Though the Iraqi military is continuing to insist they’re achieving a quick, sweeping victory over ISIS in the Anbar Province capital of Ramadi, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter suggested they would likely need help from another US escalation to “finish the job.”
Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US was prepared to send attack helicopters as well as to embed “adviser” ground troops into Iraqi units invading the city, if Prime Minister Hayder Abadi approves such moves.
Such approval would be difficult for Abadi to grant, as he is facing growing disquiet from the number of US ground troops already present in Iraq, and the military’s claims to have everything in hand, despite likely being bluster, would make it difficult to justify the move.
Yesterday, Iraq’s military claimed to have captured 60% of the city, and pledged to have the rest in short order, though reports today have not suggested much new territory taken, and have emphasized “celebrations” by the troops over the territory already gained.
Ramadi needs to be turned into proper ruins and nothing compares with the US expertise in the field to magnificently "finish the job".
"A quick, sweeping victory". Famous last words! I'm old enough to remember when the US military was announcing "a quick, sweeping victory" over the Vietcong almost every day!
I spent a year fighting in Ramadi back in 06-07. Nothing good can come of this.
You should tell Carter to f-off and instead put your troops on the border of Turkey and Syria/Iraq to prevent Jihadists from entering Syrian and Iraq from Turkey.