MESOPOTAMIA NEWS EXCLUSIV : TALKING TO MAJ GENERAL GHIKA (UNITED STATES RMY IRAQ) – THE IRAN LINKED THREATS IN IRAQ

SOUTH KURDISTAN (IRAQ)

 

Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 53 minutes ago

#pt: One journalist said that if one walked onto the @CJTFOIR base in #Baghdad, the threat level would be posted for all to see. When asked to reveal that threat level, @oirdcom Maj. Gen Ghika refused to do so — “if you come to the base, you can see the threat level,” he said.

Following some tough questioning, @oirdcom Maj. Gen Ghika appears to be slightly backtracking on Qs over #Iran-linked threats. – Apparent parsing between “#PMF” and “other [#Iran proxy] militias” – “I’m not going to go into where the threats have increased or decreased…”

After estimating that there are still 10,000 #ISIS fighters operating in #Iraq, @oirdcom Maj. Gen Ghika says there are “some thousands” still in #Syria, but “less than 10,000.”

.@oirdcom Maj. Gen Ghika not very open to demands made in al-Shuheil recently (see tweet) – “We’re monitoring these protests… I think we’re through that phase… everyone realizes the predominant threat in the area is #ISIS & to break now would allow the regrowth of #ISIS.

Charles ListerVerified account @Charles_Lister

After a tribal meeting in al-Shuheil, leaders issued 5 demands to @CJTFOIR: 1. Give authority of Arab areas to “their sons”…

 

.@oirdcom Maj. Gen Ghika: There are “in the order of 10,000” #ISIS fighters operating across #Iraq today – including members of support network. Plus #Syria

Intriguing choice of words by @oirdcom Maj. Gen Ghika: – “There are a range of threats… in #Iraq & #Syria#Iran-backed forces are clearly one of them… there are a substantial number of such groups… We don’t see any increase in threat from *many* of them at this stage.”