WORLD AT WAR: 3.4.17 - Iran-Allied Shiite Militias in Iraq to Threaten U.S. After Mosul Falls

Iran-Allied Shiite Militias in Iraq to Threaten U.S. After Mosul Falls - Edwin Mora - http://www.breitbart.com

 

The U.S.-led coalition and its Iraqi partners should be vigilant against a near certain reemergence attempt by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) after it loses its territory in Iraq, where tens of thousands of Iran-allied Shiite militias pose just as serious of a threat to America's interests, experts warned.

 

Dr. Michael Knights, a Boston-based fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy that champions conservative perspectives, and Hardin Lang, a fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress (CAP), testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

 

They suggested that the United States should leave behind a military force of between 3,000 to 5,000 troops to continue working with their Iraqi counterparts for at least three years.

 

Dr. Knights specifically warned against withdrawing American troops from the country prematurely, adding, "Just two and a half years after the U.S. military left the country, ISIL took over Mosul and a third of Iraq. ISIL's success and the complete and hasty withdrawal of U.S. military support to Iraq was no coincidence."

 

Meanwhile, Lang reminded lawmakers that Shiite, or Shia, militiamen backed by Iran killed about 500 American troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

 

"We need to make smart choices now while we are still keenly focused on the threats to U.S. interests that are present in Iraq," testified Dr. Knights, according to his prepared remarks. "These threats include not only ISIL but also Shia militias groups that parasitically exploit ISIL's presence and which make up part of the Iranian threat network discussed in this committee earlier this month."

 

"The regime in the Tehran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, has an ambitious agenda inside Iraq," he added. "Tehran seeks to exploit the justifiable fear of ISIL that is felt by Iraqi Shia majority in Iraq."

 

When alluding to the Shiite fighters, Lang singled out the Iraqi government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-affiliated umbrella network of mainly Shiite fighters currently fighting ISIS in Iraq.

 

Th PMF represents the largest alliance of all Shiite militias in Iraq and is also known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMF) and al-Hashd al-Shabi.

 

Lang estimates the size of the Shiite militia force in Iraq to be between 100,000 and 120,000.

 

In his written testimony, the CAP expert acknowledged that "one of the biggest threats to reconciliation [primarily between Sunnis and Shias] remains sectarian Shia militias, adding:

 

There is a very real risk that the PMF could take root as a Hezbollah-style Iranian [terrorist] proxy. Such a development would threaten Iraqi sovereignty and undercut attempts at national reconciliation. There are no easy solutions to managing the threat posed by Iranian- backed PMF units, but the U.S. could play a constructive role in facilitating the demobilization or integration of the remaining PMF units into the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces].

 

While participating in the ongoing Mosul offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is providing assistance to the PMF.

 

The Pentagon says it is only providing support to Shiite militiamen vetted for links to Iran and terrorist groups, as mandated by law.

 

"A large proportion [of the PMF] receives direct Iranian backing," testified Lang. The CAP expert acknowledged that U.S. policy towards the PMF changed under former President Barack Obama.

 

"In 2014, U.S. refused to provide them military support, but since mid-2015, American policy has evolved to include air and other support for those PMF units not beholden to Iran," he explained, noting that the Iraqi parliament legalized the PMF in November 2016.

 

Some news reports have accused the U.S. military of providing support to all Shiite militiamen, including those linked to Iran who may have American blood on their hands. The Pentagon has denied the allegations.

 

Israel will not allow 'drizzle' of rocket fire from enemies - http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahu-Israel-will-not-allow-drizzle-of-rocket-fire-from-enemies-482735

 

Liberman says Israel has no intention of initiating any military action in Gaza, but urges Hamas to "take responsibility, impose order and calm down."

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday reiterated his warning that Israel will not allow any "drizzle" of rocket fire on its territory from enemy entities.

 

"We respond to all fire at our territory; thus we did today and as such we will do in the future," the premier underscored hours after a projectile launched by terrorists exploded in an open field in southern Israel overnight.

 

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman stated that while Israel has no intention of initiating any military action in Gaza, "we have no intention to continue to absorb drizzles (of rockets out of the Strip)."

 

"We will not get into a ping-pong situation of fire and counter-fire. I suggest Hamas take responsibility, impose order and calm down," Lieberman said in public remarks to legislators of his Yisrael Beytenu party in Jerusalem.

 

No group immediately laid claim to the rocket attack. However, in retaliation to the strike, the IDF struck multiple Hamas terror targets in Gaza as the military holds the Palestinian terror group responsible for any fire originating from the Strip.

 

Taking to Twitter, Hamas evaded responsibility for the rocket launching and accused the IDF of escalating tensions with Gaza.

 

There were no injuries or damage in Sunday's rocket attack on Israel.

 

There have been several rockets launched at southern Israel in February, including two incidents in which the Islamic State group in the Sinai fired a barrage of rockets towards the southern city of Eilat. Three of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile system while a fourth landed in open territory.

 

Two weeks ago, following a previous rocket attack, Netanyahu told reporters in London that his directives are to respond with force to every missile attack.

 

"The two-and-a-half years since Operation Protective Edge were the two quietest years since the Six Day War," he said, adding that Israel will be steadfast in responding to every attack, and not permit a "drizzle" of missile attacks that go without a response.

 

 

War On ISIS: Israel Bombs Hamas In Gaza, Hezbollah In Syria As Palestinians Join Fight - By Tom O'Connor - http://www.ibtimes.com/war-isis-israel-bombs-hamas-gaza-hezbollah-syria-palestinians-join-fight-2498471

 

Israeli jets conducted airstrikes Monday in the Gaza Strip, responding to rockets fired by Palestinian Sunni militant group Hamas into southern Israel earlier in the day, Reuters reported. 

 

The airstrikes, which hit five positions in the coastal Palestinian territory, according to an Israeli defense official, reportedly wounded four bystanders while no casualties were reported from Hamas' rocket attack. Israel's bombing Monday followed an airstrike Wednesday on Syrian army positions moving munitions for Tel Aviv's enemy, Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, near Damascus. While Israel has maintained public neutrality over the war in neighboring Syria, it has previously struck positions held by Hezbollah, which, like Hamas, Israel has labeled a terrorist group. Israel has also labeled the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, a terrorist group, but has only bombed its positions once, despite the jihadists having taken territory near the Syrian-Israel border region of the Golan Heights.

 

Tel Aviv's targeting of Hamas and Hezbollah has frustrated their efforts to battle ISIS' regional influence. While ISIS has not gained a significant foothold in the Palestinian territories, Hamas has reportedly struggled to control the actions of more radical, jihadist groups, especially those allied to ISIS operating in the neighboring Sinai Peninsula region of Egypt. In Syria, Hezbollah, along with Russia, has established itself as one of the primary forces backing President Bashar Assad in Damascus' war against ISIS and various opposition groups, which have taken large swathes of land in Syria.

 

Israel has offered medical support to militants of some of these Syrian opposition groups. Tel Aviv's assistance has further split the loyalties of Palestinian militant groups in Syria, some of which have been sympathetic to the opposition and others who have fought alongside pro-government forces. Hamas was once an ally of the Syrian government, but endorsed the opposition in 2013, putting aid from pro-Assad Iran at risk. One Palestinian militia called the Galilee Forces joined the Syrian army and allies Thursday in fighting ISIS near the historic city of Palmyra in central Syria, according to pro-government news outlet al Masdar News.

 

 

Iran says it test-fired missile from submarine - http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-says-it-test-fired-missile-from-submarine/

 

In latest series of launches, laser-guided missile also fired; US reimposed some sanctions after January tests

 

Amid tensions with the United States, Iran announced on Monday that it tested two missiles during a series of naval drills in the Persian Gulf. One was fired from a submarine, it said.

 

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said the Nasir missile, which he described as Iran's latest submarine launched cruise missile, "successfully hit its target" during its test launch, the official IRNA news agency reported.

 

Tasnim news agency said the Dehlaviyeh, a laser-guided missile, had also been successfully tested.

 

It was reported back in 2012 that Iran had based the Dehlaviyeh on a Russian anti-tank missile.

 

The ranges of the two missiles were not given.

 

The most recent Iranian missile firings follow the launches of a ballistic missile and cruise missile in late January - both of which are nuclear capable - with the former resulting in new US sanctions on a number of entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and a warning from US President Donald Trump that the Islamic Republic had been "put on notice" and that "nothing is off the table" in terms of a military response to perceived Iranian provocations.

 

Cruise missiles - such as the Nasir fired in the most recent missile launches - are not covered by UN Resolution 2231, which was passed shortly after the nuclear deal with Iran was signed in July 2015 and calls on Tehran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology." Iran argues that its ballistic missile program is also not covered by the resolution because it does not have a nuclear weapons program.

 

However, the test is likely to be viewed in Israel and the US as another aggressive maneuver by Tehran to expand its missile program.

 

Since Trump's inauguration in January, there has been a marked increase in tensions between the the US and Iran, with a number of senior Iranian military officials issuing pointed warnings to the US if it takes military action over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

 

 

Palestinian Terror Chief Calls for Iran to Join 'All-Out War' Against Israel, Jordan - by Deborah Danan - http://www.breitbart.com

The leader of a Palestinian terrorist group in Lebanon called for an "all-out war" with Israel and Jordan in which Iranian soldiers would fight to "liberate Palestine."  

 

"I want to see the revolutionary fighters from [Iran] in the Galilee," Ahmad Jibril, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, told Hezbollah's Al-Mayadeen TV in an interview translated by watchdog group the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) on Friday.

 

Jibril said "an axis of resistance" should be formed against Israel that would include Syria, Iraq, Iran and Hezbollah. The aim of the resistance would be to fight for "the liberation of Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River."

 

After defeating Israel, he said, "we will enter Jordan, whether King Abdullah likes it or not."

 

He added that "The war with this enemy will be an all-out war ... in the Golan, in South Lebanon, in the Galilee ... [and] will be waged from Rosh Hanikra to Aqaba."

 

"Hezbollah is getting ready for it, and so are we," he added.

 

Jibril's remarks come in the wake of threats made by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, including, most recently, vowing that in a future war Hezbollah would not hold back from targeting Israel's vital infrastructure.

 

"In the face of Israel's threats to destroy Lebanon's infrastructure, we will not abide by red lines, especially regarding Haifa's ammonia and the nuclear reactor in Dimona. Hezbollah possesses the full courage for this," he said, according to an English translation of his comments reported by the Naharnet website.

 

Last week, Nasrallah made similar threats against Haifa and Dimona, warning that a strike on the ammonia plant would be akin to a nuclear bomb explosion.

 

During an official visit to Beirut, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday said that Palestinian factions were committed to preserving security in refugee camps around Lebanon.

 

 

 

Palestinian Official: 'I Pray to Allah that Iran will Produce 1,000 Nuclear Bombs' - http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2017/02/27/palestinian-official-pray-allah-iran-will-produce-1000-nuclear-bombs/

 

The Times of Israel reports: The Palestine Liberation Organization's envoy to Tehran said he hopes Iran will produce 1,000 nuclear bombs, adding that Israel is "truly terrified" of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

 

Although he did not explicitly call for Iran to use a nuclear bomb against Israel, Salah al-Zawawi (pictured) told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese television station Al-Manar in an interview on February 20 that "if Iran produces a nuclear bomb - and I pray to Allah that Iran will produce 1,000 nuclear bombs," he hopes "it will be used to defend, at the very least, the Islamic Republic and its principles," according to a translation by watchdog group MEMRI.

 

Iran has denied seeking to produce nuclear weapons and signed a 2015 agreement with world powers that puts in place limitations on its nuclear program. At the same time, the Islamic Republic has continued to develop missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and a number of senior Iranian officials have called repeatedly for Israel's "annihilation," including its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.