NoTeaPartyPleez
Gold Member
- Dec 2, 2012
- 11,826
- 1,912
- 245
Oh my, what will the righties bitch about NOW...?
U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against Islamic State Militants in Iraqi City of Tikrit
Americans say move reflects failure of Iranian-backed forces to retake area from insurgents
WASHINGTON—U.S. warplanes began hitting the Islamic State extremist group in Tikrit on Wednesday, in what U.S. officials said was a sign of the failure of Iranian-backed forces to retake the city.
U.S. officials said they began the airstrikes after formally receiving a request from the Iraqi government to help turn the tide in the stalled effort to retake Tikrit from the militants.
The U.S. in recent days began providing video feeds and other intelligence to Iraqi forces trying to recover Tikrit, drawing the U.S. into closer coordination with Iranian-backed Shiite militias doing the bulk of the fighting.
Pentagon officials said the request from the Iraqis exposes the weakness of Iranian support for the Baghdad government. U.S. officials are hoping to use the difficulty in Tikrit to drive a wedge between Iraq and Iran, officials said.
“Tikrit shows the complete failure by Iran to produce results on the ground,” said a senior defense official.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been providing assistance to the Iraqi force as well, including planning assistance, artillery fire and other combat support. But Pentagon officials said the Revolutionary Guard’s effort has produced little in the way of results for Iraqi forces.
“The IRCG has been stalled,” said the senior defense official. “Now that we are conducting strikes you are going to see more movement.”
U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against Islamic State Militants in Iraqi City of Tikrit - WSJ
U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against Islamic State Militants in Iraqi City of Tikrit
Americans say move reflects failure of Iranian-backed forces to retake area from insurgents
WASHINGTON—U.S. warplanes began hitting the Islamic State extremist group in Tikrit on Wednesday, in what U.S. officials said was a sign of the failure of Iranian-backed forces to retake the city.
U.S. officials said they began the airstrikes after formally receiving a request from the Iraqi government to help turn the tide in the stalled effort to retake Tikrit from the militants.
The U.S. in recent days began providing video feeds and other intelligence to Iraqi forces trying to recover Tikrit, drawing the U.S. into closer coordination with Iranian-backed Shiite militias doing the bulk of the fighting.
Pentagon officials said the request from the Iraqis exposes the weakness of Iranian support for the Baghdad government. U.S. officials are hoping to use the difficulty in Tikrit to drive a wedge between Iraq and Iran, officials said.
“Tikrit shows the complete failure by Iran to produce results on the ground,” said a senior defense official.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been providing assistance to the Iraqi force as well, including planning assistance, artillery fire and other combat support. But Pentagon officials said the Revolutionary Guard’s effort has produced little in the way of results for Iraqi forces.
“The IRCG has been stalled,” said the senior defense official. “Now that we are conducting strikes you are going to see more movement.”
U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against Islamic State Militants in Iraqi City of Tikrit - WSJ
