Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014) |
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| Part of the War in Iraq | |||||||||
.png) Map of the offensive |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
Supported by:
 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) |
 GMCIR |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Bahoz Erdal |
 Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (JRTN) |
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| Strength | |||||||||
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250,000 federal soldiers 190,000 Kurdish peshmerga |
Islamic State: 7,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Iraq: 2,452 killed (1,566 executed) 90,000 deserted 1,900 captured Iran: 4 killed |
Islamic State: 3,106 killed |
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95 Turkish civilians taken prisoner |
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The Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014) was a major attack that started on June 4, 2014. A group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), with help from other rebel groups, launched a big attack from Syria into Iraq. They fought against the Iraqi government forces and Kurdish forces. This offensive followed smaller fights that had been happening since December 2013.
During this attack, ISIL and its allies took control of several important cities and surrounding areas. They first attacked Samarra on June 4. Then, they captured Mosul on June 10 and Tikrit on June 11. As Iraqi government soldiers retreated, Kurdistan Regional Government forces took control of Kirkuk, an important city known for its oil.
ISIL named some of these battles, like those in Mosul, after one of their commanders, Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi. The former commander of Iraq's ground forces, Ali Ghaidan, said that Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, ordered the withdrawal from Mosul.
By late June, the Iraqi government had lost control of its borders with Jordan and Syria. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asked for a national state of emergency on June 10 after Mosul was captured. However, Iraq's parliament did not agree to declare a state of emergency. Many lawmakers from different groups opposed giving the prime minister more power.
Contents
Why the Conflict Started
Since December 2013, there had been ongoing clashes in western Iraq. These fights involved local groups, Iraqi security forces, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In early 2014, ISIL took control of cities like Fallujah and Ramadi. This brought a large part of Al Anbar Governorate under their control.
The Iraqi Army then began an effort to take back the Anbar region, which was a strong area for ISIL. Before this, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave a speech that upset some people. He described the military action as a continuation of an old religious conflict. This made many Sunni Arabs in Anbar, who had worked with the government before, feel left out.
ISIL became much stronger because of its progress in neighboring Syria. Syria was also a source of weapons for them. In early June, ISIL fighters began to move into central and northern Iraq. They still controlled most of Fallujah and other smaller towns in Al Anbar Governorate.
On June 29, 2014, ISIL announced a new name: the Islamic State. They also declared a 'Caliphate', which is like a large Islamic state, covering parts of Syria and Iraq. They named Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as their leader, or 'Caliph', for all Muslims.
Reasons for the Offensive
Many experts believe the Syrian civil war helped ISIL grow stronger. It gave them a reason and a place to fight when their efforts in Iraq seemed to be slowing down. Others think the problems go back to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. They say that after Saddam Hussein was removed, Iraq struggled to build a united country. This led to divisions between different religious and ethnic groups.
Some also point to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. They suggest that if the U.S. had stayed involved in Syria, it might have stopped the conflict from spreading. However, others argue that outside involvement in Iraq and Syria made the problems worse. They believe it increased fighting between different groups and helped extremist groups gain power.
The Financial Times newspaper described the conflicts in Iraq and Syria as religious wars, similar to Europe's Thirty Years' War long ago.
Critics of Iraq's government said that Prime Minister al-Maliki's policies favored one religious group over others. They believe this made Sunni Arabs and Kurds feel ignored. This feeling of being left out played a big part in the security problems and the rise of Sunni extremist groups. On the other hand, al-Maliki accused Saudi Arabia of supporting ISIL fighters. He claimed they wanted to create a Sunni state in the Middle East.
The Iraqi army, which was supposed to protect northern Iraq, quickly fell apart. ISIL and its allies, with fewer than 1,000 fighters, easily captured Mosul and Tikrit. The Iraqi army also gave control of Kirkuk to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces. There are different ideas about why this happened. Some say the Iraqi generals in charge didn't want to fight for a government they felt wasn't working. Others believe the generals shared similar ideas with the attackers and were the first to flee. Another idea is that the Iraqi soldiers quickly realized they were not strong enough to fight against the experienced ISIL fighters. A final theory is that the Kurds had lost trust in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Experts also noted that ISIL and other rebel groups, who usually disagreed, formed an alliance. They were united by their opposition to the Shia-led government. This alliance gave ISIL access to hidden networks of former military members, rebels, and local groups who supported the old government. This allowed a small number of fighters to take control of Sunni areas where the old Ba'ath party still had some support.
Major Outcomes
Islamic State Declares a Caliphate
On June 29, 2014, ISIL changed its name to the Islamic State. They announced the creation of a 'Caliphate', which they claimed would include Iraq and Syria. They also said it would, in theory, cover all Muslims worldwide. They asked Muslims everywhere to promise loyalty to their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Islamic State even claimed they planned to take over Arar in Saudi Arabia, a city very close to the Iraqi border.
In July, news reports said that disagreements had started between the Islamic State and two other large Sunni rebel groups in Iraq. These groups were the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order and the 1920 Revolution Brigade. This led to small fights between the former allies. Officials said that these tribal groups did not always follow the strict rules of the Islamic State, which caused conflicts.
Kurdish Push for Independence
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On July 3, Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Region, said he wanted to hold a vote. This vote would be about the area's independence from Iraq. The Kurdish forces now controlled a large area in northern Iraq. This area was outside of ISIL's control and also away from the Iraqi government's influence. Israel's prime minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, stated in June 2014 that his government would support an independent Kurdistan.
Impact on Minority Groups
Reports showed that thousands of Assyrians, Yazidis, Kurds, and other minority groups faced violence from ISIL fighters. After ISIL captured Qaraqosh, a city with a large Assyrian population, on August 7, thousands of people fled their homes. They left Qaraqosh and Mosul after ISIL gave them a deadline to leave. Many members of these minority groups were harmed.
Many Kurds were worried that ISIL would repeat past terrible events, like the Anfal Genocide.
Joseph Thomas, a religious leader from Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, said that Qaraqosh, Tal Kayf, Bartella, and Karamlesh were emptied of their original people. He stated that these areas were now under the control of the fighters. Qaraqosh alone had about 50,000 Christian residents.
Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako said that ISIL's advance into Iraq caused a 'humanitarian disaster'. He reported that over 100,000 Christians were forced to leave their homes. He added that churches were taken over, crosses were removed, and more than 1,500 important documents were destroyed.
Near Sinjar, the Peshmerga (Kurdish forces) left the area without telling the Yazidis effectively. This caused the local Yazidis to flee to the Kurdistan Region after short clashes with ISIL. Aid groups have also accused the Peshmerga of taking weapons from the Yazidis.
See also
- 2012–14 Iraqi protests
- 2014 Eastern Syria offensive
- Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
