The Battle For The Iraqi City Of Tikrit Has Stalled

Daily Beast: The Big Offensive Against ISIS in Tikrit Has Stalled

What was supposed to be a rapid triumph is shaping up as a prolonged siege, according to Pentagon officials.

Iraqi politicians and military commanders have said repeatedly the self-proclaimed Islamic State’s grip on the city of Tikrit was about to end in the face of an overwhelming Iraqi military and militia offensive.

Just last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi reportedly declared that victory was near and “achieved totally by Iraqi hands.” And in an interview with ABC’s This Week that aired March 8, the prime minister said the forces’ advances were “ahead of planning.”

But two Pentagon officials told The Daily Beast on Thursday that the fall of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s hometown was at least two weeks away, as the campaign now is “stalled.” As Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Thursday, the Iraqi forces have not yet reached the center of the city.

WNU Editor: As the war against the islamic State intensifies in iraq, there is a lot of truth to this analysis .... Mosul: A Bridge Too Far? (Craig Whiteside, War On The Rocks).

More News On The Battle for The Iraqi City Of Tikrit

Iraq’s Battle to Take Back Tikrit Slows -- WSJ
Tikrit battle in Iraq is not over yet, Pentagon warns -- Washington Post
Pentagon: Hundreds Of ISIL Fighters Occupying Tikrit -- TRNS
Mass grave found near Tikrit as U.N. says Islamic State group suspected of genocide -- AP
Iraq Air Force targets ISIL positions in Tikrit -- Press TV
No Iraq request for coalition air support in Tikrit campaign -- Reuters
In Tikrit Offensive, Local Sunnis, Shiite Militias Are Unlikely Allies -- NPR
Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric urges more professionalism in fight against IS -- Reuters