Military

15th Infantry Division "Farouk"

As the ground offensive progressed, by 25 February 1991 Iraqi units' ineffectiveness became more clear. The Iraqi 19th, 11th, and 15th Infantry divisions and three SF brigades in Kuwait City were assessed at full strength. These divisions continued to focus on an amphibious assault and prepare for military operations in Kuwait City.

In May 1997 the Iraqi regime began massing troops in the area of Kifri which is controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The 15th Division "Farouk Force" was present in the area. This force comprised the 76th Infantry Brigade commanded by Brigadier Harith Khalaf Aboud, the 104th Infantry Brigade commanded by Colonel Nadeq Faizi Al Tikriti, and the 436th Infantry Brigade commanded by Colonel Majid Sadan.

In late August 1997 several battalions of troops of the 15th Division (Al Farouk Forces) were placed in offensive formation between Tuz Khurmatu and Suleiman Beg.

On 10 March 2002 the Kurdish newspaper Rebazi Azadi reported that Iraq had sent new military units to areas near the liberated Kurdistan region. The newspaper reported that that Division 15 of the Allah-u-Akbar formation of the Republican Guards had been newly assigned to Kifri, Jalawla and Khanaqin areas. The 3000-strong military Republican Guard unit was under the command of General Ibrahim Diab Al Khalaf. The Allah-u-Akbar formation was also known as the Northern Corps of the Republican Guard. There was, however, no known "Division 15" of the Republican Guard. The reported 3,000 troops of the unit was consistent with a brigade-sized formation, but there was no reported 15th Brigade within either the Republican Guard or the regular Army. However, the 15th Infantry Division did operate in this area. The Divisional Command was reported to be located in Al Saadia district with troop emplacements in areas of Qaratapa, Jabara, Tilishan, Rahim Waraqa, Zardaw, Kox, Zangabad, Haji Hassan, Taz Shar and Qarablag. Their armory included forty-five tanks, fifteen armored troop carrier vehicles and nine mobile rocket bases. According to analysts, the purpose of the new assignment for this division was to protect the second most important strategic military area after the primary strategic Baghdad-Tikrit arc, which was considered the bulwark of the Baathist regime. The Division had been put on maximum alert status and all military personnel leave had been cancelled indefinitely. It was clear that these extraordinary Iraqi military movements were a response to the impending crisis with United States and Iraqi fears that it would be the target for American Phase II attack in its campaign against international terrorism.