 |
| The Mosul Dam. Photo: AP, via BBC |
Supported by U.S. and Iraqi airstrikes, Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi special forces claimed to have recaptured the ISIS-held Mosul Dam early Sunday. ISIS initially captured the dam on August 7. Observers fear that the deliberate or accidental destruction of the fragile dam would lead to the flooding of Mosul and even parts of Baghdad, killing hundreds of thousands and threatening much of Iraq with famine.
The U.S. airstrikes appear to heave primarily targeted captured
armored vehicles and heavy weapons in ISIS hands. ISIS’ heavy equipment (including
U.S.-made Humvees) was captured from the Syrian and Iraqi armies, and have
boosted their effectiveness in recent fighting. Their experience from fighting
in Syria has given them another advantage against their Iraqi and Kurdish
opponents. The airstrikes may force the terrorist group to change tactics –
they have already begun using roadside bombs, suggesting a transition from more
direct conventional operations – and have already lent an important advantage
to the beleaguered Iraqi military and the Peshmerga.
Iraqi Unity?
The combined operation of Iraqi and Kurdish troops is an
important step forward. If the two forces continue to act in concert, they will
be much more effective than if they were acting independently. This
coordination is critical in efforts to defeat ISIS, and signals that the threat
of the terrorist group is drawing Iraqis closer together.
 |
| Peshmerga approach the Mosul Dam with a truck-mounted DshK machine gun. Photo: AFP, via BBC |
The Peshmerga
The Peshmerga is the fighting force of Iraqi Kurdistan. They
have been supported by Kurdish militias from Syria (the YPG) and Turkey (the
PKK). Kurdish fighters fought well against Saddam Hussein during the U.S.
invasion of Iraq, and were initially praised by western observers for resisting
ISIS more effectively than the Iraqi military. Then ISIS turned focused its
offensive on them, forcing the Kurds to retreat as well.
The Kurdish arsenal appears to contain AK-series rifles, plus
PK machine guns, SVD sniper rifles, RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers, DshK and
KPV heavy machine guns, ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns, Humvees, and a handful of T-55 tanks
(it’s unclear how many). Photos from 2012 show a Soviet-made D-30 howitzer, but
I have found no recent images of one. All of these weapons (except the Humvee) are Soviet-designed
and widely used – all of them have been used in Syria, and most have been used
in Ukraine (the T-64 has appeared more frequently there, being produced in the
country).
France, Canada, and the EU are to supply arms to the Peshmerga,
and other countries are providing non-lethal assistance.
No comments:
Post a Comment