US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Chapter 9 The Surge Culminates, Summer 2008

Chapter 9 of the U.S. Army’s second volume on the Iraq War focuses upon Iraqi security operations that were launched in the summer of 2008. Instead of being a sign of a new national leadership by the Maliki government the offensives highlighted the continued divisions within the country and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s first moves towards becoming an autocrat.

Baghdad and Erbil Agree On Security Cooperation In Disputed Areas

Most of the violence in Iraq takes place in just two places, southern Kirkuk and northeast Diyala. These are the disputed territories of the Khanaqin and Hawija districts. In some of these areas there is a large empty space between the Kurds and federal forces which is being exploited by the Islamic State. Recently Baghdad and Irbil entered into talks to help close those gaps.

Baghdad Ups Ante Attempting To Seize Control Of Kurds’ Oil Pipeline

The fighting between the Iraqi government and the Peshmerga took another turn. Initially, Baghdad was demanding that the Kurds return all the areas that they occupied in 2014 when the Islamic State swept through Iraq. After that was largely achieved Prime Minister Haidar Abadi took another step and had federal units move on a border crossing where the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) pipeline crosses into Turkey. This was a decided escalation since the area is within the KRG, but the central government is claiming that it should have authority over all Iraqi territory and borders.

Mosul Campaign Day 77, Jan 1, 2017

Four new neighborhoods were freed in east Mosul, while fighting continued for several others. Karama, Intisar, Younis Sabawi, and Jaffa in the east were freed by a combination of the Golden Division and Federal Police. Salam was being cleared as well, and there was still a struggle for Sumer, Palestine, Siha, Nassir and Shaimaa. The Islamic State was at work as well. At least two people were wounded by mortar fire, and a reporter was injured in a separate incident. A suicide bomber killed four and wounded 11 in Karama, and eleven car bombs were destroyed in Karama, Nassir, and in the southeast. General Abdul Wahab Saadi from the Golden Division claimed that more than 60% of east Mosul had been freed so far. That was an exaggeration, as the Iraqi forces have still not really moved into any new areas yet. Karama, Intisar, etc. have all been fought over for two months. 40% would probably be a more realistic figure.

The army, police, and Hashd were moving forward too outside of Mosul. North of the city Malayeen, Kindi, and Arabi al-Thani were liberated. In the west, Shokran was freed, and the Mosul-Tal Skeif road secured by the Hashd and Federal Police. The latter may not have happened however as the Iraqi forces (ISF) were shelling Islamic State checkpoints on the road. The insurgents carried out three attacks in the north too launching several car bombs.

Agence France Presse reported on the internal displacement within Mosul. Some people were fleeing their neighborhoods, while others were sheltering in place. The government was providing some buses to try to help people get out of their areas. Many times this was happening in the middle of fighting making it very difficult and dangerous for these people.

Rudaw had a piece about rising tensions between the Peshmerga, ISF and Hashd east of Mosul. In the town of Somaqiyah the three forces meet. A Peshmerga commander claimed that the ISF and Hashd were handing out money to people to gain their support, and telling others to leave areas under Kurdish control. The Kurds have occupied a huge amount of land north and northeast of Mosul during the campaign. They claim it all as part of the disputed territories, but they signed an agreement with Baghdad to leave them after Mosul was liberated. The Kurds have gone back and forth over whether they will do that or not however, which was why they were complaining about the ISF and Hashd in Somaqiyah. For now they want to control all of the areas they have occupied.

Finally, since the start of the Mosul campaign on October 17 to December 31, 2016 4,375 deaths and 13,963 wounded have been reported in the press. Because of government censorship of its casualties and lack of access to the frontline by reporters the real figures are likely much higher. The civilian population of Ninewa has taken the brunt of the violence with 3,962 killed and 12,837 wounded. The Islamic State was responsible for executing 2,727 people, and Coalition air strikes were blamed for 315 civilian fatalities and 390 injured.

Mosul Campaign Casualties 10/17/16-12/31/16

4,375 Dead

1 US Sailor

1 Hashd al-Watani

2 Kurd Counterterrorism

16 Police

28 ISF

65 Peshmerga

82 Hashd

218 Soldiers

3,962 Civilians

13,963 Wounded

2 Hashd al-Watani

5 Police

59 Hashd

253 Peshmerga

353 ISF

454 Soldiers

12,837 Civilians

SOURCES

Adel, Loaa, “Iraqi forces fully liberate southern Karama neighborhood,” Iraqi News, 1/1/17

Agence France Presse, “Iraq forces have retaken over 60% of east Mosul: commander,” 1/1/17

- “US general hands Iraqis fighting in Mosul vote of confidence,” 1/1/17

Al Alam, “2,000 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Mosul Liberation Operation,” 1/1/17

- “Iraq’s Joint Military Forces Gain Two Strategic ISIS-Held Regions in Mosul City,” 1/1/17

- "Iraqi Drone Attack Kills 20 ISIL Terrorists in Mosul," 1/1/17

- “MOSUL VIDEO: Iraqi Forces in Battle with ISIS Terrorists in Second Phase of Operations,” 1/1/17

- “Top ISIS Leader Killed in Eastern Mosul,” 1/1/17

ARA News, “Iraqi forces target ISIS key supply line north Mosul,” 1/1/17

Buratha News, “Team outlines the military situation in Ninewa We Are Coming operation for Sunday January 1, 2017,” 1/1/17

Coles, Isabel and al-Rubaie, Ali, "Islamic State attacks Iraqi police near Najaf, kills seven," 1/1/17

Dunlop, W.G., “Frightened civilians flee as Iraq forces battle IS in Mosul,” Agence France Presse, 12/31/16

Face Iraq, "Military source: forces took control of the road linking the cities of Mosul and Tal Skeif," 1/1/17

- "Sources: Military Intelligence destroyed two car bombs and killed six terrorists in Argoob," 1/1/17

Al Forat, "Photographer Harbi Hussein al-Khafaji injured on the left coast of Mosul," 1/1/17

Hemid, Leyla, “Iraqi Forces Enter Three More Neighborhoods of Mosul,” Bas News, 1/1/17

Iddon, Paul, “Mosul operation will drag on into early, mid-2017, analysts predict,” Rudaw, 1/1/17

Al Maalomah, "Counter-terrorism forces destroyed five car bombs east Mosul," 1/1/17

- “Defense Ministry announced killing 38 Daesh members southeast Nineveh,” 1/1/17

- "Destroyed several car bombs during the process of Ninewa We Are Coming operation," 1/1/17

- "The martyrdom of four displaced people and injuring 11 in a suicide bombing in Mosul," 1/1/17

- “Ninewa Council: Iraqi forces have not committed any breaches since the start of operations,” 1/1/17

- “Security forces freed Younis Sabawi in Nineveh,” 1/1/17

Al Mada, "Killing 152 Daesh members and destruction of three car bombs in Mosul," 1/1/17

- “Mosul operation resume freeing five neighborhoods with the assistance of the Federal and Rapid Reaction Police,” 1/1/17

Mostafa, Mohamed, “Dead bodies of Islamic State fighters dumped with trash: Nineveh official,” Iraqi News, 1/1/17

- "Iraqi forces recapture more districts in eastern Mosul, kill 19 militants," Iraqi News, 1/1/17

- "Updated: 3 Mosul districts, strategic street recaptured: army, police," Iraqi News, 1/1/17

Rudaw, “’Historic cooperation’ of Kurdish, Iraqi forces not evident in ‘disputed areas,’” 1/1/17

- “’No substantial barriers’ to Iraqi army in E. Mosul, says commander,” 1/1/17

Mosul Campaign Day Thirty-Three, Nov 18, 2016

The Golden Division was caught up fighting in eastern Mosul. Tahrir was declared freed on November 17, but then the division said it was still trying to gain control of the entire area on the 18^th. There were clashes in Qadisiyah as well, which was liberated on November 11. Combat inside the city has been very intense and difficult. The Iraqi forces (ISF) have been limited to armored columns that often get ambushed and then having to dismount and clear houses, the Islamic State re-infiltrating using tunnels dug underneath the city, and waves of civilians that make it difficult determining friend from foe. That has led the ISF to constantly going through the same neighborhoods again and again.

The southern and western fronts witnessed new progress. In the southeast the 9^th Division took three towns in the Nimrod district. In the west the Hasdh captured two villages and moved to the south and west of Tal Afar. The ISF has yet to reach southern Mosul and the Hashd have not yet cut off the city from its routes to Syria. Those should happen by next week.

Farther south of Mosul outside of the town of Tal Adh Dhahab another mass grave with victims of the Islamic State was found. An eyewitness said that the militants took up to 40 people, mostly former members of the Iraqi Security Forces, and executed them.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that there were over 60,000 people displaced since the Mosul campaign started on October 17. Around 40,000 of those fled since the start of November.

There was fallout over comments Kurdish President Massoud Barzani made on November 16. Barzani was in Bashiqa, which had just been freed by the Peshmerga where he gave a speech saying that the Kurds would not withdraw from any of the areas that they had liberated. The next day Prime Minister Haidar Abadi’s office issued a statement that the agreement between Baghdad and Irbil was still in place, which had the Peshmerga pulling out of the areas that they freed during the Mosul campaign. Then on November 18 Barzani issued a clarification that the Arab press mistranslated his words, and that Kurdistan stood by its deal with Baghdad. Kurdish politicians and Peshmerga however have made it clear that all areas they took were part of the disputed areas that they want to annex, and they would not relinquish them. This dilemma will have to be dealt with after the liberation of the city along with many other political issues.

Finally, there has been a growing chorus of pro-Iranian Hashd notables who have stated that after Mosul they will march into Syria. The latest was Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri who said that President Bashar al-Assad had invited the Hashd into his country. Members of the National Alliance, the main Shiite list responded saying that the Hashd had no authority to act on its own without the approval of the Iraqi government, parliament and Armed Forces General Command. A member of the Supreme Council went on to say that Iraq respected the borders of its neighbors and would not interfere in their affairs. There are already thousands of Iraqis fighting in Syria organized by Iran, but they do not have official sanction. Various pro-Tehran Hashd commanders have been talking about a formal invasion of Syria, but this was the first time the political class spoke up against that idea.

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “New suspected IS mass grave found near Mosul,” 11/18/16

AIN, "Freed village of Omar north of Nimrod," 11/18/16

- "Popular crowd encircling Tal Afar from the south and west," 11/18/16

Associated Press, "Iraqi forces advance cautiously into Mosul; 1 soldier killed," 11/18/16

Bas News, "Iraqi Forces Retake Two More Neighborhoods East of Mosul," 11/17/16

Al Mada, "Army frees village southwest of Mosul, raising Iraqi flag over it," 11/18/16

- “President Barzani of the Kurdistan region confirms the commitment to any agreement concluded about the presence of the Peshmerga in the liberated areas,” 11/18/16

- “Shiite forces critical of the leaders of the Popular Crowd who told papers they would go to Syria after battle to liberate Mosul,” 11/17/16

New Sabah, "A break in the fight against terrorism as Qadisiyah neighborhood in Mosul is completely freed," 11/11/16

NINA, “Al-Abadi Office: The agreement with the Region that includes the withdrawal of the Peshmerga from the areas that are liberated,” 11/17/16

Rudaw, "Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi says it encircles Tal Afar from two sides," 11/18/16

Shafaq News, "Urgent..violent clashes and shelling in the second Qadisiyah neighborhood east Mosul," 11/18/16

Al Sumaria, "Security forces liberated the village of Abraham north of Nimrod," 11/18/16

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, “More support needed as Mosul displacement grows,” 11/18/16

Mosul Campaign Day Thirty-Two, Nov 17, 2016

The Golden Division announced it freed five neighborhoods in eastern Mosul. Tahrir and Aden however had been cleared once before, and Khadra three times. That unit along with elements of the 16^th Division attacked four other areas of the city, but again one of them, Palestine was declared freed before. There was also mopping up operations in Gogjali, which was the first place entered by the Golden Division in the east.

In the south the Federal Police and Hashd were moving forward. The Federal Police took five towns in the southeast. One of those, Hamza, had been freed twice already. In the southwest the Hashd and Federal Police liberated one village.

The Associated Press reported that there were cloudy skies over Mosul limiting air strikes during the day.

The Canadian Special Forces admitted to taking part in combat in northern Iraq. Their commanding General Michael Rouleau said there had been three incidents over the last month when the Canadians fired anti-tank missiles to destroy incoming Islamic State suicide car bombs while working with the Peshmerga. Canadians have been spotted on the front lines during the Mosul operation with the Kurds providing close support although officially they are supposed to just be trainers.

There was more news on the Islamic State’s crimes. An ARA News story had 32 people executed by the group within Mosul. Human Rights Watch (HRW) also investigated the mass grave discovered in Hamam al-Alil south of Mosul on November 7. Originally, the site was thought to have 100 bodies in it, but HRW thought it might have up to 300. HRW talked with witnesses who said that hundreds of families from up to eight villages were herded into Hamam al-Alil by IS fighters. Then starting on October 28, IS began taking away former police offices who were then killed at the Agricultural College just outside of town.

Finally, Vice President Osama Nujafi told reporters he supported a referendum on the disputed areas in Ninewa, which the Kurds claim after the province had been liberated from the insurgents. He also backed making Ninewa a federal region. His brother ex-Ninewa Governor Atheel Nujafi has made similar comments. They are both aligned with the Kurds, hence their willingness to see parts of the governorate annexed by Kurdistan.

SOURCES

Abdul-Zahra, Qassim, "IS attacks in Mosul as poor visibility slows Iraqi advance," Associated Press, 11/17/16

Adel, Loaa, "Joint forces continue liberating 6 areas in western coast of Mosul," Iraqi News, 11/17/16

ARA News, "Islamic State executes civilians charged with apostasy and espionage," 11/17/16

Bas News, "Iraqi Forces Retake Two More Neighborhoods East of Mosul," 11/17/16

- "A Kurdish Journalist Hit by IS Sniper in Mosul," 11/17/16

BBC, "Mosul Iraq battle: Bad weather slows advance inside city," 11/17/16

eKurd, “Canadian military trainers involved in frequent clashes in Iraq: officials,” 11/17/16

- “Iraqi Kurdistan News in brief – November 17, 2016,” 11/17/16

Al Forat, "Al Forat Announces incursion into five neighborhoods on Mosul's left coast, and continued clearing of Tal Afar Airport," 11/17/16

- "Popular crowd frees the village of Abra, near Tal Afar Airport," 11/17/16

Human Rights Watch, “Iraq: Hundreds of Police in ISIS Mass Grave,” 11/16/16

Iraq Oil Report, "Inside Mosul: Nov. 5, 2016," 11/5/16

- "Inside Mosul: Nov. 12, 2016," 11/12/16

- "Inside Mosul: Nov. 13, 2016," 11/13/16

- "Inside Mosul, Nov. 17, 2016," 11/17/16

Iraqi News, "Federal Police forces liberate 2 villages north of Shura," 10/27/16

Al Mada, "Detonation of two Daesh car bombs and drop a drone near Tal Afar airport," 11/17/16

Al Mada, "16 Division explodes two car bombs north of Mosul," 11/17/16

Rudaw, "LIVE UPDATES MOSUL OFFENSIVE: DAY 13," 10/29/16

Xinhua, "Iraqi forces clear areas freed from IS in eastern Mosul," 11/9/16

- "Iraqi forces free more districts in eastern Mosul," 11/4/16

Mosul Campaign Day Eight, Oct 24, 2016

The Iraqi and Kurdish forces were pushing in on Mosul from the east and south on the eighth day of the Mosul operation. Turkey once again inflamed Iraqi sentiment, while within Mosul itself IS continued to deal with its imminent demise.

 

New casualty reports came out for October 23. 19 Peshmerga were killed and 78 wounded, along with 6 displaced dying and 10 being wounded by an IED. The true figures are much higher as Baghdad and Irbil are not releasing any numbers. Only the occasional reporter at the front provides a glimpse into losses.

The Iraqi and Kurdish forces were pushing forward once again. In the east, the Golden Division launched a pincer attack from Bartella. The unit six freed towns. From the south, the Federal Police and Army took eight villages, and the army took another in the southeast. The Peshmerga were laying siege to Bashiqa in the northeast. They were digging trenches around it, and took one town as well. On other fronts the Kurds said they reached the limit of their advance and were digging in. Before the campaign Irbil and Baghdad came to an agreement about their respective roles. The Kurds agreed to take the perimeter of Mosul to the north and east, and not enter the city itself. At the same time they are claiming all of the territory that they take as part of the disputed territories, which the Iraqi government does not agree with. That issue will have to be resolved after the battle for Mosul is over.

For the second time the Islamic State struck at the Sinjar district in western Ninewa. IS has been attacking at various locations including Kirkuk City and Rutba in western Anbar in an attempt to draw forces away from Mosul. The Sinjar thrusts have been quite small, while the other two were quite spectacular examples of well planned and elaborate commando raids into urban areas. They have had no impact on Mosul however.

In the Mosul district IS showed signs that its time was running out. There was another report that IS executed 40 families south of Mosul as it was retreating. The group continued to destroy sections of the city itself. It apparently burned some mosques, schools, and service departments. At Mosul Hospital it kicked out dozens of patients to make way for its own wounded. There were also stories of food and fuel shortages.

Turkey appeared set on angering Baghdad. The day before Turkish forces fired artillery into the Bashiqa district claiming it was to support the Peshmerga. The Kurds denied that they asked for any assistance. The next day, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkish planes were taking part in the Mosul operation. President Recept Tayyip Erdogan has made his goal clear. In a TV interview he stated, “But there is a major question, who will then control the city [Mosul]? Of course, Sunni Arabs, Sunni Turkmen and Sunni Kurds.” He was referring to Ankara’s allies in Ninewa such as the Nujafi’s and Massoud Barzani. Through these actors Erdogan hopes to establish hegemony over not only Mosul but the entire province of Ninewa. His plans are not going well however, and only garnering the enduring enmity of Baghdad.

Reported Casualties In Mosul Operation Oct 17-24, 2016

Dead: 1 Reporter, 1 U.S. Sailor, 1 Hashd, 2 Kurdish Counter Terrorism Operatives, 3 Doctors, 4 Soldiers, 6 Displaced, 60 Peshmerga

Wounded: 4 Reporters, 10 Displaced, 30 Soldiers, 253 Peshmerga

(The higher figures for Peshmerga vs Soldiers is due to more Western reporters being embedded with the Kurds than the ISF)

Executed by Islamic State Oct 17-24, 2016

658

Previous Reports

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

SOURCES

Abdul-Zahra, Qassim and Krauss, Joseph, "Iraqis Press Toward Mosul, Face Questions About Airstrike," Associated Press, 10/24/16

Bas News, “Iraqi Security Forces Advancing Towards Central Mosul,” 10/24/16

- "IS Executes 40 Families in South of Mosul," 10/24/16

- "Peshmerga Foils an IS Attack in Batnaya Near Mosul," 10/24/16

Buratha News, "Freed Christian Karmales east of Mosul," 10/24/16

Dehghanpisheh, Babak and Georgy, Michael, "Ferocity of Kirkuk attack points to tough fight for Mosul," Reuters, 10/24/16

Dettmer, Jamie, “US Scrambles to Contain Flaring Turkey-Iraq Tensions,” Voice of America, 10/24/16

eKurd, "Iraqi Kurdistan News in brief - October 24, 2016," 10/24/16

- “Kurdish forces reject alleged request help from Turkey in Mosul operation,” 10/24/16

Face Iraq, "Security forces announced they foiled a suicide attack on a Mosul police station," 10/24/16

Hennessy-Fiske, Molly, "Even the badly wounded are itching to return to the battle for Mosul: 'I'm fighting for my land,'" Los Angeles Times, 10/24/16

Iraqi News, "Iraqi forces liberate 2 villages south of Mosul," 10/24/16

- "Peshmerga forces kill 15 ISIS militants and destroy 7 car bombs in Sinjar," 10/24/16

Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Oct. 23, 2016,” 10/23/16

- "Inside Mosul: Oct. 24, 2016," 10/24/16

Al Maalomah, “Daesh burn mosques and schools in Mosul and directed sectarian slogans on walls,” 10/24/16

- "Security forces surround victory neighboring in Rutba preparing to storm it," 10/24/16

Al Mada, "Freed five villages in the vicinity of Bartila," 10/24/16

- "Freed four villages in the area south of Mosul," 10/24/16

NINA, "6 Civilians Killed, 10 Injured South Of Mosul," 10/23/16

Rudaw, “Peshmerga reach point beyond which they will not advance in Mosul offensive,” 10/24/16

- "UPDATES: Mosul offensive, Day 8," 10/24/16

Shafaq News, "A senior military commander survived a suicide bombing east of Mosul," 10/24/16

- "Urgent..Iraqi forces repel a Daesh attack south of Mosul," 10/24/16

Sowell, Kirk, “The Regional and Domestic Political Context of the Mosul Offensive,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10/18/16

Alsumaria, “Daesh expels more than 40 patients including the elderly from Mosul Hospital,” 10/24/16

MERI VIDEO: Iraq Disputed Territories

AL JAZEERA VIDEO: Destroying The Social Fabric of Iraq

Human Rights Watch Documents Recent Violence In Iraq’s Tuz Kharmato

Recently Agence France Presse’s Jean Marc Mojon went to Tuz Kharmato in northern Salahaddin province. He talked with several residents who described how the town was divided between Turkmen and Kurds. These tensions recently exploded after a shootout at a checkpoint between Peshmerga and Hashd al-Shaabi in November. Things quickly escalated with citizens taking up arms and kidnapping and burning property from the other group. Human Rights Watch just released a report “Iraq: Ethnic Fighting Endangers Civilians” documenting that crisis along with others that have happened in the district since it was freed of the Islamic State in 2014.

In November, a shootout at a checkpoint led to several days of ethnic fighting between Turkmen and Kurds in Tuz. On November 12 a small convoy of Hashd fighters was stopped at a Peshmerga checkpoint. A confrontation between the two sides escalated to gunfire where one Hashd was wounded. He was brought to the town’s hospital. Officials at the facility said that the fighters got angry at the staff and started shooting leading the Asayesh that were guarding the hospital to respond. Peshmerga then arrived and an even bigger fight broke out. Iraq Oil Report had a very similar story supporting Human Rights Watch’s report. Afterward local Turkmen and Kurds joined the Hashd and Peshmerga to kidnap people from the opposing side along with Arabs, looted businesses and burned homes and other property. They were joined by reinforcements arriving from Baghdad and Kurdistan. Human Rights Watch recorded stories of 50 Kurdish buildings and 80 Turkmen ones being destroyed during the conflict. Tuz residents claimed that the total could have been as high as 400 houses and shops. Human Rights Watch did not report total casualties, but the press said that anywhere from 15 to 21 Hashd, Peshmerga, and civilians lost their lives and dozens more were wounded. In the end, Iran stepped in to mediate between the two sides and a ceasefire was announced. These types of confrontations have happened before between the Hashd and Kurds as both are vying for control of the district. As more occur the tensions between the sides grow stronger leading for more opportunities for another blow up in the future.

Human Rights Watch documented two other incidents of abuse by the Hashd that occurred in Tuz. On October 22 a Shiite Turkmen procession for Ashura was hit by a car bomb. Afterward the Hashd arrested 150 Sunni Arabs. Most were let go after a few days. Some who were released said they were tortured or witnessed abuse. Another 8-34 people were killed, and around 50 are still being held. Human Rights Watch also documented widespread kidnappings by the Hashd in Tuz and nearby Amerli and Suleiman Beq. This has been covered by the United Nations. Many times people were taken for ransom. Similar stories were reported in the Kurdish press. There have also been repeated pieces on Hashd targeting Sunni Arabs in the area killing civilians and destroying homes. The retaliation for the car bombing in October would fit into that pattern. The kidnappings would too, but they also show signs of lawlessness within the Hashd ranks as many were conducted for profit.

These events represented the new face of division within the Tuz district. Before 2014 the main conflict in Tuz was between Sunni Turkmen and Arabs who were drawn to the insurgency versus the Shiite Turkmen and Kurds. The Iraqi Turkmen Front was also influential, which appealed to all Turkmen. That began to change after the Peshmerga and Hashd freed the district from the Islamic State in 2014. The Kurds, who had claimed Tuz as part of the disputed territories, but who had largely neglected it before, asserted control over parts of the city. The Hashd who heavily recruited amongst the Shiite Turkmen opposed them. Both were thinking about Iraq after the war with the Kurds hoping to use Tuz as a bargaining chip with Baghdad, and the Hashd wanting to thwart any expansion of Kurdish influence. Ironically, both sides had close ties to Iran who has tried to mediate between the two, but has not been able to stop these flare ups. At the same time, the Sunni Arab population was still associated with the insurgency, and was targeted by the Hashd as a result through attacks upon their villages and kidnappings. As long as these tensions exist there will be continued confrontations at points of contacts between the sides such as checkpoints into the near future and likely past the war against the Islamic State.

SOURCES

Awara, Omar, “Shiite Militia Arrest Number of Peshmerga,” Bas News, 10/27/14

- “Shiite Militia Groups Attack Kurds in Amerli,” Bas News, 9/18/14

Coles, Isabel, Rasheed, Ahmed, and Parker, Ned, “Special Report: Their nation in pieces, Iraqis ponder what comes next,” Reuters, 12/29/14

Hawramy, Fazel and Harding, Luke, “Shia militia fightback against Isis sees tit-for-tat sectarian massacres of Sunnis,” Guardian, 11/12/14

Human Rights Watch, “Iraq: Ethnic Fighting Endangers Civilians,” 1/13/16

Hussein, Mohammed, Lacky, Shwan, Osgood, Patrick, van den Toorn, Christine, “Shia militias skirmish with presidential guards,” Iraq Oil Report, 5/9/15

Iraq Oil Report, “Multiple dead in Kurd-Hashid fight in Tuz,” 11/13/15

Al Mada, “Iran contributed to the round table of views to resolve the crisis in Tuz,” 11/16/15

- “The popular crowd and Peshmerga agree to a cease-fire in Tuz and the formation of a joint force to prevent security breaches,” 11/13/15

Margon, Sarah, “For Iraq’s Sunnis, sectarian militias pose an extra threat,” Washington Post, 10/24/14

Mojon, Jean Marc, “Behind frontline, Iraq town torn as anti-IS forces clash,” Agence France Presse, 1/15/16

Rudaw, “Shia militiamen arrest Peshmerga near Kirkuk,” 10/30/14

Sadiq, Hoshmand, “Clashes Between Shiite Militia and Peshmerga Near Kirkuk,” Bas News, 10/18/14

Al Salhy, Suadad, “The Ground Beneath Their Feet,” Newsweek, 11/25/15

Sotaliraq, “Salahuddin Council highlights the continued burning of houses in Tuz and police chief heads committee to control security,” 11/14/15

- “Security source in Tuz announces renewed clashes,” 11/14/15

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups,” 3/13/15

van den Toorn, Christine, Lacky, Shwan, “Shootout between ‘allies’ underscores Iraq divisions,” Iraq Oil Report, 10/8/14

Zeed, Adnan Abu, “Arab-Kurd conflict heats up after Tuz Khormato incidents,” Al Monitor, 12/8/15

Political Deal Between Iraq’s Hashd And Kurds Allows Displaced To Return To Sadiya, Diyala

Sadiya in northeast Diyala use to be one of Iraq’s ghost towns. The town and surrounding district was cleared by a joint operation by the peshmerga and Hashd al-Shaabi in November 2014. The entire population fled either when the Islamic State took over during the summer or during the military campaign to retake it. The victorious forces were then accused of destroying homes there and would not let anyone return. The official reasons were that the area had to be cleared of explosive devices, and there were fears that the locals were Islamic State supporters. The real cause was a political dispute between the Hashd and the Kurds over who would control the district. It took eight months, but that argument was finally resolved and people were allowed to return to their homes in Sadiya.

After Sadiya was freed from the Islamic State in November 2014 the Hashd and Kurds got into a heated rivalry over who was to control the town and the surrounding Khanaqin district. The Kurds claimed the area as part of their disputed territories and wished to annex it. The Hashd forces, which were mostly backed by Iran, declared that the area should be under the central government’s control. In turn, Tehran said it opposed Kurdish independence and therefore was against their forces seizing any territory in Diyala, which might facilitate that endeavor. Because of that dispute, the residents of Sadiya were denied the right to return and the town was left completely empty except for the Hashd and peshmerga forces.

In the summer of 2015 there were the first signs that a breakthrough had been made over the fate of Sadiya. At the end of June, Diyala Governor Muthanna al-Tamimi told the press that the displaced would soon start returning to the town. On July 1, the mayor of Sadiya said that 260 families would start going back to their homes that month. A small group of between 60-70 families had already returned. The government was also trying to get the town back up and running by sending in public employees to get offices and services working again. The first of the 250 families began reaching Sadiya on July 25. Diyala Governor Tamimi and the head of the Badr Organization Hadi Ameri met them. Ameri is the undeclared overlord of the province as he is in charge of security there and the governor is part of his political party. By the start of August 240 families were back in their homes. This was all made possible by a political agreement, which was signed between Kurdish leaders and the provincial council in June. The details of this deal are not known so how the dispute between the two sides was resolved was not clear.

Letting people return to Sadiya was an important step by the government to heal the wounds caused by the Islamic State. Sadiya was one of many towns throughout central and northern Iraq that were cleared, but remained empty for months because the locals were not trusted and there were political arguments about the future of the areas. That helped the Islamic State argue that Baghdad was waging a sectarian war against Sunnis. It did take a long time, but the displaced were finally able to go back to their homes in Sadiya, and a sense of normalcy was able to be restored. This now has to happen to the other ghost towns of Iraq.

SOURCES

Al Forat, “240 displaced families to return to Sa’adiya district in Diyala in next few days: Local official,” 7/1/15

Al Mada, “Committee displaced people are talking about “reverse displacement” in Diyala because of security measures,” 7/15/15

Al Rayy, “240 displaced families return to Saadia in Diyala over the past week,” 8/3/15

Rudaw, “Diyala governor accused of stealing millions in refugee money,” 3/25/15

Shafaq News, “230 families return to Muqdadiyah and more than 650 others close to Jalawla and Saadia,” 7/26/15

- “250 displaced families return to Saadia in the presence of Al-Ameri and al-Tamimi,” 7/25/15

- “Saadia: 80% of employees returned to their departments and 250 displaced families to return soon,” 7/22/15

Sotaliraq, “Diyala governor announces the immediate return of the displaced to Saadia and the continuation of debate on Jalawla,” 6/28/15

Human Rights Watch Report On Kurdish Abuses In Northern Iraq

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on February 26, 2015 documenting abuses by the Kurdish security forces against Arab villages in Iraq’s Ninewa province. The group documented cases of limiting movement of Arabs, destroying homes, and warrantless arrests. The press has sporadically reported some of these stories before, but this paper was the most thorough. These examples all showed how the Islamic State has caused deep feelings of mistrust between ethnosectarian groups in Iraq that will take years to overcome.

Kurdish forces have limited the freedom of movement of Arabs in Ninewa governorate. After several districts in Ninewa were freed of the Islamic State the peshmerga and Asayesh did not allow displaced Arabs to return to their homes. This happened in places like Makhmour city to the southeast of Mosul. The stated reason was that it was not safe. At the same time, Kurdish citizens were allowed into many of those same areas. In other cases there were four districts where Arabs had not fled during the fighting and they were cordoned off by the Kurdish security forces. This covered roughly 40 villages with around 20,000 people. The residents of these towns could not leave and could not go to work if they were outside of these zones. Again Kurds could move in and out of these places. Human Rights Watch met with Kurd officials in December 2014 to question them about these policies. The government representatives said that they could discriminate against Arabs who worked with IS. On another occasion a spokesman for the Peshmerga Ministry said it would take time before Arabs could move freely in Ninewa because there was so much animosity against them because of the insurgency. In both cases it appeared that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was enforcing collective punishment upon Arabs in these districts. While some locals obviously did welcome the insurgents when they took over the region, it is likely impossible to determine exactly who those people were across such a wide width of territory. Not only that even Arabs who fled in the face of IS are being persecuted as well by not being allowed back to their homes. Finally, if this was due to security concerns then why were Kurds being allowed into and out of these areas?

Kurdish forces have been accused of destroying Arab homes. There were various cases of this discovered throughout the Makhmour and Zummar districts, the latter of which is to the northwest of Mosul. Some were burned, some bulldozed, and some blown up. Some had pro-Kurdish and anti-Arab graffiti sprayed painted across them. Local officials, the Asayesh and the Peshmerga Ministry blamed the IS, fighting and Coalition air strikes for the damage. Human Rights Watch did find examples of that such as in Rwala in Makhmour where IS had wrecked houses. In other towns however, such as Qaraj and Gwar suspicions were raised because Arab homes were destroyed while Kurdish ones were untouched. Kurdish and Arab residents said that Kurdish forces destroyed some homes of people they believed worked with IS. In Zummar three Kurds witnessed peshmerga burning and blowing up homes after it recaptured the area from the militants, and in Bardiya houses had been set fire to and bulldozed. This was motivated by the fear that the homes were booby-trapped or because they believed the owners were IS supporters. In Makhmour Kurds told Human Rights Watch that Kurdish civilians burned some Arab homes for the same reason. There was no telling whether any of these homes actually belonged to IS backers or not. Rather it showed the deep seated desire for revenge that the group has generated in the forces fighting it. Both the peshmerga and civilians wanted to strike back at the group and killing its fighters was not enough. They wanted to expel anyone they suspected of being associated with the group as well, and destroying their homes was the best way to achieve that.

Human Rights Watch found cases of warrantless arrests and the abuse of prisoners. In five villages of Makhmour 70 Arabs had been taken away from August 2014 to January 2015 by the Kurdish security forces. By the end of January 2015 63 of them were still being detained with no charges being filed against them. They were also not being allowed to talk with their families. There were fears that they might be mistreated as well. Human Rights Watch found seven videos posted from June to December 2014 that appeared to show Peshmerga and Asayesh members abusing captives such as using electric shock and threats. Other human rights groups have documented torture, beatings, warrantless arrests and prisoners being held incommunicado before by the KRG. Kurdistan like the rest of Iraq has a flawed justice system that lacks due process, and has a long history of abuse.

Human Rights Watch was not the first to note these types of actions by the Kurds. There have been several news stories on the same topics in Ninewa and other provinces, but they have not been as comprehensive. For example, Amnesty International’s Donatella Rovera went to Barzanke, Ninewa in the winter of 2014, and found all the houses destroyed there. Some of that was done by IS, but the peshmerga might have been involved as well. Some local Kurds said they wrecked houses because they believed they belonged to IS supporters, and stated that they didn’t want any Arabs back either. In December, a commander from the Khorasani Brigade accused peshmerga of bulldozing Arab homes in Diyala’s Jalawla to prevent them from returning. Niqash, Al Mada and Al Monitor reported similar stories in Jalawla and Ninewa. Again, the main motivation for these incidents was revenge against people accused of supporting the Islamic State.

The need for security and the desire for retribution appeared to drive most of the Kurdish actions in Ninewa, but there was another issue at play as well. First, the Kurds did need to make sure the areas they had re-captured were safe. Precautionary measures needed to be taken to protect against booby trapped houses and sleeper cells hiding amongst the displaced as these have both been tactics employed by the Islamic State. Then again, the thirst for revenge and the mistrust of Arabs in general were also major factors. Many people were accused of being IS supporters, but how much of that was based upon real evidence of simply lumping all Arabs together as being pro-insurgent? Finally, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) would like to annex these areas in Ninewa, and pushing out Arabs from some of these regions would serve that purpose. The KRG has claimed many of these areas were cleared of Kurds by Saddam Hussein and then Arabized by the government. Having Arabs leave would ensure the Kurdishness of these disputed territories. Whatever the case may be the demographics of many of these villages in Ninewa are being changed in the aftermath of the Islamic State. The group has caused such deep divisions it might take a generation to overcome all the damage it has done to Iraqi society.

SOURCES

Ali, Dashty, “A New Northern Frontline Where Iraq’s Kurds And Shiites Are Facing Off,” Niqash, 12/18/14

Coles, Isabel, “Rivalries resurface in Iraqi town recaptured from Islamic State,” Reuters, 12/8/14

Human Rights Watch, “Iraqi Kurdistan: Arabs Displaced, Cordoned Off, Detained,” 2/26/15

Al Mada, “Jalawla officials describe it as “distressed city” and Daash burned mosques and buildings before withdrawal,” 12/24/14

Natali, Dr. Denise, “Iraqi Kurdish land grabs anger Sunni Arabs,” Al Monitor, 1/29/15

Rovera, Donatella, “Stoking the fire of Iraq’s sectarian conflict,” Annahar, 11/1/14

Khorasani Brigade Another Iraq Militia That Returned Home From Syria To Fight The Insurgency

There are now a plethora of militias operating in Iraq. Some have been around a long time like the Badr Organization that was formed in the 1980s, while others are relatively new. One of the latter is the Khorasani Brigade, which first came out into the public eye at the end of 2013. It was one of many pro-Iranian Iraqi militias deployed to fight the rebels in Syria. It has now moved to Iraq where it has taken part in some of the most recent security operations. Two of those were in Tuz Kharmato in Salahaddin and Jalawla in Diyala. Now the brigade is involved in a dispute between Shiite armed groups and Kurds over control of those two areas, pointing to a much larger power struggle brewing in Iraq’s disputed territories.

Khorasani Brigade’s Official Press Outlet with logo and Ayatollah Khamenei (Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi)

The Sariya al-Tali’a al Khorasani, Khorasani Brigade first became public in September 2013. That was the month it posted announcements about its activities in Syria on Facebook. Like other Iraqi factions involved in Syria the Khorasani Brigade said it was fighting in the Damascus area in defense of the Sayid Zainab shrine. On social media it also announced its loyalty to Iran and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As Phillip Smyth pointed out on Jihadology the group’s logo is a variation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. By 2014 it was fighting in Iraq against the insurgency. It receives government funding under a program started by Premier Nouri al-Maliki to bring militias into the government security apparatus. It also works with advisers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force, and receives supplies from Tehran as well. In 2012, several Iraqi militias backed by Iran mobilized to go to Syria. This was after Quds Force commander General Suleimani put out the call to his Iraqi allies to come fight in that country. In 2013 many of those groups started moving back to Iraq as the insurgency started picking put there. They are now on the frontlines in almost every part of the country.

Two areas the Khorasani Brigade is currently working in are Tuz Kharmato in eastern Salahaddin and Jalawla in northeast Diyala. In the former, a Brigade commander said that it had 800 men there in November 2014. In Tuz’s Yangije a reporter for Foreign Policy found the town full of Khorasani militiamen. Residents accused the militia of destroying homes, arresting people, kidnapping others, and keeping locals from returning because they were believed to be supporters of the insurgency. The Brigade was also involved in a dispute with the peshmerga over control of the area. There was a firefight in Salam between the two sides that led to the death of one Shiite fighter. The Khorasani Brigade took six peshmerga hostages in retaliation. The group was also involved in the clearing of Jalawla in November. The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party office stated there were 3,000 Khorasani members in the town. He went on to say that both the Kurds and Shiites were looting homes in the area. Like in Tuz Kharmato the two sides were arguing over who would control Jalawla. A Brigade commander told Reuters that the Kurds could not stay there. He claimed the peshmerga were bulldozing Arab homes to stop them from returning. Sunni refugees pointed the finger at the militias for keeping them out, and were afraid to return because of their presence. Another Khorasani commander blamed the problems in Jalawla mostly on the Kurds, but at the same time blamed any clashes between them on individuals, not any larger problems between them. Tuz Kharmato and Jalawla are both part of the disputed territories, which the Kurdistan Regional Government claims as historically theirs. During the summer the Islamic State seized them, and now that it has been pushed out the militias and Kurds are fighting for control. The militias say that they should remain under the government’s control setting the stage for a series of clashes.

The Khorasani Brigade’s actions in Tuz Kharmato and Jalawla point to some of the problems Iraq will face relying upon irregular forces. First, it is carrying out sectarian cleansing along with other militias in Tuz Kharmato and Jalawla. Some towns in the two areas have been completely destroyed and thousands have been displaced with little hope to return any time soon. That’s because the militias see the civilian population as the support base for the insurgents and are therefore considered legitimate targets. This is a repeat of the previous civil war from 2005-2008 when militias dramatically transformed the demographics in the center of the country by pushing out Sunnis. Second, the competition between the militias and peshmerga for control of the disputed territories will not end anytime soon. The Khorasani Brigade and others like Badr are pushing for government control of the areas not just because they are centralists, but also because of their ties to Iran. Tehran has warned the Kurds about declaring independence at this time, and appears to be using their militia allies to push the point in Salahaddin and Diyala. This could continue long after the insurgents are contained. Since Baghdad only has marginal control of the militias it will be difficult to rein them in, and likely require deals with Iran, which has become the dominant force in the country already. Groups like the Khorasani Brigade while helping to defeat the militants today, could lead to longer term divisions within Iraq down the road.

SOURCES

Ali, Dashty, “A New Northern Frontline Where Iraq’s Kurds And Shiites Are Facing Off,” Niqash, 12/18/14

Coles, Isabel, “Rivalries resurface in Iraqi town recaptured from Islamic State,” Reuters, 12/8/14

Fulton, Will, Holliday, Joseph & Wyer, Sam, “Iranian Strategy In Syria,” AEI’s Critical Threats Project & Institute for the Study of War, May 2013

Hassan, Tirana, “The Gangs of Iraq,” Foreign Policy, 11/3/14

Hawramy, Fazel and Harding, Luke, “Shia militia fightback against Isis sees tit-for-tat sectarian massacres of Sunnis,” Guardian, 11/12/14

Hussein, Mohammed, “Q & A: Shia militia commander Ali Jamal Hussein,” Iraq Oil Report, 12/9/14

Hussein, Mohammed, Osgood, Patrick, al-Atbi, Adam, “Shia militias spark furor in disputed territories,” Iraq Oil Report, 12/8/14

Mahmoud, Nawzad and Fraidon, Nahroz, “Jalawla: a lawless ghost town of Peshmerga and Shiite militias,” Rudaw, 12/16/14

Salih, Hemin, “Saadia to Remain Under Control of Iraqi Shiite Forces,” Bas News, 11/26/14

Smyth, Phillip, “Hizballah Cavalcade: Sariyya al-Tali’a al-Khurasani: A New Combat-Tested Shia Militia in Syria,” Jihadology, 10/29/13

Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad and Spyer, Jonathan, “Iraq’s Shi’a Militias and Iran,” The Tower, December 2014

Slight Uptick In Violence In Iraq Fourth Week of December 2014

The number of attacks and casualties went up a bit in Iraq in the fourth week of December 2014. That was due to an increase in fighting in Anbar and the discovery of a mass grave in Diyala. On the other hand the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), militias and tribes made major advances in the Balad district of southern Salahaddin. Overall, violence remains relatively low compared to the summer when the insurgents were on the offensive.

From December 22-28 there were a reported 160 attacks in Iraq. That was up from 133 the previous week. Security incidents went from an average of 19.0 per day to 22.8. The main cause for the increase was Anbar where attacks went from 19 to 38 in the last two weeks. Baghdad led the week with 46 incidents, followed by 34 in Salahaddin, 32 in Anbar, 18 in Ninewa, 13 in Diyala, 8 in Babil, six in Kirkuk, three in Basra, and one in Qadisiyah. Attacks are down from the first half of the year when there were regularly more than 200 incidents per week.

Casualties were also up for the 4^th week of December. There were 558 deaths and 432 wounded up from 377 killed and 340 injured the third week of the month. The dead consisted of 40 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), 45 Sahwa, 17 peshmerga, and 2 members of the Syrian YPG, and 454 civilians, while the injured were 72 ISF, 77 Sahwa, 54 peshmerga, and 229 civilians. The main reason why there were more fatalities was the discovery of three mass graves in northeast Diyala with approximately 250 bodies in them. That meant that province had the most dead with 271. After that 103 were killed in Baghdad, 50 in Anbar, 45 in Kirkuk, 41 in Salahaddin, 32 in Babil, 14 in Ninewa, and two in Basra. In total, from January 1 to December 28 Musings On Iraq counted 10,117 security incidents, 24,464 dead, and 37,360 wounded.

Violence In Iraq By Week 2014

Date	Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	244	363	733
Jan 8-14	272	364	676
Jan 15-21	205	358	616
Jan 22-28	236	305	618
Jan 29-31	57	93	237
JAN	1,014	1,483	2,890
Feb 1-7	211	306	706
Feb 8-14	229	258	505
Feb 15-21	264	347	703
Feb 22-28	251	374	617
FEB	955	1,285	2,531
Mar 1-7	252	412	702
Mar 8-14	205	323	610
Mar 15-21	216	423	736
Mar 22-27	211	279	580
Mar 28-31	108	169	261
MAR	992	1,606	2,889
Apr 1-7	238	259	550
Apr 8-14	224	362	646
Apr 15-21	241	406	805
Apr 22-28	226	347	744
Apr 29-30	61	82	179
APR	990	1,456	2,924
May 1-7	198	246	483
May 8-14	257	466	752
May 15-21	183	256	426
May 22-28	203	403	810
May 29-31	64	91	131
MAY	905	1,462	2,602
Jun 1-7	228	612	1,020
Jun 8-14	234	1,889	890
Jun 15-21	179	803	759
Jun 22-28	203	733	777
Jun 29-30	59	127	236
JUN	901	4,172	3,701
Jul 1-7	203	526	651
Jul 8-14	214	577	628
Jul 15-21	230	444	1,009
Jul 22-28	224	589	801
Jul 29-31	66	163	230
JUL	937	2,299	3,319
Aug 1-8	269	1,122	885
Aug 9-14	179	710	1,152
Aug 15-21	150	354	499
Aug 22-28	156	523	798
Aug 29-31	59	125	289
AUG	813	2,834	3,623
Sep 1-7	168	616	751
Sep 8-14	156	433	722
Sep 15-21	166	620	749
Sep 22-28	153	395	573
Sep 29-30	47	112	252
SEP	690	2,176	3,047
Oct 1-7	170	451	687
Oct 8-14	188	532	875
Oct 15-21	156	449	770
Oct 22-28	159	345	592 + 1,230
Oct 29-31	68	570	227
OCT	741	2,347	3,151 + 1,230
Nov 1-7	153	601	828
Nov 8-14	128	420	593
Nov 15-21	134	283	464
Nov 22-28	138	321	640
Nov 29-30	40	62	123
NOV	593	1,687	2,648
Dec 1-7	137	323	476
Dec 8-14	156	233 + 166	444 + 1,113
Dec 15-21	133	377	340
Dec 22-28	160	558	432
2014	10,117	24,464	37,360

Violence In Iraq By Province Dec 2014

Province	Dec 1-7	Dec. 8-14
Anbar	19 Incidents 84 Killed: 16 ISF, 68 Civilians 58 Wounded: 6 ISF, 52 Civilians 11 Shootings 1 IED	38 Incidents 79 Killed: 28 ISF, 51 Civilians 146 Wounded: 28 ISF, 118 Civilians 22 Shootings 1 IED 3 Mortar 5 Suicide Car Bombs 1 Car Bomb
Babil	5 Incidents 6 Killed: 2 ISF, 4 Civilians 20 Wounded: 4 ISF, 16 Civilians 4 IEDs 1 Car Bomb	2 Incidents 3 Killed: 1 ISF, 2 Civilians 10 Wounded: 2 ISF, 8 Civilians 2 IEDs
Baghdad	44 Incidents 97 Killed: 97 Civilians 262 Wounded: 7 ISF, 255 Civilians 11 Shootings 25 IEDs 1 Mortar 5 Sticky Bombs 2 Car Bombs	38 Incidents 49 Killed: 2 ISF, 47 Civilians 135 Wounded: 16 ISF, 119 Civilians 11 Shootings 18 IEDs 4 Stick Bombs 1 Mortar 3 Rockets
Basra	1 Incident 2 Stun Bombs	1 Incident
Diyala	8 Incidents 8 Killed: 2 Peshmerga, 6 Civilians 10 Wounded: 6 ISF, 4 Civilians 6 Shootings 2 IEDs	18 Incidents 18 Killed: 3 ISF, 1 Sahwa, 1 Peshmerga, 13 Civilians 28 Wounded: 1 ISF, 2 Peshmerga, 25 Civilians 6 Shootings 1 IED 1 Suicide Bomber 3 Mortar
Kirkuk	6 Incidents 18 Killed: 18 Civilians 22 Wounded: 22 Civilians 1 Shooting 3 Mortar 1 Suicide Car Bomb	9 Incidents 7 Killed: 7 Civilians 12 Wounded: 12 Civilians 3 Shootings 50 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Mortar
Ninewa	13 Incidents 15 Killed: 1 ISF, 4 Peshmerga, 10 Civilians 6 Shootings 6 IEDs	8 Incidents 7 Killed: 2 ISF, 5 Civilians 5 Wounded: 1 Peshmerga, 4 Civilians 3 Shootings 4 IEDs
Salahaddin	41 Incidents 95 Killed: 22 ISF, 1 Sahwa, 72 Civilians 104 Wounded: 4 ISF, 100 Civilians 24 Shootings 31 IEDs 3 Mortar 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Suicide Car Bomb	40 Incidents 69 Killed: 20 ISF, 49 Civilians 104 Wounded: 25 ISF, 79 Civilians 18 Shootings 11 IEDs 10 Mortar 3 Rockets 2 Suicide Car Bombs
Province	Dec 15-21	Dec 22-28
Anbar	22 Incidents 38 Killed: 5 ISF, 33 Civilians 28 Wounded: 5 ISF, 23 Civilians 18 Shootings	32 Incidents 50 Killed: 8 ISF, 42 Civilians 57 Wounded: 10 ISF, 3 Sahwa, 44 Civilians 26 Shootings 1 Suicide Car Bomb 1 Mortar
Babil	8 Incidents 22 Killed: 22 Civilians 27 Wounded: 2 ISF, 25 Civilians 2 Shootings 3 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Car Bomb 1 Mortar	8 Incidents 32 Killed: 3 Sahwa, 29 Civilians 25 Wounded: 3 ISF, 22 Civilians 3 Shootings 3 IEDs 2 Car Bombs
Baghdad	51 Incidents 159 Killed: 8 ISF, 151 Civilians 192 Wounded: 18 ISF, 174 Civilians 14 Shootings 24 IEDs 5 Sticky Bombs 1 Car Bomb 2 Mortar 1 Rocket 1 Grenade	46 Incidents 103 Killed: 19 ISF, 40 Sahwa, 44 Civilians 192 Wounded: 18 ISF, 70 Sahwa, 104 Civilians 13 Shootings 21 IEDs 7 Sticky Bombs 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Mortar
Basra	1 Incident 1 Wounded: 1 Civilian 1 Shooting	3 Incidents 2 Killed: 2 Civilians 2 Shootings
Diyala	10 Incidents 12 Killed: 3 ISF, 9 Civilians 18 Wounded: 1 ISF, 17 Civilians 6 Shootings 2 IEDs 3 Mortar	13 Incidents 271 Killed: 3 ISF, 12 Peshmerga, 256 Civilians 24 Wounded: 1 ISF, 2 Peshmerga, 21 Civilians 5 Shootings 2 IEDs 6 Mortar
Kirkuk	3 Incidents 1 Killed: 1 Civilian 1 IED	6 Incidents 45 Killed: 45 Civilians 2 Wounded: 2 Civilians 3 Shootings 2 IEDs 1 Rocket
Ninewa	7 Incidents 77 Killed: 77 Civilians 24 Wounded: 24 Peshmerga 5 Shootings 3 IEDs 1 Car Bomb	18 Incidents 14 Killed: 5 Peshmerga, 2 YPG, 7 Civilians 52 Wounded: 52 Peshmerga 11 Shootings 9 IEDs
Qadisiyah	-	1 Incident 1 Sound Bomb
Salahaddin	31 Incidents 68 Killed: 4 ISF, 64 Civilians 50 Wounded: 6 ISF, 44 Civilians 19 Shootings 63 IEDs 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Suicide Car Bomb 1 Mortar	34 Incidents 41 Killed: 10 ISF, 2 Sahwa, 29 Civilians 80 Wounded: 40 ISF, 4 Sahwa, 36 Civilians 12 Shootings 39 IEDs 1 Suicide Truck Bomb 6 Mortar 1 Rocket

Car Bomb Attacks In Iraq Dec 2014

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Dec 1
Dec 2	Mahmudiya, Babil		1
Dec 3
Dec 4	Shaab & Sadr City, Baghdad Shorja, Kirkuk	39	97
Dec 5
Dec 6
Dec 7	Salman, Salahaddin	9	17
1st Wk Totals	5	48	115
Dec 8
Dec 9	Nikhaib, Anbar
Dec 10	Ramadi, Anbar Dijla & Mutasim, Salahaddin	11	22
Dec 11	Ramadi, Anbar	2	4
Dec 12
Dec 13	Haditha & Ramadi, Anbar	15	33
Dec 14
2nd Wk Totals	7	28	59
Dec 15
Dec 16
Dec 17
Dec 18	Mahmuidya, Babil Husseiniya, Baghdad	10	25
Dec 19	Samarra, Salahaddin	2	5
Dec 20
Dec 21	Makhmour, Ninewa		4
3rd Wk Totals	4	12	34
Dec 22
Dec 23	Yusifiya, Babil Dhuluiya, Salahaddin	3	6
Dec 24
Dec 25
Dec 26
Dec 27	Outside Baghdadi, Anbar
Dec 28	Iskandiriya, Babil
4th Wk Totals	4	3	6

Like the previous week there were only four vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) from December 22-28. There were two in Babil, and one each in Anbar and Salahaddin. Those resulted in three dead and six wounded, but the actual numbers were much higher as no casualties were reported for the December 28 bombing in Iskandiriya. The two attacks in Babil were terrorist ones, but the other two were part of military operations against the ISF and militias. So far, there have only been 20 VBIEDs this month. That means December looks like it will end with the fewest number of car bombs in a single month since October 2012 when there were just 23.

Anbar continued to be one of the most violent areas of the country. The Islamic State (IS) remained focused upon taking Baghdadi and the neighboring Assad Air Base, Haditha and its dam, and the provincial capital of Ramadi. IS has brought in tanks and other armored vehicles, plus several hundred reinforcements from Syria in its assault upon Baghdadi and Assad. In Ramadi insurgents made more thrusts at the downtown government complex, the Anbar Operations Command headquarters, and the 8^th Army Brigade base. Coalition air strikes have played a large role in blunting many of these attacks. IS was said to have suddenly withdrew from Qaim on December 22, while the ISF pulled out of 14 villages they had just taken in the Baghdadi area on December 27. The pro-government forces are still trying to clear towns around Hit in part of an offensive that started two weeks ago, and that has made very limited progress. This was also meant to relieve pressure on Baghdadi. December 25 the ISF claimed it had made major gains in Ramadi retaking Howaz, Andolus, Jamouri, Mualimin, and 20^th Street. These have been contested areas since January, and have traded hands many times. Finally, on December 22 a mass grave was found in Amiriya Fallujah with 20 people in it executed by IS. Despite the concerted efforts of the insurgents they have made no real progress in Anbar lately. At the same time up to 85% of the province is under their control, and no real help appears to be coming from Baghdad, which has written off the province for other areas of the country.

In Diyala there is continued controversy over the Jalawla and Sadiya areas that were cleared by the Peshmerga and militias several weeks ago, along with renewed IS attacks upon the center of the province. Local leaders told Al Mada that Jalawla was a disaster area. Mosques and shops have been blown up and destroyed by both pro and anti-government forces. Local Arabs have had their homes destroyed to try to stop them from returning. A local sheikh blamed the Kurds for trying to stop people from returning to the town on the grounds that they supported the insurgents. In Jalawla and Sadiya three mass graves were also discovered on December 24 with 250 bodies of people executed by the Islamic State. Diyala’s governor warned of the deteriorating security situation in Muqtadiya. He said the northern section of the district was under insurgent control. For the last several weeks they have been hitting the area with mortar fire, which caused more than 60 families to flee. For the week Muqtadiya was hit six times by mortars killing three and wounding 19. Badr Organization head Hadi Ameri told locals that they should leave because Muqtadiya was going to be the next target of a security sweep. Violence in the province is not as bad as it was at the start of the year, but it remains a major base for insurgents. It has lost ground in the northeast to the Kurds and militias, but places like the Hamrin Mountains are an insurgent stronghold despite several operations there. That has allowed them to carry out attacks like those on going in Mutaqadiya.

During the week the peshmerga continued to make progress in the Sinjar district of Ninewa. They broke the siege of Mount Sinjar last week and moved into Sinjar itself. IS has been attacking the surrounding areas like Gwar and Makhmour to draw Kurdish forces away, but they have not been successful. On December 24 a peshmerga commander said that 30% of Sinjar had been cleared. These moves have caused concern that an offensive against Mosul is imminent. Reports have said that is causing foreign fighters to leave the city, and locals are hoarding supplies.

In Salahaddin the ISF and militias made big gains in the southern part of the province. That was part of an offensive in the Balad district that started at the end of the third week of December. On December 22 two towns near Dhuluiya, and Albu Handal near Aziz were cleared. That was followed by two parts of Yathrib and Dhuluiya Bridge on December 25, one town in Dhuluiya, and two in Yathrib the next day, and then Al-Atheem River and Albu Salabi in Diyala neighboring Dhuluiya, Dhuluiya airport, Rosasi River, and ten more villages the next day. Finally, on December 28 two more sections of Aziz were freed, along with four more areas of Dhuluiya. Securing the Balad district is important to ensure communication and supply lines between central Salahaddin and Baghdad. The Dhuluiya area has also been under siege since the summer and is in desperate need of relief. The government has finally decided to address this area.

SOURCES

AIN, “2 areas within Dhilo’aya district liberated from ISIL,” 12/22/14

- “Peshmerga control new areas western Mosul,” 12/28/14

- “Security forces liberate 5 areas in Anbar,” 12/25/14

Alsumaria, "Peshmerga repel Daash attack on two villages south of Irbil, killing 33 of its gunmen," 12/28/14

- “Source: tactical withdrawal of the army from 14 villages west of Ramadi,” 12/27/14

- "A suicide bombing destroys vital bridge linking al-Baghdadi to villages west of 14 gray," 12/27/14

Awara, Omar, "Three Mass Graves Found in Jalawla and Saadia," Bas News, 12/24/14

Berwani, Hawar, "Car bomb goes off southern Baghdad," Iraqi News, 12/23/14

Buratha News, “Ameri appeal to the people of Muqdadiyah to leave the region before a heavy blow to Daash terrorists,” 12/28/14

- “Interior announces purge of Albu Tuma area south of Tikrit,” 12/26/14

EFE, “Islamic State once again blockades Iraq’s Biyi oil refinery,” 12/21/14

Al Forat, “23 ISIL terrorists killed in western Anbar,” 12/27/14

- “Albo Asaf area liberated of ISIL,” 12/27/14

- “ISF liberate eastern part of Rusasi River southern Tikrit,” 12/27/14

- “Salah al-Din: ISF & volunteers entered Remelat , Albu Handal,” 12/28/14

- “Salah al-Din: ISF & volunteers liberate Um Rosas from ISIL,” 12/27/14

- “Tikrit: ISF & volunteers liberate Tal Dhahab from ISIL,” 12/27/14

- “Tikrit: ISF liberate Banat al-Hassan area from ISIL,” 12/27/14

Hawrami, Karzan Sabah, “Peshmerga Commander: %30 of Sinjar Under Our Control,” Bas News, 12/24/14

Independent Press Agency, "Killing and injuring eight people by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad," 12/23/14

Jasim, Ali, “Governor of Diyala warns of collapse of the security situation in Muqdadiyah after recording six assassinations,” Alsumaria, 12/28/14

- "Suicide truck bomb over the Dhuluiya concrete bridge," Alsumaria, 12/23/14

Joumah, Khales, “Effect Of Victory In Sinjar: Extremists On The Move in Mosul,” Niqash, 12/24/14

Lewis, Jessica, Ali, Ahmed, and Adnan, Sinan, “ISIS Offensives in Ramadi City and Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar, Iraq,” Institute for the Study of War, 12/24/14

Al Mada, “Federal Police freed one part of Yathrib area and cleared the Dhuluiya bridge and the clearing of explosive devices in Mutasim,” 12/25/14

- “Jalawla officials describe it as “distressed city” and Daash burned mosques and buildings before withdrawal,” 12/24/14

- “Joint forces led by Ameri begin joint forces operation led by Ameri to clear area around Balad of Daash,” 12/26/14

- “Joint forces of the Federal Police and popular crowd freed nine areas of southern Salahuddin,” 12/28/14

Majid, Haidar, “Freed two areas south of Tikrit and killed 20 members of Daash,” Alsumaria, 12/25/14

NINA, “The fighting continues around Ein al-Assad base and the IS managed to control a nearby residential neighborhoods,” 12/21/14

- "Mass grave found north of Babil," 12/22/14

- “Military force liberates /4/ villages northwest of Heet,” 12/22/14

- “More than /60/ families displaced from Muqdadiyah because of the mortars of the IS organization,” 12/27/14

- “Security Source: Yathrib and Aziz Balad Liberated From The Control Of Daash,” 12/27/14

- “Source: Large Scale Military Operation Starts in The Areas Near Iraqi-Jordan-Syrian Border,” 12/27/14

Radio Free Iraq, “24 December 2014,” Daily Updates from Anbar, 12/24/14

- “25 December 2014,” Daily Updates from Anbar, 12/25/14

Al Rayy, “The arrival of military reinforcements to secure the perimeter of Dhuluiya,” 12/23/14

- “Cleared four areas in the south of Tikrit in Dhuluiya,” 12/28/14

- “Daash terrorists withdraw from Qaim, fleeing to an unknown destination,” 12/22/14

Shafaq News, "Car bomb explosion in a residential complex in Babil," 12/28/14

- "Commander of combat terrorism Regiment in Dohuk passes away," 12/25/14

- “ISIS reinforces its presence western Ramadi by 300 terrorists,” 12/23/14

- “Several areas in Tikrit resorted in the biggest military operation,” 12/27/14

Xinhua, “Iraqi forces launch offensives on IS,” 12/25/14