Can the U.S. do anything to stop Iran’s influence from expanding in Iraq while it counts on the country as a quiet partner against ISIS?
Monday the Iraqi military launched its largest operation to date against the self-declared Islamic State (IS), also called ISIS, to retake control of the city of Tikrit.
Alongside the Iraqi military the coalition fighting IS in Tikrit includes Kurdish and Sunni tribal forces, but it leans heavily on Iranian-backed Shia militias and reportedly includes a contingent from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The urgent question now as the battle against IS intensifies is whether any U.S. policy to defeat IS in Iraq can achieve its aim without ceding the country as a base for Iranian expansionism.
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Monday the Iraqi military launched its largest operation to date against the self-declared Islamic State (IS), also called ISIS, to retake control of the city of Tikrit.
Alongside the Iraqi military the coalition fighting IS in Tikrit includes Kurdish and Sunni tribal forces, but it leans heavily on Iranian-backed Shia militias and reportedly includes a contingent from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The urgent question now as the battle against IS intensifies is whether any U.S. policy to defeat IS in Iraq can achieve its aim without ceding the country as a base for Iranian expansionism.
Read More
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