ISIS never left Iraq and, despite then-prime minister Hayder al-Abadi's claim in December 2017, was never vanquished. Now, PBS reports, it "has risen again at the nexus of four provinces, Kirkuk, Salahuddin, Diyala and Sulaimania." From THE NEWSHOUR report:
DLER GHAZI:
ISIS will always exist in Iraq and in Syria, and that's because of the political instability in the region.
ISIS will always exist in Iraq and in Syria, and that's because of the political instability in the region.
SIMONA FOLTYN:
Dler Ghazi works for the Kurdish counter-terrorism service. He was in charge of security in Tuz Khurmatu for ten years until the Iraqi Government forced his unit to withdraw last October. I met him in the Kurdish city of Suleimania.
Dler Ghazi works for the Kurdish counter-terrorism service. He was in charge of security in Tuz Khurmatu for ten years until the Iraqi Government forced his unit to withdraw last October. I met him in the Kurdish city of Suleimania.
DLER GHAZI:
The presence of ISIS in our area is because of the security vacuum between us, the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, and the government of Iraq. And in addition there's a political crisis between us that has allowed such groups to spring up between our borders.
The presence of ISIS in our area is because of the security vacuum between us, the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, and the government of Iraq. And in addition there's a political crisis between us that has allowed such groups to spring up between our borders.
SIMONA FOLTYN:
Ghazi agrees to take us to the Kurdish areas that have been most affected by ISIS' resurgence.
Ghazi agrees to take us to the Kurdish areas that have been most affected by ISIS' resurgence.
DLER GHAZI:
This is the last outpost, a little bit further it's ISIS. These guys are volunteers, they are from Tuz Khurmatu and the area. They are volunteering to defend this region from ISIS.
This is the last outpost, a little bit further it's ISIS. These guys are volunteers, they are from Tuz Khurmatu and the area. They are volunteering to defend this region from ISIS.
SIMONA FOLTYN:
There's no doubt that ISIS has exploited the conflict between the Kurds and the Shia-led government in Baghdad. To find out just how much control the militants have managed to assert over civilians, I travel to rural areas near the Sunni town of Hawija. Hawija was an ISIS stronghold for three years, and was one of the last towns security forces freed in october 2017. Soon after, the government declared victory over ISIS in Iraq. Now, less than a year after Hawija was retaken by the Iraqi government, ISIS has regrouped and is terrorizing the population.
There's no doubt that ISIS has exploited the conflict between the Kurds and the Shia-led government in Baghdad. To find out just how much control the militants have managed to assert over civilians, I travel to rural areas near the Sunni town of Hawija. Hawija was an ISIS stronghold for three years, and was one of the last towns security forces freed in october 2017. Soon after, the government declared victory over ISIS in Iraq. Now, less than a year after Hawija was retaken by the Iraqi government, ISIS has regrouped and is terrorizing the population.
And ISIS continues to launch attacks such as the one noted by Baxtiyar Goran.
And there's also the attack in Falluja.
And, of course, ISIS is far from the only terrorists storming across Iraq. There's also those militias -- the ones Hayder made part of the official forces.
More harassment from PMU-Shabak (Shia Iran-backed) forces who blocked entrance to St George Church in native Iraqi Christian town of Bartella, Iraq, began firing guns to scare Christians &threatened a priest. They are a new ISIS. @AdilAbdAlMahdi must move Shabaks out of Bartella.
The Iraq War never ends.
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