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U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

• Fighter aircraft conducted an airstrike near Hawl in Syria and destroyed an ISIL excavator.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the Iraqi government:

• Near Baghdadi, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL explosives cache and an ISIL resupply boat.
• Near Beiji, an airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL vehicles and an ISIL barge.
• Near Kisik, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL bombs and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Ramadi, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Sinjar, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL light machine gun and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL excavator.
• Near Tal Afar, one airstrike struck an ISIL heavy machine gun firing position.
• Near Tuz, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted four airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Al Hawl, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bunker complex, three ISIL bunkers and an ISIL excavator.
• Near Kobani, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 21 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the government of Iraq:

• Near Beiji, five airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit, three ISIL small tactical units, denying ISIL an avenue of approach and destroying 19 ISIL buildings, two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL weapons cache.
• Near Fallujah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL mortar tube and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Kisik, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL checkpoints and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL buildings, two ISIL weapons caches and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Sinjar, two airstrikes struck two ISIL small tactical units and destroyed an ISIL light machine gun and three ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Tuz, six airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit, two ISIL small tactical units and three ISIL staging areas and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Remotely piloted aircraft conducted two airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Ayn Isa, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Kobani, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 18 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the government of Iraq:

• Near Beiji, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and terrain features denying ISIL a tactical advantage.
• Near Fallujah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL mortar resupply vehicle.
• Near Mosul, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units.
• Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL buildings and an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Sinjar, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and an ISIL mortar firing position and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL anti-aircraft artillery piece.
• Near Tuz, seven airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, multiple ISIL fighting positions and terrain features denying ISIL a tactical advantage and destroyed 12 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL weapons cache.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted five airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Hasakah, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL bunker, an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL structure.
• Near Hawl, an airstrike destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Raqqah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Washiyah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 31 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the Iraqi government:

• Near Baghdadi, three airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL building, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL rocket system, an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Beiji, two airstrikes struck one large and one small ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL excavator, an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Fallujah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL rocket systems.
• Near Kisik, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL sniper firing position and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
• Near Mosul, five airstrikes struck five ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Sinjar, four airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL armored vehicle.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Tal Afar, an airstrike struck and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun firing position.
• Near Tuz, 12 airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and six ISIL staging areas and destroyed 57 ISIL fighting positions and three ISIL vehicles.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Hasakah, three strikes destroyed three ISIL excavators and an ISIL bunker.
• Near Hawl, two airstrikes struck an ISIL crude oil collection point and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL trench.
• Near Ayn Isa, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL motorcycles and an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Kobani, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Washiyah, an airstrike destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL bunkers, two ISIL tunnels and an ISIL front end loader.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted conducted 12 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the Iraqi government:

• Near Beiji, an airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Fallujah, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Kisik, an airstrike struck and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun.
• Near Mosul, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Qayyarah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Ramadi, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL buildings and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, an airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL heavy machine guns.
• Near Tuz, three airstrikes destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL weapons cache.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

By Ali Mamouri for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

XXX trumps IS as Iraqi lawmakers focus on eradicating Internet porn

Abdul-Hadi al-Hakim, an Iraqi parliament member with the Citizen Coalition, announced July 28 that more than 150 parliament members' signatures had been collected to pass a bill calling on the authorities to block pornographic sites on the Internet.

Hakim said that most of the National Iraqi Alliance parliamentarians have signed the draft law, while most representatives of the Sunni National Forces Union and the Kurdistan Alliance refrained from signing.

Hakim justified the bill by stating, “Most problems youths face today are caused by surfing porn sites.” He added that pornographic sites have led to a 200% increase in divorce rates and a 50% decrease in marriage and contributed to the rise of sexual crimes, including rape and sexual harassment.

However, Hakim’s statement is based on mere speculation and not on scientific studies. In the same statement, he also invoked numerous other social problems to justify the bill, including early marriage, high unemployment and poverty rates and violence against women. It is worth mentioning that in 2014, Iraq came in last on a list of statistics issued by Pornhub, the largest pornography website on the Internet, which ranked the average amount of time spent on the site by visitors according to country.

Blocking pornographic sites is ineffective, as circumvention techniques are widely available to the public. For instance, the same Pornhub statistics showed that visitors from Iran and Saudi Arabia spend more time on the site than Iraqis, even though these states' religious regimes ban pornographic websites. Visitors in Iran registered an average of 7 minutes and 46 seconds per visit, while those in Saudi Arabia registered 8 minutes 23 seconds.

The announcement of the bill stirred controversy in Iraq. Some Iraqis welcomed the proposal and created a Facebook page to support the bill, while others believe it is an attempt to impose religious laws on the country and a preliminary step to gradually bring religious rule to Iraq, especially considering the bill was submitted at the initiative of Islamist members of parliament and justified from religious perspectives.

According to civil activists, this bill is not a priority in the midst of the current deteriorating security and political situation in Iraq. TV presenter Ali Wajih posted on Facebook on July 28, “Did our problems in Iraq end, and the only remaining one is porn sites? Isn’t our tragic situation in Iraq much worse than pornographic movies?”

By an Al-Monitor correspondent in Tehran. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

The world has borne witness to countless crimes committed by Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria over the past year. Iraqi and Syrian children have not been spared from these atrocities. Several reports by international human rights organizations have documented IS’ use of children for suicide operations, executing prisoners, guerrilla warfare and also as human shields.

While IS, as the main Sunni militant group in Iraq, is brainwashing children and young people to fight Shiites, largely Shiite forces such as the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units are reportedly also training child soldiers to fight Sunni extremists, including IS.

Faisal al-Fahad, a former Iraqi professor of history at Basra University, spoke to Al-Monitor about the challenges Iraqi children face: “Unfortunately, after Operation Iraqi Freedom, children in my country have lived under different humanitarian, security and economic crises. As a result of these crises, they now have abhorrent mindsets.

On the Sunni side, children are trained to fight Iranians, Shiites and Kurds. And on the other side, children are trained to fight against the Sunni opposition, Western countries and Israel; [and] to establish [prophesied redeemer of Islam] Imam Mahdi’s universal government.

All the while, Shiite and Sunni children are executed, participate in suicide operations, trained to kill and have their entire existences engulfed in vengeance. It is worrying.”

The Saudi-owned satellite channel Al-Arabiya recently aired footage showing a number of teenagers undergoing training at a military camp run by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units. Another recent video features hundreds of children being trained in the use of AK-47 automatic assault rifles and tactical skills. The footage also showed the children undergoing ideological training led by Shiite clerics.

The units, known as Hashid Shaabi in Arabic, is commanded by Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Ameri as well as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Of note, the Badr Organization’s past incarnation, the Badr Brigades, was established by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. Ameri maintains his close links with the IRGC. Meanwhile, Muhandis is officially on the US terror list.

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Hasakah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL communications repeater and an ISIL staging area.
• Near Aleppo, four airstrikes struck four ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Kobani, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL fighting position.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 21 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the Iraqi government:

• Near Rutbah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL staging areas and an ISIL vehicle bomb facility.
• Near Beiji, two airstrikes struck two ISIL large tactical units and two ISIL buildings and destroyed 22 ISIL buildings and nine ISIL vehicles.
• Near Makhmur, one airstrike struck one ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL checkpoints.
• Near Mosul, five airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL bunker, an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL tunnel entrance.
• Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL buildings and an ISIL armored personnel carrier.
• Near Sinjar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun.
• Near Tuz, seven airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL vehicles, two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL vehicle storage area an ISIL vehicle bomb.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Bomber and fighter aircraft conducted three airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Hasakah, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL berm and an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Kobani, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL motorcycle.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, and fighter-attack aircraft conducted 17 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the Iraqi government:

• Near Rutbah, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL checkpoint and destroyed an ISIL bulldozer and an ISIL excavator.
• Near Beiji, two airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL building and two ISIL vehicles.
• Near Haditha, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Makhmur, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL staging area and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL light machine gun.
• Near Mosul, an airstrike struck an ISIL tank and destroyed an ISIL trailer.
• Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck two ISIL large tactical units and destroyed six ISIL buildings, two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL recoilless rifle.
• Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL light machine gun.
• Near Tal Afar, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL building, an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL weapons cache.
• Near Tuz, an airstrike destroyed 21 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL tunnel system.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted five airstrikes in Syria:

• Near Hasakah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Aleppo, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL anti-tank weapon.
• Near Kobani, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL mortar firing position.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 13 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with the government of Iraq:

• Near Qaim, an airstrike struck an ISIL checkpoint.
• Near Bayji, two airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed nine ISIL vehicles, seven ISIL buildings and three ISIL vehicle bombs.
• Near Habbaniyah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL mortar systems and an ISIL mortar cache.
• Near Makhmur, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL weapons cache.
• Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL rocket firing position.
• Near Ramadi, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL building, an ISIL vehicle bomb and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Sinjar, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL heavy machine gun firing position and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL light machine gun.
• Near Tuz, an airstrike destroyed 10 ISIL fighting positions.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)