IS bites dust in Iraq’s Ramadi; rout it elsewhere
It is early to say that the Islamic State has suffered an irretrievable blow in Iraq after it was ousted from the city of Ramadi by Iraqi security forces backed by American airstrikes, but the terror organisation has certainly been dealt a serious setback. Government forces have been able to capture the city after it had remained under IS control for seven months. Ramadi is important because it is the supply line for Falluja, a town that is even closer to the capital Baghdad and controlled by the IS. If the forces are able to sustain their hold over Ramadi, the terror group will find it difficult to retain its grip over Falluja for long. And, if the forces are able to eventually defeat the IS in Falluja, it could signal trouble for the militant organisation’s reign over Mosul. Of course, capturing Mosul will be far more difficult for the security forces, partly because of the region's sheer size (it's Iraq's second biggest city), and partly because the IS has been entrenched there for more than a year now. This period has allowed the organisation to grow roots. Besides, the Iraqi regime has appeared strangely reluctant to put in its full might in Mosul, even disallowing Sunni tribesmen to join the war against the IS there. This may possibly be because of its lack of confidence in the Sunni tribal leadership. The situation can, of course, change in the coming months, given that the Government will be enthused by its forces' success in Ramadi and, hopefully soon enough, in Falluja. But for now, the agencies will have to completely secure Ramadi because, although the Iraqi flag has been hoisted on the main Government building there, small pockets have still to be retained. And after the city is fully under Government control, the next challenge will be to ensure that peace and development work is initiated. There will be hundreds of fleeing Sunni Muslims who will have to be rehabilitated. For the Islamic State, its ouster from Ramadi is not just one setback; it has been losing ground consistently over the past months. The group has been routed from Baiji, Tikrit, Hawija and Sinjir, and it is estimated that its control over Iraqi territory has reduced by nearly 40 per cent. The victory in Ramadi is a huge morale-booster for the Iraqi forces which had been humiliated worldwide after it failed to contain the Islamic State's supremacy on Mosul and had actually abandoned the city, unable to face the surge of the Islamic State militants. Now, it must march ahead with renewed vigour.
But it would be naïve to believe that the Iraqi security forces alone can turn the tide against the terror organisation that has ravaged the country. The continuing support of the West, especially the US military, is critical to sustaining the good news. President Barack Obama has shown signs of increasing his military's engagement; there are now some 3,500 American troops, some of whom have a good understanding of Iraq and its ground situation. The US military along with Iraq's security forces had worked closely for months before launching the successful offensive in Ramadi. The level of coordination bodes well, because there have been past instances where the two functioned with less coordination than was needed. The world must, however, brace for the fallout of the success: The IS could resort to terror strikes to re-assert its supremacy.