By Simon Kent. Al Jazeera have reported a string of violent incidents in Iraq in the past 24 hours. In Salahaddin, a suicide bomber targeted a meeting of anti ISIL Sunni Sheikhs, killing at least 18 people. ISIL and its predecessor ISI have long targeted opposing Sunnis, fearing widespread Sunni opposition in Iraq would undermine […]
By Robert Tollast. US and Coalition air strikes may be marginally increasing the area of terrain covered in the campaign so far, according to attack data released by the US Department of Defence in the past 24 hours. Critics of the strikes note how they are few in number compared to comparable air campaigns against […]
By Simon Kent. The Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan has announced plans to re-route a proposed pipeline to the country's Western neighbour. According to Ambassador Jawad Abbas, the $18bn, 150,000 bpd pipeline will now go south towards Basra and then west into the neighbouring Kingdom. The project is one of a number of oil and gas […]
By Robert Tollast. Loveday Morris, who usually reports on Iraq for The Washington Post, has written an engaging piece on the returning "internally displaced persons" or IDPs, to Tikrit following the expulsion of Islamic State forces in the town. Morris' piece touches on some of the nuance that is often lost in reporting on Iraq. For […]
By John Lee. The Christmas and the New Year period brought no respite for fighters of the so called "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria, with some 100 strikes targeting the group in their key command and control sites including Raqqa in Syria, and Mosul and Fallujah in Iraq. US Defence officials also reported other […]
By John Lee. A recent announcement from the Iraqi government has stated that Baghdad and Tehran are continuing to negotiate additional plans for military aid and the reformation of a national army. Defense ministers from both nations have already signed a memorandum of understanding regarding this issue, following a visit from Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi to […]
By John Lee. US News have reported on the presence of several thousand American armoured vehicles being serviced at a US base in Kuwait, in possible preparation for their movement into Iraq. The vehicles are primarily MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) expensive bulletproof and IED resistant trucks that became a key tool in the US […]
