Iraq's
ruling alliance, militias urge PM to seek Russian strikes
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[October 21, 2015]
By Ahmed Rasheed and Saif Hameed
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's ruling alliance
and powerful Shi'ite militias have urged Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
to request Russian air strikes on Islamic State militants, who control
large parts of the country, members of the coalition and militias told
Reuters.
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Growing pressure on Abadi to seek Russian support puts him in the
delicate position of trying to appease his ruling coalition, as well
as militias seen as a bulwark against Islamic State, while keeping
strategic ally Washington on his side.
America's top general, Joseph Dunford, said on a trip to Baghdad on
Tuesday that the United States won assurances from Iraq that it
would not seek such strikes.
Dunford, on his first visit to Iraq since becoming chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1, said Abadi and Iraqi Defense
Minister Khaled al-Obeidi both told him they were not seeking
Russia's help.
Former Cold War foes the United States and Russia are waging rival
campaigns of air strikes in Syria. Speculation has grown that Russia
could expand its campaign to Iraq, where Abadi and the
Iranian-backed militias have expressed frustration with the pace and
depth of the U.S. campaign against Islamic State.
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew to Moscow on Tuesday evening
to thank Russia's Vladimir Putin for his military support, in a
surprise visit that underlined how Russia has become a major player
in the Middle East.
Two members of parliament said the prime minister was under
"tremendous pressure" from the ruling National Alliance to request
Russian intervention.
Iraq received over $20 billion in U.S. military training since the
fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 but its army virtually collapsed when
Islamic State fighters swept through the north last year and made
gains in the west.
U.S.-led air strikes have failed to turn the tide in the war against
the ultra-hardline Sunni militants who have declared a caliphate and
want to redraw the map of the Middle East.
MPs and alliance members said an official request for Russian air
strikes was relayed to Abadi last week and that he has not
officially responded.
"Abadi told the meeting parties that it wasn't the right time to
include the Russians in the fight because that would only complicate
the situation with the Americans and could have undesired
consequences even on long-term future relations with America," said
a senior Shi'ite politician close to Abadi.
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Abadi's spokesman said he has not discussed air strikes with Russia.
At the same time he was "not ruling out any side that could provide
support to Iraq," Saad al-Hadithi said.
During his visit, Dunford pledged to seek new ways to build momentum
against Islamic State and challenged descriptions of the conflict as
a stalemate, after an advance which secured most of the strategic
Baiji oil refinery.
Russia, Iran, Syria and Iraq have formed a Baghdad-based
intelligence cell to boost efforts to counter Islamic State. The
cell has already shared intelligence for air strikes in Iraq and
Syria.
Karim al-Nuri, a Badr Brigade spokesman, said an Iranian member of
the intelligence-sharing cell had helped in the Baiji refinery
operation. That account was confirmed by an official from the Asaib
Ahl al-Haq militia.
The U.S.-led coalition said in a statement it had conducted more
than 130 air strikes to support operations around Baiji since Aug. 1
and said its relationship with Iraq "is as strong as ever".
Muen al-Kadhimi, a senior aide to the leader of the Badr Brigade
militia, said Russia had proven more decisive in its air campaign in
Syria than the Americans so it was only natural to seek Moscow's
help in Iraq.
(Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin; Writing by Michael Georgy;
Editing by Dominic Evans)
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