US Special Operations Forces fighting IS in Iraq

Safaa khalaf

Military operations in northern Iraq, led by government forces, are advancing on multiple fronts with the backing of volunteer forces. After liberating the town of Amerli and ousting Islamic State (IS) militants from all roads linking Baghdad to the northern cities of Tikrit and Kirkuk, government forces recaptured on September 2 the last IS stronghold in the region of Ozaym in the Diyala district which is adjacent to Baghdad. Fierce clashes have also erupted between anti-terrorism forces and IS militants in Tikrit’s city center.

Baghdad – Speaking to Al-Akhbar, an Iraqi security source said the road between Baghdad and Kirkuk has been completely secured after a combined security unit of army and police backed by volunteer forces was able to oust IS militants from their last stronghold in the village of Sarha in the Diyala district, located between the Ozaym and Suleiman Beik regions.

Fierce clashes also erupted between IS militants and government forces who were able to liberate the villages of al-Maftoul al-Kabir, al-Maftoul al-Saghir, al-Shukur, and Beir al-Zehab.

Security sources indicated that the morale of IS militants has fallen and that they are fleeing the towns they used to control.

Meanwhile, as the Pentagon continues to deny that US troops are fighting IS on the ground in Iraq, eyewitness accounts and Kurdish officials say otherwise. A recent report published by the Daily Beast revealed that the role of American Special Operations Forces in Iraq, which has been unclear, is possibly coming to light.

The report added that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, backed by American airpower and what appeared to be US troops, struck at IS positions in the strategic crossroads of Zumar.

On the political level, difficult negotiations between Iraqi parties have eventually resulted in a 50-50 formula that divides the cabinet equally between the Shia on the one side and the Sunnis and Kurds on the other, including Iyad Alawi’s bloc.

Informed sources told Al-Akhbar that negotiators have settled on the 50-50 formula until now, and that they are waiting to resolve a conflicting issue mentioned in the “national paper” presented by prime minister-designate, Haidar Abadi.

According to a source in the National Alliance, the new government will have 31 ministers, in addition to three ministers of state, who will be sort of a “consolation prize.”

“The new cabinet is almost ready but small changes may be made at the last minute,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Shia allies seem confident about the new distribution of political positions. The Citizen Bloc, which is affiliated to the Supreme Council led by Ammar al-Hakim, was allotted the position of secretary general of the prime minister’s office and the Finance Ministry; al-Ahrar (Free People) bloc, affiliated to the Sadrist Movement, was awarded the Services and Communication Ministry; while the State of Law coalition retained the prime minister position and was allotted the ministries of defense and oil, and the Kurdish alliance retained the Foreign Ministry, with Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari remaining in office.

However, there has been no final agreement about the name of the future vice president, but leaked information suggested that the VP post may be a consolation prize for the chief of al-Wataniya Coalition, Iyad Alawi, who had previously requested that his share include the national intelligence body.

The second VP post may be held by the chief of Moutahidoun (united) Coalition, Oussama al-Nujeifi, with Ibrahim al-Jaafari, chief of the National Coalition, suggested as third VP.

In the meantime, exiting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seeking to impose some of his loyalists on key government bodies, as he aims to maintain a grip on power. He already designated former MP Ali al-Shalah as chief secretary of the Iraqi Media Network (a position equal to a chairman of the board with the capacity of an under secretary) to replace Hassan Salman. On September 2, the cabinet designated Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Mohsen al-Alak to run the central bank in a caretaker position after the retirement of the head of the Office of Financial Audits Abdel Basset al-Turki.

The council of ministers stipulated that the “new government nominates candidates for the positions of governor of the Central Bank and head of the Office of Financial Audits.”