Iraq 2015: nowt is simple in this conflict

[JWing]

There's been a dramatic drop in car bombs in Iraq since Dec. Went form 59 in Nov to 21 in Dec. Low numbers continued into Jan. Analysis of some reasons why this has occurred here.

After 13 tries Jurf al-Sakhr in northeastern Babil a long time IS base was finally cleared in Oct. Security in Babil and southern Iraq has dramatically improved since then. There have been no car bombings in the south for example as Jurf was IS's main VBIED base in the south. On the other hand the entire population of the area has been forced out and are in refugee camps as militias and local govt wont allow them back in because theyr'e considered IS supporters. Read more here.

[JWing]

Just released my weekly security report for Iraq for 2nd week of January 2015. Attacks have gone up in Iraq since December. There was a big jump in casualties as well, but that was because a mass grave was found outside of Mosul with victims of IS. There is a continued stalemate in Anbar, mass graves were found in Diyala, an uptick in insurgent activity in Kirkuk, IS went on the offensive in Ninewa, while the ISF and militias are trying ton consolidate their recent wins in southern Salahaddin. For more read here.

[JWing]

Wrote an in depth history of the Badr Organization from its origins with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard during the Iran-Iraq War to its attempt to co-opt the 1991 uprising to the 2003 invasion when it attempted to take power in Diyala and Wasit to taking over the Interior Ministry, assassinations of Baathits, its war with the Sadrists up to the current period where it sent fighters to Syria and is now in the forefront of the war against the Iraqi insurgency. Read more here.