A recap of Iranian Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) types fielded on the Iraqi battlefield against ISIL
Showing posts with label Iraqi Kurdistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraqi Kurdistan. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Iranian MLRS on the Iraqi battlefield
Friday, October 24, 2014
Peshmerga armor aboard transporters, headed for Kobane
Stills from video posted 21OCT14 claiming to show Iraqi Peshmerga forces towards transiting Turkey, to join fight against ISIL at Kobane, Syria. Above: Peshmerga MT-LB armored tracked vehicle aboard tank transporter.
Peshmerga MT-LB armored tracked vehicle, SPAAG variant
Peshmerga EE-9 Cascavel 6×6 armored car, of a type used by Iranian military
Peshmerga T-55 medium tank, of similar type used by Iranian military
Peshmerga ZSU-57-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, of a type used by Iranian military
Scania R-series tractor pressed into Peshmerga tank transporter service
Volvo FH-series tractor pressed into Peshmerga tank transporter service
Volvo FH-series tractor pressed into Peshmerga tank transporter service
What appears to be Walker Military Fuel Servicing Truck, possibly ex-Iraqi Army
Complete Video:
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Successful role of Iran's military at Battle of Amerli
By Mark Pyruz
A report from Iraqi Kurdistan by Reuters correspondent Isabel Coles has emerged, providing insight into the Iranian military role during the successful Battle of Amerli. Highlights provided below in blockquotes, joined by commentary:
The scenes in Amerli and the surrounding area of Suleiman Beg offered a window into the teamwork among Kurdish fighters, the Iraqi army and Shi'ite militias and into Iran's role in directly assisting their campaign against Islamic State (IS) forces.
An Iranian adviser to Iraqi police was spotted on the road near Amerli and Kurdish officers spoke of Iranians advising Iraqi fighters on targeting the Islamists.
The swift end to the Islamic State's encirclement of the Shi'ite Turkmen town of 15,000 came on Sunday amid a push by Kurdish peshmerga, Shi'ite militias and Iraqi troops, after U.S. air strikes late Saturday hit IS positions.COMMENTARY: It has been revealed airstrikes in support of operations against IS fighters during Battle of Amerli provided by USAF.
Shi'ite militias, who battled U.S. troops during their occupation of Iraq, played a song in Amerli on Monday that taunted the extremist Islamic State with the line: "The Americans couldn't beat us and you think you can?"
The town was filled with Kurdish peshmerga and fighters from the largest Shi'ite militias - the Badr Organization, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kata'ib Hezbollah and cleric Muqtada Sadr's followers.COMMENTARY: Militia aligned with Muqtada Sadr are currently self-described as "Peace Brigades." They appear better equipped then their days as Mahdi Army (see HERE).
Above: Militiamen firing their AK type assault rifles, upon the successful liberation of the predominantly Shia town of Amerli, Iraq.
Militia fighters spoke of a new alliance with the Kurds, who had been shaken by the Islamic State's offensive on Kurdish-controlled territories last month. They were then helped by U.S. air strikes that forced IS to retreat.
"I’m totally confident that the failure of the peshmerga to stop the Islamic State's advance towards areas around Arbil forced the Kurds to review their wrong policy of refusing to cooperate with us," said a fighter from Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
"Without our help, it will be difficult for them to stop Islamic State fighters alone.”
"The peshmerga just came now and raised their flag. We have been here (in the area) for eight days," said one Asaib Ahl al-Haq fighter.COMMENTARY: This level of rivalry is emblematic of the military situation among forces fighting Islamic State and their Sunni allies (see HERE). However, IRGC-QF has extensive, successful experience in assembling cooperation among a diversity of peoples and religions, during the ongoing Syrian conflict.
The influence of Iran was evident in Suleiman Beg. With Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which is funded by Iran and recognizes Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as its spiritual guide, were two men who spoke Farsi and dressed in beige uniforms different from their colleagues' green camouflage.
Asked if he was Iranian, one of the Farsi speakers said: "We are liberating Suleiman Beg.
Asked if the Iraqis' could have made their recent gains without Iranian support, he answered: "No."
By a convoy of armored police vehicles, a man speaking Farsi described himself as coming from Iran and said he was there to help with training police.
A peshmerga commander in Suleiman Beg acknowledged the part played by Iranians in the assault on Islamic State positions. "The Iranians had a role in this. They supplied weapons and helped with the military planning," he said on condition of anonymity.
"They trained the Shi'ite forces. There are Iranians here in another base: three or four of them. They are guiding the peshmerga in firing heavy artillery. They don't speak Kurdish - they have a translator."
On Saturday, a senior member of the Kurdish party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, told Reuters the Iraqi military, Kurds and Iranian advisers had joint operation centers.
Speaking in Khanaqin in Diyala province, PUK member Mala Bakhtiar said the Iranians did not participate in actual fighting but provided expertise.
"There is logistical help and cooperation," Bakhtiar said. "If there is a need, we meet with them and discuss the issues."
The defeat of the IS in Amerli and Suleiman Beg was a major victory for the Iraqi government, security forces and militias after weeks of setbacks.COMMENTARY: It would be interesting to know if Iranian advisors among the Peshmerga are IRGC-QF or Iranian Army Takavar special forces.
Objective observers must admit the level of operational expertise attained by IRGC-QF in the Syrian theater of war is now serving them well in military-related efforts in support of the government of Iraq.
Whether or not a level of momentum among Iraqi government aligned fighting forces has now been attained at Amerli, providing a boost for an upcoming third attempt at retaking Tikrit is yet to be seen. Moreover, whereas Amerli is a Shia stronghold, Tikrit is certainly not and must be reckoned hostile.
Deutsche Welle has revealed the German government has decided to deliver weapons and munitions worth a total of 70 million euros ($91 million) to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. Among the first of three arms tranches are 4,000 G3 type battle rifles with a million rounds of ammunition, and twenty MG3 heavy machine guns with 500,000 rounds of ammunition. It should be noted Iran has extensive wartime and manufacturing experience with these weapon types. As well as furthering weapon and munition commonality between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran, these upcoming deliveries from Germany offer a sharing of the logistical burden Iran has been quicker to undertake during the 2014 Northern Iraq offensive,
Outgoing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, due to step down this month when a new government is formed, flew to Amerli and saluted the military and the militia fighters, whom he called Mujahideen (holy warriors).
“Our enemy is retreating and our security forces backed by volunteers are advancing to purge further towns,” Maliki told a cheering crowd.COMMENTARY: It is evident outgoing Prime Minister of Iraq may very well remain a relevant political figure in Iraq, and not take up a second exile Iran. Time will tell.
Above: Armored HMMWV provides transport to Amerli for Prime Minster Maliki
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Iran supplying arms to Kurds in war against IS - Barzani
According to Reuters:
Iran has supplied weapons and ammunition to Iraqi Kurdish forces, Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani said Tuesday at a joint press conference with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Arbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region.
[…]
"We asked for weapons and Iran was the first country to provide us with weapons and ammunition," Barzani said.
The Iranian foreign minister held talks with Barzani on Tuesday, one day after visiting senior Shi’ite clerics in southern Iraq. Zarif acknowledged giving military assistance to Iraqi security forces but said the cooperation did not include deploying ground troops in the country.
"We have no military presence in Iraq," Zarif said. "We do have military cooperation with both the central government and the Kurds in different arenas.”
Neither Zarif nor Barzani gave any details on whether weapons supplied to Kurdish peshmerga forces had been routed through the central government or given directly to Kurdish forces. Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi said Monday that arms given to the peshmerga had been routed through the central government.COMMENTARY:
- As previously detailed in Uskowi on Iran, there is considerable commonality of weapon and munition types between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan.
- There are historical military ties between Barzani's KDP and Iran's military, including cooperation during Dawn operations of the Iran-Iraq War.
- By virtue of geography, Iraqi Kurdistan in effect provides a buffer between IS fighters and Iran.
- It has been asserted that elements of Iranian Army Takavar special forces are currently assisting Kurdish Peshmerga in the war against Islamic State.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Iran military reportedly supporting Kurdish Peshmerga forces
Above: Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga T-55 tanks, of a similar type fielded by the Iranian military
According to the Wall Street Journal:
On Monday, as Peshmerga fighters basked in relief in one of those towns, Makhmour, a reporter witnessed senior Kurdish commanders meeting with Iranian advisers in the operations command center there.
Thirty miles away in Erbil, U.S. advisers huddled this week with Peshmerga and Iraqi air force commanders to a similar end.
The parallel tracks demonstrated clearly that the U.S. and Iran, longtime competitors for influence in Iraq, have found common cause in the effort to resuscitate the Peshmerga, long mythologized as Iraq's most capable fighting force.
[..]
"Iran has shown support," said Raman Majid, a political representative for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, or PUK, one of two main factions that make up the Peshmerga. The PUK has historic ties with Iran.COMMENTARY: In addition to the historic ties with PUK, Iran also has historic military ties with Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), that include cooperation during Operation Dawn operations of the Iran-Iraq War.
Like the Iraqi Army, the Peshmerga also possess light and heavy weapon compatibility with their Iranian military counterparts. Two examples illustrated in this post are the Peshmerga-equipped T-55 type tank (seen above), and the 122-mm howitzer D-30 seen below.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Notes on current American airstrikes against IS forces in Iraq
By Mark Pyruz
File photo: USN Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet over the Persian Gulf
A collection of thoughts on the current application of U.S. airpower in the defense of Iraq:
-Drawing from public comments made in the recent past by current Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, application of U.S. airpower in support of Iraq had been held back by the Obama administration in attempting to achieve American preferences for a new Iraqi Prime Minister. However Peshmerga setbacks and the prospect of a humanitarian disaster at Sinjar Mountain appear to have forced the Obama administration's hand, with U.S. airpower now engaging in limited airstrikes against Islamic State forces.
-Even in such a limited capacity, a small demonstration on the effectiveness of U.S. airpower in potentially rolling back an enemy offensive is now being rendered. There are a number historical examples of this capability to draw upon, where U.S. airpower has been coupled with indigenous armed forces in successful counteroffensive operations. One such campaign took place during the Easter Offensive in Vietnam, and more recently another took place during the initial phase of Operation Enduring Freedom (from the perspective of Afghanistan's United Front, this could be considered a counteroffensive). Moreover, American military prestige is set to be reestablished in this part of the world, following less than sought-after results from ground force invasions and military occupations previously conducted in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
-Current level of force suggests a U.S. military intent to prevent further IS penetration toward sites such as Arbil and Sinjar Mountain, and the establishment of distance beyond the range of IS artillery. Actually, this can be seen as a parallel effort to that of the IRGC-QF in its direction of Shia militias in establishing defensive lines before Baghdad and the Iraqi holy cities, beyond the range of IS artillery. Thus it can be said Iranian military direction contributes towards the defense of the American embassy in the Green Zone, while American airpower contributes towards the defense of the Iranian consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan.
-As it now stands the Americans are more actively assisting the Kurds, where the Iranians are more actively supporting the Shia. These parallel efforts are being waged against a common enemy: the Islamic State, former Baath elements and their Iraqi-Sunni allies.
-Peshmerga difficulties over the past week can be seen as a setback to President Barzani's goal of an independent Kurdistan. It's possible a precondition for application of U.S. airpower in support of Iraqi Kurdistan was for Barzani to privately withdraw his stated intention of holding a referendum on independence.
-The Obama administration is open to criticism for sitting on Iraqi requests for U.S. airstrikes. Apparent Peshmerga military setbacks appear to have taken U.S. leadership by surprise, another of many surprises during the 2014 Northern Iraq Offensive. What's more, sitting on this request has further enabled the Islamic State to capture strategic hydroelectric dams, providing IS with a degree of potential leverage over much of Iraq's populated territory.
-While it might be politically opportune to limit U.S. airstrikes to that of establishing distance zones before sites such as Arbil and Sinjar Mountain,--while attempting to render a U.S. determined political outcome in Baghdad--it makes no sense, militarily, to allow initiative to be maintained by the Islamic State and its Sunni allies.
-It should also be pointed out that whereupon the Obama administration makes the decision to apply U.S. airpower in force, in support of a genuine Iraqi counteroffensive, Islamic State forces must also be targeted in Syria. Sanctuaries for enemy forces as were experienced by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War and more recently during Operation Enduring Freedom must not be permitted. That said, the more reliable ground force partner for this adjoining theater would be the SyAA and its NDF allies. However such an alliance requires a realignment of U.S. foreign policy in synch with a revised threat assessment reflective of the new reality in Iraq and Syria.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Israel's friend in Erbil
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| Citadel of Hewlêr (Erbil), Iraqi Kurdistan |
Turkey is also against the idea. It has made a historic move in May when it began to export independently oil from Iraqi Kurdistan to international markets. A move that deeply frustrated Nouri al-Maliki's government in Baghdad.
Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc downplayed Israeli Prime Ministers call for an independent Kurdish state when he said, "There is no doubt that Netanyahu represents his government … but the fact that he made this comment does not mean that it is going to come true. There is a state in Iraq with its constitution."
Wadie Abu Nassar a former Israeli political science lecturer explained the reasoning behind Netanyahu's support of Kurdish independence. He said it's "an attempt by Netanyahu to deliver the message that Israel is able to play in the backyards of regional powerhouses Turkey and Iran."
Israel has long had relations with the Barzani clan in Iraqi Kurdistan who they supported in the 1960's and 1970's when the Iraqi Kurds were fighting against the Baath in Baghdad. They were betrayed when the last Shah of Iran opted to stop the support him and the United States were giving to the Kurdish fighters they had helped to fight the Baath in order for him to make a deal with Iraq over the border disputes they would later fight a brutal war over.
Abu Nassar points out that Israel was unable to strengthen these connections with the Kurds to make a strong strategic alliance when Iraq was ruled by Saddam Hussein. "But after the 2003 US occupation," he reminds us, "the Americans seemed to have indirectly contributed to strengthening relations between Israel and the Kurds of northern Iraq. Since then, we have been hearing about commercial and security relations between Israel and the Kurdish region."
Nassar also makes clear that an independent Kurdish state in Iraqi Kurdistan will eventually "also demand the inclusion of other parts of Syria, Iran and Turkey." (Middle East Eye, June 30 2014)
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