Al-Qaeda in Iraq Resurgent, Part II
October 3, 2013 - Jessica D. LewisThis report is a continuation of a previous publication entitled “Al-Qaeda in Iraq Resurgent: The Breaking the Walls Campaign, Part I.”
This report is a continuation of a previous publication entitled “Al-Qaeda in Iraq Resurgent: The Breaking the Walls Campaign, Part I.”
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is resurgent. This paper traces AQI’s revival in Iraq since July 2012, when the organization launched a year-long operation they named the “Breaking the Walls” campaign.
Image courtesy of The Weekly Standard.
Multiple Russian transport aircraft, as well as helicopters, tanks, trucks, and armored personnel carriers arrived at al-Assad Airport between September 4-15, 2015
Satellite imagery of Latakia's Al-Assad Airport from September 4, 2015 reveals increased construction, possibly in preparation for Russian troops and equipment arrivals.
Satellie image of al-Assad Airport September 20, 2015 showing 4x SU-30s (Flanker), 12x SU-25s (Frogfoot), as well as a possible fuel depot being established and a new logistics/vehicle park.
A close-up view of 4x SU-30 (Flanker) Russian aircraft at al-Assad Airport on September 19, 2015.
Al Qaeda in Syria has resumed offensive operations against the Syrian regime in northern Syria after the fall of Aleppo City. The recapture of Aleppo City by Syrian president Bashar al Assad and his external backers was a turning point in the Syrian civil war, but it did not seal Assad’s victory. It was instead a victory for Al Qaeda because it defeated Al Qaeda’s main competitors in northern Syria. Al Qaeda consolidated its strength and resumed offensive operations against pro-Assad forces in February 2017. Pro-Assad forces could begin to lose terrain to Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda will increasingly pose a threat to the West as its strength in northern Syria grows. The contest between Al Qaeda and pro-Assad forces, which include Iran and Russia, will increasingly challenge U.S. policy options in Syria.
Al-Qaeda blew up a bridge on Sunday using a suicide truck bomb, the latest in a series of attacks against bridges in Baghdad and the “belts” of territory surrounding the capital.
It is unclear whether the U.S. and the Taliban will resume talks following the breakdown in negotiations in September 2019. On the battlefield, al Qaeda continues to expand its presence in Afghanistan in a close relationship with the Taliban.