Iraq civil war update - 07/14/2014

July 14th Iraq SITREP by Mindfriedo: Power Corrupts

Quote of the Day:

"The restraint of the Israelis, in my view, is admirable"
 US Senator John McCain: 

Thought of the Day: 

What if this man had won the election along with Sarah Palin?


The Vineyard of the Saker,

14 July, 2014

14th July: Unconfirmed: Sistani has sent a verbal message to Maliki to find a replacement for his post within a week. The Marja has said that failure to do so will force him to take a public position asking Maliki to go. 

14th July: Two car bombs explode in Baghdad. The first kills two and injures ten and the second injures two civilians. 

14th July: Fighting between Daash/rebel fighters and Government troops is continuing in Dhuluiya, 80 kilometers north of Baghdad. Daash/Rebel fighters have taken over most of the town except the Al-Jubur suburb. Tribal fighters negotiating with rebels refused to surrender. 

Dassh/rebel fighters had destroyed, using explosives, the Mayors Residence and the Court House on Sunday. 

14th July: Massoud Barzani and a delegation of Kurdish politicians is visiting Turkey and meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan to sign various agreements. 

14th July: Daash fighters have executed 10 members belonging to the Islamic army and the Naqshabandi army in Saida, Diyala province. The dispute between allies was over positions of authority. Residents of the town ere reported to be fleeing the fighting in boats. 

14th July: The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK: headed by President Jalal Talibani) claims the Hamrin Mountains as being with Kurdish territory. In a statement issued it has asked the government in Baghdad to settle the issue till July next year or the territory would belong to the Kurds. The statement also expressed incredulity at the Iraqi Government army’s speedy collapse and the fact that the government was now relying on militias for survival. 

14th July: Daash fighters execute 8 young men in Muqdadiya district, 40 kilometers north of Baqouba. They then flee after fighting with Security Personnel and Tribal fighters allied to the government. 

14th July: Daash/rebel fighters used explosives to demolish 8 houses in Muqdadiya district, north east Baqouba 

14th July: Seven unidentified bodies are found by Security Forces in northern Baqouba. The dead had been shot in the head and chest. 

14th July: Iraqi Christians open a new Church in Baghdad stressing that the community remains “vibrant and active.” 

14th July: Atta’s/Government claims for the day: 

Three Dassh/rebel fighters killed in air strikes in Baiji 

Security Forces Raid a mosque in Baghdad and find explosives and arrest three terror suspects 

Abu Mus’ab al-Esaiwi a commander of Daash forces in Hilla is killed along with 71 other Dassh fighters by Security Forces and allied militias 

10 rebel fighters are killed in airstrikes north of Baghdad
3 Daash fighters are killed in airstrikes in Northern Tikrit

Related:
13th July: Sunni and Shia Imams in the UK release a video message stressing “importance of unity in the UK and to decree ISIS as an illegitimate, vicious group who do not represent Islam in any way.” 

13th July: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK based group reports that 7 Hezbollah fighters are killed and 31 wounded in clashes with Jihadist fighters along the Lebanese Syrian border. The SOHR claims that 16 Jihadist were killed in the fighting. Reuters reports that an unnamed Hezbollah fighter stated that 2 or more Hezbollah fighters were killed and 27 Jihadists. 

Further Reading: 

One amongst them bears witness against them; thank you anonymous http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/07/12/uri-avnery-the-atrocity/ 

A well made video of a message from Palestinians to OBAMA 

Short Analysis:  

Two must reads to understand the problems facing Iraq: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/world/middleeast/us-sees-risks-in-assisting-a-compromised-iraqi-force.html?_r=0 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/world/middleeast/iraq.html

The second link shows in detail the politics behind the scene. It also shows the confusion and chaos within the Shia ranks of law makers who seem confident of Maliki one minute and despair of him the next. The Sunnis are adamant and were willing to offer the Speakers post to a rival, to undercut Maliki. The Kurds with Barzani are anti Maliki while those with Talibani are more or less undecided but in favour of autonomy rather than independence.

It goes to explain the recent move by Sistani (asking Maliki politely to make way for a successor). To Sistani the survival of the State is more important than Maliki’s personal ambition. Even though winning the votes makes him the winner, Sistani is asking him to step down and see the larger picture. To Maliki, and possibly Iran, it is about power, power that is rightfully his; to Sistani it is about the future irresepective of who profits from power.