05-25-2015, 09:50 AM
IRAQI MILITIA GIVES RAMADI TO IS
![[Image: ISIS-Takes-Ramadi.jpg]](http://themostimportantnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ISIS-Takes-Ramadi.jpg)
The war of words over the loss of Ramadi, amid other gains by the Islamic State group in recent days, lay bare the fissures among countries that have become allies of convenience against the militants. And as Iraqi troops continue to flee their advance, governments across the world are questioning whether relying on Iraqi troops and militiamen on the ground alone will be enough to stop them.
Criticism of Iraqi military began Sunday, when US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told CNN's "State of the Union" news show that Iraqi forces "vastly outnumbered" the Islamic State group, but still "showed no will to fight" and fled their advance on Ramadi.
On Monday, Saad al-Hadithi, a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said his government was surprised by Carter's comments.
"Carter was likely given incorrect information because the situation on ground is different," al-Hadithi told The Associated Press. "We should not judge the whole army based on one incident." Al-Hadithi said the Iraqi government believes the fall of Ramadi was due to mismanagement and poor planning by some senior military commanders in charge. However, he did not elaborate, nor has any action been taken against those commanders.
U.S. officials, including Carter, have said Iraqi forces fled the Islamic State advance on Ramadi without fighting back, leaving behind weapons and vehicles for the extremists. So far, the American approach to the conflict has been to launch airstrikes as part of an international coalition it leads, as well as equipping and training Iraqi forces.
Iran has offered advisers, including Soleimani, to direct Shiite militias fighting against the extremists. Iran has said it does not have combat troops fighting in Iraq, though some Revolutionary Guard members have been killed there.
Baghdad has said military preparations are underway to launch a wide-scale counteroffensive in Anbar province, home to Ramadi, involving Iranian-backed Shiite militias. However, that's spark fears of possible sectarian violence in the Sunni province, long the scene of protests and criticism against the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/25...35130.html
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The US has been airstriking in support of Iraqi / Kurd ground forces' efforts to reclaim land from IS in Iraq for over 9 months. Some of those efforts have been successful.
There is a multi-country regional coalition supporting Iraq, providing training and humanitarian aid, etc...
And, still, the Iraqi army fled ahead of IS militants arriving in Ramadi and taking over the key city last week (next up, Baghdad?). Jesus Christ.
I freely criticize the US government and military actions when I disagree with them, but the loss of Ramadi is all on the Iraqis, not the US. Sometimes I wonder if some of the losses are planned, to get the US back on the ground in Iraq in order to fight IS on behalf of the Iraqi Shiites. "Better to lose American lives than Iraqi ones" kinda thinking? I hope not.
Anyway, I do not want to see the US send ground troops to Iraq or Syria or Libya or Yemen... I want IS thwarted in a huge way, but Iraqis and Shiites (and fellow peaceful Sunnis) in all of the IS-infected countries need to want it more than anyone else and be willing to fight against IS for THEIR countries. The US and coalition countries should continue assisting and supporting, but the locals need to fight IMO.
Hopefully, Ramadi will be reclaimed, the momentum will shift away from IS again, and Baghdad won't be seized by IS.
The war of words over the loss of Ramadi, amid other gains by the Islamic State group in recent days, lay bare the fissures among countries that have become allies of convenience against the militants. And as Iraqi troops continue to flee their advance, governments across the world are questioning whether relying on Iraqi troops and militiamen on the ground alone will be enough to stop them.
Criticism of Iraqi military began Sunday, when US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told CNN's "State of the Union" news show that Iraqi forces "vastly outnumbered" the Islamic State group, but still "showed no will to fight" and fled their advance on Ramadi.
On Monday, Saad al-Hadithi, a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said his government was surprised by Carter's comments.
"Carter was likely given incorrect information because the situation on ground is different," al-Hadithi told The Associated Press. "We should not judge the whole army based on one incident." Al-Hadithi said the Iraqi government believes the fall of Ramadi was due to mismanagement and poor planning by some senior military commanders in charge. However, he did not elaborate, nor has any action been taken against those commanders.
U.S. officials, including Carter, have said Iraqi forces fled the Islamic State advance on Ramadi without fighting back, leaving behind weapons and vehicles for the extremists. So far, the American approach to the conflict has been to launch airstrikes as part of an international coalition it leads, as well as equipping and training Iraqi forces.
Iran has offered advisers, including Soleimani, to direct Shiite militias fighting against the extremists. Iran has said it does not have combat troops fighting in Iraq, though some Revolutionary Guard members have been killed there.
Baghdad has said military preparations are underway to launch a wide-scale counteroffensive in Anbar province, home to Ramadi, involving Iranian-backed Shiite militias. However, that's spark fears of possible sectarian violence in the Sunni province, long the scene of protests and criticism against the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/25...35130.html
==========================
The US has been airstriking in support of Iraqi / Kurd ground forces' efforts to reclaim land from IS in Iraq for over 9 months. Some of those efforts have been successful.
There is a multi-country regional coalition supporting Iraq, providing training and humanitarian aid, etc...
And, still, the Iraqi army fled ahead of IS militants arriving in Ramadi and taking over the key city last week (next up, Baghdad?). Jesus Christ.
I freely criticize the US government and military actions when I disagree with them, but the loss of Ramadi is all on the Iraqis, not the US. Sometimes I wonder if some of the losses are planned, to get the US back on the ground in Iraq in order to fight IS on behalf of the Iraqi Shiites. "Better to lose American lives than Iraqi ones" kinda thinking? I hope not.
Anyway, I do not want to see the US send ground troops to Iraq or Syria or Libya or Yemen... I want IS thwarted in a huge way, but Iraqis and Shiites (and fellow peaceful Sunnis) in all of the IS-infected countries need to want it more than anyone else and be willing to fight against IS for THEIR countries. The US and coalition countries should continue assisting and supporting, but the locals need to fight IMO.
Hopefully, Ramadi will be reclaimed, the momentum will shift away from IS again, and Baghdad won't be seized by IS.