Iraq Crisis: Iraqi Forces Say Tikrit Regained From ISIS Militants -- CNN
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi security forces retook the city of Tikrit on Saturday, a local tribal leader and state media said, as they went on the offensive against the Sunni extremist militants who have seized swaths of northern and western Iraq.
Sheikh Khamis al-Joubouri, a key tribal leader in Tikrit, told CNN that the Iraqi security forces entered the city supported by special forces and fighters from among the local tribes, and had gained control.
He said that fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) retreated in the direction of Kirkuk and Nineveh provinces.
However, amid claim and counter-claim, a combatant told a CNN freelance reporter that ISIS fighters remained in control of Tikrit, but that there are fierce clashes in an area about 20 kilometers from the city center, toward Samarra.
Read more ....
More News On The Iraqi Army Launching An Offensive To Retake Tikrit
Iraq reports major effort to recapture Tikrit -- Washington Post
Iraq crisis: Helicopter strikes on Tikrit rebels -- BBC
Iraqi forces launch attacks on Tikrit -- The Guardian
Iraqi government makes push to retake Tikrit from Islamists -- Haaretz/AP
Iraqi troops on offensive against Sunni militants -- USA Today
Iraq army launches offensive to retake Tikrit -- Al Jazeera
Iraq troops advance on Tikrit in biggest fightback yet -- AFP
My Comment: Even if the Iraqi military succeeds .... holding Tikrit is going to be an even greater challenge.
5 comments:
You're right about Tikrit. To expand what I said earlier. ISIS's success in the north and northwest depended on a large pert of an alliance with ex Baathists and Sunni tribesmen. This allowed freedom of movement, easy access to population areas and understanding of the battlefield. I can see the scene at ISIS HQs, everyone: we did it, yeah!
Ex-Baathists and Sunni tribesmen: We can't let these guys hang around, bad pr for us. Hey Isis, more jihad, right?
ISIS: Yes, Jihad that's us!
EB and ST: On to Baghdad, we'll hold down the fort here. Go get em!
ISIS: Yes, on to Baghdad, Jihad!
ISIS's core fighting group has no apparent roots anywhere accept in their vision of Islam. They've become a pretty good irregular light infantry group dangerous to friedn and foe alike. So where to and what to do next? When I get back from golf I'll continue. But I'll say this, do you now go where you have no local intel or support? Do you really want to tangle with the IDF? Do you prefer a battlefield that is conducive to your strengths or weaknesses?
The Baathists went underground after the 2003 invasion .... they never left and have never really showed themselves until now. They are going to be the administrative backbone of these territories .... they are the ones who are going to keep the lights on and the water running. The tribes are also very powerful .... they can counter whatever military threat that ISIS may bring to the table.
But ISIS does have a role and a vision .... Jihad and their version of a caliphate .... and they will continue to push this goal untill they run out of men and/or resources (or when the other Sunnis say no more).
Now on a more important point .... golf. I love golf. Think of me for the next six hours as I try to teach my GF on the beauty of the game (this is her first outing). I suspect .... correction .... I know that this is going to be painful.
Sighhhh .... the sacrifices that we men must put ourselves through .... sometimes.
"Now on a more important point .... golf. I love golf. Think of me for the next six hours as I try to teach my GF on the beauty of the game (this is her first outing). I suspect .... correction .... I know that this is going to be painful."
Into the lion's mouth thou go.
How good are you? My quest, my grail is to be scratch handicap from the tournament tee boxes.
I started the game fifteen years ago in .... of all places .... China. Got hooked on it right away. I usually shoot around 85 .... could do better if I had more time to play .... which sadly I do not. I have played at all the best golf courses in Asia .... and a few in the U.S. (Pebble is my favorite .... but man-o-man is it expensive to play there). But the place that I enjoy the most is playing at a small and unassuming golf course south of Montreal.
As to what is my ultimate goal in golf .... it is not to improve my game .... it is to fulfill a dream .... I want to open up an exclusive golf course outside of Moscow AND Kiev. My great grandfather was the first person to introduce the automobile to Russia .... I want to be the first person to popularize golf in Russia. Fortunately .... my relatives in Russia and Ukraine have deep pockets and because they do real estate and commercial development projects .... this is a perfect project for them. We got the land .... and we are now in the zoning/regulatory/getting the permit stage. If we are lucky .... we break ground outside of Moscow in 2 years. The Kiev project is (of course) dead for now.
As for my golf game today .... I shot a lousy hundred (yechhhh). Golf is a mental game .... and having the GF around who kept asking me a 101 questions certainly did not help my swing. Hmmmm .... maybe she was doing it on purpose?
As long as she knows you've something more than a short game, answer the questions. Maybe one day if a south wind blows me far enough north we'll tee it up.
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