Biden’s Pentagon: Syria Bombing Legal Under International Law
The Biden Administration said it had legal authority to conduct lethal airstrikes in Syria under Article II and United Nations Charter 51.
PMU
State: ‘Iran Is Transferring Ballistic Missiles to Shiite Militia Groups’ in Iraq
State sponsor of terrorism Iran is providing “ballistic missiles” to Tehran-allied Shiite militia groups in Iraq, a top U.S. Department of State (DOS) official declared Thursday.
World View: Devastating Defeat to Iraq in Kirkuk Exposes Major Splits Between Kurdish Factions
Contents: Kurds flee Kirkuk after Iraq army defeats them in complete rout; Devastating defeat to Iraq in Kirkuk exposes major splits between Kurdish factions
World View: Armies and Militias Fighting Islamic State Increasingly Turn on Each Other
Contents: Mattis and Tillerson work to prevent Iraq vs Kurd military confrontation in Kirkuk; ISIS fighters permitted to leave Raqqa, Syria, with human shields; Syria demands ‘immediately’ pullout of Turkey’s forces from Idlib province
Iran-Allied Militia Attacks Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq
A group affiliated with a predominantly Shiite paramilitary force backed by Iran and legally operating as a component of the Iraqi military has reportedly bombed Kurdish Peshmerga positions in northern Iraq’s Sinjar region, Rudaw reports.
Mosul: Iraq to Probe Human Rights Abuses by Its Own Troops, Iran Allies
Iraq has launched an investigation into alleged violations of human rights and other abuses against civilians purportedly committed by some of the country’s service members and their allies, including Iran-backed Shiite fighters.
Kurds Protest Report of Iran-Allied Shiite Militias Seeking Base in Iraqi Kurdistan
Fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization of mostly Iran-allied Shiite militias, have established a presence in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region with the ultimate purpose of erecting a base there, Rudaw has learned from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Amnesty: Iraq’s Shiite Militias Using U.S. Weapons to Commit War Crimes
The predominantly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) has been using weapons provided by the United States, Europe, Russia, and Iran to commit war crimes in Iraq, according to the human rights watchdog Amnesty International.
All-Female Yazidi Militia Launches Revenge Offensive Against Islamic State in Iraq
An all-female Yazidi militia has reportedly declared that it wants to be on the front lines of a new operation against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in northern Iraq in an effort to avenge their fellow Yazidi women who have suffered atrocities at the hands of the jihadist group.
U.S. Military Denies Reports Claiming Hezbollah Fighting Alongside U.S. in Mosul
The U.S. military has denied reports suggesting that fighters from Iran’s terrorist proxy Kataib Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades, are fighting alongside U.S.-backed Iraqi troops and their allies in the offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
U.S. Troops ‘In Harm’s Way’ Supporting Liberation of Mosul, Iraq
WASHINGTON, D.C. — American troops, including some who are embedded with advancing forces, are “in harm’s way” as they collaborate with troops from Iraq, the Kurdish Peshmerga, and Iran-linked Shiite militias in the fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), according to the Pentagon.
Shiite Militiaman Discusses His Fights Against ‘Americans’ and ‘The Jews’
Footage of a Shiite militia sniper discussing his battles against America and the Jews has surfaced, thanks to a Middle East watchdog group.
