In 2015 an Israeli was looking for an Arab to kill in revenge for the deaths of Jews. He stabbed an Iraqi Jew because he looked like an Arab. Even after the Iraqi yelled that he was Jewish the man continued his attack. Luckily the Iraqi was able to run away. This is a metaphor for author Orit Bashkin on how Iraqis were treated in Israel. Even though they were Jewish they were treated as an Other because they came from an Arab country.
In The Bomb In My Garden Dr Mahdi Obeidi tells the story of how Iraq tried to produce a nuclear bomb in the early 1990s. He was in charge of building centrifuges to enrich uranium. He goes through Iraq’s nuclear ambitions, how they covertly worked to gain the know-how and technology, how United Nations inspectors dismantled the program and then how the U.S. bungled its search for WMD after the 2003 invasion.
The news of the day was a series of strikes by the U.S. and Israel across Baghdad. The Federal Police’s 2nd Division was hit in Sabi al-Bour in the north. This was likely a mistake as a nearby Hashd base was also struck. Five police were wounded. A rocket landed on a house in Amiriya killing two civilians while an airstrike blew up a home on Palestine Street. The latter was used to store weapons for the Resistance. Jets also targeted locations in Jamila and Maghreb Street in the east. Five Hashd were wounded at a camp in Taji outside of the city in the north.
The pro-Iran Resistance was active in Kurdistan and Baghdad. A peshmerga headquarters was hit by four drones on April 5. The next day two blasts were heard near Irbil airport. Four missiles were shot down heading towards the U.S. consulate in Irbil city. Multiple drones were also intercepted in Irbil province with debris hitting a residential area killing two civilians. In Baghdad drones targeted the logistics support center at the airport.
The weekend marked a paradox in Iranian strategy towards Iraq. On the one hand there were a series of attacks upon the Iraqi oil industry and on the other a tanker with Iraqi petroleum passed through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said Baghdad would be exempt from its blockade.
The Hashd Commission and the pro-Iran Resistance gave some numbers on the impact of the Iran War. The Commission said that there had been 83 attacks upon Hashd units since February 28 leading to 73 dead and 61 injured. The Resistance on the other hand claimed it carried out 753 operations and 23 alone on April 3.
As the Iran War enters its second month Iran and its allies’ strategy has become apparent. They are focusing upon Iraq’s oil industry, the Kurds, the Baghdad Airport and neighboring countries. The Americans and Israel on the other hand don’t appear to have any plan.
Overnight a drone was intercepted targeting the U.S. consulate in Irbil City. Another drone was shot down over an American military base in the city. On March 29 the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad faced an attack so it appears diplomatic facilities are fair game again by the pro-Iran Resistance.
In the middle of the night loud explosions were heard in Sulaymaniya City but no other details were provided about what happened.
The Baghdad Airport was the center of attention on March 30. During the day rockets hit the military part of the facility destroying an Iraqi Security Forces transport plane. Then at night a drone crashed into the logistics center and then another crashed on the military side. The security forces also found a truck laden with drones in the Musayib district in northern Babil that were also aimed at the airport. The facility has been a favorite target of the pro-Iran groups since the U.S. invasion. It is not only used by the Americans but the constant strikes are a sign that the government cannot keep the capital safe.
The pro-Iran Resistance upped the anti once again in Iraq by attacking the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Two drones were shot down by the air defenses at the facility. This is the first such attack in ten days.
Plenty happened in Iraq over the past three days due to the Iran War. That included multiple attacks upon Jordanian airbases by the pro-Iran Resistance to the U.S. or Israel hitting members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) again.
A military base in Habaniya Anbar was attacked by jets setting off a new controversy. The planes hit a Hashd al-Shaabi intelligence department within the facility. Most news reports said that 7 soldiers were killed and 13 others wounded but Shafaq News said that 15 Hashd were killed and 14 wounded. The Iraqi government condemned the incident saying it was a direct attack upon its forces. This was not the first time a mixed Iraqi forces and Hashd target was hit but the high casualties made it unacceptable to Baghdad. The Sudani government is trying to walk a fine line between criticizing the Resistance which is part of the government and security forces for attacking international troops and businesses while also being upset when the pro-Iran factions suffer casualties.
The Saudi paper Asharq al-Awsat ran a report on Iran’s role in assisting the Resistance in Iraq. It said as soon as the war started on February 28 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forced moved into Iraq to advise and direct attacks by the Resistance against the U.S. They joined advisors who were already in the country. The operations are run out of a command center in Baghdad with sub-branches in Najaf, Diyala and Basra.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani is trying to play a double game with the pro-Iran Resistance. On the one hand he is criticizing it for attacks upon the government on the other hand he is giving them concessions because factions are in his political camp and he is still hoping that he can win a second term in office with their support.
On March 19 it was reported that the government got the pro-Iran Resistance to agree to a ceasefire. Violence went markedly down for two days but then on March 22 things were back to normal.
On March 19 Al Hurra reported that the ruling Coordination Framework got the pro-Iran Resistance to agree to a ceasefire. Since then violence has decidedly dropped off in the country.
Al Hurra reported that the ruling Coordination Framework got the pro-Iran Resistance to agree to a ceasefire. This has occurred several times in the past when the government tried to step in and stop violence perpetrated by factions that undermine the country’s stability.
Al Hurra reported on Iran’s involvement in the violence going on in Iraq. On March 1 an Asaib Ahl Al-Haq headquarters in Diyala was hit that allegedly killed an Iranian Advisor. On March 17 a house in the Jadriya neighborhood of Baghdad was struck that killed six members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). Al Hurra stated that they are involved in helping the Resistance carry out attacks. Quds Force commander General Esmail Qaani gave the Resistance the initiative to plan their own operations. The IRGC forces are there simply to assist them to make sure the attacks are successful.
871 Zanj slave rebellion returned to Basra city Offered amnesty to residents and then massacred them Survivors hid in city for weeks a...
