Iraqi officials are still celebrating their victory over the Islamic State in Tikrit even though with their huge advantage in numbers and after days of US carpet bombing, it was only a matter of time before the city fell. Even so, there is still a northern district of Tikrit, Quadsiya that is estimated to contain hundreds of IS fighters including many snipers holed up in the area. Apparently during the offensive the IS defences just moved north and did not withdraw from the greater Tikrit area. Unless these forces are dislodged, the Iraqis will need to keep considerable numbers of troops within Tikrit or it could be retaken.
The US and Iraq agree that in the near future Iraqi forces with US help should focus on the refinery city of Beiji which is 25 miles northwest of Tikrit. Beiji is partly held by IS. Beyond this, however, Iraq and the US appear to have different plans.
The US wants to attack to the north towards Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the de facto capital of IS territory in Iraq. A US military official said: “It’s what makes tactical and operational sense, You secure 50% of Iraq and the majority of populated Iraq, then you push west. You push the enemy back into Syria.”
Disagreements between Iraq and the U.S. caused problems in the original attack on Tikrit. The US was not involved in the initial stages of the offensive. The operation was headed by an Iranian general and there were many Shiite militias and a lesser number of Iraqi troops. While the offensive was able to advance to the outskirts of Tikrit, it was at a very high cost in casualties. There was a pause while the Iraqi government sought support from US bombing. The U.S. agreed to the bombings but only upon the condition that the Shiite militias withdrew and the advance was by Iraqi troops: Baghdad asked the U.S. to launch airstrikes. Iran’s militia allies withdrew partly in anger, and partly at the U.S. insistence that they step aside. But smaller Shiite militias more closely aligned with Baghdad’s government played a central role in seizing central Tikrit.
There are still Shiite militia holding areas around Tikrit as well.
The U.S. wants to move north, the Iraqi government wants to move west into Anbar province and remove IS from cities along the Euphrates river. Some militia units have already been dispatched to Anbar from Tikrit, said Ghassan al-Hussaini, a spokesman for the mostly Shiite militia groups known as public mobilization units and a security adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Without U.S. coordination and aid the Iraqis are again likely to suffer more casualties and achieve success less quick than if the advance is coordinated with US bombings. Many of the Shiite militias want to show that they can independently operate without need of the Americans. With the presence of so many Shia militia in areas captured from IS the Iraqi government may have difficulty enlisting support from the Sunni population.
