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The country that’s holding its own against Islamic State

Serpentine

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Iran, Islamic Republic Of
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Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Qassem Soleimani visits the frontline during an offensive against Islamic State militants in the town of Tal Ksaiba in Salahuddin province March 8, 2015.

Islamic State remains strong. It may have lost ground in the Middle East this year, but it has upped its game beyond the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria, inspiring or conducting a terrorist attack every 84 hours since June.

It successfully hit two of the three top targets on its list: France and the United States. To date, however, it failed to perpetrate a successful attack on its third target: Iran.

It’s not for lack of trying. Iran actively fights Islamic State — and Tehran’s counterterrorism efforts have succeeded where others have not.

Iran’s goal is twofold: Undermine Islamic State’s spread, ideology and vision, which promotes a sectarian agenda, while working to prevent attacks on Iranian soil. Iran’s efforts in neighboring Iraq and Syria are slowly paying off, as the territory held by the group continues to shrink.


Iran itself, however, remains a more vulnerable target than the European Union and the United States, not least because it shares a 900-mile border with Iraq. Islamic State’s attempts to target Iran should have been more successful, but Iran’s security apparatus has so far mitigated the threat.

Iran developed its counterterrorism policy over the course of several decades. Part of it was developed with the help of the U.S. intelligence community and the Israeli Mossad, when the three countries worked together on security issues until the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the shah. Tehran put other strategies and institutions in place after the revolution.

Counterterrorism is now divided between several key organizations, including the police force under the Interior Ministry, the military, numerous intelligence organizations and the Revolutionary Guards. Their effectiveness is a testament to the government’s ability to coordinate them successfully in a volatile political climate. Iran is in the throes of tense political infighting as it prepares for next year’s presidential elections against the backdrop of heated debates over the benefits of opening up economically and politically to the rest of the world following 2015’s landmark nuclear deal.

Iran’s counterterrorism tactics remain opaque and misunderstood in the West. Tehran has been active in Iraq and Syria militarily because it believes that by taking the battle onto Islamic State turf it can stop the group from advancing into Iran. While the extent of Iran’s presence in Iraq and Syria was unclear at first, it now increasingly publicizes its involvement there. This sends a message to Islamic State: Iranians are on the ground, connected to local populations and various political groups, and won’t allow Islamic State to get close to Iran.

Tehran wants to show that when Iranians fight and die to protect Shiite Muslims and their religious shrines abroad, it isn’t just because of ideology, but to keep the militants away from Iran’s borders. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said recently that the “martyrs” were in Syria and Iraq to protect their homeland.

Iran began its messaging campaign in 2014, when Islamic State declared the creation of a “caliphate.” Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani’s social media presence was the first step: He was frequently photographed in Iraq, and more recently in Syria, engaging with various political groups. In addition to sending a signal to Islamic State, it sought to reassure the Iranian public of Tehran’s commitment to the fight against Islamic State. Today, every fallen Iranian soldier is used to underscore this message.

Iran has also successfully foiled several planned terror attacks within its borders. In June, Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi announced that 20 terrorist cells had been dismantled the previous month. He added that Tehran this summer had prevented the biggest Islamic State attack on Iranian soil, involving 50 different targets throughout the capital, 100 kg (220 lbs) of explosives, about 10 operatives and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This month, Iranian security forces said they discovered an Islamic State base, killed an operative and dismantled a cell in the Western city of Kermanshah, close to the border with Iraq. Last week, Alavi claimed that Iran had prevented 1,500 Iranians youth from joining Islamic State.

Abroad, Iran tries to change its image as a sectarian player and works with Shias and Sunnis alike, including in encouraging recruitment for the Iraqi army. Iran’s government has also reached out to its own Sunni minority — part of its bid to be viewed as the leader of all Muslims, rather than just the Shias who make up some 90 percent of its population.

These efforts have met with mixed success. Few non-Iranian Sunnis want to work with Tehran. But inside the country, Sunni leaders have worked closely with the government on preventive measures, such as community programs aimed at preventing local Sunnis from joining the Sunni-dominated Islamic State.

Despite its success to date, many in the Iranian leadership are aware of Iran’s shortcomings in counterterrorism efforts. Iran is still a victim of its political system. The constant infighting between different factions results in a sort of one-step forward, two-steps back policy implementation. Despite the government’s domestic efforts to work with Sunnis, for example, the mass execution of 20 Sunni militants in August is likely to upset some of the political progress.

Iran is in the game, whether the West likes it or not. It shares similar challenges in the fight against Islamic State — including a need to deal with its porous border with Iraq.

But for now, at least, Tehran’s complex counterterrorism policy is keeping Islamic State at bay.

http://www.reuters.com/article/commentary-iran-dina-idUSKCN11C1Z6
 
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In the first few months yes, but not now anymore. They are doing a pretty good job wiping ISIS out of areas step by step. Iraqis have been winning battles successively and haven't lost for months.
And who are the generals in command or at least ''advisors''?
 
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And who are the generals in command or at least ''advisors''?

Now, they are mostly Iraqis. Iran sent many people to Iraq in 2014, but now, Iraqis have taken things in their own hands because they have crossed the most dangerous peaks of this war already. Iraqi special and CT forces, along with popular mobilization forces are doing a fine job now, though there is still need for improvement.

Iraq doesn't have a shortage of manpower, they are managing. No need for significant Iran adviser presence in Iraq anymore, except sending small arms or ATGMs which is underway already.
 
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Now, they are mostly Iraqis. Iran sent many people to Iraq in 2014, but now, Iraqis have taken things in their own hands because they have crosses the most dangerous peaks of this war already. Iraqi special and CT forces, along with popular mobilization forces are doing a fine job now, though there is still need for improvement.

Iraq doesn't have a shortage of manpower, they are managing. No need for significant Iran adviser presence in Iraq anymore, except sending small arms or ATGMs which is underway already.
So,when will they liberate Mosul,is there a timeframe?
 
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So,when will the liberate Mosul,is there a timeframe?

Iraqi PM promised it will be taken before end of 2016, it may or may not happen by then, depending on some factors, but it's indeed within reach. It also depends on how much ISIS is willing to fight. If they like they did in Fallujah, it won't take more than a week to capture the city. In Fallujah, they basically fled. Unlike Ramadi where they fought till last breath. There are also many civilians inside Mosul who are sick of ISIS, it may also be a huge factor in retaking the city. But there are also sympathizers who should be hunted down after capturing the city.
 
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Without Russian and air strikes none of them would have been able to do anything. US strikes didn't even put a single dent in ISIS hold until Russia joined.
As far as i know,the Russians only bombed ISIS in Syria.
 
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And who are the generals in command or at least ''advisors''?

Only in 2014 after army command collapse it was under supervision of IRGC officers that several groups (now the PMF) were massed and organized to defend, Iran offered Iraq full military support, even Iranian military involvement but the Iraqi gov rejected this offer. Nowadays Iraqi forces don't depend on Iran neither on the US air support.

This is evident when a few months ago a 300+ convoy of IS was seen in the Fallujah region, the US did not act under the pretext that civillians might have been present in the convoy. It was only after so many hours that they joined, in the end it were the Iraqi army air cops (attack helicopters) that took out most IS vehicles, that's according to US official figures. I posted that thread on PDF before.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/30/middleeast/iraq-militants-airstrike/

"Iraqi air force and coalition airstrikes attacked the convoy throughout the night and into Wednesday morning," Garver said. "We estimate coalition strikes destroyed approximately 55 Daesh vehicles and we know the Iraqi security forces destroyed more."

On Wednesday, a second group of ISIS vehicles and fighters formed east of Ramadi, in the Albu Bali neighborhood, Garver said. " When strikes from both Iraqi and coalition air hit the convoy, the Daesh fighters abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot," he said. "We estimate coalition strikes destroyed approximately 120 Daesh vehicles. Again, we know the Iraqi security forces destroyed more."


That does not mean US air support is useless, it means they can go without even though the Iraqi air force lacks the big numbers of equipment compared to regional countries. Though if they did have those numbers the US air force wouldn't be as needed.

The generals in command is a list too long to name though they're all Iraqis. Iraqi forces have no embedded forward advisors.. YPG has American SF advisors embedded at the front, Pesh have also had such advisors embedded with them in Sinjar.
 
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Without Iran,the Iraqi army wouldnt stand a chance against ISIS,so they should be greatful to Iran.
Without Iran ISIS would not even created on first place. Iran promoted sectarianism and created dozens of sectarian terrorists militias in Iraq instead of one force and one army as in every normal state.

vorcTKC.jpg



Such policies led to civil war in Iraq.

Also fighting Islamic State of Iraq with Islamic State of Iran is like curing herpes with syphilis.
 
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Without Iran ISIS would not even created on first place. Iran promoted sectarianism and created dozens of sectarian terrorists militias in Iraq instead of one force and one army as in every normal state.

vorcTKC.jpg



Such policies led to civil war in Iraq.

Also fighting Islamic State of Iraq with Islamic State of Iran is like curing herpes with syphilis.
WTH,why so many?
@Serpentine ,whats with all these different groups?
 
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WTH,why so many?
@Serpentine ,whats with all these different groups?
Thats Iranian tactics wherever they step they create sectarian militias. Thats why all countries which fall to Iranian influence turn into failed states (Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Syria).

You can say whatever u want about Saddam, but he never invited sectarian Sunni jihadists to fight against Iraqi Shia rebellions.
 
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Thats Iranian tactics wherever they step they create sectarian militias. Thats why all countries which fall to Iranian influence turn into failed states (Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Syria).

Go harvest some Palestinian organs,. You've already been labelled as a terrorist/ISIS sympathiser in this forum. That's why your "think tank" status was removed. No one will take the words of Zionists in the occupied Palestine seriously.
 
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