By John Lee. Iraqi counter-terrorism experts have announced that the recent increase in US air strikes in the Mosul dam area (north of Mosul) have caused two waves of ISIL retreats. Following the beheading of American journalist James Foley, the Islamic State issued a warning to the US that further strikes would see the execution […]
By John Lee. The Canadian government has confirmed that they have two cargo planes operational to assist in the transfer of arms and supplies to Iraqi Kurdish forces. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird (pictured) went as far as to endorse US air strikes against the "brutal" ISIS: “Canada supports all efforts, including United States supply drops […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has recently given an interview with Rudaw English discussing his hopes for a new Iraqi government that can improve the relations between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government. Despite a joint Kurdish--Iraq security operation to re-take Mosul dam with US air cover (initially reported as being solely Kurdish) […]
By John Lee. The Italian government has joined Germany and France in saying they are preparing to send arms and other assistance to both Kurdish aligned forces and the federal government of Iraq in Baghdad. The move follows a visit to Iraq by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who announced on his return that Italy […]
By John Lee. French President Francois Hollande has called for an international conference to discuss new strategies to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). It is not the first time such an idea has been discussed, with counter-terrorism expert David Kilcullen suggesting a repeat of the WW2 ARCADIA conference, only this time aimed […]
By Patrick Schmidt. The Baghdad local government has announced the opening of refugee camps in Al-Nahrawan for those who are fleeing the violence of the Islamic State (IS) in the north. The complex cost $4.3 million dollars and can house up to 1,000 families with facilities including schools, hospitals, shops, and recreational facilities. "The complex […]
By John Lee. The United States is now far more open to Iraqi requests for increased military support to fight ISIS, The Wall Street Journal reports. Previously, initiatives to sell arms and rapidly transfer foreign military sales such as F-16s and Hellfire missiles have been slowed by concerns in Congress regarding Nouri-al Maliki's authoritarian style of leadership. […]
By John Lee. Thousands of fighters from as many as 25 pro-government tribes have launched a coordinated offensive against ISIS fighters in the Western Iraqi province of al-Anbar. The leader of these "Sahwa" fighters, Sheikh Abdel Jabbar Abu Risha, announced that the offensive was not related to Maliki stepping down and had been planned for […]
By Patrick Schmidt. After remaining in the hands of the Islamic State (IS) the Mosul Dam and surrounding areas have been mostly recaptured by Kurdish security forces. American airpower over Northern Iraq assisted the Kurdish in recapturing the facility during their offensive. The United States announced that it had launched 14 strikes against Islamic State […]
By John Lee. According to a report from Reuters, Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) militants fighting in Iraq are selling oil from oilfields and refineries they control to local communities and smugglers, augmenting their existing ample finances. It is understood that at least some of the oil is used to fuel a power plant they […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. In an interview with BBC, Masrour Barzani (pictured), the Head of the Kurdish Security Council, has requested that the international community supply Kurdish security forces with heavy weaponry. Barzani once again emphasized that there was no need for foreign military intervention with ground troops. “We need more modern weaponry. We need […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. Kurdish security forces have announced that a military airport will open in Erbil that will be the receiving point for international military assistance to the regional government. Iraqi, Kurdish and American forces will jointly operate the airbase. While the Kurdish security forces have already received weapons from the United States, they […]
