An Analysis On Why The Iraqi Offensive For Tikrit Has Stalled

Washington Post: Iraqi offensive for Tikrit stalls as casualties mount



NAJAF, Iraq — Iraqi forces’ operation to retake the city of Tikrit has stalled as troops suffer heavy casualties at the hands of Islamic State militants, raising concerns about whether the pro-government fighters are ready for major offensives.


After two days of little activity on the battlefield, Iraq’s interior minister, Mohammed al-Ghabban, confirmed Monday that the offensive has “temporarily stopped.” The steady flow of coffins arriving in Iraq’s Shiite holy city of Najaf suggests a reason for the pause; cemetery workers say as many as 60 war dead have been arriving each day.


Since last week, Iraqi forces have hemmed in the Sunni militants in Tikrit, claiming control of the majority of the former Islamic State stronghold. But the operation has come at a cost, with soldiers saying the fight has been tougher than expected. As the momentum has slowed, some Iraqi officials have begun to publicly call for U.S.-led air support.



WNU Editor: The Iraqi military complemented with Shiite militias and backed with Iranian advisers may have the numbers on their side, but it looks like they lack the capacity of a combined arms operation needed to break through the Islamic State's defensive positions in Tikrit. From what I have seen so far, the battle for Tikrit has been primarily an infantry operation without a large armored strike force complemented with overwhelming air assets. And while it appears that the Iraqi military/Shiite militias are making progress .... casualty rates have been too high .... if not unsustainable. I have also been reading a number of stories where Iraqi officials are now requesting U.S. air support .... but with Iranian advisers coordinating much of the fighting, I doubt that this is going to happen. Bottom line .... the Iraqis are clearly not ready to storm and retake the city of Mosul .... especially if they cannot win convincingly in Tikrit.