Special to WorldTribune.com

BAGHDAD — The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant is now clashing with its allies in northern Iraq.

Iraqi sources said ISIL units were seen fighting supporters of the late Saddam Hussein in the Kirkuk province.

The sources said the gun battles reflected a power struggle over which faction would control the vast areas seized in the Al Qaida offensive in mid-June.

“There’s nothing ideological here,” a source who has been monitoring the
clashes said. “This is purely about control and power.”

On June 21, ISIL clashed with fighters from the Baathist-aligned
Naqshbandi Order in at least three areas of Kirkuk. Naqshbandi has been led
by former Iraqi Vice President Izzat Al Douri, who cemented a relationship
with Al Qaida more than a decade ago.

The sources said Al Douri was responsible for providing most of the
weapons and intelligence that enabled ISIL to capture Mosul on June 9. They
said Al Douri and his Baathists were trying to restore their authority over
northern and central Iraq in cooperation with Sunni tribes.

In contrast, ISIL has begun killing those suspected of cooperating with
the Iraq Army and security forces. They included members of the powerful
Obeida tribe in the northern area of Hawija.

But the sources said ISIL has angered the Baathists by rejecting any
arrangement that would maintain the integrity of Iraq. They said ISIL
was fighting for an Islamic caliphate that would span Iraq, Jordan and
Syria.

“The Baathists and even those aligned with other elements of Al Qaida
don’t want to break up Iraq,” the source said. “ISIL has made it clear that
there will be no return to the internationally-recognized borders.”

  Baathists, ISIL clashes with Saddam loyalists over shape of the future: Caliphate or Iraq?, Izzat Al Douri, Kirkuk, Naqshbandi Order