Did US VP Biden Guarantee Turkey annexion of Mosul, Trouble Brewing in Syria Preparing for Advance?

January 29, 2016 By administrator

US Vice President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Turkey indicates that Washington is not inclined to pressure Ankara into halting its anti-Kurdish crackdown nor its military deployments near the rich Iraqi oilfields of Mosul, F. William Engdahl notes.

On January 24 US Vice President Joseph Biden held intensive meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

F. William Engdahl, American-German researcher, historian and strategic risk consultant, believes that the Obama administration manipulates both the ambitious Turkish President Erdogan and the impulsive Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, indulging their militarism and greed.

“The Washington game seems to be to give the Saudi-Turkish duo enough rope to hang themselves in a mad power grab of Syrian and Iraqi oil riches and perhaps, if they are really mad enough, of Iran’s oilfields too,” the researcher remarks in his article for New Eastern Outlook.

Anyway, Biden’s visit has indicated clearly that Washington still supports the Erdogan regime and is turning a blind eye to the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Turkish and Syrian Kurds by Ankara “thinly veiled” as a war against PKK (the Kurdistan Worker’s Party) and de facto occupation of Iraqi territories near Mosul by Turkey’s military.

Remarkably, Ankara has no scruples about equating the Syrian leadership, Kurdish PKK and YPG (People’s Defense Units), fighting terrorists in Syria, to Daesh (Islamic State/ISIL) and al-Qaeda’s affiliate al-Nusra Front.

According to Turkish PM Davutoglu, there are three threats in Syria: “One is the regime [of Bashar al-Assad], another is Daesh, and the third is the YPG,” he said as cited by Hurriyet, Turkey’s mainstream liberal media outlet.

“Turkey sees no difference between terrorists groups such as Daesh, PKK, DHKP-C [the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front] or al-Nusra,” Davutoglu added.

As for Turkey’s military deployments near the rich oilfields of Mosul, Deniz Zeyrek of Hurriyet reported Monday that during Joe Biden’s visit the Turkish side proposed a project to Washington “to calm Iraq’s unease.”

“According to the project, which found support from the US, NATO and the US anti-ISIL coalition will jointly operate at the training base in Bashiqa [a town in the Mosul District]. Nonetheless, no logistical change will be made at the base other than a sign showing that an international force is deployed there. The Iraqi army will be allowed to have a representative as part of the international coalition,” Zeyrek wrote, citing sources with the knowledge of the matter.

It seems that there are little if any contradictions between Ankara’s foreign policy in the region and Washington’s Middle Eastern agenda.

“In fact, Biden discussed US military support, unspecified, for a Turkish military move to take the oilfields of Mosul,” Engdahl notes.

“Further, the US Vice President apparently said not a word about the continuing illegal smuggling of Iraqi and Syrian oil by ISIS [Daesh] into Turkey where Erdogan’s son ships it to world markets, financing the ISIS terror inside Syria Biden claims to oppose,” he adds.

The researcher calls attention to the fact that Biden signaled that the United States and Turkey are ready to seek a military solution in Syria if the diplomatic Geneva talks fail.

“We do know that it would be better if we can reach a political solution but we are prepared — we are prepared if that’s not possible — to have a military solution to this operation in taking out Daesh,” Biden stated.

Interestingly enough, the statement came after US Defense Secretary Ashton’s announcement of the Pentagon’s new strategy in Syria that envisages more boots on the ground in the region. Furthermore, rumors are still simmering regarding the US increasing military deployments at the Syrian Rmeilan airfield.

Engdahl stresses that at the same time Turkey has gained more influence in the region.

“In March this year, as a result of collusion between the Saudi monarchy of Salman and Erdogan, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was coerced to hand over a vital political post to Erdogan,” he notes, explaining that Erdogan will soon lead the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a powerful and influential organization regarded by many as the Muslim ‘UN.’

According to the researcher, the ongoing preparations signal “something very big and very dramatic in the coming few months in the Middle East.”

Iraqi People have had enough with PM Abadi begging Turkey to leave Nanava,

January 23, 2016 By administrator

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has renewed his call on Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq, saying he hoped Ankara would help Baghdad fight Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

“I appeal to the Turkish government to help us, and withdraw their forces,” Abadi said Friday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos.

The prime minister said the Turkish government has failed to provide an answer to the question why its soldiers are on the Iraqi soil. “We have to have an answer.”

“We in Iraq want very good neighborly relations with Turkey, we hope Turkey will help us to fight Daesh,” Abadi added.

Last month, Turkey deployed some 150 soldiers, equipped with heavy weapons and backed by 20 to 25 tanks, to the outskirts of Mosul, the capital of Iraq’s northern Nineveh Province.

Ankara claimed the deployment was part of a mission to train and equip Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the anti-Daesh fight, but Baghdad denounced the uncoordinated move as a violation of Iraq’s national sovereignty.

“I don’t know what their aim is. Is it an expansionist plot to control part of Nineveh?” Abadi noted. “I hope not … I

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh mounted an offensive in the Arab country in June 2014.

Abadi said the violence perpetrated by Daesh in Iraq has left four million internal refugees.

Comment by Iraqi people

Charles Kerry9

Words don’t work ,diplomacy doesn’t work with Turks,

Zring8913

Why is Iraq so scared??? Just attack them and tell the West that Turkey has caused threat to Iraq as well they are illigaly stationed!!! The US and Nato can’t do anything u guys got Russia, China and Iran by ur side!!!

Marcus Garvey13

STOP BEGGING AND KICK THEM OUT!!!

anti terror15

Abadi is playing the American Zionist Game of Condemning Terrorism on one hand and Aiding Terror on the Other,rather than Appealing to Turkey use Force against it if Serious

Iraqi15

As someone who was born in Iraq I find this man out of touch , for so long he keeps repeating the same words and no action isn’t time he starts asking for help from Russia , what is going on have we lost our pride as Iraqis , he should retire go back doing what he used to do and let a brave leader take his place absolutely disgraceful .

Bahram15

Remove the turks by force if you did NOT invite Them or they dont leave the illigal occupied areas. You should have your legal basis in place to remove Them. WHO does NOT have the right to throw someone out WHO has enteties your home without invitation – everybody has the right to throw uninvited intruders out of theire homes.

Kurdish Forces Bulldoze Thousands of Arab Homes in Northern Iraq

January 19, 2016 By administrator

1033406396 According to a report by a prominent rights watchdog, Kurdish militias have destroyed thousands of homes belonging to Arabs in northern Iraq for their alleged support of the Daesh militant group.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kurdish militias have destroyed thousands of homes belonging to Arabs in northern Iraq for their alleged support of the Daesh militant group, a report by a prominent rights watchdog said Wednesday.

“Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kurdish militias in northern Iraq have bulldozed, blown up and burned down thousands of homes in Arab villages,” Amnesty International said in the report.

The 46-page report documents widespread burning of homes and property in villages and towns in Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala governorates which Peshmerga forces captured from Daesh militants.

Accusations of widespread destruction in Arab communities were substantiated by a field investigation in 13 villages, satellite images and reports from over a hundred witnesses.

Many Arabs displaced by fighting in northern Iraq have been prevented from returning to their homes by Kurdish militias, while others were expelled after Peshmerga forces had taken control of the areas, the report said.

“They are examples of a wider pattern across the disputed areas of northern Iraq, where parties which had long vied for exclusive control of these areas are now intent on consolidating territorial gains,” the report said.

Amnesty International has called on KRG, as well as states from the US-led coalition providing support to Kurds, to take steps to ensure those responsible for the abuses are held accountable for what the watchdog said constituted a war crime.

Iraq denies Turkish forces in north clashed with ISIL ’recently’ “Turkey Fabrication”

January 9, 2016 By administrator

A member of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces stands guard at a security point on Bashiqa mountain, overlooking ISIL held territories of Mosul, in this March 2015 photo. (Photo: Reuters)

Iraq‘s joint operations command denied on Saturday that Turkish forces based in northern Iraq had been attacked by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or had clashed with the militants, refuting a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“The joint operations command denies there was a terrorist attack on the position of Turkish forces in Bashiqa by the terrorist Daesh (ISIL) recently,” said a news flash on state television, referring to a military base near Mosul.

“The joint operations command denies what was relayed in some media outlets from the Turkish president about clashing between the Turkish forces inside Iraqi territory and the terrorist Daesh whether in Bashiqa or any other areas,” another flash said.

Erdoğan said on Friday that an attack by ISIL on the military base where Turkish troops are training an Iraqi Sunni militia showed Turkey’s decision to deploy troops there was justified.

Turkey Fabricated claims to have foiled ISIS raid on training camp, Iraq denies any battle

January 8, 2016 By administrator

56905b1dc361889b288b45ab Turkish forces foiled an attack on their training camp in Iraq, killing 18 jihadists, said President Erdogan in defense of an unauthorized military deployment. However, Iraq’s military said no battles between Turkish troops and ISIS recently took place.

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants attempted to infiltrate the Turkish training camp in Iraq this week, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed, referring to an event that allegedly took place on January 7.

“I have been told that some 18 Daesh [the Arabic name for IS] terrorists who tried to sneak into the Bashiqa camp were neutralized,” he said, adding that no Turkish troops were injured in the fight.

The Turkish President has taken the opportunity to praise the usefulness of the military installation located near the city of Mosul, saying that the ISIS attack “proves just how appropriate was the step taken regarding the camp.”

“It is clear that with our armed soldiers there, our officers giving the training are prepared for anything at any time,” he told reporters in Istanbul.

However, a statement from Iraq has cast doubt on Erdogan’s announcement. According to Iraq’s joint operations command, there was no such attack on a Turkish base or any recent military engagement between the Turkish forces and ISIS whatsoever.

“The joint operations command denies there was a terrorist attack on the position of Turkish forces in Bashiqa by the terrorist Daesh recently,” said a news flash on state television, Reuters reported. According to another similar statement: “The joint operations command denies what was relayed in some media outlets from the Turkish president about clashing between the Turkish forces inside Iraqi territory and the terrorist Daesh whether in Bashiqa or any other areas.”

Relations between Ankara and Baghdad have been tense following Turkey’s December 4 unauthorized deployment of about 150 soldiers backed by artillery and around 25 tanks to camp Bashiqa, a base near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul that is controlled by terrorists.

While Turkey claims its “training mission” falls under the mandate of the US-led coalition, Baghdad insists that the deployment was illegal and in breach of the country’s sovereignty. Facing harsh backlash from Iraq and global criticism, Turkey has vowed to partially withdraw its troops, but failed to deliver on promises.

The camp, located some 140 kilometers south of the Turkish border and about 20 km from IS-controlled Mosul, is allegedly being used to train Iraqi militia against to fight the jihadists. Official Iraqi troops are not present in the area ever since the Nineveh province has fallen under terrorists’ control in June 2014.

“There is no Iraqi armed forces, there are only terrorist groups’ camps,” Razzaq Mihebis, an MP from the Iraqi Badr bloc,told RT earlier, rejecting Erdogan’s justifications for the deployment as an “absolute lie.”

“They [Iraq] asked us to train their soldiers and showed us this base as the venue,” Erdogan reiterated on Friday. He claimed that the “negative developments”, meaning Baghdad’s backlash against Turkish invasion, began only after “problems between Russia and Turkey” had emerged.

However, Turkish forces are “not taking any action against” IS militants even when located right “in front of them,” another MP told RT last month, referring to some videos shown to parliamentarians by the country’s security services.

“It was clear from the beginning that Turkey is the main sponsor of Daesh. Now [Turkey] created camps in northern Iraq and invaded our territory under the pretext of fighting against Daesh. But in reality it is training their fighters,” Iraqi MP from the State of Law bloc, Awatif Nima said.

Given the overwhelming and evidence there is no doubt that oil is being smuggled into Turkey on a massive scale. But there is also proof that Turkey is keeping its border open for the jihadi fighters and aiding them to get medical treatment on its territory before sending them back to fight in Syria and Iraq, Iraqi MP and a former national security adviser, Mowaffak al Rubaie told RT.

Meanwhile a spokesman for the Popular Front’s Badr Organization, one of Iraq’s most prominent Shiite militias, Karim al-Nouri told RT that their forces were able to secure enough data from the dead ISIS terrorists’ bodies to directly implicate Turkey in involvement with IS affairs.

“We have documents that prove that the largest logistical support [to ISIS] and supply routes are supplied by the Turks,” he claimed. According to al-Nouri, jihadists are also freely crossing the Turkish border, where they are being offered “save heavens.”

RT Report

Obama renews call for withdrawal of unauthorized Turkish forces from Iraq

January 7, 2016 By administrator

US President Barack Obama told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi late on Wednesday that Turkey should withdraw from Iraq any military forces that have not been authorized by the Iraqi government in the latest call to urge Ankara to end the dispute with Baghdad.

In a phone call to the Iraqi prime minister, Obama and Abadi discussed their “mutual concern” over Saudi Arabia’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Iran, the White House said.

“They agreed on the need for all regional parties to demonstrate restraint, avoid provocative rhetoric or behavior, and avoid a worsening of sectarian tensions,” the White House said in a statement. “They agreed on the importance that all parties maintain diplomatic engagement and dialogue.”

Obama also spoke about the Turkey-Iraq rift over Turkish military presence in northern Iraq and called again for the withdrawal of all unauthorized Turkish forces.

For Washington, the dispute has the potential to hamper US efforts to assemble an alliance of groups in Iraq and neighboring countries in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) before an anticipated offensive to recapture Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city.

Turkey Drags NATO Into Quagmire as Iraq Threatens Military Retaliation

January 1, 2016 By administrator

1031437031 Iraq’s readiness to take military action against Turkey if Ankara fails to withdraw its troops from Iraqi territory has increased the possibility of NATO involvement on the side of Turkey and its territorial ambitions, reported the German press on Thursday.

Even though Iraq is aiming for a diplomatic solution to its dispute with Turkey, its government hasn’t ruled out using military force in order to remove Turkish troops from Iraqi territory, thus raising the possibility of NATO involvement, German Economic News (DWN) reported on Thursday.

“If it comes to war, NATO must be on the side of Turkey in Iraq,” the newspaper pointed out.

‘Iraq doesn’t want any Turkish troops in its country, and threatens war against a NATO country,’ reported DWN.

The Federal Republic of Germany has been a NATO member since 1955. In December the German government announced that its forces were joining the US-led anti-Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) coalition in a non-combat, support role.

On Wednesday, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said that although Iraq wants to use diplomatic means to resolve the conflict, it does not exclude the use of force if “fighting is imposed on us.”

“We will consider it (the use of military force) to protect our sovereignty, people and resources,” said al-Jaafari.

In early December, the Turkish government sent a battalion of 25 tanks and about 150 troops into northern Iraq without the permission of the Iraqi government.

Ankara said its forces were there with the assent of the Iraqi government, and were sent in response to security concerns in northern Iraq, where its forces help to train Iraqi militia battling Daesh in northern Iraq. The Iraqi government in Baghdad called the incursion a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and demanded the troops withdraw in 48 hours.

At first Turkey refused to withdraw troops from the Bashiqa military base, which is close to Mosul in northern Iraq, but later agreed to withdraw some of the forces after Iraq complained to the UN Security Council. On Wednesday the Iraqi government again complained, that Turkey has so far failed to honour the agreement to withdraw all its troops from Iraqi territory.

Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952, and according to the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty, the principle of collective defence commits its members to defend each other in the event of an armed attack against another member. However, Article 5 of the Treaty makes no reference to the alliance’s responsibilities to intervene in the case of an act of aggression by a NATO country.

Source:sputniknews.com

Iraq FM tells Turkey to pull out of north, threatens action

December 30, 2015 By administrator

Iraq’s foreign minister has reiterated demands that Turkish troops pull out of northern Iraq, warning Ankara that Baghdad may otherwise have to consider military action, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

A Turkey-Iraq spat flared up in early December after Turkey deployed reinforcements to a camp in northern Iraq’s Bashiqa region where Ankara is helping train Sunni and Kurdish fighters to battle Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.

The deployment riled Baghdad, which considers the new troops an illegal incursion and which subsequently demanded their immediate and complete withdrawal.

After Iraq’s demands, Turkey began withdrawing the troops but not completely.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said Dec. 30 that Baghdad will continue to pursue peaceful means, but that if there is no other solution and if “fighting is imposed on us, we will consider it to protect our sovereignty.”

Fall of Ramadi flashpoint hands Iraq forces landmark victory

December 28, 2015 By administrator

ceed83bd74da59df7c2b374262c3ddbd5c4121fc By Ahmad al-Rubaye with Salam Faraj in Baghdad,

Ramadi (Iraq) (AFP) – The Islamic State group abandoned its last stronghold in Ramadi Sunday, effectively handing Iraqi forces their biggest victory since last year’s massive jihadist nationwide offensive.

There were still parts of the flashpoint government complex the elite counter-terrorism service could not enter, as jihadists had rigged the entire area with explosives before retreating.

And while pockets of jihadists may remain, Iraqi forces said they no longer faced any resistance, and officials were already congratulating them for liberating Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

“All Daesh (IS) fighters have left. There is no resistance,” Sabah al-Numan, the counter-terrorism force’s spokesman, told AFP.

“The operation is almost wrapped up”, as a major clearing effort was still needed to allow forces to move in.

People waving Iraqi flags celebrated the Ramadi victory in several cities, including Baghdad and the holy Shiite city of Karbala.

Parliament Speaker Salim al-Juburi issued a statement congratulating the “heroes of the security forces for a great victory, which resulted in the liberation of the city of Ramadi from terrorism.”

The US-led coalition, which was heavily involved in supporting Iraqi forces in Ramadi, also congratulated them on the success of an operation that began soon after they lost the city in May.

“It is the result of many months of hard work by the Iraqi Army, the Counter Terrorism Service, the Iraqi Air Force, local and federal police and tribal fighters all supported by over 600 coalition air strikes since July,” spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

– Unknown casualties –

Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes had punched into the centre of Ramadi on Tuesday, in a final push to retake the city.

Fighting over the past two days had been concentrated around the government complex, whose recapture had become synonymous with victory in the battle for Ramadi.

According to medical sources, 93 members of the security forces were brought in with injuries on Sunday alone.

“The dead bodies are taken directly to the main military hospital” near the airport, said one hospital source.

At least five government fighters have been killed over the past two days alone, but no official has divulged any overall toll for the operation.

Estimates a week ago were that the Islamic State had around 400 fighters to defend central Ramadi, many of them protecting the government compound.

Those numbers were thought to have drastically declined over the past two days, with several fighters retreating from the main battle and dozens of others killed in fighting or in suicide attacks.

Ali Dawood, the head of the neighbouring Khaldiya council, said IS fighters used civilians as human shields to slip out of the government complex.

“Daesh fighters forced all the families living around the compound to go with them in order to flee towards Sichariyah, Sufiya and Jweiba,” on the eastern outskirts of Ramadi, he said.

He had said on Saturday that more than 250 families had managed to escape the combat zones since the start of the operation and had been escorted to safety by the army.

Iraqi Resistance force attack Turkish Iraqi invasion soldiers 5 injured in second attack at Bashiqa camp

December 28, 2015 By administrator

n_93097_1 Five Turkish soldiers sustained injuries on Dec. 27 in the second attack this month on Bashiqa training camp in northern Iraq, Turkish sources have said.

Turkey deployed around 150 troops to the Bashiqa area earlier this month with the stated aim of training an Iraqi militia.

The Turkish soldiers’ presence in Iraq recently turned into a row between the two neighboring countries.

The additional deployment of Turkish troops to the Bashiqa camp kicked off an angry exchange between the two capitals.

Turkey said on Dec. 14 that some of its troops had begun leaving as part of reorganization, but Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s spokesman said it was not enough.