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U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis/ AP Photo/ Alex Brandon

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis/ AP Photo/ Alex Brandon

WASHINGTON Expelled from their main stronghold in northern Iraq, Islamic State militants are now trapped in a military vise that will squeeze them on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said.

Mattis arrived in the Iraqi capital on an unannounced visit Tuesday just hours after President Donald Trump outlined a fresh approach to the stalemated war in Afghanistan. Trump also has vowed to take a more aggressive, effective approach against IS in Iraq and Syria, but he has yet to unveil a strategy for that conflict that differs greatly from his predecessors.

In Baghdad, Mattis was meeting with senior Iraqi government leaders and with U.S. commanders. He also planned to meet in Irbil with Massoud Barzani, leader of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region that has helped fight IS. Mattis told reporters before departing from neighboring Jordan that the so-called Middle Euphrates River Valley roughly from the western Iraqi city of al-Qaim to the eastern Syrian city of Der el-Zour will be liberated in time, as IS gets hit from both ends of the valley that bisects Iraq and Syria.

You see, ISIS is now caught in-between converging forces, he said, using an alternative acronym for the militant group that burst into western and northern Iraq in 2014 from Syria and held sway for more than two years. So ISISs days are certainly numbered, but its not over yet and its not going to be over any time soon.

Mattis referred to this area as ISISs last stand.

Unlike the war in Afghanistan, Iraq offers a more positive narrative for the White House, at least for now. Having enabled Iraqi government forces to reclaim the Islamic States prized possession of Mosul in July, the U.S. military effort is showing tangible progress and the Pentagon can credibly assert that momentum is on Iraqs side.

The ranking U.S. Air Force officer in Iraq, Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Croft, said that over the past couple of months IS has lost much of its ability to command and control its forces.

Its less coordinated than it was before, he said. It appears more fractured flimsy is the word I would use.

Brett McGurk, the administrations special envoy to the counter-IS coalition, credits the Trump administration for having accelerated gains against the militants. He said Monday that about one-third of all territory regained in Iraq and Syria since 2014 has been retaken in the last six or seven months.

I think thats quite significant and partially due to the fact were moving faster, more effectively, as a result of Trumps delegation of battlefield authorities to commanders in the field, McGurk said. He said this has really made a difference on the ground. I have seen that with my own eyes.

It seems likely that in coming months Trump may be in position to declare a victory of sorts in Iraq as IS fighters are marginalized and they lose their claim to be running a caliphate inside Iraqs borders. Syria, on the other hand, is a murkier problem, even as IS loses ground there against U.S.-supported local fighters and Russian-backed Syrian government forces.

The U.S. role in Iraq parallels Afghanistan in some ways, starting with the basic tenet of enabling local government forces to fight rather than having U.S. troops do the fighting for them. That is unlikely to change in either country. Also, although the Taliban is the main opposition force in Afghanistan, an Islamic State affiliate has emerged there, too. In both countries, U.S. airpower is playing an important role in support of local forces, and in both countries the Pentagon is trying to facilitate the development of potent local air forces.

In Iraq, the political outlook is clouded by the same sectarian and ethnic division between Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions that have repeatedly undercut, and in some cases reversed, security gains following the toppling of Saddam Husseins regime in 2003.

An immediate worry is a Kurdish independence referendum to be held Sept. 25, which, if successful, could upset a delicate political balance in Iraq and enflame tensions with Turkey, whose own Kurdish population has fought an insurgency against the central government for decades. McGurk reiterated U.S. opposition to holding the Iraqi Kurdish referendum.

We believe these issues should be resolved through dialogue under the constitutional framework, and that a referendum at this time would be really potentially catastrophic to the counter-ISIS campaign, McGurk told reporters in a joint appearance with Mattis before they flew to Iraq.

With the Iraqi militarys campaign to retake the northern city of Tal Afar now under way, Mattis has refused to predict victory. He says generals and senior officials should just go silent when troops are entering battle.

Id prefer just to let the reality come home. Theres nothing to be gained by forecasting something thats fundamentally unpredictable, he told reporters traveling with him over the weekend.

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Mattis: IS militants caught in Iraq-Syria military vise - wreg.com

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2017 The United States and its coalition partners remain unwavering in their commitment to Iraq in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said today in Baghdad.

Mattis spoke to reporters with Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, and Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, the commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.

"We in the coalition will remain steadfast with our Iraqi allies -- all the way through the defeat of ISIS," Mattis said. "It's not over yet. There's hard fighting ahead."

The defense secretary commended efforts from U.S., coalition and Iraqi forces, lauding the positive gains since Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi took office in 2014.

"Today the security for the Iraqi people has been greatly improved," Mattis said, pointing out that Iraqi cities have been liberated, people freed from the terrorists' brutal rule, and the Iraqi economy is recovering.

Iraq is reengaging with the region, he said, and ISIS is "on the run."

The terrorists, he said, "have been shown to be unable to stand up to our team in combat and they have not retaken one inch of ground that they've lost."

Mattis said the United States is dedicated to the strategic framework agreement to stand with the Iraqi people and their military to help secure a better future and maintain stability and security.

'Very Promising' Regional Developments

McGurk highlighted positive regional developments, to include the Arar border crossing between Iraq and Saudi Arabia opening for the first time since 1990. In addition, he said, Iraqi and Jordanian officials are discussing the reopening of the Turaibil border crossing, a nearly $1 billion-a-month commerce route.

"We're looking very closely at the future beyond [ISIS] and we are encouraged by the leadership of Prime Minister Abadi with this regional engagement," McGurk said. "We think it is really delivering some results and a very promising development here on the ground."

Victory 'Assured' in Tal Afar, Raqqa

The coalition and partnered forces on the ground in Iraq and Syria are making significant gains, Townsend said.

"The fighting's tough, but the momentum was with our partners and the Iraqi security forces and in the Syrian Democratic Forces," he said.

The Iraqi city of Mosul was liberated after months of tough fighting, Townsend noted, adding the coalition is in its third month of operations to defeat ISIS in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

"A year ago the liberation of Mosul was just some ideas and some lines on paper. The liberation of Raqqa was not even that," the general said.

After the intense fighting in Mosul, the Iraqi forces regrouped, quickly refitting and transitioning their force into a new offensive in Tal Afar, west of Mosul, he said.

In Syria, the terrorists are surrounded and cut off, but continue to show their cruelty as they hide among women and children and show no regard for noncombatants, according to Townsend.

The U.S. remains united with its partners and committed in the lasting defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to prevent the terrorists from "exporting their terror around the world and to protect our homelands," he said.

"Victory over ISIS is assured in Tal Afar and Raqqa," the general said.

The coalition, Townsend said, must continue to disrupt ISIS's ability to inspire new recruits, deprive the terrorists of sanctuary, interrupt their revenue streams, destroy their equipment, kill their fighters and deny their ability to attack the homelands.

(Follow Lisa Ferdinando on Twitter: @FerdinandoDoD)

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Mattis: US, Coalition 'Steadfast' With Iraq for ISIS Defeat - Department of Defense

Iraq international Ali Abbas has returned to the Australian top flight.

Wellington Phoenix have signed former Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC star Ali Abbas for a return to the A-League.

The Iraq international's two-season deal completes the Phoenix's squad under new coach Darije Kalezic.

The 30-year-old Abbas already boasts 128 A-League games, having played three seasons with the Jets followed by four at Sydney FC before one-season with South Korean outfit Pohang Steelers.

Abbas, an Australian citizen, was pleased to put his disappointing Korean stint, where he barely played, behind him.

"After Korea there were many offers, a lot from home in Iraq, but I wanted to come back to the A-League," he said.

"Phoenix have many quality players, they've recruited well - I want to do something special this year."

Kalezic hailed the signing as a further sign of willingness of top-tier offshore talent to come to a new regime in Wellington.

"It hasn't always been possible in the past to attract top-quality Australian players to join us here -- that has changed," he said.

Other new signings include Australian defenders Scott Galloway and Daniel Mullen, midfielder Goran Paracki and forwards Andrija Kaludjerovic and Dario Vidosic.

Abbas joins as an injury replacement for versatile defender Louis Fenton, who will be given assistance by the Phoenix to find game time with another club. Fenton will then rejoin the Phoenix on a one-year deal from September 2018.

A technically sound player, Abbas played the first of his six internationals for Iraq at the 2007 Asian Cup and earned a recall last year in two World Cup qualifying games.

Phoenix assistant coach Rado Vidosic, who worked with Abbas at Sydney FC, is excited by what left-footed Abbas can offer down the left flank in a defensive or midfield role.

Goalkeepers: Lewis Italiano, Oliver Sail

Defenders: Andrew Durante, Marco Rossi, Scott Galloway, Tom Doyle, Daniel Mullen, Ryan Lowry, Dylan Fox, Ali Abbas (injury replacement)

Midfielders: Gui Finkler, Michael McGlinchey, Goran Paracki, Matthew Ridenton, Alex Rufer, James McGarry, Sarpreet Singh

Forwards: Andrija Kaludjerovic, Dario Vidosic, Roy Krishna, Hamish Watson, Adam Parkhouse, Logan Rogerson

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Iraq international Ali Abbas joins Wellington Phoenix - ESPN FC

As US-led strikes in Syria and Iraq continue to cause massive civilian deaths, the past is a warning about whitewashing the pain and suffering caused by foreign interventions.

These days, when people talk about Iraq, they tend to conjure up the same mental images that have been pressed home by a careless mainstream media. Iraq is not the country of thousands of years of history, culture and civilizational progress, it is the country of so-called IS terrorists, also known as Daesh. Iraq is the country of jaw-droppingly corrupt politicians. Iraq is the country of sectarian Shia jihadists, who are no better than IS themselves. Iraq is a country on the verge of disintegration, with the Kurds making yet another bid for independence next month.

What the media often overlooks and forgets are Iraqs most important assets that will determine the success or failure of its future Iraqi children. Where children are mentioned, it is often as a number or a figure to be added to the unending stream of emotionally detached statistics. They are also often used for propaganda purposes, or in academic papers designed to absolve the West of its war guilt and the decimation of generations of Iraqis during a historical epoch that can only be termed as the Iraqi Holocaust.

Cherry-picking facts to suit an agenda

In July of this year, two academics from the London School of Economics drew some wild conclusions from a set of reports jointly produced by a collaborative effort between the United Nations and the post-2003 invasion Iraqi Ministry of Health. According to Professor Tim Dyson and Dr Valeria Cetorelli from the London School of Economics, the claim that 550,000 Iraqi children died as a result of US-led and UN-sponsored sanctions was a spectacular lie.

Massive infant mortality in Iraq resulting directly from Western military intervention, sanctions, imperialism and simple base greed is not a spectacular lie at all. What is spectacular is how little context is provided in the research paper, and how little care and attention is paid to the statements of senior US officials at the time, indicating that such needless and wanton killing of children actually occurred.

Dyson and Cetorelli appeared to take particular umbrage with a UNICEF report from 1999 where the 550,000 figure originated. According to the researchers, the regime of former president Saddam Hussein inserted their own researchers into the data collection process, expertly manipulated statistics, successfully deceiving UNICEF researchers and the entire planet along with them, and this lie was not uncovered until after the illegal invasion in 2003.

What the researchers fail to clarify is why researchers employed by the toppled Baathist regime were less trustworthy than researchers employed by the Iraqi health ministry operating under the direct tutelage of the US occupation forces? Dyson and Cetorelli categorically fail to consider how the data may have been affected by people working under US occupation and who may have had an inherent bias towards anything the old regime did good or bad. As the military governors of the new Iraq, the US and its collaborators had an interest in skewing facts to blame a regime that could no longer voice dissent or offer up a defence.

Secondly, the researchers fail to acknowledge admissions made by senior US officials at the time, officials who oversaw the sanctions regime that proved so deadly to Iraqis of all kinds, especially children.

In an Emmy award-winning segment for CBS 60 Minutes show in 1996, veteran reporter Lesley Stahl interviewed then-US secretary of state Madeleine Albright about the sanctions regime. The segment, broadcast years before the UNICEF report that is now being doubted, showed Stahl asking Albright if it was worth imposing sanctions that led to the deaths of half-a-million children in Iraq, adding that the figure was higher than the number of Japanese children that died when the US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Albrights response was not a denial, but simply, cruelly and coldly, We think the price is worth it.

Whitewashing Western war guilt

What one must really bear in mind is that Albright did not dismiss the astronomical figure of Iraqi deaths, or even deny that they were inaccurate. Albright, who had access to the intelligence assessments of multiple world-leading intelligence agencies including the CIA did nothing to detract from the reporters assertions, or even to deny them outright, but responded to the question candidly and revealingly, showing that the figures at the time when the interview was conducted were likely accurate.

Rather than engage with these realities and the fact that the West, led by the United States, is directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children over a period of six years in the 1990s, these LSE academics decided to attack a single report. They did not deem it necessary to consider other sources of data that supported the figures cited by the report, despite alluding to the fact that even former British prime minister Tony Blair referenced the report in 2010.

Again, these are not average members of the public who have limited access to intelligence assessments and reports, primarily relying on open source data. When these senior Western officials and world leaders cite these reports or say that it was worth killing half-a-million children, they do so whilst having access to some of the most advanced assessments produced by some of the worlds most cutting-edge intelligence agencies.

Such a narrow selective use of data demonstrates that Iraqi infant deaths are seen as being of minor importance in the academic fact production industry that provides a handy shield for Western war criminals to hide behind. This gives the impression that no one really cares, as long as the Western conscience is absolved of any guilt, and as long as the victims of these criminal acts are non-Western children, mere numbers to debate over rather than to despair over.

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How the West whitewashes killing children in Iraq - TRT World

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Aug 21, 2017, 12:00 PM CDT

In a bid to increase oil revenues and possibly setting the stage for its own benchmark crude grade, Iraq has told customers it may change the way it prices Basra crude for the Asian market, Reuters reported on Monday, quoting a letter by Iraqs state oil marketing company SOMO it had seen.

According to SOMOs letter, the company is asking customers for input regarding a plan to change the Basra crude pricing for Asia to Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) Oman futures beginning next year, dropping the average of Oman and Dubai quotes by S&P Global Platts.

In an effort to realize the intrinsic value of our crude exports to Asia as to be in alignment with the recent market perception, we are contemplating a change of the current pricing formula for the Asian market, Reuters quoted SOMOs letter as saying. The letter is dated August 20 and asks for feedback from customers by August 31.

If implemented, the change would concern the pricing of around 2 million bpd of Iraqs exports to Asia, nearly two-thirds of the daily Iraqi exports from the southern port of Basra.

While it is planning a possible pricing change for Asia, Iraq is not expected to alter the pricing to Europe and the U.S. in which it uses the Dated Brent and the Argus Sour Crude Index (ASCI), respectively. Related:Qatar Aims To Ease Its Reliance On LNG Exports

The Iraqi plan is also seen as a breakaway move from the leading Middle Eastern exporter, Saudi Arabia, whose official selling prices (OSP)using S&P price assessments for decades--are usually followed by the other main producers in the region.

Middle Eastern crude benchmarks currently dont include Iraqi crude grades, and this could be one of the reasons for Iraq studying a change.

The Iraqis probably want to get in on the game of being a benchmark grade, a Singapore-based oil trader told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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In Breakaway Move From Saudis, Iraq May Change Oil Pricing - OilPrice.com