Displaced Sunni people, who fled the violence in the city of Ramadi, arrive at the outskirts of Baghdad, April 17, 2015. Iraqi security forces fought Islamic State militants at the gates of the western city of Ramadi on Friday, and local authorities warned it was in danger of falling unless reinforcements arrived soon. REUTERS/Stringer
USA Today: Iraqi forces fled Ramadi without a fight
WASHINGTON — Iraqi security forces fled Ramadi without putting up a fight, despite holding as much as a 10-to-1 advantage over Islamic State militants, according to two senior U.S. defense officials.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss key details of the battle, said the primary blame in Ramadi rested with Iraqi security forces.
In the days leading up to its fall, a combination of spectacular car bomb attacks, the ambush of an Iraq army patrol and marginal weather spooked the Iraqi forces. The trigger may have been a minor sandstorm that prompted Iraqi commanders to believe that U.S. warplanes would not be able to bomb Islamic State targets.
A phone call to U.S. officials would have cleared up that misunderstanding, one of the officials said.
WNU Editor: How many battles/wars have been lost in the past by forces that had overwhelming manpower and firepower .... but fled when confronted by a smaller and determined foe. The fall of Ramadi sounds like one of those battles.
5 comments:
Two dead officers according to the tv-show posted to the article.
Incredible to think that this should be the elite troops of the iraqi army that defended Ramadi.
The Iraqi Army showed considerable nerve when the Americans were in the country.
Americans units fired on Iraqi Army units when they mistook them for a car bomber, but not the other way around.
It takes some nerve to hold your fire.
I will blame the leadership.
Nowadays the Shia politicians and Iran do notwan the IA to work.
You can not blame everything on leadership. Often times isis have almost no heavy armor and still the iraqi army fled in panic as in mosul.
Keep in mind that they were recently "defeated" in two invasions by Bush 1 and 2. The population exhibits the traits of a beaten nation. Fleeing seems to be their method of operation.
Apparently what they were supposed to defend was of no value to them.
A call to the US might have cleared up the sandstorm problem. It might have also helped if the US had called and told them, you have them outnumbered 10 to 1. Keep in mind that they were defeated in two invasions by Bush 1 and 2. The population exhibits the traits of a beaten nation.
Post a Comment