For Iraq, Debacle in Tikrit as Forces Walk Into Trap Set by Militants -- New York Times
BAGHDAD — Iraqi troops and their militia and volunteer allies were on the verge of declaring victory over Sunni militants holding the strategic town of Tikrit and were about to hoist the Iraqi flag over key government buildings, when, a survivor recalled Wednesday, “the doors of hell opened.”
The Iraqi forces had apparently walked into a trap, and some soldiers — and many more of their untrained volunteer supporters — were either killed or badly wounded when the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria sprung it, according to accounts from two soldiers and volunteer leaders reached by telephone afterward.
The debacle in Tikrit on Tuesday offered a vivid illustration of how badly the Iraqi military needs advisers. For weeks, the Americans had implored Iraqi leaders not to fight for the centers of cities, but to establish control of roads and highways, and thus set their own conditions for battle. But the 300 American military and intelligence advisers now in the country are not, as of now, working directly with troops and commanders at the front.
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More News On The Iraqi Military's Defeat At Tikrit
Iraqi army retreats from Tikrit after assault stalls -- Reuters
Iraqi offensive fails to retake Tikrit from armed fighters -- Al Jazeera
Iraqi forces withdraw from ISIS-held Tikrit -- Al Arabiya
Iraq conflict: Military unable to retake Tikrit after renewed offensive -- CBC/Reuters
My Comment: This is a good analysis on the short-comings of the Iraqi military and it's Shiite militia allies .... Weeks of combat in Iraq show Shiite militias have few offensive capabilities -- Miami Herald/Mcclatchy News
In short .... Iraq does not have the capability to drive ISIS and their Sunni allies out of Iraq.
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