Sistani Questions Soleimani’s Intervention in Iraqi Politics - Report

Ashaq Alawsat reported Monday that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani had sent a message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing Quds Force Commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani’s role in Iraqi politics. The report said Sistani questioned Khamenei “whether (Soleimani’s interventions in Iraqi politics) had happened under Khamenei’s instruction or through Soleimani’s own independent actions.” (Ashaq Alawsat/Now, 7 September)

In late August, Gen. Soleimani appeared at a meeting of Iraqi National Alliance parliamentary coalition of Shia parties, reportedly criticizing Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s proposed reforms, especially Abadi’s plans to sack former PM Nouri al-Maliki. The meeting ended with an acrimonious exchange between Soleimani and Abadi. Ashaq Alawsat had reported on 26 August that Abadi “objected strongly” when Soleimani criticized the reforms he was pushing through parliament.

Sistani’s frustration over Soleimani’s role in Iraq manifests differences between Najaf clerical establishment and the Islamic Republic. Sistani has forcefully defended Abadi’s reform proposals and Soleimani’s public criticism of the reforms, in a meeting attended by the prime minister and over 70 Shia MPs, has broken protocols of public deference to Sistani, Iraqi Shia spiritual leader, which could affect Najaf’s historic role.

Among recent differences between Sistani and the Iranians is Sistani’s insistence that fighting corruption is a religious and legal duty of all Shias, including the trial of Maliki if needed. Soleimani's, and probably Khamenei's, approach to Abadi’s reform focuses on the political dimensions of the issue, thinking holding to account of corrupt figures, i.e. Maliki, would undermine Shia power in the country.

After a report by the Iraqi parliament on 17 August blamed Maliki and top commanders for the fall of Mosul to ISIL last year, Iran extended Maliki a show of support, hosting him for a visit to Tehran on 19 August, two days after the parliamentary report. During his visit, Maliki met with Khamenei, with photos of the event widely published by the media.

Photo credit: Portrait of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s Shia spiritual leader (Ahmad al-Rubaya/AFP)

Iraqi F-16s in Action

Iraqi air command confirms Iraq’s F-16s are now striking ISIL positions.

“Fifteen airstrikes (by F-16s) were carried out in the past four days,” said Lt. Gen. Anwar Hama Amin, the commander of Iraqi Air Force. (AFP, 6 September)

The first four Iraqi F-16s arrived from the United States in mid-July, out of a total of 36 sold to Baghdad. The aging Sukhoi Su-25 jets were the backbone of the Iraqi air force.

Iraqi Lawmakers Blame Nouri Al-Maliki, Former Senior Officials, for Fall of Mosul

Iraqi lawmakers have called for former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other senior political and security officials in his government to go on trial for the fall of Mosul to Islamic State insurgents last year. A number of members of Iraqi parliamentary committee of investigation into the fall of Mosul confirmed on Sunday that al-Maliki’s name was among those they intend to refer to court. (Reuters/DW, 16 August)

The report detailing the committee’s findings was presented to the parliamentary speaker, Salim al-Juburi, who said he would pass it on to Iraq’s prosecutor general for possible legal action.

“No one is above the law and accountability to the people,” Jaburi said in a statement after receiving the report, which was approved by 16 votes of the committee’s 24 members.

Reuters reported other officials named in the report include the former governor of Mosul, Atheel al-Nujaifi, former acting Defense Minister Sadoun al-Dulaimi, the former head of the army, Gen. Babakir Zebari, and Lt. Gen. Mahdi al-Gharrawi, the former operational commander of Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital.

ISIL insurgents launched an offensive on Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, on 9 June 2014 and overran it a day later. A number of Iraqi army divisions collapsed during the initial assault and fled, abandoning weapons and heavy equipment, which was then captured by ISIL fighters.

File photo: Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (Al Arabiya)

Soleimani At Fallujah Front

The photos published in the social media reportedly show Iran’s Quds Force Commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani back on the ground in Iraq and visiting with Badr Organization commanders and Iranian military advisers at Fallujah front on Thursday.

Badr is the lead Shia militia in the Quds Force-led offensive in the Battle of Fallujah to retake the city. The offensive that began in early July has apparently stalled due to stiff resistance by the Islamic State fighters.

Photo credit: Quds Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani, second from right, reportedly visiting Fallujah front; 13 August 2015 (Twitter)   

Iraq PM Calls for Reforms

Reacting to Popular Protests

 

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi today announced a wide-ranging government reform plan only two days after massive anti-corruption protests took place in Baghdad, Basra, and other cities. The cabinet immediately approved the plan, which is sent to the parliament for final approval. The list of reforms, published in prime minister’s Facebook page today, includes the following: (World Press, 9 August)

• Dissolving the positions of Vice Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers immediately. (Note: this line item would involve sacking of Nouri al-Maliki and others.)

• Establishment of a High Commission to fight corruption and reopen old and current corruption cases; as well as appointing judges to oversee those cases.

• Reassigning all security forces to the Ministry of Defense to be trained to defend the country’s frontiers.

• Rescinding of all (sectarian and party) quotas allocated to high government positions. The PM will form a committee to oversee the sacking of unqualified personnel and their merit-based replacement.

• Merging ministries and institutions to raise efficiency and cut costs.

Photo credit: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (World Press)

Iraqis Take to Streets Protesting Rampant Corruption and Lack of Services

Tens of thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad, Basra and several other southern cities on Friday to protest the financial and administrative corruption rampant in Iraqi ministries and lack of the basic services, like the electricity, as the temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), The Middle East Eye reported.

Today’s demonstrations, the second Friday of protests, took place hours after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the spiritual leader of the Iraqi Shias, called on Iraqi prime minister to fight corruption and launch a campaign to reform the government.

“The country is facing complicated economic problems and a tremendous lack of services. All of this is a result of financial and administrative corruption which has existed in various governmental departments and institutions for years,” said Ahmad al-Safy, Sistani’s representative in a televised Friday prayer from Karbala. (Middle East Eye, 7 August)

“The prime minister is the top executive official of the counry… He is supposed to show more courage and resolve in regards to steps toward reformation… He must hit with an iron fist whoever is tampering with public money, and work to end unaccepted privileges which are granted to our officials,” Safy added.

In Baghdad, security was very tight and the roads that led to demonstration site were blocked for miles, while anti-riot police was deployed on every street corner near the protests who gathered in central Baghdad’s Tahrir Square.

Photo credit: Tens of thousands of Iraqi demonstrators gather at Tahrir Square; Baghdad, 7 August 2015 (Twitter)

Battle of Anbar: Update

Iraqi Security Forces, including U.S.-trained Iraqi Army units, have made some advances in east and south of Ramadi. Backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, Iraqi forces took an ISIL command post at the University of Anbar, south of the city. The advance into the city, however, has apparently slowed down in the face of strong defense by the Islamic State fighters.

The situation is less favorable in Fallujah area. Iran-led Shia militia offensive to take the city has apparently stalled due to ISIL’s stiff resistance. Meanwhile, ISW reports that should the Iranian proxies be redeployed from Fallujah to Diyala because of deteriorating situation in that province that borders Iran, anti-ISIL Fallujah operation may lose further momentum. (ISW, Iraqi Situation Report; July 24-27, 2015).

Last August, Islamic State insurgents occupied Jalula, only 19 miles from the Iranian border, and were poised to move toward the border city of Khanaqin, when a Quds Force-led counter-offensive drove them out of the area. Iran does not want to see a resurgence of ISIL so close to its border and now it faces a dilemma. If it redeploys significant number of the Shia militia to Diyala, it risks losing the Battle of Fallujah. Keeping the militia in Anbar risks further deterioration of the situation in Diyala.

File photo: An Shia militiaman holds position north of al-Kamra, near Fallujah, 14 April 2015 (AFP/Press TV) 

Iraqi Security Forces Assault ISIL in Ramadi

Iraqi government forces have begun assaulting Islamic State insurgents based at the University of Anbar campus in the city of Ramadi. The university complex serves as a key command headquarters for ISIL in the city.

The Iraqi Security Force offensive in Ramadi, backed by U.S.-led airstrikes on ISIL positions, is part of the government’s operations to retake Anbar province. Concurrently, Hashd Shaabi or the PMF, the predominantly Shia militias, under the command of Iran’s Quds Force, and backed by Iraqi air force, have been conducting operations around Fallujah in the past few weeks in an attempt to retake the city, but have faced stiff resistance from ISIL. UPI reported that dozens of militiamen were killed near Fallujah last week.

Photo credit: An Iraqi Security Force soldier takes position near the Green Zone in Baghdad; 26 July 2015 (Mitchell Prothero/UPI)

Turkey Attacks PKK

Breaking 2.5-Year Truce with Kurds

Turkish warplanes on Friday struck camps and weapons storage facilities belonging to the Kurdish Workers Party or PKK at its Mount Qandil headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan. The airstrikes ended a two-and-a-half-year truce between PKK, representing Turkey’s Kurds, and the Turkish military. The truce was considered a signature achievement for Erdogan’s government, but as observed by the PKK it “has no meaning anymore.”

The events culminating with the Turkish airstrikes began after an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 30 Kurds in southern Kurdish town of Suruc last week. PKK has long accused Turkey of cooperating with ISIL and it carried out retaliatory shootings against Turkish police.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Kurds led by the PKK-affiliate militia group YPG, who famously fought and defeated ISIL in Kobane, are engaged in fierce fighting with ISIL in Syria, and in recent weeks have captured enough territory previously held by ISIL to enable them to form a contiguous Kurdish territory in northern Syria, a key to formation of an autonomous Kurdish region. Turkey worries that YPG advances could strengthen PKK’s position inside Turkey.

On Friday, Turkey also struck ISIL positions in Syria for the first time in the war. The Kurdish critics of Erdogan government said the attacks on ISIL were a smokescreen to hit PKK positions and silence any U.S. criticism.   

File photo: Turkish F-16 (Osman Orsal/Reuters)

U.S.-Trained Iraqi Troops Join Ramadi Counteroffensive

For the first time, 3,000 Iraqi troops trained by the U.S.-led coalition have joined the assault force to retake the city of Ramadi. The news was disclosed by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter during his visit to Baghdad today. It was Carter’s first visit to Iraq since he took office in February.

Last month, the Iraqi government had announced the start of major operations in Anbar province to retake territories lost to ISIL. The U.S.-led coalition comprising of Iraqi security forces, including the newly trained soldiers, supported by U.S.-led airstrikes, is getting ready to retake Ramadi.

Concurrently, and Iran-led coalition of mainly Shia militias, supported by Iraqi air force, under the command of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, have been conducing blocking operations around Fallujah. On Wednesday, the Iraqi air force carried out an airstrike in the center of Fallujah airstrike, Al Jazeera reported.

Photo credit: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter with commander of Iraq's Counter Terrorism Service, Gen. Taleb Shegati al-Kenani, second from right, at the joint operations center in Baghdad; 23 July 2015 (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

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)

Abadi in Tehran

Khameni Blames Foreigners for Iraqi Conflict

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited Tehran today and met with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Iranian leader blamed foreigners for the conflict in Iraq, saying Western intelligence agencies wanted to destroy the pillars of Iraq’s political and national unity.

“One should vigilantly and carefully stand against (Western intelligence agencies) plot and divisive attempt and not allow the unity among the Shia and Sunni and Kurd and Arab to be damaged,” Khamenei told al-Abadi. (Press TV, 17 June)

“The Americans on the one hand are seeking to plunder Iraq’s wealth as they o in some other countries in the region and on the other hand impose their demands [on Iraq] as before. However, one should not allow this objective to be realized,” Khamenei added.

Blaming foreigners for national disasters, like what’s happening in Iraq, has been the norm in the region, a convenient way to explain away internal problems. Khamenei’s comments today on Iraq, however, raise that practice to new heights.

Photo credit: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meeting with the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Tehran; 17 June 2015 (IRNA)

U.S. to Send More Troops to Iraq

President Obama has authorized the deployment of up to 450 additional U.S. military personnel to train, advise, and assist Iraqi Security Forces at Taqaddum military base in eastern Anbar province. The president made the decision after a request from Prime Minister Al-Abadi of Iraq. These additional U.S. troops will augment the 3,100 troops who have already been deployed to Iraq.

Obama has also directed the expedited delivery of equipment and materiel to Iraqi forces, including the Peshmerga and Sunni tribal fighters. The deliveries will be coordinated with the central government in Baghdad.

Iran Denies Supplying Missiles to Iraqi Army

Maj. Gen. Mostafa Izadi, deputy chief of staff of Iranian armed forces, denied recent media reports that Iran has supplied the Iraqi army with close-range Zelzal ballistic missiles, Fars News Agency reported today. Gen. Izadi did not say if the missiles were being used by the Iranian forces in Iraq.  Zelzal-2s have an estimated range of 210 km (130 miles) carrying a 600 kg warhead.

File photo: IRGC-ASF Zelzal Close-Range ballistic Missile (CRBM)

No New Recruit at U.S. Training Base in Iraq

The Hill reported on Monday that the U.S. military training mission at Al Asad base has stalled because the central government has not been sending new recruits. The base if one of the five U.S.-led coalition training sites in the country.

“Al Asad has zero. And Al Asad has had zero now for some time,” an unnamed U.S. defense official told The Hill.

President Obama said Monday after a discussion with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the U.S. and allied have more training capacity than they have recruits.

“Part of my discussion with Prime Minister Abadi was how to make sure that we get more recruits in. A big part of the answer there is our outreach to Sunni tribes. We’ve seen Sunni tribes who are not only willing and prepared to fight ISIL, but have been successful at rebuffing ISIL. But (recruiting) has not been happening as fast as it needs to,” Obama said. (The Hill, 8 June)

The training and equipping of Sunni tribal fighters became more urgent after the fall of Ramadi last month. Ramadi is the capital of Anbar Province, the Sunni heartland.

The other four U.S. training sites are located in Baghdad, Erbil, Taj and Besmaya. In Baghdad site, approximately 910 trainees, mainly Iraqi special operations forces, are being trained. There are 800 trainees at the Erbil site, 255 trainees at Besmaya, and 630 trainees at Taj. (The Hill, 8 June)

Photo credit: President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, left, participate in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of G-7 summit in Garmisch, Southern Germany; Monday, 8 June 2015 (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Iran-led Coalition Forces Recapture Baiji City - UPDATE

UPDATE: Announcements by the Iraqi defense ministry and  Hash al-Shaabi (PMF) spokesmen were premature. The city of Baiji and the area surrounding it are not recaptured and remain contested.

Iran-led Shia militias with support from the Iraqi security forces have recaptured the city of Baiji. ISIL fighters withdrew from the city center on Sunday and were retreating toward Mosul while under intense air attack.

“We can announce that Baiji city is completely liberated and the Iraqi flag was raised over the governor building,” said Muhammed al-Eqbali, a spokesman for Hash al-Shaabi, the umbrella organization for the militias. (CNN, 7 June)

Brig. Gen. Tahseen Ibrahim, a spokesman for Iraqi defense ministry, confirmed the recapture of the city.

“Forces have cleansed and are in control of government complex, (Baiji) city center, Fatah mosque and surrounding neighborhoods,” Ibrahim said.

General Ibrahim also thanked U.S.-led coalition for “significant role” supporting Iraqi ground forces during the Baiji operation, without specifying what kind of support the forces received.

Liberation of Baiji city is a major defeat for the Islamic State and will pave the way for the control of nearby Baiji Oil Refinery and recapture of Ramadi.

Photo credit: Shia militia and Iraqi security forces during their offensive to retake Baiji city. (Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)  

U.S., Allies Target ISIL with 24 Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

The US-led Coalition conducted 20 airstrikes in Iraq and four in Syria targeting ISIL insurgents since early on Thursday, the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) announced. (Reuters, 29 May)

In Iraq, airstrikes carried out near Baiji, supporting the Iran-led coalition offensive to retake the oil refinery, and in Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdadi, Makhmur, Sinjar and Tel Afar. In Syria, airstrikes hit targets near Al Hasakah and Kobani.

The airstrikes were conducted between 8 a.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. on Friday local time, CJTF said. All aircraft returned to base safely.

File photo: F-16 Fighting Falcon (USAF/DoD/AFP)