captured the town of Sulaiman Bek in Salahaddin province for about two days in April 2013. This is after government forces used force to break Sunni protests in Hawija, a town west of Kirkuk, leaving dozens of protesters dead and triggering a wave of clashes with government of forces.

The group’s ideology is a mix of Islamic and pan-Arab nationalistic ideas.

The Awakening Councils
This group is made up of Sunni tribal fighters who oppose al-Qaeda and its presence in Iraq. In 2006, they helped US forces expel al-Qaeda from Sunni provinces, like Anbar, where the councils were established, and from Sunni districts in Baghdad.

The Awakening Council later opposed the Maliki government, and its leader (Ahmed Abu Richa) was arrested on terrorism charges in 2013. A year later, the Awakening Councils switched sides in response to ISIL activity. They now support the government.

ISIL
We already know about them

 

[Coatimundi]

**Kurdish Peshmerga **
We already know about them

Shia Armed Groups

Al-Sadr Fighters
Their activity while the US was present is well-known. After heavy confrontation with government forces, al-Sadr disbanded his army and reportedly turned it into a social and charitable network.

Still, al-Sadr kept an offshoot of the al-Mahdi Army, "Promised Day Brigades”, as an armed wing of his movement that continued to fight American forces in Iraq until the US’ withdrawal.

Al-Sadr, who joined the political process and whose followers became the second most powerful bloc in the Iraqi Parliament after the bloc of Maliki himself, has often disagreed with Maliki politically.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq (The League of the Righteous)
It is considered to be close to the Maliki faction. Asaib Ahl al-Haq was part of the al-Mahdi army until it split in 2006. After the US withdrawal, the group wanted to join the political process. Yet, its name has been in the news over the past two years with reports of its return to armed activity.

It is one of the Iraqi militia groups reportedly fighting in Syria. It has also been on bad terms with fighters loyal to al-Sadr in Baghdad. Fighters from the two groups have clashed with each other since the end of last year, prompting al-Sadr to accuse Maliki of backing the group since mid-2013, as the government needed support from loyal Sunni and Shia militias fighting ISIL in Anbar.

The website of the group says it is currently fighting along with government forces in Diyala, Anbar, and Samarra.

Kata’ib Hizbollah (The Battalions of the Party of God)
A militia group that has fought US forces in Iraq during occupation years, the group is thought to have been formed after the US-led invasion, from small Shia armed groups. It is also thought to be one of the main groups to continue fighting US forces in Iraq until their withdrawal in 2011. Rockets and roadside bombs were the main tactics used by the group that was designated a “terrorist” organisation by the US state department in 2009.

Kata’ib Hizbollah reportedly refused to lay down arms after the US forces withdrawal citing ongoing instability. The group says it is has been careful not to target any Iraqi forces or civilians during its attacks on US forces.

Kata’ib Hizbollah played a role in fighting along with Iraqi security forces in Anbar province since the end of last year and particularly in Fallujah. The group says it has formed “People’s Defence Brigades” to “defend the country and holy places” and fight ISIL. It lists among its local enemies Sunni groups such as the Naqshabandi Order and the 1920 Revolution Brigades.
aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/mapping-out-iraq-fighting-groups-201462494731548175.html

 

[Seamus_L]

Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki: Russian jets will turn tide bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28042302

“God willing within one week this force will be effective and will destroy the terrorists’ dens,” he said.

He said that the process of buying US jets had been “long-winded” and that the militants’ advance could have been avoided if air cover had been in place.