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2015-12-07 Iraq

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Posted by badanov 2015-12-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 Fascinating bit from the second article -- after the obligatory real world cold shower -- given that Turkey keeps talking about its troops have been there for two years to train the Peshmerga:

In practical terms, Iraqâs options are primarily diplomatic, as its forces are tied down battling ISIS and Ankara has a far more powerful military.

Turkey has troops at a base in the Bashiqa area in Nineveh province to train Iraqi Sunni volunteers hoping to retake the nearby city of Mosul from ISIS, which seized it and swathes of other territory in June 2014.

Posted by trailing wife 2015-12-07 10:26|| 2015-12-07 10:26|| Front Page Top

#2 Al Ahram names them:

The camp is used by a force called Hashid Watani (national mobilisation), which is made up of mainly Sunni Arab former Iraqi police and volunteers from Mosul.

It was formed by former Nineveh governor Atheel al-Nujaifi, who had close relations with Turkey. There was already a small number of Turkish trainers there before this latest deployment.

So, genuine grievance about the arrival of Turkish tanks or Baghdad trying to take control over isolated governors acting independently, Shiites insisting that only the official army and Shiite auxiliaries may be seen to overthrow ISIS?

Posted by trailing wife 2015-12-07 10:57|| 2015-12-07 10:57|| Front Page Top

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