But the 'liberation' movement rolls on.
All Iraq News reports that planes dropped leaflets on Nineveh Province today warning that combat will begin shortly. Mosul's the key city in the province. The Islamic State seized control of Mosul last June. Alsumaria publishes the actual memo dropped on Mosul which instructs residents to step forward and identify not only members of the Islamic State but also collaborators. There are reports that trenches have been dug around Mosul by the Islamic State to ward off easy access to the city.
The Islamic State also looks for collaborators.
That's among the key details the Iraqi forces share with the Islamic State.
Another key detail?
Their willingness to terrorize civilians, terrorize, threaten and kill.
Human Rights Watch has issued a new report entitled "After Liberation Came Destruction: Iraqi Militias and the Aftermath of Amerli" which documents the abuse of human rights (War Crimes) being carried out in Iraq by security forces. Missy Ryan (Washington Post) notes the report:
Shiite militias and Iraqi government forces burned and looted dozens of villages, abducting at least 11 local residents, in the wake of a U.S.-supported operation against the Islamic State last year, a human rights group has charged in a new report.
Kareem Shaheen (Guardian) includes these comments:
“Iraq can’t win the fight against Isis’s atrocities with attacks on civilians that violate the laws of war and fly in the face of human decency,” said Joe Stork, HRW’s deputy Middle East and North Africa director.
“Militia abuses are wreaking havoc among some of Iraq’s most vulnerable people and exacerbating sectarian hostilities.”
And while that attention is needed, the world continues to look the other way as the Iraqi government continues to daily bomb the residential neighborhoods of Falluja. This action is a legally defined War Crime (it's known as collective punishment). Then Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki began the bombings in January of 2014. In September of 2014, new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced he had stopped the bombings.
And then they continued.
And still do.
Iraqi Spring Media notes Falluja General Hospital received nine dead and wounded from the latest bombings by the Iraqi government. They also note that the bombings have left dead at least 2399 people (332 children, 184 women among them) and at least 4080 injured (484 children and 381 women among them).
At what point does the world seriously recognize what's taking place?
Reuters notes whispers in the US government over reports that Tehran has sent their militias into Iraq with rockets and other advanced weapons, "Still, the U.S. official said the potential use of heavy Iranian weaponry would raise questions about the risk of civilian casualties. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted extensive U.S. efforts to ensure precision in its strikes."
The following community sites -- plus House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Ms. Magazine's blog and Jane Fonda -- updated:
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq
