White Flags

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Not to be confused with White flag.
White Flags
Arabic: الرايات البيض
Leaders
Dates of operation2017-
HeadquartersTuz Khurmatu
Active regionsNorthern Iraq
Part of Ansar al-Islam (Iraqi gov. claim)[3]
Allies Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order
PJAK (PMF claim)[5]
Opponents Iraq[6]

 Iran

Seal of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.svg CJTF-OIR[8]
Battles and warsWar on Terror
Designated as a terrorist group by Iraq[9]

The White Flags (Arabic: الرايات البيض) is a militant Islamist Kurdish group in northern Iraq opposed to the Iraqi government,[10][11]. Their appearance was first time spotted when the Jambur oil facility was secured by Iraqi forces in October 2017, as the federal government regained control of disputed territories which was taken by the Kurdish Regional Government.[12][13]

Ideology[]

The exact ideology and beliefs of the White Flags are disputed:

  • Some, including select Iraqi civil and military officials as well as regional experts, claim that the White Flags are a Kurdish nationalist / secessionist faction which was founded in response to the Iraqi takeover of Kirkuk, with its members referring to themselves as the Kurdish resistance.[14][15] Some Iraqi officials even claim that they are supported by Peshmerga and the Kurdistan Regional Government, though this was denied by the latter.[15]
  • According to other sources, the White Flags were formed as union of various insurgent remnants, including Kurdish Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces, Ansar al-Islam remnants, Ba'athists affiliated with the Naqshbandi Army, Saddam Hussein loyalists, and Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna members. Per this version, they are probably not connected with the Kurdistan Regional Government in any way.[14][15]
  • Bill Roggio, the managing editor of the FDD's Long War Journal, said the group could possibly be a re-branding attempt by Ansar al-Islam or simply a mix of Islamist fighters unaffiliated with external organizations or even a Kurdish movement to oppose the Iraqi government. He commented that "if the White Flag is independent of the Islamic State, I seriously doubt it will emerge as ISIS 2.0," adding "While the Islamic State has lost overt control of territory in Iraq, it still remains a potent guerrilla force with plenty of manpower and resources to threaten the state."[15]
  • The Iraqi government has stated that the White Flags are a front organisation of Ansar al-Islam.[3][16]

Organisation and tactics[]

The White Flags are considered to be a terrorist organization by Iraqi officials. In late 2017, an Iraqi-Turkmen MP accused Kurdish leaders of supporting the group. This was denied by the Kurdistan Regional Government.[17] The group's leader Hiwa Chor, a one-eyed militant in his early forties,[18] was a former member of al-Qaeda in Iraq but disagreed with ISIL's ambitious Caliphate plans so left the organization with a Turkman militant from the Diyala Governorate.[8] The group uses various guerilla tactics such as ambushes and utilizes IEDs. It also uses mortars and rockets. The group operates in and around Tuz Khurmatu, has launched frequent attacks on oil fields and routes in the area.[6]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Ebraheem, Mohammed (2017). "Iraq vows to eliminate White Flags group very soon". iraqinews.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-23. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  2. ^ "White Flags - intelNews.org". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Suadad al-Salhy (14 December 2017). "Kurdish militant group re-emerges in northern Iraq under new name". Arab News. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Iraq to launch security operation against White Banners group, but who are they?". english.alarabiya.net. Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2019-08-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b Tom Westcott (31 January 2018). "No surrender: 'White Flags' group rises as new threat in northern Iraq". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  7. ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (9 February 2018). "Coordination between Kurdish and Iraqi forces for anti-Jihadist operations in Tuz Khurmato". The Region. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  8. ^ a b Purpose, Task &. "A 'post-ISIS insurgency' is gaining steam in Iraq". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  9. ^ ""الرايات البيضاء" تخلف "السوداء": بغداد تتحدى "الإرهاب" مجدّداً". الأخبار. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Shadowy Terrorist Group Emerges in Iraq". Washington Free Beacon. 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  11. ^ "White Banners Movement Ignites War of Words Among Iraqi Factions". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  12. ^ "No surrender: 'White Flags' group rises as new threat in northern Iraq". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  13. ^ "After ISIS black flags, Iraq faces 'White Banners' threat | Mamoon Alabbasi". AW. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  14. ^ a b Al-awsat, Asharq. "Middle-east Arab News Opinion". aawsat.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d Bill Gertz (14 March 2018). "Shadowy Terrorist Group Emerges in Iraq". The Washington Free Beacon. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Iraqi security forces repel White Flags terrorists in Tuz Khurmatu". . 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  17. ^ "After ISIS black flags, Iraq faces 'White Banners' threat - The Arab Weekly". Archived from the original on 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  18. ^ Mackay, Neil (8 April 2018). "ISIS 2.0". Sunday Herald. ProQuest 2022776961.
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