Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lordo]

iraqi government is now under the control of the iranians thanks to the yanks. there is nothing on earth that will remove the iranian forces out of iraq. god help the iraqi people. the iranians will be forever indebted for such a gift by the americans. i suppose it makes up for all the nastiness americans have bestowed on the iranians since the 50s.

[Tim Drayton]

It is sad. Whatever else can be said about Iraq under Saddam Hussein - and it wasn't pretty - the country at the time was one of the most secular places in the Arab world. Of course, if the Iranian theocracy gets its claws in, you can forget about secularism, which, in my view, is an essential precondition for democracy.

Actually, I suspect that behind the scenes a deal is being stitched up with Iran within the current nuclear negotiations. You come in and clear up DAESH, and you can get your nuclear power stations (or perhaps even the bomb).

[Tim Drayton]

"Daesh [ISIS] fails to defend successfully in almost every case in Iraq: determined attacks dislodge Daesh defenses, often within hours or days," Michael Knights, the Lafer fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explains. "Daesh numbers are too small, even in small urban pockets of Tikrit, to fully exclude attackers. They can't maintain firm front lines."

http://www.vox.com/2015/4/2/8331601/iraq-isis-tikrit

They are just lumpen proletariat trash, not trained soldiers, after all.

[Tim Drayton]

Iran nuclear talks: 'Framework' deal agreed

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32166814

Well, well, well.

[Lordo]

they are also allowed to sell nuclear material they make. win win win

[Tim Drayton]

- Next battle: Baiji -

In Tikrit, Iraqi forces still face "pockets" of resistance from the IS group and "they are working there through those pockets," the official said.
Once the Tikrit military operation is complete, "the next step is Baiji," the official said.

The town of Baiji lies north of Tikrit along the Tigris River and remains under the IS group's control.

"That's really the next significant military maneuver because, of course, the Baiji oil refinery is important to the Iraqi economy," the official said.

The nearby Baiji refinery was recaptured by Iraqi forces last year but Baghdad still needs to dislodge the IS extremists from the town and surrounding areas, the official said.

An offensive in Baiji is a necessary step towards an eventual large-scale operation to seize back Mosul, the country's second largest city and a bastion for the IS group.

But an offensive to recapture Mosul is several months away and likely will not come before the autumn, the official said.

No operation in Mosul was expected to be carried out during Ramadan, which falls in mid-June, or during the summer months when intense heat would hamper any major military action, the official said.

A potential offensive is likely "to extend into the fall for reasons of Ramadan preparation and weather," he said.

A US defense official had predicted in February that an Iraqi assault in Mosul could come as soon as April or May but top Pentagon officials later backed away from that forecast.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-hold-iraqi-for ... 26996.html

The best of luck to the Iraqi armed forces in turfing these bandits off their territory.

[Tim Drayton]

(Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi called on security forces on Friday to arrest anyone breaking the law in the city of Tikrit, where looting has been seen following the ousting of Islamic State militants.

"The prime minister calls on the forces in Tikrit to arrest any person who performs such acts and to preserve the belongings and facilities in Salahuddin province," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

The Iraqi government claimed victory over Islamic State insurgents in Tikrit on Wednesday after a month-long battle for the Sunni Muslim city fought by the Iraqi army and federal police, with the support of Shi'ite militiamen.

Abadi said enforcement of the law was essential in order to "bring life back to the province as well as returning families" to the city, the capital of Salahuddin province, which was seized by Islamic State extremists last June.

Sunni lawmakers have complained of looting of homes and government buildings in Tikrit by rogue security force elements and members of the Shi'ite paramilitary groups.

Rafid Jaboori, a spokesman for the prime minister, would not comment on specific incidents, but said Abadi had a policy of zero tolerance for any rights abuses.

The ability to protect Sunni areas from revenge attacks and criminal actions is a central challenge for Abadi as he seeks to lead Shi'ite paramilitary volunteers and security forces in the campaign to retake nearly one-third of Iraq from Islamic State.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/ ... R320150403

The Iraq government must win the peace now. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope that they can win back the allegiance of the Sunnis in Tikrit. If they can do so, DAESH are finished in Iraq.

[Tim Drayton]

Shia militias refuse to stop looting in Tikrit

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/ ... -in-tikrit

Things are not looking good in Tikrit. Unless the Iraqi state can win over the local Sunni population, they will not succeed in the battle to drive out DAESH.

[Tim Drayton]

A meeting between Turkish president Erdoğan and Iranian president Rouhani in Iran has just ended. I wonder what the consequences of that will be, given the way that the region is sitting on a powder keg.

[Tim Drayton]

The depiction of Turkish president Erdoğan in one Iranian newspaper on the occasion of his official visit to the country: