Iraq: Out of the desert into Mosul (closed)

[JWing]

Just posted my weekly security report for Iraq. Attacks and casualties saw a dramatic drop. 3rd wk of Nov saw 2nd fewest attacks of the year and deadand wounded were far down as well. ISF & tribes still fighting it out in Anbar. IS has relocated to northern Babil after being kicked out of its longtime base in Jurf al-Sakhr. ISF & peshmerga trying to clear regions of Diyala & Kirkuk. IS launched a rare attack into Kurdistan with a suicide car bombing in Irbil. Finally ISF & militias broke the siege of the Baiji refinery and are planning a major op to clear Tikrit. Read more here.

[JWing]

Baghdad said it would create a 3,000 strong brigade made up of tribal fighters in Anbar. Will be trained by Americans at Al-Assad and Habaniya bases there. Idea is being held up by Shiite parties that don't trust loyalty of tribes and perhaps ISF incompetence arming them. Supposedly they have little to no weapons so far. Unit will only get 2 weeks training as well. May be a fiasco or just for show or both. Read more here.

[JWing]

Premier Abadi is attempting to reform the ISF which suffers from corruption, incompetence, lack of leadership, abuse, and politicization. He's started by firing and transferring literally hundreds of officers. He needs to tackle the institutional problems within the police & military if he wants a competent and professional force that can defend the country. Will be major problem as those attributes are lacking in the Iraqi government overall. Read about this dilemma here.

[JWing]

In case you haven't heard there's been major fighting in central Ramadi and other sections of the country since the weekend. IS is making a major push to capture the entire city. Launched multi pronged attack that included a river crossing. They took a building in the downtown government complex as well.

[OUTLAW 09]

Is in fact Assad working together with IS? Has been rumored and proven a couple of times lately.

It's all over soon in #Aleppo.
#Assad can advance with its ally #IS holding fire east of the city.

pic.twitter.com/U1VFqDqo2j

[OUTLAW 09]

Joel--anything floating in space on this--there have been reports of well trained/experienced Chechens in IS fighting currently in Iraq

Useful info also: Book Says Rus KGB Created Islamic Terrorism in Muslim Countries

http://www.chechencenter.info/n/42-world/209

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian law-enforcers shot dead hundreds of Islamists in Dagestan in the last year.

Russia exports as well over 1500 fighters to Iraq and Syria.

At some point it will come back as the IS has already threatened Russia with a war.

[OUTLAW 09]

Taken from a German article which is indicating that in the renewed IS fighting in Kobane the IS attacked physically from the Turkish side thus the Turks knew about it and yet did nothing.

Coupled with a comment two days ago by Erdogan that the "west is killing Muslim children" by the way a charge taken from al Baghdadi's recent 25 page text---would seriously indicate exactly who he is and or is not supporting---US has serious problems with him currently---and this on top of the statement from him indicating he would not accept TTIP unless it anchored Turkish viewpoints--otherwise he would leave NATO is a massive threat as he is not part of the E which TTIP is all about.

Someone needs to reign him in as he is actively supporting IS, does not want to join EU without 300% of what he wants from the EU being approved and he is threatening to leave NATO.

BUT he should pay attention to Putin--Gazprom just cut gas deliveries to Turkey by 40%.

Hinter vorgehaltener Hand schon vor Wochen, jetzt offiziell: #ISIS greift #Kobane nun auch aus #Trkei an...
http://ln.is/www.nzz.ch/internati/IIX56 #IS.

[JWing]

Joel--anything floating in space on this--there have been reports of well trained/experienced Chechens in IS fighting currently in Iraq

Useful info also: Book Says Rus KGB Created Islamic Terrorism in Muslim Countries

http://www.chechencenter.info/n/42-world/209

I think I heard something about this on Twitter but there was nothing but a brief mention of Chechens fighting in Iraq.

[davidbfpo]

Hardly unexpected, quite interesting C2 dynamics though:http://www.latimes.com/world/middlee...ry.html#page=1

[OUTLAW 09]

I think I heard something about this on Twitter but there was nothing but a brief mention of Chechens fighting in Iraq.

A tweet from a journalist working out of Jordan:

None of the Chechen militants in #Syria that I am following have suggested any kind of Syrian Chechen involvement in the attacks in #Grozny