The Douris and the Naqshbandi army

The Iraq crisis becomes more and more interesting.  Today we are learning that ISIS has made some sort of temporary common cause with former Iraqi Army (sadddam period) people to include a large number of men who are members of the "Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order." The naqshbandiya is the largest Sufi order in the Islamic World .  Izzat Ibrahim, the redhead who was Saddam's VP is a member and is reputedly recognized at least temporarily by ISIS as something like field coordinator for the campaign.  Izzat's nephew is an Iraqi Republican guard general who commanded an armored division and a mechanised infantry division in the war with Iran as well as holding the post of chief of military intelligence during that war.  His name is Sabr Abd al-Aziz Al-Douri.

Contrary to public delusion in the USA, the former Iraqi Army had many capable and well trained officers. The speed and effective direction of this offensive seems to me to show the participation of such officers as Sabr- Abd al-Aziz al-Douri.

If that is the case, then Maliki's army is in a real "world of hurt."  pl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izzat_Ibrahim_al-Douri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saber_Abdel_Aziz_al-Douri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_the_Men_of_the_Naqshbandi_Order 

Comments

[alba etie]

Col Lang
Will the Iranians try to save Maliki by direct intervention ?

[turcopolier]

AE

IMO the Iranians will not want a jihadi state on their western border. i doubt if they care much about Maliki. pl

[Tyler]

Sir,

Do you think we will see HA in ISIS's flank?

[FB Ali]

An article today in the Egyptian paper al-Akhbar says:

"......information was confirmed that senior officers turned against the government and handed their military areas to the newcomers.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki addressed his military officers on TV in light of security reports stating that the attackers are Baathists affiliated with Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri - who was vice president under Saddam - as well as officers from the former Iraqi army and Fedayeen Saddam. According to the reports, more than 40 officers who had served in Saddam Hussein’s army conspired with the attackers. There are tales of betrayal involving senior military leaders including General Abboud Qanbar, Lieutenant General Ali Ghaidan and General Mahdi al-Ghazzawi, all members of the former army".

http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20146

[Hank Foresman]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraq-disintegrating-as-insurgents-advance-kurds-seize-kirkuk/2014/06/12/22e79e2b-f793-4120-8161-36f17c287e5f_story.html?hpid=z1 Fox News is reporting that Quads Forces invaded Iraqi and Kurdish areas in the past week http://nation.foxnews.com/iran/2011/07/19/iran-invades-iraq

Sounds like a full blown three ring circus to me. There is plenty of blame to be shared but my bet is that Fox and its ilk will seek to place the lion's share on Obama and overlooking 43 complicity in invading Iraq and then banding the Army.

Should make Sunday morning news programs interesting as the talking heads blather on with little insight or knowledge.

[eakens]

This is all very interesting. I see pictures of large convoys of the ISIS travelling all over the news. If we're really concerned about these guys, wouldn't it make sense to just take them out when they're parading around in celebration?

[Fred]

I knew that 'deck of cards' would come in handy again some day.

So is this a revolt, a coup d'état or a little of both? It certainly seems well planned.

[The beaver]

Col

There was an article on him last year (May 2013):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10065919/Izzat-Ibrahim-al-Douri-the-King-of-Clubs-is-back-and-he-may-yet-prove-to-be-Saddam-Husseins-trump-card.html

" US commanders believe that Mr al-Douri has spent much of his time on the run in neighbouring Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad's regime offered logistical support for the anti-American insurgency. However, with Syria now in the grip of civil war, it is thought he may now be using safe-houses around the northern city of Mosul, where US troops first reported attacks by his militia group back in 2009. Last month, Iraqi troops hunting for Mr al-Douri searched his old villa near Tikrit.

Known as the Naqshabandi Army, after an Islamic religious sect, Mr al-Douri's militia is believed to number up to 5,000 volunteers, many of them veterans of the anti-US insurgency."

[The beaver]

Col

If you want to practice your French, an interview ( in writing) with Jeune Afrique:
http://www.france-irak-actualite.com/2014/03/r%C3%A9sistance-irakienne-izzat-ibrahim-al-douri-prend-la-parole.html

[toto]

Can the Baathists keep the ISIS loonies under control? Or will it turn out like in Mali, where the Touaregs made an alliance with the local AQ franchise, only to get crushed by them as soon as the Malian army was defeated?

Historically, these kinds of alliances between ideological opponents to defeat a common enemy can result in "survival of the nastiest".

[505thPIR]

Wow!http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-gets-international-help-iran-032015782.html

[alba etie]

All
We can hope (pray ) that this might be a teachable moment for We the People - regarding the bad outcomes of the neocon agenda for all of us . This might particularly be an important teachable moment in the context of the soon to be mid terms & the 2016 national contest . Daddy Bush & Baker are looking quite brilliant in their long ago decision not to go to Baghdad. Wonder what soon to be Congressman Brat thinks about all of these many neocon chickens coming home to roost .
Senator Jim Webb for President 2016 , anyone ?

'As you sow , so shall you reap "...

[alba etie]

Tyler
I believe in this current crisis we will see some "one of alliances" - for example Rouhani was visiting with Erdogan last week . We might even see the Iranians help us target the ISIS , with drones perhaps.What might make this all blow up those it seems are such scenarios as Turkey occupying Iraqi Kurdistan for 'humanitarian " reasons . The neocons karma looks like is about to befall us all ...

[jonst]

Is anybody watching Michael Gordon on CSPAN? If I could jump into the TV to get him I would! Like the Bourbon's, the war chickenhawks have returned, learning nothing, forgetting nothing.

[Fred]

jonst,

" the war chickenhawks" don't get shot at. They get nicely paid gigs in D.C. and NYC.

[PS]

@Hank: Your FoxNews link is old. WSJ is reporting Quds Brigades have helped retake most of Tikrit: http://online.wsj.com/articles/iran-deploys-forces-to-fight-al-qaeda-inspired-militants-in-iraq-iranian-security-sources-1402592470.

[jonst]

Yeah, you are correct, Fred. So long, that is, as the patience of the US people is inexhaustible. And if they go 'back into Iraq', whatever that term might mean, we might test the proposition.

[Dubhaltach]

In reply to alba etie's comment @ 13 June 2014 at 06:37 AM

While I don't disagree with you a Rouhani↔Erdogan alliance would be far from unprecedented. The Iranian and Turkish militaries work quite closely with one another against Kurdish guerillas. Up to and including allowing units of their respective militaries who are in 'hot pursuit' to continue their pursuits across the border.

Dubhaltach

[HawkOfMay]

Is there an avenue of co-operation with the Iranians?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/13/us-iraq-security-iran-idUSKBN0EO0QH20140613

[turcopolier]

HawkofMay

Yes if we could bring ourselves to rise above Israeli animosity towards Iran. pl

[Patrick D]

I was thinking something similar.

Sufis and Salafis cooperating?

It must require a special kind of common enemy to make that happen.

[turcopolier]

patrick d

IMO the Naqshbandi Army is more Iraqi Army than sufi. pl

[alba etie]

Col Lang
What baffles me is why the sane leadership in Israel cannot see that an ISIS Caliphate in Syria & Iraq would be a clear and present danger to their national security, I would have thought Ehud Barak & others in the Izzie leadership would have allowed space for the US , Iran and others to go after the ISIS in ways that could shut down the Islamist advance. Who knows maybe the reports of the Quds forces taking Tikrit back are evidence that cooperation with the Iranians is already happening .

[alba etie]

Dubhaltach
Reports are that the Kurds have been an effective blocking force to stop the ISIS in Syria & now it appears Iraq. I know a few Kurds here in Central Texas - I wish the Kurds God Speed .

[turcopolier]

AE

IMO it is an open question whether Israel can be said to still have an effective "sane leadership." Israelis seem united in a view of the world that has little connection to reality. The inter community wall that runs through the center of Bethlehem is a symbol of that. pl