Iraq: US Coalition Not Doing Enough in ISIS War

Parliament Speaker Says Support 'Not Convincing'

Iraqi officials have told US special envoy to the ISIS war General John Allen that they don’t believe the US-led coalition is doing enough in that war, and that their support is “not convincing.”

Parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri, one of the top Sunni figures in the Iraqi government, complaining that Iraq feels as though it is fighting the war largely on its own, and that the US needs to step up the pace.

Convincing the Iraqi government they’re the best allies in the current war isn’t the easiest task either, with Iran pouring support into the nation. Jabouri and other Sunni officials may not admit it, but Iran is the closest ally Iraq has right now.

With the US not wanting to directly coordinate with Iran on the war, despite having virtually identical interests, this is putting the two nations into competition with each other for buying the support of the Abadi government in Baghdad, a question which will likely be more important as the war winds down and the territories of the respective powers become more stationary.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.