Iraqi Parliament Asks Iranian General Soleimani to Coordinate Joint Assault on ISIL

Iraqi Parliament Asks Iranian General Soleimani to Coordinate Joint Assault on ISIL. (SP).

In their most daring operation against the Islamic state to date, Iraqi government forces launched a large-scale military operation on Monday to regain Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit.

Since June 2014 Iraqi forces tried to retake Tikrit five times, failing each time. However, for this operation the Iraqi government assembled a formidable force of 20,000 troops, made up of regular army units, Shiite militias and Sunni tribesmen. But perhaps the worst news for IS terrorists is that the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps will be taking part in the offensive led by Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani.

In an unprecedented move, the Iraqi government and parliament officially requested General Soleimani to oversee the operation by supervising and advising Iraqi forces. Effectively, this means the Iranian general will be commanding the joint Iraqi-Iranian offensive on Tikrit. The Iranian commander, who enjoys a great deal of influence among Shia militias in Iraq, arrived in Tikrit on Saturday and was received by a large crowd of Iraqi army leaders, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians hailing his presence.

The battle in Tirkit will also serve as a model for the upcoming — and much larger — battle to be fought in the northern Iraqi city. Mosul has been under Islamic State control since June 2014, giving militants control over much of northern Iraq.

Tikrit, located almost halfway between Baghdad and Mosul, will serve as an important transit and logistical hub between the capital and the northern city. Hmmm.......The Iraqi's realize that the U.S. troops their mandate (Defensive in nature) won't help them removing ISIL from their cities, thus they turn to those who can pull it off the Iranians, this will only lead in the end to part of Iraq becoming an Iranian province. Read the full story here.