Posted on 03/02/2015 10:51:07 AM PST by dangus
Some 30,000 Iraqi troops and militias have launched a full-scale offensive backed by airstrikes to retake the major city of Tikrit from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, Al Arabiya’s correspondent in Iraq said.
“Security forces are advancing on three main fronts towards Tikrit, Ad-Dawr (to the south) and Al-Alam (to the north),” an army lieutenant colonel on the ground told Agence France-Presse by telephone.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi had announced on Sunday the “zero hour” of an operation to liberate ISIS-held territories in the province of Saladin, with its capital Tikrit, according to Al Arabiya News Channel.
Iraqi forces are also “moving along side roads to prevent Daesh’s escape,” the colonel said, using an Arab acronym for the ISIS, which has controlled the hometown of executed dictator Saddam Hussein for nearly nine months.
Residents of Tikrit were reportedly told to evacuate the area ahead of the military operation.
Iraqi officials and militia commanders regard the recapture of Tikrit as an essential step toward the liberation of Mosul.
The specifics of the battle’s plan were not revealed. But military experts believe that joint Iraq forces will attack from multiple fronts.
The first location will be from the Aoja area, south of Tikrit, with the support of Iraqi Special Forces. The second front will be from an area close to Tikrit University in which the Iraqi army and police will attack from. The third attack will carried from the southwest of Tikrit.
Security sources told Al Arabiya News Channel that Iraqi forces are now in control of the northern areas of the Albu Obaid village and west of Tikrit.
The operation to retake Tikrit, the home town of Iraq’s former President Saddam Hussein, marks a major test for Iraqi forces
I was just looking at a book by Nixon called “The Real War”. He had a quote by MacAaurther about the two worst words in war are “Two Late” Self ping to remember to get it in the morning.
Just answering some of the posts now....
I have no doubt Soluimani thinks that...and Russia along with them...though Russia’s in a tough place with the EU and US currently over Ukraine etc.
Also Russia will always be in Iran’s court unless it stands to gain otherwise, and even then it will only “bend” as it’s pretty much supported Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions and provided for them to do so , just as you stated.
Can you imagine what Tirkit is going to look like when they’re through shelling it like this video shows! I sure hope most of the citizens got out but I do wonder if that was possible.
Here’s the shock and awe video again...
http://farsnews.com/MediaDisplay.aspx?nn=13931211000192
Sorry I intended this to go on on this thread....time for bed....!!!
The performance of Iraqi troops and air-force jets in the battle of Tikrit will indicate their preparedness for the much tougher fight in Mosul. Urban warfare is brutal and slow, so Tikrit will be a litmus test for both the fighting skills and the stamina of the Iraqi forces.
Early reports indicate that Shia irregulars are leading the assault on Tikrit, under the supervision of Hadi al-Amiri, nominally Iraq’s transport minister, but better known as the leader of the Badr Organization, an Iran-backed militia notorious for brutal torture and murder of Sunnis.
Apparently unsatisfied with having a surrogate in the battlefield, Tehran has also despatched to Iraq’s Salahuddin province—of which Sunni-majority Tikrit is a part—the notorious Qassem Suleimani, the general who supervises most of Iran’s proxies, from Hizbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, to the Houthis in Yemen.
One of the world’s most dangerous men, Suleimani has had the freedom of Iraq for over a year, building and reinforcing Shia militias that have been murdering and terrorizing Sunnis with almost as much enthusiasm—if not with quite as much efficiency—as ISIL has been slaughtering civilians.
Suleimani’s presence in Salahuddin is especially infuriating for many in Mosul, a city that prides itself as the birthplace of Iraqi military heroes. He is a veteran of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, and is seen to have Iraqi blood on his hands. That he should now be effectively calling some of the shots in the Iraqi military campaign is a humiliating reminder of Baghdad’s subservience to the old enemy.
Perhaps it is to stay out of any sectarian conflict that the US military is keeping the Tikrit campaign at an arm’s length: It is not providing any air support to the Iraqi troops.
http://qz.com/354276/the-sunni-killers-leading-the-assault-on-tikrit-are-bad-news-for-iraq/
Aid agencies prepare for vast exodus following planned Iraqi offensive against the Isis-held city
the numbers fleeing an impending battle for Mosul in the course of the next few months could total a million. The present population of the city, captured by Islamic State (Isis) on 10 June last year, is believed to be about 1.5 million, the great majority of them Sunni Arabs.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has also issued a statement warning of a mass flight from Mosul, although without giving an estimate of the number likely to be affected. “The broadening of the conflict to populated areas along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers will create more humanitarian needs,” the ICRC warns. “If major cities such as Mosul come under fire again, thousands more people will have to flee.”
Link for above article
Iranian troops are leading the effort, it is reported by FoxNews today. Special...
Seem to remember something about Sun Tzu saying to only surround an enemy on 3 sides...
“Sun Tzu’s The Art of War strongly emphasizes the use of flanking, although it does not advocate completely surrounding the enemy force as this may induce it to fight with greater ferocity if it cannot escape.[3]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanking_maneuver
With respect, we are not trying to politically demoralize this enemy. We ARE trying to destroy them, and a fully surrounding maneuver, no matter how hard it makes them fight, allows each last one to be killed without the possibility of living to fight another day.
I say push them out of their territories as quickly as possible, and when they are all herded into their last stronghold, surround it on 4 sides and firebomb said stronghold into rubble like Dresden, and kill any thing that crawls out bleeding from the rubble.
Earlier we were told by the Obama maladministration, they weren’t ready, would require another 6 months or 6 years training, by the US.
Having said that, I expect the terrorists will melt away, and slither into the provinces.
When the Iraqi forces do engage the terrorists, would be an excellent time for Obama to order the US forces to provide support, air, communications, any means necessary.
None. The Iraqi shiites are getting tactical support and advice from Iranians, but the troops are Iraqi, including Sunnin tribes and Kurds.
I beg to disgree. This is the Iranian Republican Guard with Russian made weapons leading the onslaught. The #1 Iranian field commander is on the ground. We were caught flat footed but we now don’t have to spend any of our money or lives on this conflrgration. What we have is now a massive war between Shiite and Sunni and that is great!!
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