Tag Archives: Syria

Islamic State fighters Escape Raqqa and Airstrikes Hit “De-Escalation Zone”

Hundreds of Islamic State fighters escaped Raqqa through a deal made with U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) according to a report by the BBC. It is estimated that there were about 250 Islamic State members and 3,500 of their families which fled from Raqqa under the deal.

The Islamic State members were thought to have been transported in mid-October near the 12th  before the city was “liberated” on October 17th.  The convoy of Islamic state fighters consisted of 50 trucks, 13 buses, and more than 100 of the Islamic States’ own vehicles.

Raqqa was the first large city captured by the Islamic State in 2014 and was used for planning operations for warfare in the Middle East and several attacks overseas.

The jihadists were picked up in Raqqa and traveled through the desert where their exact route is unknown, finally making their way into Islamic State’s controlled territory in between the towns of al-Suwar and Markadah.

The United States knowingly allowed the deal to occur and kept a close watch on the convoy as it drove through the desert toward the Iraqi border, but a U.S. spokesman said the decision to permit the deal was made by coalition partners.

Large numbers are the terrorists were foreign fighters coming from France, Turkey, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Egypt. The location of the terrorist is currently unknown as they travel throughout Syria, the Middle East, and back to their home counties.

As the fight against the Islamic State continues, the civil war also persists in Syria.  On the 13th of November there was an airstrike on the Atareb market  in northern Syria which reportedly killed at least 61 civilians and injured at least 90 individuals. It was not clear whether the air strike was carried out by the Syrian government or its Russian ally.  The market was hit by three different strikes.

It is unclear who the direct target of the attack was intended to be, however, the area which was attacked is largely held by opposition forces as well as remnants of the Islamic State.

The town is located in the area of the Aleppo province which is supposed to be considered a part of a  “de-escalation zone” that was established two weeks earlier before the airstrike by Russia, Iran and Turkey. The plans were announced to implement no fly zones over four de-escalation zones. The four de-escalation zones include the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Latakia, Aleppo and Hama, and in these areas the government forces would halt air raids and fighting for 6 months.

There is reportedly 2.5 million people living in these four zones. The zones are credited with a drop-in violence, but clashes still persist.

Additionally, as the United States and Russia remain holding influence over both sides the Syrian fight, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Russia and the United States should pull their troops out of Syria. Both President Trump and Vladimir Putin said there was “no military solution” to the countries long running conflict, the Turkish president stated that they should then take steps for a political solution instead.

Although the United States wants to halt military action as well as end the violence inflicted toward the Syrian people, they also need to prevent the spread of Islamic State fighters fleeing the area. At the same time, it is concerning that the U.S. allowed for the SDF to craft the deal to allow for Islamic State to withdrawal, making it harder for the U.S. to track the estimated 4,000 individuals still at large. As the fight against the Islamic State nears the end, mistakes like these will prove detrimental for the U.S. end goal of containing the spread of terrorist violence.

Israel Will Continue Operations in Syria Despite U.S.-Russia Ceasefire

On November 13th, Israel declared that it will continue to take military action in Syria against Iranian-backed fighters even as the U.S. and Russia are working towards a ceasefire agreement between U.S.-backed groups and the Assad regime.

Israel has said it would not be bound by a ceasefire agreement and would continue to operate across the border in Syria when it deems necessary. The deal would include Iranian-backed groups fighting on behalf of the Syrian army who would be required to leave the border area and eventually Syria.

While Israel said this was a positive development, it said the agreement didn’t go far enough. Israel claims the agreement doesn’t meet its demand that there will not be developments that bring the forces of Hezbollah or Iran to the Israel-Syria border in the north.

Iran doesn’t believe the ceasefire deal includes its forces which ruins the point of a ceasefire agreement. Russia has also said the new agreement did not include a Russian commitment to ensure Iran-backed groups would be pulled out of the country.  According to Russia, Iran has maintained a legitimate presence in Syria.

On November 11th, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Summit, Presidents Trump and Putin agreed to an extensive statement on the conflict in Syria. The statement reaffirmed that both countries are committed to defeating Islamic State in Syria. Both presidents agreed that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict.

Trump and Putin also pledged to continue de-confliction to ensure the U.S. and Russian militaries do not clash in Syria, and pledged new support for the U.N.-backed Geneva process, which has failed to find a political solution to end the conflict. The Geneva process is formed in the U.N. Resolution 2254 in 2015 which lays the foundations for a future peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict.

The U.S. has said that an agreement would focus on de-confliction between the U.S. and Russian militaries, reducing violence in the civil war and reinvigorating U.N.-led peace talks.

The U.S. and Russia have been on opposing sides during the Syrian civil war, with the U.S. backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Russia supporting President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Army.

The U.S. and Russia have made multiple attempts to reach an agreement for establishing a ceasefire in different regions in Syria but have failed to reduce violence for long. In July, a new ceasefire agreement was brokered by the U.S. and Russia for southwest Russia. Israel’s main concern with regard to the July ceasefire agreement is increasing Iranian influence in the region.

The Israeli policy towards the civil war in Syria has been primarily about containment, focused on Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. Israel has said it has no interest in intervening in the civil war in Syria either in favor or against President Assad.

Israel has maintained a tense border with Syria since Israel took control of the Golan Heights in the Six Day War in 1967. Israel officially annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 and considers them Israeli territory. In June, Israel targeted Syrian military positions with air strikes in Quneitra after ten tank shells from inside Syria hit the Golan Heights. Syria accused Israel of aiding the jihadists with its strikes.

In September, Israeli military shot down an Iranian-made drone sent by Hezbollah in the Golan Heights. In November, Israeli military shot down another drone in the same region operated by the Syrian regime. Israel fears that Iran will use its territory in Syria to launch attacks on the Golan Heights or Israel or that it will create a transit path from Iran to Lebanon that could allow Iran to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollah.

With IS nearing defeat, the U.S. and Russia are losing their common enemy in Syria yet remain locked in a proxy battle between the Assad regime and U.S.-backed opposition. This has increased the need for close communication between the U.S. and Russia about where their forces are operating to avoid violence which increases the need for a new ceasefire agreement.

Syrian Army Recaptures Deir ez-Zor City from Islamic State

On November 3rd, the Syrian Army (SAA) and its allies recaptured Deir ez-Zor city from Islamic State, which was the group’s last stronghold in Syria.

The group still controls about 40 percent of Deir ez-Zor province, and the last significant town being held by Islamic State is Abu Kamal, near the Iraqi border in eastern Syria.

On the Iraqi side, Iraqi forces have entered al-Qaim in an offensive to recapture al-Qaim and Rawa from IS. Iraq’s security forces retook a border crossing on the highway between al-Qaim and Abu Kamal from IS fighters, hours after entering al-Qaim.

Deir ez-Zor had been almost entirely controlled by IS since 2014 and the campaign to retake the city began in September, when the Syrian army managed to break the three year siege of the city.

Two separate campaigns began, with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the eastern side of the Euphrates River, and the Syrian Army, the Russian and Iranian military and Hezbollah working in conjunction on the other side of the river, to take back Deir ez-Zor from IS.

Deir ez-Zor is a key city because of its oil-rich territory and because it shares a border with Iraq which allowed IS fighters, weapons and goods to travel between the Syria and Iraq.

Raqqa was the other remaining IS stronghold with the group claiming it as the de-facto capital. On October 17th, SDF defeated IS after a four-month battle for the city.

IS has suffered a series of defeats in recent months to Iraqi government forces, who are advancing along the Euphrates river on the other side of the border. Iraqi forces retook Mosul in July, which was proclaimed the IS capital in Iraq in 2014.

Islamic State has lost more than 90 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria at the height of its power in 2014 and 2015.

U.S. forces have estimated that there are 1,500-2,500 fighters left in al-Qaim and 2,000-3,000 in Albu Kamal.

Russia wants to see the Syrian government take back all of its territory and Iran wants the Syrian government to control the area so a land route linking Iran and Lebanon can be established.

SDF wants to seize as much territory as possible to increase its chances of defending against a government takeover of the areas it holds, including Raqqa and other areas in the northeast where it has gained a measure of autonomy. The U.S. who has backed the SDF, wants to defeat IS and also counter Iranian influence in the region.

SDF hopes for negotiations that will support their autonomy in northern Syria but the Syrian government is asserting its claim to areas captured by the SDF from IS.

On October 29th, the Syrian government declared Islamic State’s former capital Raqqa would be considered occupied until the Syrian army takes control. This may lead to new confrontation that could draw the U.S. in more deeply, as it helped SDF capture Raqqa.

The U.S. has not stated how military support for the SDF will evolve after Islamic State’s defeat because the U.S. has been very adamant that its only goal in the region is to defeat IS.

U.S. House Votes to Impose Sanctions on Hezbollah

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on October 25th to impose additional sanctions on Iranian-backed Hezbollah in an effort to take a harder stance against Iran’s support for international terrorism.

There were 3 Hezbollah-related measures that passed without opposition in the House. The first imposes new sanctions on any entities found to support the group, such as by providing weapons to Hezbollah. The second imposes sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah for using civilians as human shields. The third is a resolution which urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which the U.S. did in 1997.

Hezbollah has denounced the latest sanctions on the group, saying the new measures are an intervention in Lebanese internal affairs, a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and an unacceptable targeting of the Lebanese people.

The House voted on October 26th on another bill, to impose additional sanctions on Iran related to its ballistic missiles program. The bill calls on the president to report to Congress on the supply chain for Iran’s ballistic missile program and to impose sanctions on the Iranian government or foreign entities that support it. The failure of the Iran nuclear deal to include prohibitions on Iran’s development of ballistic missiles has been repeatedly cited by Iran deal critics.

On October 13th, President Trump said that he would not certify that Iran was complying with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. In accordance with the Corker-Cardin legislation, following the president’s decision to not certify the deal, Congress has the option to restore sanctions withdrawn under the 2015 agreement, or introduce new ones within 60 days of the decertification.

Iran has said that it won’t tolerate any changes to the current nuclear agreement and has threatened to withdraw partially or completely from the agreement if new measures are imposed.

Iran has been Hezbollah’s main backer, supplying the group with weapons and money for more than three decades.

Hezbollah has received Iranian-supplied weaponry, monetary aid, and combat training and Hezbollah has in turn sent fighters to Syria and Iraq to support Iran and its allies. In Syria, the group has played a major role in keeping President Assad and the Syrian Army in power. In Iraq, the group has battled the Islamic State and helps promote Iranian interests in the region.

The U.S. is increasing pressure on Hezbollah and earlier this month, imposed sanctions on two Hezbollah officials, Talal Hamiyah and Fuad Shukr, and offered a reward for information leading to their capture. Hamiyah is the head of Hezbollah’s foreign operations, while Shukr is a member of Hezbollah who runs the group’s military forces in southern Lebanon.

These sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah are an attempt by the U.S. to clamp down on Iran without immediately moving to undermine the Iran nuclear deal which is an international nuclear agreement.

SDF Captures al-Omar Oil Field from the Islamic State

The U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with air support from the U.S.-led coalition captured the al-Omar oil field from the Islamic State. The oil field, located in the Deir Ezzor province near the east bank of the Euphrates River, was captured on October 22nd.

The recapture of the al-Omar oil field is a tremendous victory for the SDF because it is the largest oil field in Syria. The U.S. backed coalition is now racing with Russian backed Syrian government troops to seize the remaining parts of Deir Ezzor from the Islamic State.

The al-Omar oil field in 2011 had the capacity to produce 75,000 barrels per day. Before the Syrian Civil War erupted in 2011, the oil sector was the main resource for the economy, with the country producing about 380,000 barrels per day. By mostly exporting to Europe, brought in more than $3 billion dollars in revenue.

Oil fields have proven to be strategically important for the financial backing of the Islamic State. At its peak in 2014, the group controlled as many as 11 oil fields in Iraq and Syria. From the al-Omar field, it is estimated that the Islamic State made $5 million per month off oil sales through smuggling networks that led through the northern region of Iraq to the Turkish border, as well as south of Syria into Jordan. They used the black market to sell these resources. However, to halt the oil production in 2015,  the SDF acting with the U.S. led coalition increased airstrikes which destroyed parts of the al-Omar oil field and put a dent in the Islamic States production capabilities.

The oil revenue has fallen dramatically with the terror group’s loss of territory since 2015. In 2015 during their second quarter IS made $81 million, in 2017’s second quarter the group only made $16 million. This correlates to their massive amounts of territory lost such as Tel Afar, Mosul, Raqqa,  amongst other important towns and cities.

Although there has been a decrease in IS profit U.S. official Amos Hochstein from the State Department stated that the Assad regime has also purchased energy resources through the terrorist group. The purchased energy has been used to power the Syrian capital Damascus as well as other parts of the country. The Syrian state-own energy company and oil ministry denied the allegations.

The Syrian government has retaken nearly all of the provincial capital of Deir Ezzor as well as surrounding towns such as Mayadeen. The SDF have focused their operations on the al-Omar oil field, natural gas fields and rural areas on the eastern side of the Euphrates river within the province.

The SDF’s overall objective is to maintain territory in the north-eastern region of Syria, which is predominately a Kurdish population together with a sizeable group of other minority groups. By holding the country’s largest oil reserves gives the SDF more legitimacy and bolsters their effort at establishing autonomy. However, absent outside assistance, it is unlikely that the SDF will hold the al-Omar oil field as the Assad regime has vowed to bring back all areas of Syria under government control, and the Assad regime will likewise need control of the largest oil producing field.

As the SDF continues to recapture territories from the Islamic State, it is important that they want to maintain control of the oil and other natural resources, to quickly end insurgency with the Islamic State and drive the terror group from Syria completely. However, it is unlikely that they will able to hold large swatches of the oil-rich regions for long, as the Syrian government will act quickly and through military action to regain its most prosperous resource. After Deir Ezzor is completely liberated from the Islamic State, the only remaining areas within Syria that would be left are within the eastern areas of the Euphrates river bordering Iraq, as well as two areas in the south-west of the country bordering Israel.

Raqqa is Liberated from the Islamic State

The U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they have defeated the Islamic State in Raqqa,  the de facto Islamic State capital on October 17th, after a four-month battle for the city.

The militia group took control of the national hospital on October 16th at night until early morning on Tuesday. 22 Islamic State fighters were killed while securing the hospital, and three others were killed on Monday in underground tunnels that the IS constructed in defense of the city..

Brig. Gen. Talal Sillo  commander of the SDF said a formal declaration will follow regarding “the fall of the capital of terrorism.”

On September 20th the SDF claimed that an estimated 90% of the city was liberated and their remaining areas to regain are were the city center, government administrative buildings, the stadium and the hospital which were reportedly to hold an unknown number of civilian hostages.

After the administrative buildings and command center was captured, the terrorists were corned in and around the stadium.

The commander of the Raqqa campaign for the SDF, Rojda Felat said that the fighting was over but the alliance of the Kurdish and Arab militias are still clearing the stadium of IEDs, booby traps and any remaining terrorists.

The final phase of fighting was launched by the SDF on June 6th. In September the U.S. -Led coalition estimated that Raqqa was going to be liberated in its entirety by the end of October 2017.

Before the civil war began in Syria, Raqqa was home to 200,000 inhabitants.

The Islamic State has lost most of its territory in Syria and Iraq this year, including Mosul, Tel Afar, areas of Deir Ezzor and now Raqqa. In Syria, the Islamic State has been forced back into a strip along the Euphrates valley and the surrounding desert area.

Raqqa was the first large city captured by the Islamic State in 2014, before its rapid series of victories throughout Iraq and Syria. The city was used for planning operations for warfare within the Middle East as well as several attacks oversea.

Losing Raqqa, which the Islamic State seized from Syrian rebels in early 2014, is symbolically a huge blow to the terror group. Deir Ezzor is the last remaining strategic city left to be taken from the Islamic State. Islamic State continues to operate alongthe Euphrates river valley and in parts of the Iraqi desert province of Al-Anbar. Deir Ezzor  is important because its oil-rich territory and it shares a border with Iraq allowing IS fighters to travel between the two countries.

With the fight against the Islamic State nearing its end, the U.S.-led coalition must continue its persistence to clear the terror group from the last swatches of territory which they control in the region.

Turkish Troops to Create De-Escalation Zones in Idlib

On October 12th, Turkish troops crossed the border into Syria heading towards Idlib in northern Syria to begin a new operation in cooperation with rebel groups identified with the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

The new operation is focused on creating and enforcing de-escalation zones in Idlib to prevent any groups from fighting in the near future as well as setting up observation posts in order to help enforce the zones.

This operation is part of a deal created last month between Turkey, Russia and Iran to reduce fighting between insurgents and the Syrian government. Turkish forces’ primary objective will be to contain the Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) north of Idlib.

The Turkish troop deployment also reportedly aims to prevent a possible influx of Syrian refugees into Turkey and allow humanitarian aid to flow to those in need.

Over 100 Turkish soldiers including Special Forces entered Syria on 30 armored vehicles and more soldiers may be deployed in the next few days.

It is unclear which rebel groups associated with FSA are working with Turkey in this operation, but groups such as Free Idlib Army, which is made up of the 13th Division, the Northern Division and Mountain Falcons Brigade are known to operating within the Idlib province.

Idlib is largely controlled by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is linked to al-Qaeda. While HTS is opposed to the de-escalation agreement, the group agreed not to interfere with Turkish operations and led the Turkish convoy through Syria.

This shows that Turkey is working with Al-Qaeda affiliated groups even though last week there were reports that Turkish forces and HTS were shelling each other in Idlib province.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the YPG, accuse Turkey of coordinating and supporting HTS and preventing the spread of Kurdish forces rather than fighting terrorism like it claims.

To the north of Idlib, YPG fighters control Afrin. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that it is fighting in Turkey and wants to keep the YPG from linking its regions in Syria and Turkey.

While the FSA is working with Turkish troops in this operation, the FSA doesn’t support Russia and denies any Russian involvement in the operation.

This is the fourth de-escalation zone to be created by Turkey, Iran and Russia in Syria. The zones already in place are in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, in central Homs, and in parts of southern Syria.

Turkish troops will eventually set up observation posts in more than 10 areas, beginning in northern Idlib and gradually extending to the south.

This is one of Turkey’s biggest moves in the Syria conflict and is attempting to focus on diplomacy to avoid clashes. If Turkey is successful in this operation, it will be able to act as a check on Kurdish ambitions, while at the same time deliver humanitarian assistance, which had previously been halted due to the presence of terrorist groups in the region, and avoid the continued flow of refugees from Northern Syria into Turkey.

Iranian Influence in the Middle East: How the President and Congress can Respond

On October 10th Iran told the United States that it will keep “all options on the table” if President Trump designates its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. President Trump is expected to announce later this week his decision on how he wants to contain Iran’s regional influence, as well if he will decertify the Iranian Nuclear deal.

This could affect the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Syria, where Tehran and Washington support parties that are currently fighting the remnants of the Islamic State.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps  was founded after the aftermath of the Iranian revolution in 1979. Since then the IRGC has deployed fighters to the Iraqi Kurdish region, Lebanon to support terrorist’s groups such as Hezbollah, Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, and the Gulf States, by exporting the ideals of the Iranian government.

On October 5th the  House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, held a hearing with Middle east scholars to discuss the role that Iran has played in supporting terrorist and militia groups in the Middle East, and Iran’s role as a major source of instability in the region. The witnesses also discussed new potential strategies to counter Iran’s growing influence over Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

The risks posed by Iranian backed militants have become more serious and complex. Although Iran is not the most destabilizing factor they do exploit the major problems of their proxies to their strategic advantage.

Michael Knight from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy discussed several ways to contain and roll back Iranian based militias.

One area which the U.S. should focus on is the potential land bridge which Iran has been strategically securing over the years connecting Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea. The land bridge poses a serious threat to Syria and Iraq due to the impending influence that Iran has as it establishes strongholds throughout the northern regions of each country.

The land bridge runs through the Shia majority areas of Iraq then cuts up through the Kurdish disputed northern territories. Allowing for the Iranians to be easily connected to the northern regions of Syria. As Iran supports Hezbollah the Lebanese terrorist organization, allows for an even wider access zone to the Mediterranean Sea if gained access from the western Syrian or Lebanese borders.

To confront Iran’s rising influence, the United States must compete to secure the spaces that Iran has the potential to expand to such as the in the already existing gaps left behind by the Islamic State.

The U.S. must also divide Iran from potential proxy states such as Iraq. Although Iraq may not align entirely with the Iranian regime, in 2014, when the Islamic State took over large swatches of the country causing the government to increasingly rely on the support from Iran. The dominance of Iranian influence in Iraq is partially a result of American inconsistency in Iraq.

After 2011 with the abrupt withdrawal of American troops from the initial 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, Iran has attempted to deepen their foothold in Iraqi territory. From gaining allies in the Iraqi Parliament to providing commerce and infrastructure to Iraq, Iran has stretched its influence deep into Iraqi politics, more so than the U.S. has done by just helping in the fight against the Islamic State.

Knight suggested that the U.S. should impose “red lines” on Iran and put someone specifically in charge in planning the containment of the militias.

What these “red lines” were not specifically laid out, but could include Iran advancing in deconfliction zones, or increasing nuclear and other weapon capabilities.

Adam Nerguizian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), primarily discussed the effect that Iran has also had over Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah and how their military operations preempted the Lebanese Armed Forces from clearing the Islamic State from Lebanese territory on their own.

Nerguizian argued the United States needs to play a critical support role to ensure that the Lebanese Armed Forces can take control so that Hezbollah and Iranian support do not become indispensable to Lebanon’s stability as well as more easily be able to gain access to the Mediterranean Sea.

Melissa Dalton of CSIS noted that Iran relies its network of proxy nations to shape the region, while creating and increasing influence by Iran’s regional partners such as Iraq and Syria. By the U.S. coordinating with its own regional allies to expose Iranian backed groups and financial activities outside its border to delegitimize Iranian coercive interference as well as provide training for governance initiatives to countries which are vulnerable to Iran, could increase regional stability.

Unlike the other witnesses Mr. Kenneth Pollack from American Enterprise Institution described the role of militant groups in Iran’s regional strategy as “nothing novel.”

Pollack noted that Tehran turns to non-state actors to project their political agenda across the region regularly.  The militant groups of Iran act as a military and political tool for the government in Tehran. Iran’s allied and proxy militia are generally no more capable than those backed by other countries. As Pollack used the example of the U.S.-backed Iraqi Security Forces, which has shown itself to be considerably more effective in combat than the Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.

Pollack noted that even in those arenas where we have not had as much success so far, militarily defeating the Iranian-backed groups would be a relatively straightforward problem. He stated that it is “time, energy, and resources, and our willingness to devote them to each fight” to deplete Iranian influence.

With  Congress hearing testimony on ways to prevent growing Iranian influence in the region, it remains a question of what the United States is willing to do to both political and militarily to cut the growing influence of Iran.

It will be interesting to see whether Congress will move forward with legislative proposals on dealing with Iran as we wait for President Trump’s decision on October 12th

Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Minority Populations in Iraq

In a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing  on October 4th, former Congressman Frank Wolf and Dr. Denise Natali from the National Defense University testified on the future of Iraq’s minorities, after the fall of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, focusing on affected minorities such as Syriac Christians and Yazidis, in the northern regions of Iraq.

Both began their opening statements by discussing the different stabilizing challenges that political and minority groups face, which are presently effecting Iraq. Some of the main points of discussion were the disputes between the central Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional Government as well as the proliferation of Iranian-backed militia groups.

Iraq’s ethnic minorities are fractured, and often the government and militia groups attempt to exploit the religious differences within the population. As Dr. Natali stated, “religion also overlaps with ethnicity, language, and geography” complicating the minority populations even more.

During the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing each scholar laid out their recommendations for Iraq.

Mr. Wolf suggested that a Presidential Memorandum should be issued directing the State Department and USAID to immediately address the needs of Christian and Yazidi communities in the northern regions of Iraq identified by Secretary Tillerson as having been targeted for genocide.

Wolf also urged that a position should be established for an inter-agency coordinator to ensure safety for minorities to coordinate U.S. foreign policy around the issues, and that Congress should immediately pass H.R. 390, the bipartisan Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability bill, to hold accountable for individuals who committed crimes of genocide and terrorism in the region.

Wolf also discussed how to establish security for the minorities of people returning to Iraq which were displaced by the Islamic State as well as from the fighting of Iraqi forces in the region, suggesting the need to train up local police.

Wolf  stressed the role played by religious charity organizations including Samaritans Purse, Knights of Columbus, and World Vision who are already established in the region, as the be best resource to assist minorities through their camps and by giving aid directly.

Historically Middle-Eastern Christians have feared entering United Nations refugee camps where they are often targeted.

Dr. Natali proposed that the United States needs to support local minority rights in conjunction with the Iraqi constitution, reinforce a sovereign civil state and Iraqi institutions, and mediate disputed territories.

She also suggested that the government should be structured to work from Baghdad then to administer policy to provinces, instead of going to Baghdad and then the Kurdish regional government.  Her aims to accomplish these tasks are through the support of a singular Iraqi state.

Another area of tension in the region is the Kurdish independence referendum  which was held on September 25th and voted for overwhelming support of an independent Kurdistan. With tension from the Iraqi, Turkish and Iranian governments surrounding the KRG, heightens the potential for conflict.

Potential arising conflicts for the Kurds would include the Iraqi-Shia militias which are backed by the Iranians, and the Turks and Iranians placed on the border of the KRG evoking military pressure to move tanks and other weapons tests closer to the border. This once again causes Christians and Yazidis to become caught in the cross fire of the conflict.

Senator Rubio stated that “we are not asking the KRG to abandon independence but ask to take steps to lower the rhetoric” He remarked that Baghdad also needs to take some steps to show a desire to open dialog on this topic in the future to lower tensions because there are many other issues at play currently for U.S. strategic advantage.

As Iraq faces a multitude of challenges from ethnic and religious minorities, Iran is an overarching and provocative influence on the instability of the region. As Iran promotes groups which inhibit minority populations in Iraq, it promotes groups such as Hezbollah, Shia backed militias, and others regional forces which inhibits the rights of the minorities.

Hostage Situation in Raqqa as the Battle Comes Toward its Final Phase

The Islamic State is on the verge of losing it’s self-declared capital of Raqqa, as U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are fighting to take control of a hospital and a stadium which two of the last major position of IS fighters in the city.  As the final assault begins there is an estimated 400 terrorists remaining in Raqqa.

On September 20th SDF forces claimed that an estimated 90% of the city has been liberated, and that the Islamic State has been confined to small areas of the city center, government administrative buildings, the stadium, the hospital and underground tunnels.

At the hospital and stadium, the Islamic State is reportedly holding an unknown number of civilian hostages. The hospital is just 200 yards from the SDF front-line, but IS fighters are using using sniper fire, booby traps and tunnels to prolong the fight.

The presence of civilians has limited the ability of the SDF to call in artillery or airstrikes. SDF Commander Haval Gaber says that they will remain on the ground as they advance forward.  The hospital will be the last point in Raqqa  to be freed.

SDF fighters have been advancing toward Raqqa since November, closing off north, east, and west access points, with the aid of U.S. airstrikes and artillery.

On June 6th the SDF launched the final phase  of their offensive to expel the Islamic State from the city and proposes that they may liberate the entirety of Raqqa by the end of October 2017, if not sooner.

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi commanded to his fighters to not negotiate or surrender Raqqa in a 46-minute audio message,  which was the first recording released from Baghdadi since November of 2016. It is unclear when the recording was made as well as if Baghdadi is still alive.

Lt. Gen Stephan Townsend, chief of US-led coalition battling IS, believes that there are indicators within the recording which make it reasonable to believe that Al-Baghdadi is still alive. The recording makes reference to the nuclear threat from North Korea as well as current peace talks in Syria suggesting it was recorded recently. The Pentagon has said it has “no reason to believe tape is not authentic.”

In June of 2017, Russia claimed to have killed Baghdadi as well as other top IS officials in an airstrike near Raqqa. However, the US expressed caution regarding the claim due to of lack of evidence.

Raqqa was seized by the Islamic State in early 2014, and has had symbolical and strategic importance to the Islamic State. Raqqa was one of the central operating spots of the Islamic States “bureaucracy” as well as the place where many overseas terror attacks were planned. Some of the foreign attacks included attacks in France and Belgium, due to the number of foreign fighters who came to Raqqa to join IS.

Before the civil war began in Syria, Raqqa was home to 200,000 inhabitants.

In August of 2017 there was an estimated 430 civilian’s deaths, due to Russian and US-led coalition air raids in Syria. The US-led forces dropped a total of 5,075 bombs, shells and missiles   into Raqqa in August. 75% of the city of Raqqa has been destroyed since the 2014 and an estimated 190,000 people have been displaced from and within Raqqa.

Raqqa is one of the last remaining influential cities in Syria held by the Islamic State. As they lose territory rapidly, they are pushed further out of Syria along the Euphrates river into the few remaining IS-held territories within Iraq, which are also under pressure from coalition forces.