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Update:
There is no better place to obtain factual, reliable, non-partisan news and analysis of military operations going on in the world than the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The mission of ISW is to “promote an informed understanding of war and military affairs through comprehensive, independent, and accessible open-source research and analysis”
For those interested in such in-depth news and analysis of the present battle against ISIL in Syria and Iraq, ISW is your source.
Below is an example of a summary of the operation to take back Tikrit for March 5-6, along with one of their heir superb annotated “control of terrain maps” for March 8, 2015 and an “Iraq Situation Report March 7-8.”
The operation to retake Tikrit continued today, although Tikrit city itself does not appear to be the immediate priority for the combined forces. Since the start of the ground operation on March 2, the eastern and southern axes have been the primary focus. The forces that moved from Diyala and from Samarra have been moving steadily and clearing smaller villages and areas on their way to Alam, northeast of Tikrit, and toward Dour, southeast of Tikrit. Dour and Alam represent the largest areas of ISIS concentration east of Tikrit where combat operations are concentrated for now. If the combined forces take control of these areas, then they will likely use them as staging areas to advance west toward Tikrit city. An assault from the east will likely be accompanied by a ground assault from the direction of Camp Speicher, where forces have not yet fully engaged. The Tikrit operation is not the only operation launched against ISIS strongholds in Iraq. Other forces from Anbar Operations Command (AOC), Baghdad Operations Command (BOC), Shi’a militias, and reportedly tribal fighters, initiated a military operation targeting the outskirts of Garma, a hub for anti-government armed groups including ISIS. Garma’s geographic proximity to Fallujah and the northern and western Baghdad belts makes it an initial defensive position on the way to Fallujah, a launch-pad for attacks on the ISF and militias near Baghdad, and likely a transit zone for anti-government groups to shift resources. ISF and militias have thus been deployed around Garma since the fall of Fallujah in January 2014 and have launched multiple operations to clear it. The fact that the ISF, militias, and anti-ISIS Sunni fighters launched two concurrent operations against separate ISIS strongholds is significant. This is a deviation from previous anti-ISIS operations that prioritized one area at a time. Nevertheless, the operation near Garma does not appear to be as significant in size as operations around Tikrit.
Original post:
Remember the announcement by a Central Command (Centcom) official two weeks ago of plans to retake Mosul from ISIL in “an operation that could begin as early as April and will require an Iraqi-led military force of at least 20,000 troops”?
The controversial announcement drew swift and harsh criticism from many because it included information on not only timing and number and kinds of troops to be involved, but also on what some would call strategy and tactics to be employed.
Well, on Tuesday, the new Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee finally admitted that the disclosure “was neither accurate information nor, had it been accurate, would have been information that should be blurted out to the press…So it’s wrong on both scores.”
Reporting on this development, The Stars and Stripes says:
It now appears likely that the offensive will not begin this spring, with Iraq’s security forces requiring more time for U.S.-organized training. It has been widely known for months that the offensive is in the planning stages and that it would likely mark a decisive moment in the campaign to dislodge the Islamic State from Iraq.
When asked about the Mosul offensive by reporters last weekend, Carter said, according to the Stripes, “The important thing is that it will get done when it can be done successfully…And even if I knew exactly when that was going to be, I wouldn’t tell you.”
Also testifying on Tuesday before the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. Lloyd Austin, head of Centcom, was telling the lawmakers that ISIL will be defeated without ground U.S. combat troops.
“I think we will be able to get this done with the approach we have taken,” Austin said. “At the end of the day…this needs to be done by the Iraqis.”
[The White House] would largely continue current policies, which administration and military officials say are working. Several months ago, the Islamic State could move freely in large convoys waving its signature black flags, but the air offensive has pushed the group into a “defensive crouch” across Iraq and Syria, Austin said.
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“The enemy is beginning to struggle in a number of areas, in the ability to govern and the ability to hold territory,” Gen. Austin added.
In the meantime, the Iraqi army has launched a major offensive to retake the city of Tikrit from ISIL, without a direct U.S. role — not even air strikes — and Iraqi troops and Shiite militias are battling ISIL “for a third day on the outskirts of militant-held Tikrit, unable to advance further on Saddam Hussein’s hometown as roadside mines and suicide attacks slowed their progress,” according to CBS News.
The Washington Post observes:
The operation, launched without direct U.S. involvement, has been called an eye-opener to the United States by some analysts. But Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, chief of U.S. Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that it was “no surprise,” even if the United States and Iran don’t see eye-to-eye on other issues and do not coordinate operations against the Islamic State.
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“You know, I saw this coming many days leading up to this,” Austin testified. “It was a logical progression of what they’ve been doing in the East of the country. But — but we don’t coordinate with them.”
While there is no direct U.S. involvement in the battle for Tikrit, the U.S. and coalition forces continue to launch air strikes against ISIL in Syria and other parts of Iraq. The latest air strikes have hit ISIL units and fighting positions near Kobani in Syria and ISIL positions and facilities near Fallujah, Ramadi and Sinjar in Iraq.
Lead photo: Defense Secretary Ash Carter testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., March 3, 2015 (Photo DOD)
