New York Times: Baghdad might agree to the deployment of US Apache in Ramadi


2015-12-13 23:27:53 | (Voice of Iraq) - Baghdad

After more than six months after the fall of the city of Ramadi, however Daash militants, security forces and tribal fighters are trying to restore it with the support of the US Air Force.

Military commanders say 300 militants are still holed up inside the city, especially that they took from spending advanced a safe place for them as well as Tfajakhhm buildings and main roads.

Iraqi security forces so far, it cleared away from the city center and the regions of experts is expected to be arduous and bloody battle inside the city center, amid a severe narrowing of the militants.

In the meantime, civilians racing to raise white flags as they approached Sitarat security forces. Civilians those talking about their use by militants from the organization as human shields, forcing them to pay huge bribes to members of the organization in order to allow them to leave.

Abu Hussein, who recently escaped from the oppression of the organization, says "the situation of families under the control of a tragic Daash, because they did not let people Bhalhm, as well as cutting them off from food, water and medicine because of the blockade imposed on all exits of the city."

After months of false starts and unfulfilled promises of quick gains against al-regulation by the Iraqis and American commanders, the city of Ramadi these days experiencing notable successes. On the military level tribal fighters, accompanied by security forces captured the Anbar Operations Command Headquarters as well as control of other buildings.

Sufian Ithawi, a tribal leader in Anbar province, says, "I've been editing a number of areas, and the earth is witnessing great victories, and that the security forces surrounded the entire city."

What remains in the gray now, is a position which will see it very difficult to restore it. Military officials and talking about mired fighting in the city center for weeks.

Winning there any way will be reassuring for the coalition forces led by the United States, because the United States still consider the Inbar with suspicion because it is fertile ground for the emergence of rebel groups as well as those organizations enjoy local support.

Americans, military officials, say the liberalization of gray will not end the organization Daash completely, because there are vast areas between the Iraqi-Syrian border will remain open, especially if Raqqa province are still under the control of militants regulation.

He says Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the US military spokesman in Baghdad, said that "the military operation is slow but deliberate. It remains fighting in civilian areas difficult and frightening and deadly."

And Colonel Warren added that US officials estimate militants preparing Daash by about 600 to 1,000 armed men in gray, and the air strikes, the international coalition have killed about 350 of them.

It was unclear if placed missiles were aimed at insurgent positions or populated civilian homes that may cause civilian casualties.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said recently that the United States is ready to deploy attack helicopters and send an advisory extra forces to help Iraqi forces in order to "finish the job" and regain control of the city of Ramadi, but in accordance with the request of the Baghdad government.

It has yet to be such a request, but a high-ranking Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity, that the Iraqi government is likely to require post offensive aircraft (Apache).

Public role of the United States, which supports Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, there may come a negative political consequences for the prime minister in particular that he engaged in a power struggle with rivals from his own party and the leaders of Shiite militant groups backed by Iran.

Competitors from armed groups, who are the largest source of inconvenience for Washington, recently vowed to fight any force entering Iraqi territory, because they consider the entry of US troops on a regular basis is the growth of the US presence in their country.

Abadi and still in a sensitive position as he tries to balance its relations with the United States and Iran, which strongly supports the Shiite armed groups, particularly the recent very popular among the Shiite public.

Shiite armed groups that have achieved success against militants Daash in different regions were under the control of the extremist organization considers necessary to protect the center of Baghdad in the absence of clear gray restoration process.

After the fall of the city, those armed groups rushed to Anbar despite warnings from US officials that their presence might exacerbate sectarian tensions. So see the Americans, that the training of Sunni fighters in Anbar is a factor for the successful liberation of the city, especially they were investigating successes these days in Ramadi.

Gen. Ahmed Abdullah, who leads a brigade of tribal fighters in Anbar province, says, "This is the first time that I see our forces such high morale."



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