Iraq says forces recapture refinery town from IS militants

The Islamic State rakes in up to $50 million a month from selling crude from oilfields under its control in Iraq and Syria, part of a well-run industry that USA diplomacy and airstrikes have so far failed to shut down, according to Iraqi intelligence and US officials. He stated that there had been a conversation between the USA officials and Iraqi leaders confirming that there were no Russian strikes requested, according to the Miami Herald. The Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

It was unclear what triggered the mix-up, but officials said the plane’s flight had been pre-approved by Iraqi leaders.

Iranian-backed militias leading the fight against Islamic State in Iraq say the United States lacks the decisiveness and the readiness to supply weapons needed to eliminate militancy in the region.

During his visit, Dunford pledged to seek new ways to build momentum against Islamic State and challenged descriptions of the conflict as a stalemate, after an advance which secured most of the strategic Baiji oil refinery.

Iraq announced Tuesday that it had driven Islamic State militants out of Beiji, which is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) north of Baghdad and is strategically located on the road to Mosul, the country’s second-largest city.

Meanwhile, Russia’s ambassador in London, who has a history of snarky jabs at US policy on Twitter, took to the social media platform to suggest “terrorists must be rejoicing” at the news that Russian Federation appeared unlikely to get a request for help from the Iraqis.

IS oil revenues reached about $500 million a year, Daniel Glaser, a US Treasury official said, adding that the group collects hundreds of millions of dollars a year from “taxes” on commercial activities.

Newly appointed US Marine General Joseph Dunford played down the chances of Russian Federation waging an air campaign against Islamic State in Iraq in the near future. “One could question the honesty and integrity of the USA airstrikes”. In addition, theyhave made money through looting as they have expanded through Iraqi and Syrian cities.

“Therefore it is understandable that the Iraqi parliament and the defense committee would send a request to the prime minister to add more forces and in particular the forces of the Russian Federation, which has proved quite efficient in destroying [Islamic State] bases in neighboring Syria”.

The raid marked the first publicly acknowledged instance of direct ground combat by USA forces in Iraq since the official end of United States combat operations in 2011.

This also is Dunford’s first overseas trip since he took the chairman’s job on October. 1, signaling the high priority he and the Pentagon leadership place on finding the right formula to use local forces backed by coalition airstrikes to defeat the Islamic State extremists and retake territory the militants control in Iraq and Syria.

“It would make it very hard for us to be able able to provide the kind of support that you need if the Russians were here conducting operations as well”.