Iraq civil war update - 07/23/2014

July 23rd Iraq SITREP by Mindfriedo: Fighting all around

Quote of the day, Ron Dermer, Israeli envoy to the United States: The Nobel Peace Prize should be given to Israeli forces for their “unimaginable restraint” in their offensive against the blockaded Gaza Strip 
Thought of the Day: Yes we can!

Vineyard of the Saker,

23 July, 2014

23rd July: A deputy of the Imam Ali (as) shrine in Najaf, Zuhair Shurba, expressed the willingness and desire of the shrine to host Christian families dispossessed by Daash terrorists. He said the shrine was capable of accommodating many of them. 

23rd July: The Iraqi Parliament begins the process of selecting the next Iraqi President 

23rd July: The Iraqi Parliament delays and defers the appointment of the President to Thursday. The speaker, Salim al Jubouri, adjourned the parliament session after being requested to do so by the Kurds. He had initially refused the request of the Kurds and had insisted that they make the decision by 2pm. 

23rd July: The Kurdish KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party-Massud Barzani) and the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan-Jalal Talibani) met to discuss the next Presidential candidate. The current front runners are Barham Salih and Fuad Masum 

23rd July: The Iraqi parliament forms a committee to resort issues that had arisen with the Federal Budget of 2014. One of the disputes relates to the allocation of federal funds towards Iraqi Kurdistan. The Iraqi government sought to deduct revenue corresponding to the exports of oil the Kurds were directly making, leading to opposition. 

23rd July: Maliki is expected to visit Iraqi Kurdistan now that Jalal Talibani (Current President of Iraq) is back after treatment in Germany. Maliki enjoys better relations with Talibani than with Massoud Barzani (President of Iraqi Kurdistan). 

23rd July: Faris Sadeeq, a Christian MP from the KDP calls a press conference and urges the UN to provide immediate relief to the Kurds. Over 500000 students have been unable to attend exams on account of the upheaval in Mosul. 

23rd July: Maliki has criticized the yet to be named conference of Sunni opposition groups: Ba’athist, Ex Army Officers, Islamist, and Tribal leaders held in Amman, Jordan. Maliki has asked the neighbouring “friendly” country of Jordan to explain itself. 

23rd July: The Naqshabandi Order has “declared war” on Daash. The party that had earlier supported the Daash led revolt has now declared its open rejection of Daash policies. A statement issued by the former Ba’athist referred to the expelling of Christians as the last straw in an ever increasing list of Daash atrocities that have forced the allies apart. 

23rd July: Daash free housing: Daash hands over homes abandoned by fleeing Turkoman Shia residents of Mosul to refugees from Diyala. It has asked the refugees to pay rent to no one. 

23rd July: Eleven members of the same family are killed and five injured in government air strikes on Sharqat district, north of Tikrit. 

23rd July: Eight members of Iraqi Special Forces and three volunteer fighters are injured when Daash assaults their patrol on the outside of Dijla, north of Samarra. 

23rd July: Eight unidentified bodies are found on the banks of the Tigris River near Samarra. The dead who had been shot in the head and chest were taken for forensic examination. 

23rd July: Clashes between security forces and Daash fighters in Sherwen, al-Mansuriyya, 45 km north east of Baqouba. Another two gunmen are killed and a policemen injured 6 km south of Baqouba 

23rd July: Clashes between Peshmergas and Daash/rebel fighters have resulted in the deaths of 10 Daash fighters and another ten wounded in Tall Kayf, north of Mosul 

23rd July: Fighting between Peshmerga forces and Daash/rebel fighters is intensifying around and to the north of Mosul City. Peshmerga forces have taken over the Nineveh Pharmaceutical Plant 12 km to the north of Mosul on the Dohuk Mosul Highway. The plant had been under Daash’s control since the fall of Mosul on the 10th of June. Three Peshmmerga fighters including an officer were killed. Daash casualties are unconfirmed. 

Fighting also intensified around Tall Kafy with Daash fighters assaulting the Peshmerghas at multiple points but were repulsed. The local inhabitants of the area have started to return after hearing of Daash’s defeat. 

23rd July: A suicide car bomb at a check point at the entrance to the Kadhimiya district in Baghdad has left 23 people dead (some sources indicate 14) and has wounded 40. Most of those killed were believed to be Shias on their way to the Imam Musa Al Kadhim (as) shrine. 

23rd July: Daash has banned all types of paraphernalia: photos, poetry, stickers etc from the windshields of cars in Diyala. 

23rd July: Daash terrorists (kidnappers) kidnap the husband, Omer Al Jobouri, of Member of Iraqi Alliance Sanaa al Jobouri and demand a ransom of 20000 USD in Northern Tikrit. She pays the ransom but her husband is not released, at this point she curses the captors and is assassinated on returning to her home. 

23rd July: Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to build, and is courting the Iraqi government in this regard, an airfield in the south of Iraq. The company also wants to sign contracts to maintain the other air fields in Iraq. The airfield in the south is expected to house 24 Korean FA-50 (Iraqi variant called the T-50 IQ) that are expected in 2016. 

23rd July: Government claims for the day (Atta is no longer making statements to the press; the government is using multiple representatives along with Atta):
Government forces kill Abu Omar, a Chechen field commander of Daash, in airstrikes that were carried out in coordination with military intelligence. The airstrikes were carried out east of Tikrit. 

The government (Atta) claim to have killed “dozens” of Daash/rebel fighters in Jurf Al Sakhar, Babil, north east of Karbala and west of Alexandria (Sikandriya). Atta stated that operations in the area were progressing slowly on account of difficult terrain but will continue till all insurgents are removed. Another 10 Daash/Rebel fighters are reported killed when of their buildings is bombed by security Forces in Sa’adiyat, Jurf Al Sakhar. 

Air force kills 50 Daash/rebel fighters in Anbar 

Related: 

20th July: France has termed pro Palestinian rallies/protests in Sarcelles as “anti-Semitic” 

23rd July: A suicide attack on Kabul airport has left 4 people dead that include four foreign security personnel. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack that it said targeted the counter narcotics building. 

23rd July: Suspension of flights to Tel Aviv by US and European airlines has been extended. 

23rd July: Takfiri Jihadists in Qalamoun are negotiating with the Syrian government for safe passage out of the area 

23rd July: A political power play is under way in Turkey with the ruling government of Erdogan (expected to win in the next elections) arrests 105 police and intelligence officers for wire tapping and espionage. The arrested men were believed to be close to Erdogan’s rival Fethullah Gulen.

 
23rd July: The turmoil in Ersal on the Lebanese Syrian border is growing. A Lebanese soldier abandons his posts and defects to the side of the Al Nusra front. 

23rd July: The Syrian Opposition Coalition the “National Coalition of Syria” has dissolved its interim government and will be electing a new one. It is expected to be led by Hadi Al Bahra, a Saudi backed figure. 

23rd July: Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamim has arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks 

Further Reading: 

Foreign “Jihadists” fighting for Israel: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/07/jihad-israel-201472272438651885.html 

Victims of Iraaq have no where to go 

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2014/07/ailing-iraqis-caught-sectarian-crossfire-2014722192716541356.html