Iraq is far from the minds of most Americans….that is until some Terrorist group does something that shocks the piss out of them…..and then once that blows over they go back to worrying about that that has not happened yet…and may well never happen.

There is more going on Iraq than most Americans think……the Iraqi army is promising to free Fallujah….then there were the protests in the Green Zone about the poor government they have….and most MSM did not give it the coverage it deserved….

This were just a few of the more recent incidents……there is a bigger problem lurking in Iraq…..and in the long run will force the US to get more involved…..

There is an excellent analysis on the situation in Iraq…..I do not agree with some parts of the analysis but all in all it covers the events well…..

The recent storming of Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone by protesters led by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr brought to the surface a long-standing dilemma: the system which has governed the country since 2003 is in need of radical reform, but because the ruling political class has in many ways come to embody the system, it is highly resistant to genuine change. Street protests and recalcitrant politicians have created a combustible formula, paralysing state institutions and threatening to bring them down. Meanwhile, the security situation is dire, as evidenced by a series of attacks in Baghdad this week claimed by the Islamic State.

Three dynamics are at play. The first is the dysfunction of the post-2003 political system. Ostensibly designed to ensure fair ethnic-sectarian representation in state institutions, in practice it allows political parties defined by ethnic-sectarian identities to control them. Second is the mounting loss of popular trust in these parties and anger over their poor performance. Third is the fracturing of the political leadership, especially among and within the largest Shiite political forces — the Daawa Islamic Party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), and Sadr’s own al-Ahrar — which has been accelerated by the popular discontent and the system’s shortfalls.

Source: Iraq: On the Edge of Chaos | Crisis Group

The biggest problem in Iraq seems to be the ineffective government now in place……and there is more to that story nthan we get from the MSM……

The battle to free Fallujah from ISIL has already started. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) estimate the number of ISIL fighters in the city at 700 only. Civilians in Fallujah are estimated to be 60-70,000, and the combined forces for the operation are in the neighborhood of 25,000. But liberating Fallujah will not be easy or quick. ISIL booby-trapped all main accesses to the city and hundreds of buildings, and is determined to cause maximum damage to the ISF. It is important to work on opening safe paths for the civilians in Fallujah and to fully protect those paths to minimize civilian casualties.

Iran’s news-service Mehr agency wrote a story on May 25 about the role of Qasem Soleimani “in leading the battle of Fallujah”. Iraq’s Military Media Service circulated a picture of Soleimani meeting with military commanders in the operational HQ of the campaign to liberate Fallujah. On May 25, Iraq media described the role of Soleimani as follows: Soleimani Leading the Battle of Fallujah”. But Fallujah is in Iraq, isn’t it?

Source: The Dangerous Absence of State Authority in Iraq | Middle East Briefing

There is lots of optimism about the ability of the Iraqi army in its attempt to retake Fallujah from the clutches of the horrendous group, ISIS……but should there be any optimism?

Iraq is embroiled in a major battle against so-called Islamic State as it attempts to retake Falluja, the second largest city under Isis control, which has been a bastion of militant and insurgent groups for more than a decade. The operation follows the group’s loss of Ramadi and a series of other strategically important towns and cities. Since May 2015, Isis has been unable to launch a single successful operation.

The battle for Falluja will almost certainly bring the city back under the control of the government – but at what cost and towards what end? Falluja is a symbol of resistance against occupation for many sections of Iraqi society, particularly among the Sunni Arab population. Even the US, with its powerful armed forces, equipment and intelligence capabilities, struggled to control the city and, in the end, managed only to contain rather than actually eliminate the insurgency and other militant groups during its occupation.

Source: Iraq may retake Falluja – but to defeat Isis it must win back hearts and minds | Ranj Alaaldin | Opinion | The Guardian

I give my readers the heads up whenever I can…..I hope that someday they will not have to kiss their loved ones good-bye and pray that they return intact from their deployments…..

This is a lot of info to take in….but take the time to educate yourself….your family may have to deal with this in the future.

Keep in mind that the US has been f*cking with Iraq for 25 years….and we are NO closer to a solution than we were in 1991.

Just a thought.