This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/world/middleeast/iraqi-forces-in-no-hurry-to-expel-isis-from-tikrit.html
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Iraqi Forces in No Hurry to Expel ISIS From Tikrit | Iraqi Forces in No Hurry to Expel ISIS From Tikrit |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| TIKRIT, Iraq — Here at the headquarters of Iraqi ground forces, after three days of American airstrikes that at times witnesses here described as “carpet bombing,” Iraq’s military seemed in no great hurry on Saturday to press its advantage. | |
| It also seemed to be moving very slowly on promises to withdraw Shiite militias from the battlefield. | It also seemed to be moving very slowly on promises to withdraw Shiite militias from the battlefield. |
| An Iraqi Air Force C-130 carrying 150 fresh militia volunteers, a dozen federal police officers, a few soldiers back from leave and two American journalists landed here late in the morning. Although the intensive bombardment of the night had eased, within half an hour two large explosions rattled the windows of the Salahuddin Operations Command building as bombs dropped by unseen aircraft brought satisfied smiles from the assembled military men. | An Iraqi Air Force C-130 carrying 150 fresh militia volunteers, a dozen federal police officers, a few soldiers back from leave and two American journalists landed here late in the morning. Although the intensive bombardment of the night had eased, within half an hour two large explosions rattled the windows of the Salahuddin Operations Command building as bombs dropped by unseen aircraft brought satisfied smiles from the assembled military men. |
| Missing from this picture was any sense of urgency. The holdouts from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, who remain in the center of Tikrit are believed to number “about 400,” as one general here said. But the extremists have so far held off an offensive by an estimated 30,000 Iraqi troops and volunteer militiamen for nearly four weeks. | Missing from this picture was any sense of urgency. The holdouts from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, who remain in the center of Tikrit are believed to number “about 400,” as one general here said. But the extremists have so far held off an offensive by an estimated 30,000 Iraqi troops and volunteer militiamen for nearly four weeks. |
| After refusing any American assistance, the Iraqi military formally requested it, and the American-led coalition began bombing on Wednesday, with explosions heard in the city as often as twice a minute at night. So far, at least, that has not spurred any Iraqi ground advance. | After refusing any American assistance, the Iraqi military formally requested it, and the American-led coalition began bombing on Wednesday, with explosions heard in the city as often as twice a minute at night. So far, at least, that has not spurred any Iraqi ground advance. |
| “There is a plan, and we are going as planned,” said Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, the commander of Iraqi Army ground forces nationwide. “It’s a battle that’s going on right now,” he added. “We’re not in any hurry.” | “There is a plan, and we are going as planned,” said Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, the commander of Iraqi Army ground forces nationwide. “It’s a battle that’s going on right now,” he added. “We’re not in any hurry.” |
| At the Salahuddin Operations Command, a joint headquarters for the army, the police and the militias, known as the popular mobilization committees, Shiite militiamen came and went regularly. The front line turned out to be only about half a mile away, on the other side of now-shuttered Tikrit University, where the operations command is. | At the Salahuddin Operations Command, a joint headquarters for the army, the police and the militias, known as the popular mobilization committees, Shiite militiamen came and went regularly. The front line turned out to be only about half a mile away, on the other side of now-shuttered Tikrit University, where the operations command is. |
| Visitors going from the headquarters to the front line were warned to duck and run across one stretch of the campus for fear of Islamic State snipers. The front line itself, held by the Iraqi Army’s 66th Brigade, consisted of a series of fortified classrooms in the building housing the faculty of engineering. On the ground floor, windows and doors were blocked with piles of mattresses, chairs and desks. Regular Iraqi troops were hidden behind sandbagged gun slits on some of the upper floors, while black-uniformed militiamen of the Qataba Imam Ali Brigade were on the roof, manning a small artillery piece called an SPG-9. | |
| The front line through the southern end of the university is a full three miles from the center of the city, where the insurgents have their stronghold. While Iraqi officials have described the extremists as concentrated in the former palace of Saddam Hussein, a heavily fortified facility, it was clear they were also in the Qadisiyah neighborhood, close to the university. | The front line through the southern end of the university is a full three miles from the center of the city, where the insurgents have their stronghold. While Iraqi officials have described the extremists as concentrated in the former palace of Saddam Hussein, a heavily fortified facility, it was clear they were also in the Qadisiyah neighborhood, close to the university. |
| “Nothing has changed yet on the ground,” said Brig. Gen. Abbas Khudair, a spokesman for the Salahuddin Operations Command. “All of our defensive lines have not changed their positions, although some of our special operations forces are going out.” | “Nothing has changed yet on the ground,” said Brig. Gen. Abbas Khudair, a spokesman for the Salahuddin Operations Command. “All of our defensive lines have not changed their positions, although some of our special operations forces are going out.” |
| Iraqi Army soldiers on the front line agreed that little had changed on the ground since the American bombardment began. On Friday, two of their army comrades had been shot and killed by snipers, Pvt. Anwar Abboud said. He added that the big difference now was that when they spotted Islamic State fighters on the other side, they could report to their commanders, and coalition airstrikes would follow swiftly. | Iraqi Army soldiers on the front line agreed that little had changed on the ground since the American bombardment began. On Friday, two of their army comrades had been shot and killed by snipers, Pvt. Anwar Abboud said. He added that the big difference now was that when they spotted Islamic State fighters on the other side, they could report to their commanders, and coalition airstrikes would follow swiftly. |
| First, however, the soldiers said, they report a sighting to their comrades with the Qataba Imam Ali Brigade on the roof of the building, and those fighters try to use their SPG-9 on the enemy. If that does not work, said Pvt. Sajad Majiod, their commanders pass the information to the Americans, and within half an hour bombs are dropped on the building where the enemy was spotted. “They’re pretty fast,” he said. | First, however, the soldiers said, they report a sighting to their comrades with the Qataba Imam Ali Brigade on the roof of the building, and those fighters try to use their SPG-9 on the enemy. If that does not work, said Pvt. Sajad Majiod, their commanders pass the information to the Americans, and within half an hour bombs are dropped on the building where the enemy was spotted. “They’re pretty fast,” he said. |
| On the roof, after unleashing one of the SPG-9’s heavy shells at a building believed to be hiding an Islamic State position, Ali Abdul Razak, a Qataba Brigade gunner, said the Shiite militiamen were vital to the ground fight. “They need us here,” he said. | On the roof, after unleashing one of the SPG-9’s heavy shells at a building believed to be hiding an Islamic State position, Ali Abdul Razak, a Qataba Brigade gunner, said the Shiite militiamen were vital to the ground fight. “They need us here,” he said. |
| Despite American insistence that the Iranian-led Shiite militias pull off the front line in Tikrit as a condition for airstrikes, it is generally recognized that they would lead any final ground operation to clean out the insurgents. Militiamen have shown a much greater taste for combat than the regular Iraqi military. | Despite American insistence that the Iranian-led Shiite militias pull off the front line in Tikrit as a condition for airstrikes, it is generally recognized that they would lead any final ground operation to clean out the insurgents. Militiamen have shown a much greater taste for combat than the regular Iraqi military. |
| Even fighters from a militia known as the Nujabaa Brigade, who were also wearing black uniforms, were much in evidence around the operations command here, holding positions between the headquarters building and the front-line positions of the 66th Brigade. The militiamen had vowed to remain in the fight in Tikrit, and even said they might shoot at American planes on their bombing runs. But the Iraqi commander of the Tikrit operation, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, said that the militia here was made up mostly of fighters from the city, and that he did not take their threats against the Americans seriously. | Even fighters from a militia known as the Nujabaa Brigade, who were also wearing black uniforms, were much in evidence around the operations command here, holding positions between the headquarters building and the front-line positions of the 66th Brigade. The militiamen had vowed to remain in the fight in Tikrit, and even said they might shoot at American planes on their bombing runs. But the Iraqi commander of the Tikrit operation, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, said that the militia here was made up mostly of fighters from the city, and that he did not take their threats against the Americans seriously. |
| A senior Iraqi Army general, Ghassan Nooraldeen, said that there had been fighting on the ground in central Tikrit but that so far it had been inconclusive. | A senior Iraqi Army general, Ghassan Nooraldeen, said that there had been fighting on the ground in central Tikrit but that so far it had been inconclusive. |
| “We cannot say exactly what happened today until we get reports back tonight,” he said, “but what’s been happening is we take one area and after half an hour they get it back, then half an hour later we get it back. It’s like that.” | “We cannot say exactly what happened today until we get reports back tonight,” he said, “but what’s been happening is we take one area and after half an hour they get it back, then half an hour later we get it back. It’s like that.” |
| General Nooraldeen said the military situation on the ground had “become very complicated” because of the withdrawal of militiamen. “We feel very disappointed because losing the popular mobilizing committees has forced us to change all of our plans,” he said, referring to the militias, many of whose members have trained in Iran. | General Nooraldeen said the military situation on the ground had “become very complicated” because of the withdrawal of militiamen. “We feel very disappointed because losing the popular mobilizing committees has forced us to change all of our plans,” he said, referring to the militias, many of whose members have trained in Iran. |
| The Islamic State overran Tikrit, the original political base of Saddam Hussein in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, after the insurgents’ surprise capture in early June of Mosul, the country’s second-largest city. Apart from Mosul, Tikrit is the largest Iraqi city they still occupy, an important crossroads that would have to be subdued before any operation to retake Mosul would be feasible. | The Islamic State overran Tikrit, the original political base of Saddam Hussein in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, after the insurgents’ surprise capture in early June of Mosul, the country’s second-largest city. Apart from Mosul, Tikrit is the largest Iraqi city they still occupy, an important crossroads that would have to be subdued before any operation to retake Mosul would be feasible. |
| Iraqi officials said there were no civilians left in the center of Tikrit — even the sprawling university campus seemed devoid of all but armed men — so there was no obstacle to heavy bombing of Islamic State positions. | Iraqi officials said there were no civilians left in the center of Tikrit — even the sprawling university campus seemed devoid of all but armed men — so there was no obstacle to heavy bombing of Islamic State positions. |
| Iraq’s effort to retake Tikrit began on March 2, with optimistic projections that the city would fall to the government within days. Such forecasts have been repeated several times since. | Iraq’s effort to retake Tikrit began on March 2, with optimistic projections that the city would fall to the government within days. Such forecasts have been repeated several times since. |
| That was not the case on Saturday, although Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi predicted on Friday that Tikrit would fall soon. | That was not the case on Saturday, although Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi predicted on Friday that Tikrit would fall soon. |
| “In Iraq,” an Iraqi official here said, “soon is two weeks, not two days.” | “In Iraq,” an Iraqi official here said, “soon is two weeks, not two days.” |