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Just did analysis of attack data in Iraq from Jan 2014-Oct 2015. Shows that security incidents in Iraq have been going down since start of last year. It appears that after IS seized Mosul it was focused upon consolidating its hold over territory it held. Did make one big push in winter 2014-15 in north Iraq but that failed. One of IS's main slogans is endure and that's what it looks to be doing in Iraq. Lots of charts and figures as well. Here's a link.
Weekly security report for 3rd week of NOv in Iraq is out. Attacks were up but still down overall. Heavy fighting still going on in Anbar where joint forces got into the downtown area while still struggling to hold surrounding areas. Also clearing ops in Baiji continuing while IS still has its car bomb campaign going on. For all the details and charts here's a link.
Just published my 98th interview for Musings On Iraq. I talked with Univ of Haifa's Prof Amatzia Baram, a noted Iraq historian about Saddam's Faith Campaign and how that created a generational of Islamists in Iraq that would eventually shape the Iraq insurgency, and the state of Iraq's tribes in Anbar, and how they dealing with the war. Here is a link.
Iraq's Interior Ministry released its first official accounting of its casualties and the Peshmerga Ministry made a similar statement in Nov. Compared to what's been in the press the Interior Min admitted to 1300 injured police that it had not mentioned over the last year and the Kurds had 124 more wounded Peshmerga. Read the full details here.
Just published my 99th interview for Musings On Iraq. I talked with Nanyang Tech Univ's Prof Ahmed Hashim. We discussed Iraqi politics and the insurgency. Here's a link to the interview.
Published new security report for fourth week of Nov in Iraq. Attacks were way down while casualties remained similar to rest of month. Mass grave of Yazidis killed by IS found in Sinjar. Yazidis & Peshmerga also had shootout in that district. All the details here.
Just posted monthly review of violence in Iraq. Attacks have continued to go down throughout 2015 as IS is on the defensive. Tight security was imposed in central Iraq for the Arbaeen ceremony. Although IS got a few suicide bombers through there were no mass casualty attacks. Several mass graves were discovered in Sinjar however with Yazidi victims of the Islamists. Full report here.
Just wrote an analysis of the Islamic State's car bomb campaign in Iraq. Started in May with over 100 VBIEDs per month and emphasis on both military and civilian targets. Read the report here with full charts.
Just published my 100th interview for Musings On Iraq. I talked with Douglas Ollivant again of New American Foundation and Mantid International, which does business in Iraq about how Washington doesn't seem to understand or care about Iraqi politics with statements about arming the Kurds and Sunnis independently or talking about Iraqis don't have the will to fight. Here's a link to the interview.
Just published my weekly security report for Iraq for the 1st week of December. Saw the lowest reported casualties of the year. Attacks have been going down throughout 2015 and there was heavy security deployed for the Arbaeen religious ceremony. Here's the full report.
During 2014 IS made alliances with other insurgent groups like the Baathist Naqshibandi to launch the summer offensive which seized Mosul and Tikrit. Shortly afterward IS pushed out all of these groups and has had a low level war with the Naqshibandi ever since demanding loyalty or promising them death. Read the full article here.
New security report for 2nd wk of Dec in Iraq now out. After lowest reported casualties of the year they went back up to normal levels. IS's car bomb campaign appears to finally be over as well. Here's the report.
Iraqi govt made 2nd official release of stats on war with Islamic State. Def Min Obeidi revealed thousands of wounded Iraqi soldiers not reported before. Def Min numbers also showed govt grossly exaggerating number of insurgents it is killing. For full article here's a link.
Real good video by Vice about offensive to retake Ramadi.
Kurdistan: The Permanent Solution to Daesh
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Just published my weekly security report for 3rd wk of Dec in Iraq. Iraqi forces conducting two major offensives simultaneously in Ramadi & general Baiji area in Salahaddin. IS also launched a mini-offensive against Kurds in north. Its car bomb campaign also finally ended in Nov. All the details and charts here.