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threelijah

On the Road to Samarra, Glimpses of Iraq's New Fractured Reality - 5 views

www.nytimes.com/...arra-shiite-militias-isis.html

shared by threelijah on 02 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • threelijah on 02 Sep 14
     
    I chose this article because I felt that it gave a better view of the conflict happening in Iraq. The article shows how divided the Iraqi factions are, as well as shining a light on what the goals and motivations of the groups are. I feel that it is important for us as a class to look into what drives ISIS and I think this article is a good starting point.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Kay Bradley on 04 Sep 14
     
    Yes, good observations, Elijah. I can't figure out, though, if the divisions are along Sunni-Shiite lines or not. And it's disturbing to read that Iran is funding some of the Shiite militias. Echoes of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
  • Katie Despain on 04 Sep 14
     
    A large area of conflict between main Islamic subsets, the Sunnis and Shiites, is the tombs of two Shiite imams (leaders of prayer in a mosque) in Samarra (a city in Iraq). The Shiites claim that they will defend the tombs until the end. Currently, the Sunni militants (ISIS) have been driven back to the city's outskirts, but in June they reached and bombed the mouth of the tombs' shrine. If borders between two main Islamic groups, the Sunnis and Shiites, are constantly shifting, how can the common religious citizen know where s/he is safe? Are their homelands surrounding Samarra compromised? Most of the people fighting and defending are volunteer militiamen. Is there a lack of capitol production and industry with a large portion of the workforce missing? Are enough people fighting for that to even be a problem? Do non-militia commons people feel hatred towards others of different religious factions and how does that affect the growth, well-being of Iraq?
  • Karan Rai on 04 Sep 14
     
    Similar to what Dr. Bradley said, I wonder if the militias that were funded by Iran are simply mercenaries or are actually loyal to the country. Is it possible that this is Iran's attempt to grab land for a weak Iraq?
  • dredd15 on 04 Sep 14
     
    I was shocked and at the same time not so surprised to find out about the many separate factions and flags flying throughout Iran and Iraq in this multifaceted crisis. The quests for power that these militant groups are involved in has called many "volunteers" to the forefront of the militant groups political and religious ambitions. I'm curious to know about the situations in the areas of the many "volunteers". Are they in areas that have already been compromised, thus they don't mind going to sacrifice their life on a daily basis fighting, or they are so devoted to their religion that they really won't stand to see their sacred Shiite shrine bombed by Sunni factions? As Dr. Bradley questioned, where are all these weapons coming from? How many militant groups are as "sensible" as the Peace Brigade?
miriambachman

40 Are Killed in Attacks Targeting Shiites in Iraq - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...on-shiite-targets-in-iraq.html

Islamic State

shared by miriambachman on 21 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • miriambachman on 21 Oct 14
     
    This article states that the region of Baghdad in Iraq has suffered frequent attacks involving car bombings, suicide bombings, shootings, and kidnappings that specifically target members of the Shiite community. Though no group or assailant has claimed responsibility for the attacks, it is highly suspected that they were perpetrated by the Islamic State as "a response to the progress of Iraqi security forces". It is also suspected that the Islamic State hope to accumulate Sunni followers by targeting regions with Shiite-led government. With the threat of ISIS looming overhead (in addition to internal gangs and extremist groups, such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq), the Iraqi Interior Ministry has vowed to "have more discipline on the streets". Additionally, in response to the on-going violence, it has been reported that the US, France, and Britain are conducting 6 airstrikes in Iraq on Monday.
Kay Bradley

The Strategy Behind the Islamic State's Destruction of Ancient Sites - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...is-historic-sites-control.html

shared by Kay Bradley on 19 Nov 15 - No Cached
  • Kay Bradley on 19 Nov 15
     
    "The Islamic State has said that the historical objects and sites it destroyed were heresy to its ideology, which is rooted in Wahhabism. In Palmyra, for example, the group blew up two historic tombs, one of a Shiite saint and another of a Sufi scholar, because it considers them to be forms of idolatry."
Rachel Katzoff

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss - 0 views

mideast.foreignpolicy.com/..._new_boss_same_as_the_old_boss

Iraq

shared by Rachel Katzoff on 04 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Rachel Katzoff on 04 Oct 10
     
    The political stalemate is coming to a close in Iraq as al-Maliki was selected by the Shiite alliance to be the Prime Minister. Now the government must split up jobs within the broad based unity governmetn. Allawi lost because of the sectarian dynamics in Iraq.
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