Posted on 10/14/2017 8:28:26 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
Picture taken on October 14, 2017 shows civilian taking up arms to defend the oil-rich city of Kirkuk against a potential attack by the Iraqi forces. Photo: Rudaw TV
KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region – Peshmerga intelligence shows beyond a doubt that Iranian Revolutionary Guards are among the ranks of the Iraqi army and the Hashd al-Shaabi stationed south and west of Kirkuk.
“The Iraqi army and the Hashd al-Shaabi are not the only state that are attacking us. We have intelligence with 100 percent accuracy that there are also the Iranian army and the Revolutionary Guards among them,” Shwan Shamerani, commander of the Peshmerga second brigade in Kirkuk, told Rudaw on Saturday.
The Peshmerga General Command said in a statement on Friday that Iraqi forces were preparing to attack the Peshmerga-controlled areas with “foreign encouragement and backing.” It did not provide more details.
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani also on Friday urged Iraqi forces and “any foreign force” against igniting a war between Erbil and Baghdad.
A Peshmerga commander told Rudaw that an Iraqi attack is imminent.
“Big masses of forces, with big fire [weapons], does not mean good will, or send a good gesture. This force has been deployed and they have said themselves, they say so in public, that ‘we want to enter Kirkuk,’” said Wasta Rasul, commander of the southern front in Kirkuk.
Kurdish military officials have said that the Iraqi forces have set a deadline to hand over their areas to a combination of Iraqi forces and mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi, or face an attack. The Iraqi government has denied such ultimatums exist.
“Their demand is to take over the airport, the oil factories, the urban areas. In short, they want to take over Kirkuk,” said Ayub Yousif, a Peshmerga general.
“We took these areas with blood,” he continued, vowing they will defend the areas with more blood.
The Iraqi forces have already taken some areas south and west of Kirkuk, in Bashir and Taza, following a Peshmerga “tactical” withdrawal on Thursday night.
Baghdad has said that they want to “redeploy” their forces to areas that were under Iraqi control before the rise of ISIS in June 2014.
Cool headed leadership must back this away from the Abyss.
Like missiles in Cuba, this cannot be permitted.
“Baghdad has said that they want to “redeploy” their forces to areas that were under Iraqi control before the rise of ISIS in June 2014.”
This is a classic example of burying the lead. The Iraqi government is asking Kurdish militias to return the territory that the government held before the ISIS attack. That should be the first sentence, not the last.
This has been a Kurdish city almost forever. All know it, Saddam tried to import Sunni Muslims and displace Kurds. He had some success.
I don’t think the KRG will back away from KirKuk.
Iran intends to take over. Baghdad is sympathetic to Iran in some degree.
It wasn't until the victory at Saratoga that the French jumped in with financing and weaponry. Once the Kurds demonstrate that they can win battles, foreign aid will follow. Not one minute before that.
The Iraqis OWE the Kurds. They should be figuring out how to give the Kurds autonomy in the region rather than boot them out.
None of our business. Let them sort it out.
correct - the kurds are ( reformed ) marxist lenninists
no wonder they can not do anything
Demonstrating once again the madness of America’s involvement in the Mideast quagmire. The person who is fighting beside you today will cut your throat tomorrow. None of them can be trusted.
This reminds me of Bible stories I’ve read where God stirred up the enemy fight among themselves.
We betrayed the Kurds under Barzani senior along time ago to placate the Turks and Iraqi Shiites. Time to help them, not abandon them again.
Iran controls a lot of the Iraqi govt and military. We don’t want them to control all of Iraq.
Turkey, under the madman Erdogan, is regressing in its culture and government back to a time when they ruled the whole area by force.
Perhaps they will find that a new “Lawrence of Arabia” will arise to teach them a lesson that they will never forget.
Otherwise, it will be genocide again in that region.
It is still that part of the world.
I observe that type of connection, we may know it is near, but not when. There are some very amazing connections with this. Exact timing, men don’t know.
You are right.
Best thing we can do is keep these brainwashed num nutters out of the country.
What do you think has happened with ISIS? The Syrian Kurds defeated ISIS, with our air support. They were not even sent light weapons until Obozo was gone.
In the past 9 months, there has been huge progress in ending ISIS. Nobody else would have done it. Since Trump, it has been a total change.
And you speak of Iraq? Only the Kurds have ended ISIS. Yes they did have some help from Iran (Iran is Shia, most Iraq Kurds are Sunni) Iran wants to gain control in Iraq just like Erdogan. Both are only interested in conquest.
Jalal Talabani recently died. He and Barzani are the clans in the Iraq Kurd communities. They were not united but on the same side. Barzani is corrupt. He has partnered with Turkey on oil. He however does not want to be a vassal of Erdogan. So here were are.
Note, Syrian Kurds are totally secular. It is not phony, it is real with them. For years they have fought alongside Christians, more recently largely to appease Erdogan’s rage they have fought alongside Arabs and Ezidi units.
And both Israel and Saudi Arabia have said they would recognize a Kurdish state (in Iraq).
It is unclear how Syria will be after ISIS is gone. It will also require ending al Qaeda and Turkish Militia’s in Syria. Negotiations are currently going on in Russia with top Kurd leadership about that. Where does the US fit into this? Trump supports Israel and supports business connections with Saudi Arabia. Nothing more needs said.
What is, IS.
Iraq Kurds were never Marxists.
The PKK were.
The Syrian Kurds were trained by PKK but are not Marxists. Some Communists are fighting in Syria, foreign volunteers. Some of them are from Europe. I see a Catalonia connection, it’s not in open.
As far as “can not do anything”?
They have defeated ISIS with US air support. This is especially true in Syria. NOBODY else would have done it.
Erdogan the Islamist wanted 10,000 US troops in there, so they could get bloodied up. Yes, he is our NATO ??ally??. Headshake. And Erdogan and Obama never intended to end ISIS. They just wanted to take Syria.
“None of them can be trusted.”
Actually, that is not true. Simply ask our military about that.
Hey I get it - you have a favorite group of tribes in sand land, just like John McCain or the CIA or the Pentagon.
You all simply love your favorite tribe and hate the other tribes; but don’t realize they are all the same squabbling bickering greedy inbred people.
They have been throwing rocks at each other for 5,000 years. They’ll keep throwing rocks at each other for the next 5,000 years.
Keep America out of it
“ Demonstrating once again the madness of America’s involvement in the Mideast quagmire. The person who is fighting beside you today will cut your throat tomorrow. None of them can be trusted.“
well said
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