By Zachary Lucas

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq — After a two-day battle with the Islamic State, Iraqi forces reported that they had retaken the remote town of Rutba in the Andar Province. This comes on the heels of other military victories against IS in the northern and western regions of Iraq. This string of victories has been followed by some Iraq military officials stating that plans are being made to retake Fallujah next.

Iraqi forces, backed by United States led coalition airstrikes, entered Rutba on Tuesday. These forces were helped by elite commandos and local tribal fighters to retake the city within two days. Coalition spokesperson, Colonel Steve Warren, stated that there were approximately 200 IS fighters in the town. Colonel Warren and Iraqi military officials added that little resistance was made by IS to defend the city.

Rutba was captured by IS in June 2014 and quickly became a home for IS training grounds and bases due to its remoteness. IS used Rutba as staging grounds for attacks in both Syria and Iraq. Colonel Warren stated that the retaking of Rutba will deny IS a “critical support zone” for future attacks against military forces and civilians.

Retaking Rutba is one of a few victories that the Iraqi military has seen in the last few months. In February, the Iraq military retook Ramadi from IS and last month they retook the town of Hit in Anbar province. Coalition forces estimate that IS has lost more than 30 percent of its territory in Iraq and Syria. Some officials have stated that the loss of territory and supplies has led IS to put up less military resistance and instead focus attacks on civilian populations like the recent bombings in Baghdad.

These recent victories and the strategic victory in Rutba, lead many into thinking that Fallujah is next. Both Iraqi military officials and local, allied militia leaders stated plans for retaking Fallujah are in the works. Fallujah was the first city to fall to IS control in 2014 and was later followed by numerous Iraqi military defeats, including losing the second largest city Mosul. Fallujah and Mosul, where IS has headquartered military operations, attacks on civilians, and sex trafficking of women, have been IS strongholds for almost two years.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post — Iraqi forces retake Rutba from ISIS and eye Fallujah for next battle — 19 May 2016

BBC — IS conflict: Iraq forces retake remote western town of Rutba — 19 May 2016

Radio Free Europe — Iraqi Forces Retake Remote Western Town From Islamic State — 19 May 2016

Reuters — Iraq says it retakes western town of Rutba from Islamic State — 19 May 2016

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

 

DAMASCUS, Syria – The Syrian army, backed by Russian forces, recently retook the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra from ISIS control. ISIS seized the ancient city in May 2015 and after committing terrible atrocities, including a mass execution, ISIS destroyed the ruins of century old civilizations.

Initial reports indicated that the damage to the city was not as bad as many feared, but satellite images obtained by DigitalGlobe showed unreported destruction in Palmyra. Monuments that had been in tact in September, as evidenced by DigitalGlobes previous batch of images, have been destroyed. The recent destruction included five more partly destroyed Roman-era tower tombs and a funerary was reduced to rubble.

Only two columns are left standing from the Arch of Triumph as the rest of the arch was brought down by explosives. The Arch of Triumph, dating back to the era of the Roman emperor Severus, by be easily repaired as it had been last restored in the 1930’s. At the entrance of the 2,000 years old Temple of Bell, members of the Islamic State allegedly wrote on the rocks, “The Islamic State. No entry for civilians or brothers [fighters].” The courtyard of the Temple was left standing but the prayer chamber was destroyed.

Allison Cuneo, project manager for the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) Cultural Heritage Initiatives, stated “What’s strange is there hasn’t been any propaganda related to these tower tombs at all.” While she did acknowledge that the towers could have been damaged in combat she stated that the satellite images show signatures of intentional destruction.

Michael Danti, a Boston University archeologist, emphasized that a lot of damage to Palmyra was there prior to ISIS’s arrival. He stated, “That might get lost in translation over time. They were the primary culprit, but not the only culprit.”

Mamoun Abdulkarim, Syria’s antiques director stated that it would most likely take as long as five years to restore the site. He further stated that most of the important works were transported to government held Damascus at the time ISIS captured the town. However, he warned  “there are still large items, like the sarcophagi, which weigh three to four tons and we could not move. Those are what worry me.”

The head of antiques for Palmyra, Khaled al-Assad, was killed after he allegedly hid artifacts and refused to give their location to ISIS. The Syrian army also uncovered a mass grave which contained over 25 bodes, including women and children.

A plan to detonate 4,500 mines that were linked to a telephone network had not been carried out, because the man responsible was killed by Assad loyalists. Russian army experts are starting to remove the mines which would take months.

For more information, please see:

CBS News – Devastation Left Behind by ISIS in Syrian Town of Qaryatain – 4 April 2016

Atlas Obscura – Newly-Released Satellite Images Show Shocking Destruction of Palmyra – 1 April 2016

The Guardian – ISIS Destruction of Palmyra Antiques Revealed in New Pictures – 1 April 2016

The Huffington Post – Palmyra Taken Back From ISIS But Striking Photos Reveal the Full Devastation They Caused – 1 April 2016

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – On Friday, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt at a soccer game killing at least 41 people in a town south of Baghdad. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement issued by its news agency al-Amaq.

The attack which wounded 105 people occurred in the town of Iskandariyah in the Babil province struck a crowd gathering for a game between two local teams. The game was sponsored by Asaib Ahl al-Hag, a powerful Shi’ite militia with ties to Iran. A trophy was being presented to the winning team of the match when the bomb detonated.

Among those killed was the head of the local council and also injured two senior local figures of Asaib Ahl al-Haq according to the head of the local security, Falah Abdul Kareem. Sheik Jawad, the head of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq office in Babil Province, stated, ” The attack was carried to destabilize the confidence between the people and Asaib, to take revenge against us after our victories.”

The U.N Secretary-General for Iraq, Jan Kubis, condemned the attack carried out by the Islamic State. He stated, “The evildoers are aiming their wrath at the innocent and vulnerable civilians.” Kubis continued, “Today, Daesh committed yet another atrocity, targeting families who were enjoying their weekend attending a football game in their hometown. This abhorrent act deserves the strongest condemnation.”

The director of the U.S State Departments office of Press Relations Elizabeth Trudeau, provided a statement speaking against the attack, ” The United States condemns today’s suicide bombing claimed by Daesh… which killed and wounded dozens of Iraqis who had gathered to support a local football game.”

The Islamic State’s news agency, Amaq News Agency, reported that more than 60 people died and more than 100 people were wounded. They also reported that the bombing name was Saifullah al-Ansari, allegedly a fake name, and indicated that he was a local Iraqi or Syrian member. The news agency also provided the statement from Islamic State which stated, “Our knight immersed into their crowds until he detonated his belt, turning them into scattered parts.”

Earlier this month at least 33 people were killed and another 15 were wounded in a suicide bombing in Hilla in the Babil province. The Islamic State also claimed responsibility for this attack and stated, “the battle has just started and the coming will be worse.” This attack came just one week after two suicide bombings which targeted Shi’ite areas of Baghdad and killed over 100 people.

For more information, please see:

CNN – ISIS Claims Suicide Attack on Iraqi Stadium That Kills 33 – 26 March 2016

The Washington Post – Islamic State Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens at a Stadium south of Baghdad – 26 March 2016

BBC News – Iraq Violence: ‘IS Suicide Attack’ Kills 29 in Football Match – 25 March 2016

The New York Times – ISIS Suicide Bomber in Iraq Kills Dozens at Soccer Game – 25 March 2016

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria –March 15, 2016 marked the fifth anniversary of the Syrian Civil War. The Syrian conflict has caused the deaths of over 250,000 people, has displaced 4.8 million from their homes to other countries, has internally displaced another 6.5 million from their homes, and has left 13.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi stated, “Syria is the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time, a continuing cause of suffering for millions which should be garnering a grounds well of support around the world.” He further stated that more countries need to take a greater share in providing for refugees until the suffering in Syria ends.

Many European countries have imposed border and entry restrictions, making it even more difficult for those left in Syria to leave. This has also put a burden on countries neighboring Syria and refugees in the neighboring countries are taking greater risks to get to Europe. Other refugees in countries neighboring Syria are resorting to dangerous methods of survival, such as early marriage, child labor, or sexual exploitation,

“We are at a cross roads now as we mark another sad milestone in Syria’s war. If the world fails to work together due to short-term interests, lack of courage and knee jerk reactions to shift the burden elsewhere, we will look back carefully on this lost opportunity to act with solidarity and shared humanity”, Grandi stated.

Numerous war crimes as well as crimes against humanity have been committed since the start of the conflict. These crimes include the use of toxic chemical weapons, including nerve agents and chlorine, indiscriminate weapons such as barrel bombs, executions, torture, sexual violence, sex slavery, and siege. Experts are calling for the international community to begin planning for revisions for Syrian civilians.

David Crane, Founding Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and Project Leader for the Syrian Accountability Project states in the Huffington Post article that “there are four possible transitional justice mechanisms for Syria that could be organized by the U.N. outside the Security Council: a fully domestic Syrian court; an internationalized domestic court; a regional special court; or an international hybrid Special Court, similar to the Special Court for Sierra Leone.”

Crane notes that under international law, war crimes and crimes against humanity are covered under the 1998 Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court but Syria is not a signatory, thus the ICC has non direct jurisdiction. The U.N Security Council has attempted to adopt a resolution that would refer the situation in Syria to the ICC but this has been opposed by both Russia and China, permanent members with veto powers.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated, “I repeat my call to the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Crime Court.” He continued, ” In Syria as elsewhere, peace without justice is not sustainable.”

A student run project at Syracuse University College of Law, the Syrian Accountability Project, has been documenting atrocities that have occurred in Syria in preparation for whatever traditional justice mechanism is chosen by the Syrian people. On March 24,2016 SAP published a white paper titled “Looking Through the Window Darkly: A Snapshot Analysis of Rape in Syria, 2011-2015.”

For more information, please see:

The Los Angeles Times –  Chronicling a Disaster: A Timeline of the Syrian Civil War –  15 March 2016

UNHCR – Syria Conflict at Five Years – 15 March 2016

United Nations News Centre – With Syrian Peace Talks Underway, UN Urges Support for Negotiations and Impacted Syrians – 15 March 2016

The Huffington Post –  Five Years on, We Must Focus on the Victims of Syria’s Atrocities – 14 March 2016

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – Last Wednesday Iran conducted its second day of missile tests, firing two rockets. The rockets hit their targets over 1,400 kilometers (850 miles) away, making them capable of reach Israel, which is 1,000 kilometers away from the nearest point in Iran.

Iran was barred from conducting any work on ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads under United Nations Security Resolution 1929. This was revoked by the nuclear deal with the United States and was replaced with United Nations Security Resolution 2231 which urges that Iran abstain from such activity.

The second round of tests occurred on the same day that United States Vice President Biden was in Jerusalem meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is alleged that the missile tests were intended to provoke an Israeli reaction.

Mr. Biden told reporters after his meeting with Mr. Netanyahu that, “We’re united in the belief that a nuclear armed Iran is an absolutely unacceptable threat to Israel, to the United States.” He continued, “And I want to reiterate which I know people still doubt here: If in fact they break the deal, we will act. And all their conventional activity outside of the deal is still beyond the deal, and we will and are attempting to act wherever we can find it.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hossein Jabier Ansari, told the state-controlled news agency, IRNA, that the missiles were for the legitimate defense of Iran and were not designed for carrying warheads. Analyst Nader Karimi Juni stated, “The ruling establishment is sending a message to the outside world that even though Iran has rejected nuclear weaponry, we are developing our missiles and making them increasingly sophisticated.”

Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Major General Ali Jafari, stated, “Our enemies have realized that broader sanctions and scrutiny pressures have had little impact on our capabilities.” He continued, “That’s why they now seek to confine us in the missile field through economic sanctions.” Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted stating, “The reason why we designed our missiles with a range of 2,000 km is to be able to hit our enemy the Zionist regime from a safe distance.”

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon commented that Iran was still hostile despite its nuclear deal with the United States in January. He stated, “To my regret there are some in the West who are misled by the honeyed words of part of he Iranian leadership while the other part continues to procure equipment and weaponry, to arm terrorist groups.”

Iran supplies weapons and technology to Hezbollah, its Lebanese proxy, which already has thousands of rockets capable of targeting Israel.

For more information, please see:

USA Today – Iran: Missile Tests Don’t Violate Nuclear Agreement, U.N. Resolution – 10 March 2016

CNN – Iran Launches Ballistic Missiles a Day After Missile Test – 9 March 2016

Los Angeles Times – Iran’s Latest Missile Test Launches Do Not Violate Nuclear Deal, U.S. Says – 9 March 2016

Reuters – Clinton Calls for Sanction on Iran After More Missile Tests – 9 March 2016

The New York Times – Iran Tests More Missiles in Message to Israel and Biden – 9 March 2016