. Military Space News .
IRAQ WARS
Baghdad blasts expose gaps in Iraq's strained military
By Maya Gebeily
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 22, 2021

file image only

Twin suicide blasts in Baghdad claimed by the Islamic State group have exposed gaps within Iraq's security forces, weakened by the Covid-19 pandemic, rival armed groups and political tensions.

At least 32 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the double-tap suicide attack that targeted a commercial district in Baghdad on Thursday.

It was the deadliest attack in three years in the capital, which has been relatively calm since IS's territorial defeat in late 2017.

But it has also illustrated accumulating shortfalls in Iraq's patchwork of security forces, experts said.

"IS isn't coming back. The fact that this is news shows how good the situation has become compared to the past," said Jack Watling, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

"But there are some very clear problems in the Iraqi security sector, and this is reflective of that."

Following the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq's security forces had to be effectively rebuilt from the ground up, relying heavily on training by foreign armies.

The Covid-19 pandemic put an abrupt halt to that.

Living together at bases with little social distancing, Iraqi troops were some of the country's first coronavirus victims.

In March 2020, the US-led coalition announced it was pulling out foreign trainers to stem the pandemic's spread.

"The decreased training over the past year because of Covid-19 (created) a gap there," a top US official in Baghdad told AFP last month.

It also meant Iraq's security services had decreased access to the coalition's communications surveillance -- "an early warning system" that was crucial to nipping IS attacks in the bud, said Watling.

- 'Gap to exploit' -

Many of those withdrawals became permanent.

The US-led coalition announced last year that Iraq's army was capable of fighting IS remnants on its own and pulled out of eight bases across the country.

At the same time, citing the improving security situation, Baghdad's authorities lifted the concrete blast walls and checkpoints that had congested the city for years.

Battle-hardened units were moved out of cities to chase down IS sleeper cells in rural areas, with less-experienced units taking over urban security.

Security analyst Alex Mello said those rotations combined with less-reliable intelligence may have eventually granted IS "a gap to exploit".

The US official said Iraqi forces were at times unwilling to tackle IS fighters head-on, allowing small cells to flourish into larger groups.

One coalition air strike near Mosul in December killed 42 IS jihadists -- an unusually large number.

"The senior commanders in Baghdad were extremely pissed at the local forces. They had to know those guys were there," the US official said.

But the core challenge may not be technical.

Iraq's security forces include army troops, militarised police units and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a network of armed forces incorporated into the state after 2014.

Many were backed by Iran, which generated a mutual distrust with some forces trained by its arch enemy, the United States.

Tensions spiked following the US drone strike last year that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Hashed deputy chief, Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

"The real strain has been political," said Watling.

"During the fight against IS, there was a lot of informal information sharing between the Hashed, the coalition and others. That's just not there anymore, which reduces situational awareness," he said.

- 'No one is clean' -

Navigating those tensions has been a major challenge for Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, seen as US-friendly.

He rose to the premiership in May while retaining his previous post as head of Iraq's intelligence service.

Kadhemi has relied heavily on the US-trained Counter-Terrorism Service for a range of missions: hunting down IS cells, arresting corrupt officials and even reigning in groups launching rockets on the US embassy.

Observers say it is because he trusts so few other units.

But it has also forced the CTS into uncomfortable confrontations with pro-Iran factions that have often ended with the former backing down.

"Constantly retreating on orders and apologising to the targeted groups only weakens the CTS, the commander-in-chief, and the Iraqi state," said Marsin Alshamary, a Brookings Institute research fellow.

Following Thursday's attack, Kadhemi announced an overhaul of Iraq's security leadership, including a new federal police commander and chief of the elite Falcons Unit.

Kadhemi is hoping those changes will not only plug holes that Thursday's attackers exploited, but could also resolve the deeper issues of trust and coordination.

But observers were sceptical of how far that could go given widespread graft in Iraq's security forces.

"When you're dealing with a corrupt bureaucracy, no one is clean," said Watling.


Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


IRAQ WARS
IS claims Baghdad twin bombing that killed 32, wounded 110
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 21, 2021
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a twin suicide bombing that killed 32 people and wounded 110 at a crowded market in central Baghdad on Thursday. It was the deadliest attack on the city in three years, when another suicide bomber targeted the same area. The first attacker drew a crowd at the bustling market in the capital's Tayaran Square by claiming to feel sick, then detonated his explosives belt, the interior ministry said. As more people then flocked to the scene to hel ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

IRAQ WARS
Northrop builds command centers for Poland's air, missile defense system

Israel delivers second Iron Dome Defense System battery to U.S.

Congress adds $1.3B to Missile Defense Agency's budget in spending bill

IMDO and MDA complete intercept test of the David's Sling Weapon System

IRAQ WARS
U.S. Navy to arm amphibious vessels with long-range missiles

Britain buys SPEAR3 missiles for F-35B fighter planes in $748.3M deal

AFRL demonstrates critical new warhead technologies for high speed weapons

Projectile concept shows potential to extend munition range to more than 100km

IRAQ WARS
First-ever remote drone delivery completed in Latvia

Sagetech Avionics receives AFWERX contract from US Air Force

French army to purchase 300 mini-drones

US Air Force Funds Adaptation of Automotive Radar for Autonomous "Flying Cars"

IRAQ WARS
Skynet 6A passes Preliminary Design Review

Northrop Grumman lands $325M deal for Air Force JSTARS sustainment

ThinKom completes Over-the-Air tests with K/Q-Band antenna on protected comms satellite

Defense, Commerce departments join to find 5G solutions

IRAQ WARS
WeaponONE demonstrates digital twin technologies that deliver software-defined capabilities

Teams selected to produce critical, on-demand stocks from military waste

AFRL demonstrates first collaborative weapon technologies

Ghost town provides high-tech testing for AFRL and others

IRAQ WARS
Trump had no influence on major DoD contracts, outgoing official says

Turkey urges dialogue with US after missile sanctions

Spain seeks post-Brexit defence agreement with UK

The Bavarian town where US troops are life and soul

IRAQ WARS
US denounces 'cynical' Chinese sanctions on Trump officials

US intelligence pick warns on China, pledges to stay apolitical

Biden nominee Blinken vows firmness on China, Iran

NATO chief says looking forward to working with Biden

IRAQ WARS
Scientists see competition of magnetic orders from 2D sheets of atoms

Atomic-scale nanowires can now be produced at scale

Weak force has strong impact on nanosheets

Making 3D nanosuperconductors with DNA









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.