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Defense Secretary James N. Mattis made an unannounced visit to Iraqs capital on Monday to reassure allies of the U.S. militarys commitment to support the sprawling operation to recapturethe city of Mosul from entrenched Islamic State militants.

Ahead of the trip, however, Mattis made clear he did not advocate President Trumps oft-stated wish to take Iraqs oil.

Such anundertaking would beillegal and requiredecades of occupation byhundreds of thousands of troops, and likely cost more money than could be earned from the oil.

All of us in America have generally paid for our gas and oil all along and Im sure we will continue to do so in the future, Mattissaid. Were not in Iraq to seize anybodys oil.

Trump, as a candidate and as president, has repeatedly said that the U.S. should have taken Iraqs oil, including at CIA headquarters onjust one day after his inauguration last month.

"The old expression, 'to the victor belong the spoils' you remember," he said. I always used to say, 'Keep the oil.' I wasnt a fan of [the war in] Iraq. I didnt want to go into Iraq. But I will tell you, when we were in, we got out wrong....

If we kept the oil, you probably wouldnt have ISIS because thats where they made their money in the first place. So we should have kept the oil. But OK. Maybe youll have another chance. But the fact is, should have kept the oil, he said, using an acronym for Islamic State, themilitant group that seized oil fields in Iraq and Syria and sold their outputon the black market.

Iraq's economy is nearly entirely reliant on oil and it remains the lifeblood for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadis fragile government as it triestoprovidebasic services to citizens and maintain the nationsaging infrastructure.

Legal experts have said the U.S. seizure of Iraqi oil would have violated decades of international law, including the Geneva Conventions.

When Mattis stepped off the C-17 cargo plane Monday morning, it marked his first return to the war-torn country where he spent years in combat as a Marine Corps officer before retiring as a four-star general in 2014.

Hes set to have face-to-face talks with Abadi and other senior Iraqi government officials, whom he called our partner in this fight against Islamic State. Iraqi ground forces began the assault Sunday to retake Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city.

The operation, backed by U.S. air power and special forces, is expected to take months.

Were going to make certain that we have good shared situational awareness of what we face as we work together, fight alongside each other to destroy ISIS, Mattis told reporters Sunday before the trip.

Iraq is also one of seven countries named in Trump's temporary ban on travelersthat was put on hold by the courts. Trump's ban caused anger in Iraq, where members of parliament considered retaliating by refusing to grantvisas for U.S. nationals.

While the Trump administration intends to issue another version of the ban, Mattis said he was promised that it would shield the thousands of Iraqi interpreters, advisorsand others who have assisted the American militaryin Iraq.

Right now, I am assured that we will take steps to allow those who have fought alongside us, for example, to be allowed in to the United States, Mattissaid. They will be vetted obviously by their performance on the battlefield beside us.

Originally posted here:
Defense Secretary Mattis arrives in Iraq and makes clear the US is not there to take oil - Los Angeles Times

Canadian special forces have shifted their operations in northern Iraq to put pressure on ISIS in places outside the strategic city of Mosul including along the border with Syria.

Rather than firing, now they're mainly scrutinizing.

High atop a rocky hilltop Monday, two Canadian soldiers sat in a makeshift bunker located more than a kilometre behind the frontline between Kurdish forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

One bearded soldier looked through a high-powered viewfinder, scanning the small community that lay below, while the other took notes. A camera sat between them in case something interesting appeared.

When the first Canadian soldiers arrived in the country in September 2014, their mission was to help train the Peshmerga to stop and hold back a confident and, until then, undefeated ISIS hoard.

Now, as ISIS no longer has the upper hand, both the Canadians and the Peshmerga have re-evaluated their strategy.

Flying by helicopter from Erbil, the Kurds' capital in Iraq, to the Mosul Dam, one can see the barricades of dirt and defensive positions that helped the Peshmerga stop ISIS from overwhelming northern Iraq.

The trenches and stone buildings hastily constructed during that period two years ago lie abandoned today, as the war and Canada's role in it shifted from defence to offence.

Kurdish forces, supported by the Canadians, kicked off a long-anticipated attack to free Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, from ISIS in October.

But the Kurds and their Canadian comrades stopped short of Mosul, as planned. Instead, they shifted to fighting the extremist group in other ways and let the Iraqi military enter and clear ISIS from the city.

Briefing reporters on Monday at Camp Erable, the Canadian military camp in Erbil, a special forces officer said the mission has turned toward identifying and monitoring potential ISIS targets in the region.

That includes keeping tabs through optical sights and other means, on "key enemy movement corridors" between Iraq and Syria as well as areas inside and immediately outside Kurdish territory.

Canadian special forces look over a Peshmerga observation post in northern Iraq on Monday. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

The officer said such monitoring helped locate ISIS forces inside a large town that was sidestepped during the early parts of the Mosul offensive and needed cleaning up.

It also means a decline in the number of times Canadian soldiers have actually fired their weapons in recent months, the officer said, as potential targets are relayed to the Iraqis and coalition for destruction.

The special forces officer, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said the nature of the Mosul offensive had meant Canadian troops often found themselves in situations where they were required to fire.

That isn't the case now, he said, adding that Canadian soldiers are specifically told to set up in locations where such circumstances are unlikely.

The Canadians continue to work with the Peshmerga. At the hilltop encampment, a number of fighters from the Kurds' elite Zeravani stood guard on the perimeter while others relaxed inside.

A Peshmerga soldier mans an observation post in northern Iraq Monday. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

In fact, the special forces officer said his soldiers have started working on a program that will train some Kurds to take on the role of instructors themselves.

Capt. Dhyab Mohammed Omar, commander of the Peshmerga fighters, praised his Canadian comrades and the contribution they had made in helping the Kurds fight ISIS.

"We are always honoured to have them at our positions," he said. "It was my wildest dream to work with the Canadians. Having them show up and help us, we would die for them."

While much of the attention surrounding Canada's mission in northern Iraq has been focused on the role being played by the special forces, they aren't operating alone.

Roughly 150 Canadian troops are stationed in Erbil, including a helicopter squadron, logistical staff, and medical personnel, all in support of the special forces mission and broader coalition fight against ISIS.

Four Griffon helicopters from Canadian Forces Base Valcartier ferry troops and equipment from Camp Erable to the special forces troops in the field every day, zipping low like dragonflies over fields, around hills and past isolated communities to avoid enemy fire.

"The challenge here is the more (power) wires and the weather during winter," said Maj. Mathieu Bertrand, commander of the helicopter squadron. "We had some fog. But generally, the weather is good."

Meanwhile, a Canadian military hospital located within Camp Erable's small footprint, which itself is part of a larger coalition base dominated by the U.S., stands ready to provide aid to those wounded in battle.

While the hospital, whose personnel hail from CFB Petawawa, has treated more than 100 patients for various injuries, Lt.-Col. Richard Morin said only 13 had received battlefield wounds. None were Canadian.

Canadian Forces Lt.-Col. Richard Morin, right, speaks to Norwegian surgeons working with Canada at the Canadian military hospital at the air base in Erbil, Itaq, Monday. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

"The predominance of cases we're getting are emergency department-type casualties or patients that you would get when you get over 5,000 military troops all in one place," he said.

The hospital has also treated a handful of ISIS fighters who were wounded and detained by coalition forces, which Morin said falls in line with the laws governing war.

"We actually understand even in conflict, there are rules that you need to follow that respects the dignity of life," he said. "That's what makes us different."

The entire effort is underpinned by logistical personnel, led by Lt.-Col. Dominique Dagenais, who are responsible for Camp Erable and ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Dagenais said the biggest challenge he faces is ensuring new personnel get their Iraqi visas in time to replace those who are nearing the end of their deployments.

The Iraqi government has in the past dragged its feet when it comes to Canada's mission against ISIS, including delaying deployment of the military hospital and signing off on a plan to arm the Kurds.

An Iraqi police force member aims a rocket-propelled grenade at an ISIS position from a hillside outside the town of Abu Saif on Monday. Iraqi Federal Police forces have pushed into the southern outskirts of Mosul on the second day of a new push to drive Islamic State militants from the city's western half. (Bram Janssen/Associated Press)

See original here:
Canadian troops in Iraq mount pressure on ISIS around Syrian border - CBC.ca

You knew this was going to happen sooner or later: A server on President Trumps campaign site, donaldjtrump.com was hacked on Sunday and defaced with an image and message from an attacker claiming to hail from Iraq.

Ars Technica noted that secure2.donaldjtrump.com bore an image of a man in a fedora with the following message:

Hacked By Pro_Mast3r ~ Attacker Gov Nothing Is Impossible Peace From Iraq

The pages source code included a link to a JavaScript fileon a defunct Google Code account that was found to be associated with the hacking of at least three other sites but it seems like the snippet was harmless. The server has since gone offline; it didnt seem to be linked from the main sites homepage. Another one at secure.donaldjtrump.com is being used to facilitate secure contributions to the campaign, but there doesnt seem to be a connection to the secure2 server from the site.

A search for Pro_Mast3r didnt surface anything relevant, so it isnt clear exactly who was behind the attack and what purpose it served.

Weve contacted the Trump-Pence campaign team to learn more and will update this post if theres a response.

Secure Trump website defaced by hacker claiming to be from Iraq on Ars Technica

Read next: Learn the skills to market your brand globally and take an extra 50% off the price

Shh. Here's some distraction

Here is the original post:
Trump site hacked by attacker purportedly from Iraq - TNW

Working with residents and organizations in Denver, Black Lives Matter 5280 builds more loving and united Black communities while eliminating anti-Black violence and racism. To expose, address, and eradicate structural oppression in Denver, BLM5280 uses a holistic racial justice approach that strengthens health and wellness, community building, educational programming, economic sustainability, and direct action strategizing. This approach to racial equity is fortified by a commitment to economic justiceone that counters the ongoing effects of slavery and the continuous exploitation of Black labor, while challenging white supremacy. Our chapter is part of a national movement, aligned in Black love, power, and liberation, embodying the declaration that Black Lives Matterregardless of gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity, immigration status or location, gang affiliation, profession, ability, economic status, and religious beliefs or disbelief. Also keeping with the national movement, BLM5280 centers and celebrates the lives and leadership of Black women and girls. We firmly believe that communal visions of liberation are the way forward into a beloved society that affirms gender equality, racial equity, and social justice. Our work is to cultivate communities of abundant joy where all Black people are emboldened and empowered to lead, love, heal, and thrive.

See original here:
Black Lives Matter 5280 Building a violence-free Denver where Black ...

From the moment they came on the scene, Black LIES Matter had one goal in mind: anarchy. No matter what theyve tried to tell us, BLM isnt interested in unity and they certainly arent working to build trust with police officers. They want a total takedown of law and order and theyll use any means necessary to achieve that goal. However, their plans have backfired and even liberals are starting to take notice.

Instead of creating more dissonance between the American public and police, the latest polls show that respect for police has risen significantly despite Black LIES Matters best efforts.

Its an unintended consequence even a leftist outlet like Vox has noted:

Over the past few years, Black Lives Matter activists have prompted an unprecedented level of media and political scrutiny on questions related to police misconduct

Under the circumstances, many people may not be aware that 2016 was also a year in which Gallup found a huge surge in pro-police sentiment among the mass public.

BLM has certainly wreaked its fair share of havoc but their aggressive and violent outreach was rejected whenwe elected Donald Trump as the 45th president. Enough is enough. Black LIES Matter should change its slogan to, This is how you get more Trump.

A post at The American Interest makes the case that BLM has lost its footing as a legitimate Civil Rights organization because it deals in anger, not rationality:

Martin Luther King was sometimesan angry man, and with just cause, but we owe his lasting impact on American life to his wisdom rather than to his rage.

Unfortunately, the radical hate group responsible for burned cities and dead cops isnt interested in solving the black communitys ills, but they will do whatever it takes to exploit them.

With the 2016 election over, even the Democrat Party threw Black LIES Mattersoverboard thesupport for police has surged. Even Democrats realized slamming police was a loser with middle class white voters.

No longer needing their vote, Black LIES Matter has been kicked to the curb by liberals and replaced by refugees, white Womens March on Washington and illegal aliens. Talk about not getting any respect. Black LIES Matter may go down S one of the shortest political movements in US history. Even the Occupy Movement lasted longer.

H/T Instapundit

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Black Lives Matter wanted one thing but it backfired horribly