19th June: Obama dithers and delays in his decision to bomb anti regime forces in Iraq. The BBCs John Simpson: “President Obama's statement wasn't the lifeline the Iraqi government hoped for. They wanted immediate airstrikes to stop ISIS in its tracks.”
19th June: The Iraqi Army claims to have taken back full control of towns in the province of Diyala and claims to be gaining ground in the neighboring Salahuddin province.
19th June: The UAE recalls its ambassador to Iraq citing marginalization of certain sections of society on sectarian lines.
19th June: The US Vice President called up Maliki, Barzani, and Osama Al-Nujaifi and urged all parties to work together towards government formation and security.
19th June: Daash has captured a disused Saddam era Chemical Weapons factory in Muthana. It is located 70 km north of Baghdad.
19th June: Shia militias of volunteer fighters were deployed to Diyalah and the city of Samarra.
19th June: A firefight between Daash fighters and Kurdish Peshmergas broke out in Kirkuk. Peshmergas fired rockets at Daash positions.
19th June: Abu Khabib al-Jazaeeri a Sudi national who was a senior commander of Daash has been killed in Tikrit while battling security forces.
19th June: Australia estimates that nearly 150 of its citizens are fighting on the side of Daash:
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australians-fighting-for-rebels-in-iraq-20140618-3ae67.html#ixzz352hWPmmx
20th June: Sistani’s representative Abdul Mehdi al-Karbalai speaking on behalf of Sistani stated that if Daash was not “fought and expelled from Iraq, everyone will regret it tomorrow, when regret has no meaning.” Sistani has also pressed for government formation based on election results within its timeframe “It is very important to be committed to these timings and not to violate them.”
20th June: Kurdish forces are battling Daash militants on the outskirts of Kirkuk. The confrontation had taken place earlier in the week for the village of Malla Abdallah and the Shia majority town of Basheer. The fighting for Basheer had been fierce with Peshmerga forces fighting Daash at close quarters. The Peshmergas reported 10 fatalities and left after government airstrikes left two Peshmergas dead. Most residents of Basheer have fled to Iraqi Kurdistan.
20th June: The Telegraph reports: Mohammed al-Khaldi, a top aide to outgoing Sunni speaker of parliament, Osama al-Nujaifi, added: "We have asked the Americans, Britain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran to work toward denying al-Maliki a new term. The Shiite bloc must find a replacement for him."
20th June: Baiji Refinery is currently in Government hands. The last assault by Daash was made late on Thursday. Militants are believed to be regrouping and are believed to still hold parts of the refinery complex. Militants were forced to retreat after meeting fierce resistance.
20th June: Head of Saddams tribe, Sheikh Hassan al-Nasseri , “The people taking part in this fight are not true to the beliefs of Saddam or his Ba'ath party, which was a movement with principles and ideology, We have nothing to do with al-Qaeda”
20th June: A helicopter gunship has mistakenly fired on government troops in Dhuluyiyah resulting in a civilian casualty.
20th June: The Government is amassing troops and equipment in Samarra for a counter offensive north.
20th June: Areas where Government forces are facing rebels spear headed by Daash include: Tal Afar, Baiji, Tikrit, Samarra, Fallujah, Kirkuk, Baqouba, and West of Baghdad.
20th June: Some Details on groups allied with Daash and where active:
Naqshabandi army is active in Kirkuk and south east of Mosul
1920 Revolution Brigades, made up of ex officers, are fighting in Diyala
Fallujah has seen a gradual shift to Salafism, with Islamists holding sway over tribal elders.
Ninevah province had seen 14 armed factions working together, Daash being one of them.
Tribal Revolutionary Council of Anbar was formed in 2013 to fight Iraqi Security Forces. It is not clear if they have participated in this conflict.
20th June: Most, if not all, border crossings between Kurdish parts of Syria and Iraq are under Kurdish control. While the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in the Syrian Kurdish enclave has been a rival of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and its Peshmergas, the threat of Daash has seen them come closer to defend Kurdish interests.
20th June: Daash atrocities recorded by the UN for Wednesday:
17 civilians working for the police forces in Mosul executed
12 civilians working for the police forces in Mosul suburb executed
4 women commit suicide after being raped and/or forcefully married by Daash
20th June: The Ba’ath Factions fighting against the regime consist of two factions that were sponsored by the regime in SYRIA during the American occupation: One led by Ibrahim Izzat Al Dourri, another led by Brig. Gen. Mohammad Younes al-Ahmad
20th June: Clashes are ongoing between rebels and government forces near Tal Afar airport
20th June: A tweet purported to Qassem Suleimani and addressed to Daash rebels states that if Daash/the takfiris harm any Shia shrine then the Shia Mujahiddeen will pray afternoon prayers in Janat-ul-Baqi, Saudi Arabia.
Further Reading:
George Galloway on PM Cameron: What he(Cameron) didn’t answer was the question I asked him 12 months ago: would he explain to the [House of Commons] the differences between the al-Qaeda we are supporting in some countries(Syria) and the al-Qaeda we’re considering a threat to life as we know it in other places (Iraq)
Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article38856.htm
Iraq tearing apart:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-implosion-of-iraq-at-the-hands-of-the-isis-islamists-a-975541.html
The Emir of Kuwait, apparently drunk in Iran
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=68b_1402122162