New York Times: 3 Shiite Militias Quit Iraqi Siege of ISIS Over U.S. Air Role
AL RASHID AIR BASE, Iraq — Three major Shiite militia groups pulled out of the fight for Tikrit on Thursday, immediately depriving the Iraqi government of thousands of their fighters on the ground even as American warplanes readied for an expected second day of airstrikes against the Islamic State there.
The militia groups, some of which until recently had Iranian advisers with them, pulled out of the Tikrit fight in protest of the American military airstrikes, which began late Wednesday night, insisting that the Americans were not needed to defeat the extremists in Tikrit.
Together the three groups represent as much as a third of the 30,000 fighters on the government side in the offensive against the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, analysts said.
Update: Iraqi militia leader rejects calls for further US air strikes on Tikrit -- The Guardian
WNU Editor: David Ignatius believes that this is a significant shift in Iraq's relationship with Iran .... Stalled Tikrit offensive hurts Iran, helps U.S. (David Ignatius, Washington Post) .... but I have my doubts. This is a temporary shift done out of convenience ..... once Tikrit has fallen I expect everyone in Iraq will claim victory .... the Iranian backed Shiite militias included .... and the march towards Mosul will then begin.
2 comments:
The militias are correct. American air support is not needed for Iranian backed militias to defeat ISIS. It will take a bit longer with more loss of life, however, the end result will be the same. ISIS loses. Iran wins.
Mr. Ingatius is completely wrong. If his sentence were changed "stalled Tikrit offensive, helps Iran, hurts U.S." he'd be correct. The support of the Iranian backed militias is mission critical to the taking of Tikrit. U. S. airstrikes are not.
With that said, U. S. airstrikes have the potential to speed up the taking of Tikrit with fewer lives lost and less cost to Iran. Apparently the Iranians are allowing their pride to get in the way refusing to accept America's stupid decision to get involved on their half.
I say take the militias at their word and stay out. Let two bitter enemies (Iran and ISIS) who both pose existential threats to America tear each other apart!!
I can see one benefit to helping Iran although it might never come to pass.
If the Revolutionary Guard succeeds at Tikrit and Mosul and they feel strong enough to then depose the mullahs, to would be the beginning of the end.
The RG would not have legitimacy and might be undermined by surviving mullahs and face a more hostile populace. Iran would just become another military junta.
Hopefully, the shine would also be taken off the mullahs and the Ayatollahs too as far as their political legitimacy.
A junta would over time wind down like a an old watch.
A bloodbath among the masses i would not like to see. A bloodbath among the mullahs and the RG, I am all for.
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