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Iraq has been blighted by ongoing conflict since the early 2000s, however the rise of the Islamic State in the northwest of the country in 2014 has caused considerable chaos and loss of life. Since the group gained territory across large swathes of Iraq, more than 3 million people have become internally displaced (IDPs), or have fled to border countries such as Turkey and Jordan as refugees. Almost half of those fleeing have taken refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan, including thousands of ethnic Kurds, Yazidis and Syrians escaping the Syrian civil war. The conflict has significantly weakened the health infrastructure in the country, and over 35% of Iraqi doctors have fled the country.

In 2014, Doctors of the World launched operations in Iraqi Kurdistan to provide access to healthcare for displaced people fleeing the Islamic State. Our teams work alongside the Iraqi government to provide medical and psychological assistance to refugees and IDP populations, such as those living in Chamisku camp on the border with Turkey.

We we run mobile health clinic projects in the newly liberated areas around Sinjar, such as Borek village and our teams are also active in the southern governorate of Kirkuk, where we operate 4 mobile clinics. In 2016 we expanded our operations in light of the battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State, which resulted in the forced movement of thousands of people trying to escape the fighting between the Iraqi government and IS. We currently operate in once-small towns such as Kalata Farhahn, 12 miles from Mosul, where many have taken refuge.

Several of the displaced Iraqis fled to Chamisku refugee camp the largest IDP camp in northern Iraq. For the 26,000 residents of the camp, access to healthcare is extremely limited. Doctors of the World provides primary medical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare, psychosocial support and nutritional screening to identify cases of malnutrition in babies and children.

We provide 250 consultations a day in Chamisku camp, and many of our team are themselves refugees who live in Chamisku. Ghazwa Breassam, a mother of 2 children who fled Mosul with her family, provides consultations. About one in ten women who come to visit us are pregnant and there are often complications with the pregnancies. Many have undergone tremendous stress due to trauma. Even though they are safe here, its difficult to carry a child and give birth in this environment. We provide advice on family planning and a lot of emotional support, says Ghazwa.

Many of the people we treat have experienced significant trauma, and as a result require critical psychosocial support to help them cope. Most of our patients have witnessed shocking human rights abuses, such as acts of torture, executions and enslavement. In addition to providing individual counseling, our teams also provide group counseling sessions and psychosocial activities for children affected by the violence. We also conduct trainings for local medical and paramedical staff.

One of our psychologists working in Chamisku, Hairan Khalifa, fled with her Yazidi family to escape the Islamic State. Two of her cousins were killed, and the fate of her grandmother is still unknown. She currently lives in two neighboring tents with nine family members: her mother, her four sisters, her brother, his wife and her two nephews. Hairan believes that in her line of work, The most essential thing is to listen to people. I often see patients three or four times and their story is usually similar to mine. I do not prescribe medication, but I try to give advice to reduce stress. I try to be positive, to say the right thing and to bring some comfort. If their condition worsens, then they see a doctor and sometimes go to the hospital.

While the fighting in Mosul rages on, it is likely that more people will flee. Hairan tries not to dwell on the fate of her family too much. I hope one day we can leave this country, we have no future here. But for now, she concentrates on her work in Chamisku helping those fleeing the Islamic State to put the horrors of war behind them.

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Iraq: 12 Miles From the Front Line - ReliefWeb

A Belgian militant had a medical note saying he had back pain and would not join the battle. A fighter from France claimed he wanted to leave Iraq to carry out a suicide attack at home. Several requested transfers to Syria. Others just simply refused to fight.

The documents on 14 problem fighters from the Tariq Bin Ziyad battalion made up largely of foreigners were found by Iraqi forces after they took over an Isis base in a neighbourhood of Mosul last month.

At its peak, Isis drew thousands of recruits each month and controlled about a third of Iraqs territory, and the foreigners who poured in from dozens of countries have been characterised as the most die-hard fighters. But the group has steadily lost ground and appeal.

The militants are now besieged in the western half of Mosul, once the biggest city Isis controlled and the heart of its self-proclaimed caliphate. But the groups losses have triggered concerns in Europe that disillusioned fighters might find their way home.

He doesnt want to fight, wants to return to France, said the notes on a 24-year-old listed as a French resident of Algerian descent. Claims his will is a martyrdom operation in France. Claims sick but doesnt have a medical report.

He was one of five fighters in the file listed as having French residency, or as originally from France.

More citizens from France have joined Isis than from any other country in Europe since 2011, when Syria's popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad turned violent and fuelled the rise of extremist groups.

A member of the Iraqi security forces removes a banner bearing the logo of Isis in eastern Mosul last month (Getty)

The French government reported a sharp decrease in the number of its citizens travelling to Syria and Iraq to join the group in the first half of 2016 but said that nearly 700 still remain there, including 275 women and 17 minors.

The forms in the file are marked with the year 2015 but appear to have been filled out later as they specify the dates that some of the militants joined, which stretch into 2016.

In addition to each militants name, country of origin, country of residency, date of birth, blood type and weapons specialties, the documents list the number of wives, children and slave girls each had. A photo is also included. It was not possibly to verify the personal information, but Iraqi officers who found the file said they believe it is genuine.

Two men from Kosovo refused to fight and asked to move to Syria. One said he had head pain.

Of the more than 4,000 foreign fighters who have left European Union nations for Iraq and Syria, around a third have returned, according to a report from The Hague-based International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. About 14 per cent have been confirmed dead, while the rest remain overseas or their whereabouts are unknown.

Air strikes destroy Isis drone base in Mosul

People say that they are the most motivated, but there are plenty of foreign fighters that went and found that the Isis experience wasnt what they thought it would be; they thought it would be a great adventure, said Aymenn al-Timimi, an analyst specialising in militant groups who has compiled an online database of Isis documents, some of which indicate similar issues of morale.

The organisation keeps meticulous records, leaving clues to its inner workings as the fighters are ejected from territory.

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces discovered the documents in a house in Mosuls Al Andalus neighbourhood that was being used as an administrative base for the Tariq Bin Ziyad battalion.

The militants were seen removing documents and computers from the building, according to neighbours, before they set fire to the building as Iraqi forces retook the area, said Lt-Col Muhanad al-Tamimi, whose unit found the documents unscathed in a desk drawer.

Those foreign fighters are the most furious fighters we ever fought against, he said. When those fighters refuse to fight it means that theyve realised this organisation is fake Islam and not the one they came for.

This Washington Post illustration shows an English translation of the Isis file

Iraqi troops faced a barrage of suicide car bombs and fierce resistance during the first month of their operations to retake Mosul last year. However, after pausing to reorganise, the forces have made rapid progress on the eastern side of the city this year.

Late last month, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his forces had recaptured all neighbourhoods of Mosul east of the Tigris river and that Isis militants had collapsed quickly.

Edwin Bakker, a research fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and a professor of counter-terrorism at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said that fighters from Western European countries are largely known to intelligence agencies, but that there is less information on those from countries such as Bosnia and Kosovo.

With open borders in Europe, these fighters might return home and stage attacks on the continent, he said. But warnings of a tsunami of returning foreign fighters are exaggerated, he said.

We shouldnt underestimate the numbers that have gone to live there and die there, he added.

Another 30-year-old French national in the file is noted as having been involved in the departure of Abu Azzam al-Fransi and his wife from the land of the caliphate. Fransi indicates that the fighter he helped leave was also from France.

Lt-GenAbdul Ghani al-Assadi, commander of Iraqs counter-terrorism forces, said there are many foreign fighters in Mosul, and that foreign suicide bombers have been responsible for many of the 350 car bombs launched toward their lines.

In one Isis headquarters in the Dhubat neighbourhood of Mosul, his forces found a stash of passports 16 Russian and four French. There were also 20 blank Iraqi passports taken from Mosuls passport department, he said, speculating that the militants are forging them to be able to leave the country.

Despite the recent rapid advances in eastern Mosul, Iraqi generals still expect a bloody fight ahead. The western side of the city, home to 750,000 civilians, is surrounded by Iraqi forces and the Isis members still there will have little choice but to fight or die.

There are still a lot of people that are motivated, Bakker said. The majority is there to fight.

TheWashington Post

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Isis file reveals 'problem' foreign fighters are refusing to fight in Iraq ... - The Independent

President Trump greets U.S. Coalition military commanders and representatives for the first time with a pledge of greater support and commitment to taking down terrorists. USA TODAY NETWORK

In this Feb. 1, 2017 photo, Nineveh police forces train with Spanish coalition members at Basmaya base,southeast of Baghdad. While the battle for Mosul is largely paused, the U.S.-led coalition is ramping up training of Nineveh police forces to move into villages and parts of Mosul retaken from the Islamic State.(Photo: Karim Kadim, AP)

The U.S.-led coalition is training 3,000 Iraqi police and border officers to help provide security in Iraqonce Islamic State militants are pushed out of their last major stronghold in Mosul.

The move reflects a shift from training anadvancing army that has been repelling the militants to building a security force capable of countering the radical group's return to its roots as terroristsutilizing bombs and guerrilla tactics.

When the Islamic State no longerfunctions as an occupying force, the requirements will be a little bit different, said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joe Martin, who commands trainers and advisers in Iraq.

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces are in the midst of an offensive to drive the militants from Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city.

Martin, in a telephone interview from Baghdad, said Iraqs security forces would likely continue to request training even after the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, is defeated in Iraq.

Thats part of the strategic partnership with Iraq, Martin said.

The coalition has been training police for more than a year, but the Iraqi government recentlyrequestedthat more be trained.

After Iraq's military was routed by invading militants in 2014, the coalition began training combat units and providing weapons.The coalition has trained 60,000 troopsduring the past two years.

Last year, Iraqi forces aided bycoalition advisers and airstrikes pushedthe militants out of Ramadi and Fallujah in western Iraq. The offensive to retakeMosul began inOctober.

Michael OHanlon, an analyst at the Brookings Institution, a Washingtonthink tank, said a continued coalition presence is needed to keepIraqs militaryproficient and retain U.S. influencein the region.Its about sustaining a partnership,"OHanlon said.

The U.S. military has about 5,000 troops in Iraq. In addition to training, itprovides air support and advisers to support Iraqi units.

When U.S. ground combatforces withdrew from Iraq in 2011, theyleft behind an effective Iraqi military trained and equipped by the United States.By the time the Islamic State attacked in 2014, Iraqs military had deteriorated because troops weren't being trained and competent commanders were replaced with political cronies of the centralgovernment.

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US-led coalition focuses on training a post-ISIL police force in Iraq - USA TODAY

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 7, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterdays strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 strikes consisting of 28 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an oil wellhead.

-- Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed a vehicle-borne bomb.

-- Near Palmyra, nine strikes destroyed 17 heavy-equipment vehicles, 11 vehicles, four dump trucks, three front-end loaders, three vehicle-borne bombs and two tanks.

-- Near Raqqa, six strikes destroyed three tunnels, a weapons facility, a vehicle and an oil wellhead.

Strikes in Iraq

Fighter aircraft and ground-based artillery conducted seven strikes consisting of 42 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed two tactical vehicles.

-- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building, a vehicle and a supply cache.

-- Near Kisik, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building and a supply cache.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and an ISIL staging area; destroyed two watercraft, two supply caches, two weapons caches, a barge, a bunker, a dump truck, a front-end loader, a mortar system, a vehicle, a vehicle-borne-bomb facility and an anti-air artillery system; and damaged 16 supply routes and a tunnel.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq > U.S. ... - Department of Defense

For the second time in less than a month, President Donald Trump has talked about how America should have taken Iraqs oil a war crime, according to the Geneva Conventions.

I always said take the oil, Trump told Fox News host Bill OReilly in the second part of an extensive interview that aired on Monday. If you would have taken the oil, there would be no ISIS because they used that to fuel

OReilly interjected, If you took the oil, the Iraq oil, you would have to put in U.S. troops to do that and then that would have started another round

Trump finished, And you would have made a lot of money with the oil, and you would have had assets, and to the victor belong the spoils, and all of that. But forget that.

This isnt the first time that Trump talked about the possibility of seizing Iraqs oil. Last month the president delivered a speechat the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, before its memorial wall and implied that maybe well have another chance to confiscate Iraqs oil.

If we kept the oil, you probably wouldnt have ISIS because thats where they made their money in the first place, Trump said. So we should have kept the oil.But, OK, maybe well have another chance.

A United States decision to take the oilwould violateinternational law in several ways. First, it would have breached the annex to the Hague Convention of 1907 on the laws and customs of war, which mandates that private property cannot be confiscated and that pillage is formally forbidden.

Similarly, the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilians in wartimedeclares that any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Trumps suggestion may even violate a United Nations resolution from 1974 aboutcertain types of aggression.

On MondayFox News contributor and neoconservative pundit Charles Krauthammer told Bret Baier, The point is that when you become president of the United States, your words they are incredibly important. You can say one sentence and the dollar will lose its value. Pondering the oil is a war crime.

Trump has also repeatedly claimed, incorrectly, that he opposed the second Iraq War from the beginning.

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President Trump still thinks that America should have taken Iraq's oil ... - Salon