The shortcomings of the Iraqi military, which withered under a June militant onslaught and relies on Shiite militias for support, pose a significant challenge to international efforts against brutal jihadists. President Barack Obama has an**unced an expanded campaign of American air strikes as well as training, intelligence support and equipment for Iraqi security forces to help them drive back the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which holds major areas in both Iraq and Syria. Deep Sunni Arab mistrust of the Iraqi government will also cause difficulties for anti-jihadist efforts, while long-running Arab-Kurd disputes may also be a problem. The army "was **t a force that was combat ready at the end of 2011," when US troops exited Iraq, said Anthony Cordesman, an expert on the country's security forces from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
09-13-2014, 10:30 PM
Iraqi military failings pose challenge for anti-IS war
The shortcomings of the Iraqi military, which withered under a June militant onslaught and relies on Shiite militias for support, pose a significant challenge to international efforts against brutal jihadists. President Barack Obama has an**unced an expanded campaign of American air strikes as well as training, intelligence support and equipment for Iraqi security forces to help them drive back the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which holds major areas in both Iraq and Syria. Deep Sunni Arab mistrust of the Iraqi government will also cause difficulties for anti-jihadist efforts, while long-running Arab-Kurd disputes may also be a problem. The army "was **t a force that was combat ready at the end of 2011," when US troops exited Iraq, said Anthony Cordesman, an expert on the country's security forces from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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