Iraq security forces withdraw from Ramadi on Sunday Photo: AP
Iran has accused the US of having "no will" to stop the Islamic State (Isil), underscoring tensions in the alliance of international powers that has mobilised against the group in Iraq.
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General Qassem Soleimani, the head of an elite unit in Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard, said the US did not do “a damn thing” to stop Isil
seizing the Iraqi city of Ramadi earlier this month.
Published in an Iranian newspaper on Monday, his comments came just a
day after US Defence Secretary Ash Carter accused Iraqi forces of
lacking the "will to fight", saying they had withdrawn from Ramadi even
though they "vastly outnumbered" Isil.
Although Washington and Tehran both support the Iraqi government in its
pushback against the extremists controlling a third of the country,
they remain uneasy bedfellows. Disagreements over strategy have
prolonged and complicated the fight for key cities.
Isil fighters pose in Ramadi
On May 14, Ramadi’s defence melted away as Isil advanced. Hundreds of
policemen were killed after Iraqi troops withdrew, leaving weapons and
vehicles in their wake. The US responded with limited airstrikes on the
city’s fringes.
Reluctant to be drawn into a combat role, the American approach to Iraq's latest conflict has involved airstrikes as part of an international coalition it leads, as well as equipping and training security forces.
Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi hit back on Sunday at US criticism over the collapse, saying that although the Isil onslaught had initially terrified his forces, they would re-take Ramadi "in days".
"It makes my heart bleed because we lost Ramadi, but I can assure you we can bring it back soon," he said.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon (AP)
But to do so, the beleaguered army will rely on support from Iran-backed Shia militias, an eventuality the US had tried to avoid in the weeks before Ramadi fell.
On Saturday, the militiamen retook Husayba, east of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, with heavy fighting continuing in the area on Sunday.
"Today, there is nobody in confrontation with [Isil] except the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as nations who are next to Iran or supported by Iran," Gen. Soleimani said in Monday’s newspaper interview.
To retake Ramadi, just 60 miles west of Baghdad, Iraqi security forces will also require the backing of local Sunni tribes which have already suffered heavy losses in their eighteen month fight against Isil.
As with so many other alliances in Iraq’s war against Isil, this will only be one of convenience.
“The government and the military leaders are traitors,” a young tribesman told The Telegraph last week. “A lot of them [us] might still give up because no one is serious about fighting ISIS."
Reluctant to be drawn into a combat role, the American approach to Iraq's latest conflict has involved airstrikes as part of an international coalition it leads, as well as equipping and training security forces.
Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi hit back on Sunday at US criticism over the collapse, saying that although the Isil onslaught had initially terrified his forces, they would re-take Ramadi "in days".
"It makes my heart bleed because we lost Ramadi, but I can assure you we can bring it back soon," he said.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon (AP)
But to do so, the beleaguered army will rely on support from Iran-backed Shia militias, an eventuality the US had tried to avoid in the weeks before Ramadi fell.
On Saturday, the militiamen retook Husayba, east of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, with heavy fighting continuing in the area on Sunday.
"Today, there is nobody in confrontation with [Isil] except the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as nations who are next to Iran or supported by Iran," Gen. Soleimani said in Monday’s newspaper interview.
To retake Ramadi, just 60 miles west of Baghdad, Iraqi security forces will also require the backing of local Sunni tribes which have already suffered heavy losses in their eighteen month fight against Isil.
As with so many other alliances in Iraq’s war against Isil, this will only be one of convenience.
“The government and the military leaders are traitors,” a young tribesman told The Telegraph last week. “A lot of them [us] might still give up because no one is serious about fighting ISIS."
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