How Israel Airstrikes Targeting Iranian Militias in Iraq Hurt the U.S.-led Anti-ISIS Mission by Shawn Snow – Military Times
New rules requiring the U.S. and its coalition partners to obtain prior Iraqi government approval to launch aircraft have negatively impacted the fight against Islamic State militants, according to a report.
Officials with Operation Inherent Resolve said in a recent Defense Department inspector general’s report that the restriction — imposed after suspected Israeli airstrikes on targets in Iraq — had “negative effects on air enterprise" for the counter ISIS mission by reducing "observation and monitoring time by ISR assets,” the report reads.
The Department of State echoed those sentiments in the IG report and stated the restrictions “hurt” the defeat ISIS mission by “reducing the ability of the coalition to use ISR assets to observe and monitor ISIS activity."
The Iraqi government clamped down on its airspace following a spate of four suspected Israeli airstrikes in July and August that targeted Iran-backed militia groups in the country…