Military – Benedetta Argentieri

15 Novembre 2016
Iraq, IS, ISIS, Military

Hashd Al-Shaabi, the Shia militia in Iraq recruiting Sunni and Christians

It has been described as unpredictable, sometime violent but the Shia militia Hashd Al Shaabi, also known as Popular Mobilization Front, is gaining momentum in Iraq.

Hashd al Shaabi, was formed in 2014 as the Iraqi Army was defeated by the Islamic State in several areas of the country. In September 2015 the Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared at the UN General Security Council they were part of the official state forces. Hashd Al Shaabi takes order directly from Baghdad.

Continua a leggere

5 Novembre 2016
Iraq, IS, ISIS, Military

When a fiery oil well in Iraq becomes a playground for children

Children playing around a oil wells on fire in Qayyara, Iraq (Photo Benedetta Argentieri)

Qayyarah, Iraq – Ayad leans against the black wall of a partially destroyed home, gripping an AK-47 in his hands.

He takes a deep breath and sprints across the road, between puddles of spilled oil, towards another house that he imagines is full of fighters. Ayad is followed by five fellow soldiers. Ahead of them, tongues of fire lick upwards from burning oil wells. The scene is apocalyptic.

Suddenly, a worker shouts towards Ayad and his group: “Get away from there, kids – it’s dangerous.”

Continua a leggere

6 Giugno 2016
Iraq, IS, Military

The Mosul dam shuffle

Workers at the Mosul Dam . Picture by Benedetta Argentieri

Between February and March the Mosul Dam, Iraq, captured media attention. At the height of the emergency it seemed the dam was about to break, but an Italian company was awarded $300 million to take care of it. After reading some articles and talking to some people I started to see a pattern of contradictions. What is going on here? The opinions on how bad it was started to change dramatically. Is the Mosul Dam in danger or not?

Short answer: It depends who you talk to.

Particularly revealing were calls in Italy. Details of the story would change from one source to another. Often when asked for official comments it would become another version or no answers at all. Nobody really wanted to talk about it in depth.

After a couple of months investigating the issue, I wrote an article for War is Boring. Please read and tell me what you think.

25 Maggio 2016
Iraq, IS, ISIS, Military, Syria, terrorism, War

Keep Calm because Raqqa is not happening anytime soon

While the drums of war are all over the internet, we should keep calm. Raqqa, the capital of the so-called Islamic State, is not happening anytime soon. “The current battle is only to liberate the area north of Raqqa. Currently there is no preparation … to liberate Raqqa, unless as part of a campaign which will come after this campaign has finished,” says Talal Silo, spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance to Reuters.

In other words, SDF is marching around the city, and most probably trying to cut off all the supply routes.

On Tuesday afternoon most of the media around the world announced the operation. Pictures of YPG and YPJ preparing for the battle circulated widely. Morale was hyped up in every front. Finally the US could formally announce what the Obama administration was eager to accomplish in the war against ISIS. Many believes that the US president wants the two major ISIS cities (Raqqa and Mosul) to fall before he leaves office, and that is no easy task.

Continua a leggere