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U.S. Steps Up Bombing Raids in Anbar After Shiite Militias Withdraw U.S. Steps Up Bombing Raids in Anbar After Shiite Militias Withdraw
(about 14 hours later)
BAGHDAD — Under pressure from American officials here, Iraq has withdrawn Shiite militiamen from the Ramadi area in Anbar Province, and the American-led coalition immediately responded by stepping up bombing raids to support Iraqi forces there, according to Iraqi officials involved in the decision. BAGHDAD — Under pressure from American officials here, Iraq has withdrawn Shiite militiamen from the Ramadi area in Anbar Province, and the American-led coalition immediately responded by stepping up bombing raids to support Iraqi forces battling extremists of the Islamic State there, according to Iraqi officials involved in the decision.
The American ambassador to Iraq, Stuart E. Jones, met with Anbar tribal leaders and provincial officials Saturday and expressed his dissatisfaction that Shiite militiamen were in the thick of a local offensive against extremists of the Islamic State near the provincial capital, according to two participants in the meeting, who were interviewed Sunday. The American ambassador, Stuart E. Jones, met Saturday with Anbar tribal leaders and provincial officials and expressed his dissatisfaction that Shiite militiamen were in the thick of a local offensive against the Islamic State near the Anbar provincial capital, according to two participants in the meeting, interviewed Sunday.
Unless they withdrew the militias, the ambassador warned, the United States would not be able to launch airstrikes to support the Iraqi forces there. Anbar Province is a Sunni area, and the tribes who live there have largely opposed the use of Shiite militias in the vicinity, a position the United States supports. American officials worry that the use of Shiite militias would drive more of Anbar’s Sunnis into supporting ISIS, as the Islamic State is also known. They were also concerned about the possibility of accidentally bombing the undisciplined and disorganized militia forces. He warned that unless the militias were withdrawn, the United States would not be able to launch airstrikes to support the Iraqi forces there. Anbar Province is a Sunni area, and the tribes who live there have largely opposed the use of Shiite militias in the area, a position the United States supports. American officials worry that the use of Shiite militias will drive more of Anbar’s Sunnis into supporting ISIS, as the Islamic State is also known, and are also concerned about the possibility of accidentally bombing the undisciplined and disorganized militia forces.
“The American ambassador told us that the Americans will not carry out airstrikes if the popular mobilization stays in Anbar, and we understood him,” said Sabah Karhot, the head of the Anbar Provincial Council and one of those at the meeting. “The American ambassador told us that the Americans will not carry out airstrikes if the popular mobilization stays in Anbar, and we understood him,” said Sabah Karhot, head of the Anbar Provincial Council, one of those at the meeting.
He said that all of the popular mobilization forces, as the largely Shiite militias are formally known, were taken out of the fighting around Ramadi, the Anbar provincial capital, beginningFriday. By Saturday night and lasting into Sunday morning, the Americans had launched heavier-than-usual airstrikes on the town of Albu Faraj, with local officials counting 20 airstrikes by the American-led coalition. The officials credited the airstrikes with stopping the ISIS advance there. He said that all of the popular mobilization forces, as the largely Shiite militias are formally known, were taken out of the fighting around Ramadi beginning Friday. By Saturday night and lasting into Sunday morning, the Americans launched heavier than usual airstrikes on Albu Faraj, with local officials counting 20 by the American-led coalition, crediting them with stopping an Islamic State advance there that began late last week.
American officials did not immediately have any comment on the ambassador’s meeting with Sunni officials. Albu Faraj is just to the north and across the Euphrates River from downtown Ramadi, and the Iraqi Army sent three armored brigades into the center of the city, where they rescued more than 100 students in the women’s dormitories of Anbar University who had been feared trapped by the Islamic State advance.
Some Anbar officials had previously defended the use of the militias to supplement the understaffed Iraqi Army in Anbar; tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers deserted after Mosul fell to an ISIS offensive last June, and efforts to rebuild the military are still in the early stages. A spokesman for the ambassador denied that he had conditioned American airstrikes on a withdrawal of militias. “The ambassador did not say that,” said the spokesman, Jeffrey M. Loree. “We have made clear that all our airstrikes are conducted in consultation with the Iraqi security forces and in support of forces under their command and control.”
Hikmat Ayada, an adviser to the governor of Anbar, insisted that the Shiite militias were not involved in the fighting around Ramadi as units, but only as individual fighters under the command of the Iraqi military. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also promised Anbar officials that Shiite militias would not be part of the fight in Anbar. Some Anbar officials had previously defended the use of the militias to supplement the manpower-poor Iraqi Army in Anbar; tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers deserted after Mosul fell to an Islamic State offensive last June, and efforts to rebuild the military are still in the early stages.
Hikmat Ayada, an adviser to the governor of Anbar, insisted that the Shiite militias were not involved in combat around Ramadi as units, but only as individual fighters under the command of the Iraqi military. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also promised Anbar officials that Shiite militias would not be part of the fight in Anbar.
“We got promises from the prime minister, the head of Parliament and many others that there will be no extension of popular mobilization from southern provinces in Anbar,” Mr. Ayada said last week.“We got promises from the prime minister, the head of Parliament and many others that there will be no extension of popular mobilization from southern provinces in Anbar,” Mr. Ayada said last week.
However, there were multiple reports that the Al Risalyoun and Hizbullah militias, both of them Shiite militias with their bases in southern Iraq, were part of an offensive east of Ramadi in the Al Sajariya area. That fighting stalled, however, when the fighters ran out of ammunition, complaining that the Iraqi government was not resupplying them. However, there were multiple reports that the Al Risalyoun and Hizbullah Brigades, both Shiite militias with bases in southern Iraq, were part of an offensive east of Ramadi in the Al Sajariya Ramadi area. That advance stalled, however, when the fighters ran out of ammunition, complaining that the Iraqi government was not resupplying them.
Then on Thursday night and Friday, ISIS launched an offensive of its own in the Albu Faraj area, just across the river from central Ramadi, killing 25 police and soldiers and overrunning large parts of the area. Then on Thursday night and Friday the Islamic State began a new offensive in the Albu Faraj area, killing 25 police officers and soldiers and overrunning large parts of the area.
That prompted the meeting with the American officials in Baghdad, the Anbar officials said. “The American ambassador did not literally say we want the popular mobilization out, but that was the impression he gave us, he blamed the Anbar government for doing this,” said Karim Hilal, another member of the Anbar Provincial Council who was in the embassy meeting. That prompted the meeting with American officials in Baghdad, the Anbar officials said. “The American ambassador did not literally say we want the popular mobilization out, but that was the impression he gave us, he blamed the Anbar government for doing this,” said Karim Hilal, another member of the Anbar Provincial Council who was in the embassy meeting.
“Everything is going according to plan now,” he said. “We told the ambassador we wanted more continuous airstrikes in Anbar and American pressure on the Iraqi government to arm the tribes so we don’t need the popular mobilization,” Mr. Hilal said. “And what the ambassador wanted has happened and since the withdrawal of the militias the airstrikes are continuing heavily.”“Everything is going according to plan now,” he said. “We told the ambassador we wanted more continuous airstrikes in Anbar and American pressure on the Iraqi government to arm the tribes so we don’t need the popular mobilization,” Mr. Hilal said. “And what the ambassador wanted has happened and since the withdrawal of the militias the airstrikes are continuing heavily.”
Like other Sunni officials, Mr. Hilal expressed hope that the American government would be able to persuade Mr. Abadi, when he visits Washington on Tuesday, to speed up long-stalled arms deliveries to Sunni tribes in Anbar. Like other Sunni officials, Mr. Hilal expressed hope that the American government would persuade Mr. Abadi, when he visits Washington on Tuesday, to speed up long-stalled arms deliveries to Sunni tribes in Anbar.
When Iraqi forces, including militias with Iranian advisers, bogged down in their effort to retake the north-central city of Tikrit last month, the United States similarly made the withdrawal of the Shiite militias from the battlefield a condition of launching American airstrikes, which proved decisive. When Iraqi forces, including militias with Iranian advisers, were bogged down in their effort to retake the north-central city of Tikrit last month, the United States similarly made the withdrawal of the Shiite militias from the battlefield a condition of launching American airstrikes, which proved decisive.
Nonetheless many of the Shiite militias remained in Tikrit and were a key part of the final ground operation to subdue the city. Nonetheless many of the Shiite militias remained in Tikrit and were a key part of the final ground operation.
Iraqi officials have said their next major offensive, before trying to retake the northern city of Mosul, will be in Anbar Province, where ISIS controls more than half the territory. Iraqi officials have said their next major offensive, before trying to retake the northern city of Mosul, will be in Anbar Province, where the Islamic State controls more than half the territory.
Some Shiite militia officials denied that the popular mobilization forces had withdrawn from Anbar Province. “Nobody asked us to leave,” insisted Ahmed Assadi, a spokesman for the forces. Jaffar al-Husseini, head of the Hizbullah Brigades, confirmed his militia members had left, but said it was of their own accord. “It was a tactical withdrawal and we handed it over to the sons of Anbar,” he said.