Tikrit assault stalls as Obama withholds airstrikes to avoid Iran ties, analysts say

[Geee]

Washington Times:

The lack of U.S. airstrikes in and around the city of Tikrit is slowing the Iraqi counteroffensive to retake the strategically situated city from the Islamic State’s terrorist army.

 

The assault, carried out by the Iraqi Security Forces and Shiite militiamen trained, equipped and led by Iran, has encircled the Sunni-dominated city north of Baghdad after more than three weeks of fighting. The Pentagon now says the battle is “static.”

 

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) puts part of the blame on a lack of U.S. air power. Though American and coalition fighters and drones are hitting targets in Islamic State-held land in Iraq and Syria, the list of objectives is absent any in and around Tikrit.

 

[Valin]

Sometime, the enemy of your enemy is still your enemy.