Two-Front War against ISIL for Liberation of Ramadi and Fallujah

1st Squadron of F-16s Landed in Iraq

A two-front war against ISIL has begun in Anbar province. The Iraqi security forces started their operation today. Ramadi could be the logical choice for ISF to retake, after its scandalous retreat from the city in May. The U.S. is also conducting intense airstrikes against ISIL positions in Ramadi, Reuters reported today. Simultaneously it seems, the Iran-led Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the umbrella group of predominantly Shia militias, continued its operation to cordon off Fallujah and secure lines of communication as the first steps to recapture the city. Fallujah has been under ISIL control since January 2014.

Meanwhile, after years of preparation and training in the U.S., Iraqi pilots today landed the 1^st squadron of Iraqi F-16s in Iraq.

Badr Chairman al-Amiri: ‘We Expect More from Americans’

Hadi al-Amiri, the chairman of Badr Organization, Iraq’s largest Shia militia group, told NBC News on Monday that in the fight to recapture Ramadi, he expects more from the Americans. The U.S. has conducted more than 50 airstrikes against ISIL positions in Ramadi since they captured the town last month, but Amiri said those strikes were not “very effective.”

“America is not and never has been my enemy,” Amiri told NBC. The U.S. airstrikes “could be very important,” and U.S. trainers would help the Iraqi army. Earlier, Amiri had hosted U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Stuart Jones, at his house in Baghdad.

Amiri added that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the umbrella organizations of predominantly Shia militias, is capable of retaking Ramadi in weeks, not months. “We stopped ISIL when they were 12 to 15 miles from Baghdad,” Amiri said. Taking Fallujah, however, should have priority, Amiri added.

Photo credit: Badr Organization Chairman Hadi al-Amiri (Cheryl Simpson/NBC)

Yemen Could Engulf Region in War – Abadi

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said today in Washington that the conflict in Yemen could consume the whole region. He added that after talks in Washington he believes that U.S. leaders shared his concerns and want to stop this conflict as soon as possible. Abadi met with President Obama on Tuesday at the White House.

“This (Yemen war) can engulf the whole region in another conflict,” Abadi said. “We don’t need another sectarian war in the region.” (Reuters, 15 April)

Abadi said convincing Saudi Arabia to halt its offensive in Yemen could be difficult. The Saudi-led alliance of ten Sunni countries is engaged in a three-week-old air campaign against the Shia Huthi (AnsarAllah) insurgents who are allied with Iran. They have taken over the capital Sanaa and have advanced to other parts of the country, including Aden, the capital of southern Yemen.

“From what I understand from the (Obama) administration, the Saudis are not helpful. They don’t want a ceasefire now,” Abadi said.

The White House, however, denied Obama had criticized Saudi Arabia in his talks with Abadi and renewed U.S. support for the anti-Huthi military campaign by the Saudi-led coalition.

“We firmly support current GCC-led operations… which is why we have been providing support for coalition operations,” said National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey. (Reuters, 15 April)

File photo: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in a news conference in Baghdad, 31 March 2015 (Ahmed Saad/Reuters)

Iraqi Air Force F-16

The First Iraqi Air Force F-16 makes its inaugural flight from Lockheed Martin’s assembly plant in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first of 36 F-16s ordered by the Iraqis.

F-16s has built a reputation for being a versatile 4th generation multi-role fighter. Lockheed has delivered 4,540 F-16s to date. Its production line is expected to continue through 2017.

Photo credit: Iraqi Air Force F-16 fighter making its inaugural flight. Fort Worth, Texas; 7 May 2014. (Lockheed Martin/Intercepts)

U.S. seeks 'clarification' from Iraq on reported arms purchase from Iran

According to BBC News:

The US has said it is "seeking clarification" over a report that Iraq has signed a deal with Iran to buy arms in violation of a UN embargo.

State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that if the $195m (£117m) deal for weapons and ammunition was confirmed, it "would raise serious concerns".

[...]

A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister neither confirmed nor denied the deal.

However, he said it would be understandable given Iraq's security troubles, which have seen al-Qaeda-aligned militants step up sectarian attacks and take control of parts of the cities of Ramadi and Falluja.

"We are launching a war against terrorism and we want to win this war. Nothing prevents us from buying arms and ammunition from any party and it's only ammunition helping us to fight terrorists," Ali Moussawi added.

Iran's ambassador in Baghdad, Hasan Danaifar, told the Mehr news agency on Tuesday that no arms deal had been signed.

[...]

Ms Psaki said the US had provided more than $15bn (£9bn) in military and security equipment, services and training.

It has recently shipped Hellfire missiles, hundreds of small arms and large quantities of small arms and tank ammunition. The Pentagon is also ready to sell more missiles and 24 Apache attack helicopters.

"We certainly view the government of Iraq as a partner in the fight against terrorism and we're committed to supporting them," Ms Psaki added.

This may or may not be a case of Iraq again leveraging relations with Iran, in its dealings with the United States. For some time now, the Iraqis have been insisting on expedited arms deliveries from the United States. Whether this form of leverage will work this time around has yet to be seen.

That said, in the event of strengthened defense ties betwen Iraq and Iran, the Iranians do possess a level of battlefield observation and applied experiences in the Syrian conflict, against same or similar foes opposing Iraq. As a result of this, the IRGC-QF has developed and employed armor/infantry tactics for the urban battlefield, SF night operations, heliborne operations, UAV deployments and more. The Iraqis might possibly be interested in such, seeing potential compatability for Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) currently engaging ISIS/ISIL forces.

Additionally, as a result of Iran's experiences during the Iran-Iraq War where it was the focus of a restrictive arms embargo, the Iranians have sought and developed a level of self-sufficiency in the field of arms manufacture and servicing. Iran currently manufactures ammunition and service parts for its heavy weapon types, as well as manufacturing small arms, rockets, electronics and more. It is this level of Iranian self-sufficiency of arms certain elements of the Iraqi government are apparently signalling an intent or potential intent of tapping into.

Below are examples of commonality for Iranian/Iraqi weapon and military equipment types:

Left: Iraqi Army T-72M1 main battle tank. Right: Iranian license-built T-72S main battle tank
Iran manufactures a variety of ammunition for this type of MBT

Left: Iraqi Army M109 self-propelled howitzer. Right: Iranian military M109 self-propelled howitzer
Iran manufactures a variety of ammunition for this type of SP Gun

Left: Iraqi Army M113A2 amored personnel carrier. Right: Iran Army M113 amored personnel carrier

Iran offers adapted weapons systems and related ammunition for this type of APC

Left: Iraqi IqAF Mil Mi-17 transport helicopter. Right: Iranian IRGC-AF Mil Mi-17 transport helicopter
Iran has years of service, and offers adapted weapons systems and ammo for this type of helicopter

Left: Iraqi Federal Police equipped with RPG-7 type. Right: Iran Army soldiers equiped with RPG-7 type
Iran manufactures a variant of this type of RPG as well as ammunition

Left: Iraq Army soldiers armed with AKM type assault rifles. Right: Iranian IRGC equpped with AKM type assault rifles
Iran manufactures a variant of this type as well as ammunition

File photos: ISNA, IRNA, FARS News Agency, Reuters, Alireza at Airliners.net and army.mil

Iraq says it needs F-16 and drone deliveries now

 

Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 52 two seater and single seater aircraft (Hellenic Air Force) 

(photo: Defense Industry Daily) 

According to Reuters:

The Baghdad government wants the immediate delivery of U.S. drones and F-16 fighter jets in order to combat al Qaeda insurgents, who are making swift advances in the west of the Iraq, a senior Iraqi security official said.

Washington agreed in August to supply a $2.6 billion integrated air defense system and F-16 fighter jets, with delivery due in autumn 2014.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who will meets U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington next week, has also requested drones to carry out surveillance of Iraq's desert border with Syria.

But Deputy National Security Adviser Safa al-Sheikh Hussein said Iraq needs them now.

"The first thing the Prime Minister will ask for is to accelerate the processes for the shipment of drones and F-16s," said Safa al-Sheikh Hussein in an interview with Reuters.

"The initial response from the U.S. was positive, but it depends on the delivery time. We want them immediately."

Iraqi pilots have been engaged in training sessions at Laughlin AFB in Texas. Iraqi sources indicate they have pilots capable of flying the F-16, with service technicians receiving training in Jordan. 

American sources counter that Iraq will not be able to enforce national air sovereignty before 2016 at the very earliest – and a number of analysts still believe it will be several years later than that. [source: Defense Industry Daily]

IrAF orders consist of thirty F-16IQ (C Block 52) multirole fighter aircraft and six F-16IQ (D Block 52) conversion trainer aircraft. The 1st delivery of 2 planes scheduled for September 2014, with at least 2 arriving every month thereafter. All 36 ordered fighters are expected to arrive by the end of 2015. [source: Defense Industry Daily]

Iraqi Kurds have been politically opposed to Baghdad receiving F-16 combat aircraft while Maliki remains prime minister, fearful of a greater tilt toward Baghdad in the country's sectarian balance of power. [source: Kurd.net]

Since the onset of the neighboring conflict in Syria, Iraq has sustained spillover, in the form of an alarming spike in terrorist attacks, most committed by Al Qaeda or its affiliates.

 

Above: USAF Col. Andrew MacDonald assists Iraq Air Force Brig. Gen. Abdulhussein Lafta Ali Ali buckle into an F-16D "Viper" for an orientation flight at Tucson International Airport, Aug. 30, 2012. MacDonald is the 162nd Operations Group commander. Abdulhussein, with a delegation of senior Iraqi military officers, visited the international F-16 training wing where Iraqi pilots are learning to fly the multirole fighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Gabe Johnson) [source: Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Ak News and Ekurd.net]