Shiite militia groups quit
Shiite militia groups quit, Three major Shiite militia groups pulled out of the fight against Islamic State militants in Tikrit on Thursday, immediately depriving the Iraqi government of thousands of their fighters on the ground even as U.S. warplanes readied for an expected second day of airstrikes.
The militia groups, some of which had Iranian advisers with them until recently, were protesting the U.S. military airstrikes, which began late Wednesday night. The groups insisted the Americans were not needed to defeat the extremists in Tikrit.
A fourth Shiite militia group said it would remain in the battle in Tikrit but vowed to attack foreign members of the U.S.-led coalition, raising the possibility that it might turn anti-aircraft fire against U.S. planes from what had been Iraqi fighting positions.
U.S. military leaders probably welcome the withdrawal of the Shiite groups, as long as enough Iraqi fighters remain to keep pressure on Islamic State’s holdouts. Before starting the airstrikes, U.S. officials demanded that Iranian officials and the militias closest to them stand aside, and had expressed concerns about sectarian abuses in areas overseen by Shiite militias.
But too great or abrupt a withdrawal by militia forces, analysts said, could complicate the entire Iraqi counteroffensive. Even with the militias involved, officials said the current pro-government force would not be large enough to take Mosul back from Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
Together, the four Shiite groups pulling out represent more than a third of the 30,000 fighters on the government side in the offensive against Islamic State, analysts said.
“We don’t trust the American-led coalition in combating ISIS,” said Naeem al-Uboudi, the spokesman for Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the three groups that said they would withdraw from the front line around Tikrit. “In the past they have targeted our security forces and dropped aid to ISIS by mistake,” he said.
The U.S. airstrikes in Tikrit began late Wednesday night and continued for 8 1/2 hours.
The other groups boycotting the Tikrit operation are Qatab Hizbullah, which is closely aligned with and supported by Iran, and the Peace Brigade, a militia previously known as the Mahdi Army.
The militia groups, some of which had Iranian advisers with them until recently, were protesting the U.S. military airstrikes, which began late Wednesday night. The groups insisted the Americans were not needed to defeat the extremists in Tikrit.
A fourth Shiite militia group said it would remain in the battle in Tikrit but vowed to attack foreign members of the U.S.-led coalition, raising the possibility that it might turn anti-aircraft fire against U.S. planes from what had been Iraqi fighting positions.
U.S. military leaders probably welcome the withdrawal of the Shiite groups, as long as enough Iraqi fighters remain to keep pressure on Islamic State’s holdouts. Before starting the airstrikes, U.S. officials demanded that Iranian officials and the militias closest to them stand aside, and had expressed concerns about sectarian abuses in areas overseen by Shiite militias.
But too great or abrupt a withdrawal by militia forces, analysts said, could complicate the entire Iraqi counteroffensive. Even with the militias involved, officials said the current pro-government force would not be large enough to take Mosul back from Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
Together, the four Shiite groups pulling out represent more than a third of the 30,000 fighters on the government side in the offensive against Islamic State, analysts said.
“We don’t trust the American-led coalition in combating ISIS,” said Naeem al-Uboudi, the spokesman for Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the three groups that said they would withdraw from the front line around Tikrit. “In the past they have targeted our security forces and dropped aid to ISIS by mistake,” he said.
The U.S. airstrikes in Tikrit began late Wednesday night and continued for 8 1/2 hours.
The other groups boycotting the Tikrit operation are Qatab Hizbullah, which is closely aligned with and supported by Iran, and the Peace Brigade, a militia previously known as the Mahdi Army.