IRAQ - Fight on Islamic State: News #1

According to Fox News, Russia, Syria and Iran set up a coordination cell in Baghdad to counter ISIL terrorists.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian, Syrian and Iranian military have set up a coordination center in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad to begin working with Iran-backed Shia militias fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, Fox News television channel reported, citing Western intelligence sources.

On Tuesday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said that Russia and Iran would enhance their coordination with the Syrian government on Tehran's plan for a political settlement of the ongoing Syrian civil war.

According to the channel, the coordination cell includes participation of low-level Russian generals. The Iraqi government may also be involved, the media said.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150925/1027505151.html#ixzz3ml09Wxse

Would be very interesting to know what part Iraq is playing in all this (the russian intervention in Syria i mean). The aircraft must have flown over iraqi territory. Unless my memory deceives me, iraqi oficials did openly asked for russian help against the jihadist rats isn't it? Wonder if there's going to be  a russian contingent sent to Iraq too?

Anyway, putting aside the factor of iranian games in the region (as in, they of course want Iraq in their sphere), as Iraq is next door surely if they want to the iranians can significantly increase bombings againt the rats to help - though as we know IRIAF is in a poor shape. But imo they could still beat the number of daily sorties of the mighty US "coalition" (20 sorties a day is a "huge" event for the american propaganda service), and actually hit some rats. Their Su-24, F-4 and F-5s would be useful enough, and also any of those Su-22s that they are refurbishing.

"EXCLUSIVE: Russian, Syrian and Iranian military commanders have set up a coordination cell in Baghdad in recent days to try to begin working with Iranian-backed Shia militias fighting the Islamic State, Fox News has learned.

Western intelligence sources say the coordination cell includes low-level Russian generals. U.S. officials say it is not clear whether the Iraqi government is involved at the moment. Describing the arrival of Russian military personnel in Baghdad, one senior U.S. official said, "They are popping up everywhere." The Russians already have been building up their military presence in Syria, a subject expected to factor prominently in a planned meeting between President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin in New York Monday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. While the U.S. also is fighting the Islamic State, the Obama administration has voiced concern that Russia's involvement, at least in Syria, could have a destabilizing effect.

Moscow, though, has fostered ties with the governments in both Syria and Iraq. In May, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi flew to Moscow for an official visit to discuss potential Russian arms transfers and shared intelligence capability, as well as the enhancement of security and military capabilities, according to a statement by the Iraqi prime minister's office at the time. Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani also was spotted in Baghdad on Sept 22. He met with Shia militias backed by Iran; intelligence officials believe he met with Russians as well. Asked Thursday about Russia's military involvement in Syria, Defense Secretary Ash Carter cautioned that without Russian support for a "political transition" in Damascus, it could "pour gasoline on the ISIL phenomenon rather than to lead to the defeat of ISIL."

But just two days ago, Secretary of State John Kerry said the Russian build-up was consistent with defensive measures. "For the moment, it is the judgment of our military and most experts that the level and type represents basically force protection, a level of protection for their deployment to an airbase given the fact that it is in an area of conflict,'' Kerry said at the State Department Tuesday. This week, former CIA director Gen. David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill, warning that inaction in Syria carries risks for the United States.

"Russia's recent military escalation in Syria is a further reminder that when the U.S. does not take the initiative, others will fill the vacuum -- often in ways that are harmful to our interests," Petraeus said."

Source: http://therightscoop.com/russia-building-up-military-personnel-in-iraq/

Militarov wrote:







Equpment being hauled back to units after maintenance and overhaul in Basra.

Non of your links of pictures work for several different thrads.

Werewolf wrote:

Militarov wrote:







Equpment being hauled back to units after maintenance and overhaul in Basra.

Non of your links of pictures work for several different thrads.

That is weird, i just checked other browsers and it does not work there either but works just fine in Opera i used to post them. Ill check the issue now.

Links are working for me.

Meanwhile, is the US going to stop supplying intelligence now it might be handed to the Russians? This could be pretty delicate depending on its quality as it may already be 'filtered' so being able to compare what the Russians have and what the Iraqis get from the US could put the cat amongst the pidgeons.

This is part of a long article.

The Iraqi government, backed by the United Stated for years, is now taking another independent geopolitical step towards its neighbors, Iran and Syria, as well as Russia – it's going to share intelligence without Washington's approval.

First, Iraq recently angered the State Department by allowing Russian planes to bring supplies and equipment to Syria over its airspace. On Friday, Ibrahim al-Jafari, Iraq’s foreign minister, at the Council on Foreign Relations told journalists when asked about the Russian flights that his country “did not violate any of our commitments toward the international community.”

Just two days later, the Iraqi army announced it has started the regular exchange of intelligence concerning ISIL terrorists with Russia, Syria and Iran, that would “participate in collecting information about ISIS terrorism.” The arrangement is significant for country's security, it reads, as Iraq is concerned that thousands of volunteers joining the Islamic State have come from Russia, The New York Times reports.

The agreement was reached without ever asking Washington and announced this Sunday, The Times writes. This yet again irritated the US, which has got used to thinking of Iraq as a country with a government under its control and a vital member of the US-led coalition against ISIL.

The American reaction was somewhat sharp. Their objection targeted Syria’s Bashar Assad government. “We do not support the presence of Syrian government officials who are part of a regime that has brutalized its own citizens,” a spokesperson for the anti-ISIL coalition, based in Baghdad, US Col. Steven H. Warren, said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry briefly commented at a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, that the issue is currently being coordinated with Russia. And a senior DoS official at a press briefing described the stance of Washington in a little bit greater detail. “[W]e’re just at the beginning of trying to understand what the Russians’ intentions are in Syria, in Iraq, and to try to see if there are mutually beneficial ways forward here. We’ve got a long way to go in that conversation,” the official explained.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150928/1027631077.html#ixzz3n1PJz6Ly

The Iraq once again has slapped the face of Washington DC. First they demanded buying Russian weapons by U.S. money. Now they works with Russia without White House.

Merkel slapped the face of Obama by demanding cooperation with Russia. Obams slapped the face of his own by comment nothing when Putin recently openly support the legitimacy of Assad.

The political climate in the Middle East is increasingly going against White House's favour.

Wreckage of Iraqi Army Bell 407 helicopter YI-125 reportedly shot down by ISIS near Tikrit.

Sources:
https://twitter.com/JosephHDempsey/status/648552598614749185
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179970

Hezbollah Use Abrams Tanks And Close Air Support In Iraq
Published on Sep 28, 2015

Kata'ib Hezbollah is an Iranian backed Shia militia that operates against Sunni terrorists in Iraq. Although the group fought against the U.S. and other Western forces during OIF, the Hezbollah Brigades are now allied with Central Command through Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF-I). Proving themselves to be somewhat more combat effective than actual Iraqi Military units, CENTCOM has allowed its arms and hardware to be dispersed into the ranks of its former enemy.

Hezbo luv the M1 abram

Book. wrote:Hezbollah Use Abrams Tanks And Close Air Support In Iraq
Published on Sep 28, 2015

Kata'ib Hezbollah is an Iranian backed Shia militia that operates against Sunni terrorists in Iraq. Although the group fought against the U.S. and other Western forces during OIF, the Hezbollah Brigades are now allied with Central Command through Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF-I). Proving themselves to be somewhat more combat effective than actual Iraqi Military units, CENTCOM has allowed its arms and hardware to be dispersed into the ranks of its former enemy.

Hezbo luv the M1 abram

Ha, who would say IRAQ would share hardware with Hezbo. I assume crews are Iraqis tho.

Good find Book....I'm guessing that's the Iraqi branch of Hezbollah

Cyberspec wrote:Good find Book....I'm guessing that's the Iraqi branch of Hezbollah

Yeah Iraqi Hezbo branch, they have been filmed last year having one M1A1 they "borrowed" from Iraqi base after they apparently retreated but it was hauled by tank transporter, wonder if they gave it back to Iraqis now when they are "together".

AFAIK, Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah is not a "branch" of Lebanese Hezbollah, it is not subordinate to Lebanese org's command structure (pol/mil),
although they may have shared some training at some point, and of course are both "Shia militia backed by Iran".

mutantsushi wrote:AFAIK, Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah is not a "branch" of Lebanese Hezbollah, it is not subordinate to Lebanese org's command structure (pol/mil),
although they may have shared some training at some point, and of course are both "Shia militia backed by Iran".

You are right on that one, they are not mandatory connected in any way except being proxies of Iran. Hezbollah just means "Party of Allah", if you dig enough i guess you can find probably 20 organisations with such name though history and probably dozen having it in their name atm. But we i guess call them "Iraqi branch" coz of their common roots and background in Iran.

"Believe it or not, American soldiers fighting against ISIS in Syria and Iraq will actually be wearing the emblem of ISIS – the infamous crossed-swords logo. Well, almost.



Controversy has stirred because many think the patch looks too much like our boys are fighting for the enemy… just another sign of confusion about the counterproductive Obama-led war against the notorious and shamefully exploitative jihadist army. “A combat patch worn by U.S. soldiers who served in Iraq on the mission against Islamic State is drawing flak from service members and veterans who say the patch — with its palm wreath, stars and crossed scimitars — looks like something the enemy would wear.”
Site like JihadWatch are arguing that the:

“new U.S. Army patch for fight against the Islamic State closely resembles Muslim Brotherhood logo.”
While the Islamic State is using barbaric tactics to remake the Middle East closer to its own vision of a Caliphate, the United States and its allies also seek to remake the Middle East, and use the  specter of terrorism to aid in regime change in Syria and elsewhere. The triangulation and cross-purposes are both confusing and aggravating to many Americans."

Source: http://www.infowars.com/new-patch-for-u-s-troops-fighting-isis-looks-like-isis-logo/

The Army's patch for Operation Inherent Resolve:



"The US Army has debuted a new shoulder patch that soldiers in Iraq can wear to represent their role in the ongoing fight against ISIS, USA Today reports. The patch features crossed scimitars, three stars, and a palm wreath. According to USA Today, the three stars denote the US land, air, and sea forces involved in the fight against ISIS.

The palm wreath is meant to symbolize honor, while the crossed swords evoke the twin goals of the ongoing operations: the defeat of ISIS and the restoration of stability in the region. Currently, there are over 3,000 US Army personnel deployed in Iraq. These soldiers have not been deployed in combat roles; instead, they provide training to the Iraqi Security Forces and help coordinate air strikes against ISIS positions.  The patch will only be available for US Army soldiers. The other service branches of the military are also participating in Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS but will reportedly not be receiving patches. "

“Unit insignia is important because it fosters esprit de corps," the operation's spokesman told USA Today. "The CJTF-OIR [Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve] headquarters is made up of men and women from all services, many nations and many different units in the Army. This insignia will be worn by all of the Army members of the CJTF and may be authorized for wear by other services and nations according to their regulations.”

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/armys-shoulder-patch-for-the-war-against-isis-2015-9

There was some confusion that Russia would be establishing a joint operational center in Baghdad like in Damascus, which seems to not be quite true:


Joint Ops Center or not, Russian escalation does raise the question how it will affect the conflictive US/Baghdad/Hashd/Iran dynamic,
as well as the evolving KRG:Baghdad and intra-KRG conflict along with Iraqi and Syrian Kurd conflict with ISIS (+PKK vs. Turkey).

Iraq Assures US of Protecting Intelligence From Russians, Iranians

Iraq has agreed to withhold intelligence information the United States shares with it from the Russians, Syrians and the Iranians, US anti-Islamic State coalition spokesperson Col. Steve Warren said during a press conference on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — "The Iraqi Ministry of Defense has given us [United States] assurances that our information will be appropriately protected," Warren said when asked whether the intelligence Washington shares with Baghdad would be protected from Russia, Iran and Syria.

Warren noted the intelligence is "exceptionally good" and Washington has already expressed "concerns" to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense about protecting it.

Warren’s remarks come a day after Russia announced it would embark on an airstrikes campaign against the Islamic State in Syria at the request of President Bashar Assad.

Washington, however, has expressed grave concerns about Russia’s anti-Islamic State contribution, but has said that the US would welcome Moscow’s help in Syria against the terrorist group if the airstrike campaign was "genuine" and not solely meant to help the Assad government.

Warren pointed out the intelligence sharing between the United States and Iraq has led to "thousands" of Islamic State members being targeted on the battlefield.

A US-led coalition against the Islamic State, consisting of 62 nations, has been conducting airstrikes in Syria since September 2014, albeit without UN Security Council authorization or approval by the Syrian government.
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Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20151001/1027867520/iraq-us-intelligence-russia-iran.html#ixzz3nO1UKHOd

Iraq cuts off wages in Islamic State controlled cities.... what da hell? It took them this long to do that???

"The Iraqi government's decision to choke off funding for Islamic State by cutting off all wages and pensions in cities controlled by the group has plunged people into hardship and could help the insurgents tighten their grip, officials and residents say. For a year after Islamic State fighters swept through a third of Iraq, Baghdad continued to pay pensions and salaries of state employees inside the self-proclaimed caliphate.

But since July all such payments have been halted, depriving whole cities' pensioners, civil servants, doctors, teachers, nurses, police and workers at state-owned companies of both their income and some of their last official links to Baghdad."

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/uk-mideast-crisis-iraq-salaries-idUKKCN0RW0VJ20151002

Yes... That s under pressure from the sunni Arab parliamentarians in the iraqi government as well as the USA... Everyone in Iraq has been screaming bloody murder about this... I used to rant about this on the old mp.net forum...  Nobody paid attention. I just have mentioned it on this Forum too.

Syrian government still pays salaries and social security to people in their isis regions by the way.

Militarov wrote:Iraq cuts off wages in Islamic State controlled cities.... what da hell? It took them this long to do that???

Better late than never.

ExBeobachter1987 wrote:

Militarov wrote:Iraq cuts off wages in Islamic State controlled cities.... what da hell? It took them this long to do that???

Better late than never.

I do not support this , Baghdad needs to pay it`s obligations and show people this is temporary situation. Russia also never cut off Chechnya from central budget and won grudging respect from part of Chechens.

zg18 wrote:

ExBeobachter1987 wrote:

Militarov wrote:Iraq cuts off wages in Islamic State controlled cities.... what da hell? It took them this long to do that???

Better late than never.

I do not support this , Baghdad needs to pay it`s obligations and show people this is temporary situation. Russia also never cut off Chechnya from central budget and won grudging respect from part of Chechens.

isis takes the money from people. same as funding ur enemy.

iraqidabab wrote:isis takes the money from people. same as funding ur enemy.

They can`t take all , the message to people is the most important , so called "mujahedeens" in Chechnya also took part of the money but in the long term it ensured critical loyalty of population to Russian Federation.