News Analysis: Rift looms in strategy as US blames Iraq for war setbacks

U.S. and Iraqi authorities have exchanged accusations on the fall of the city of Ramadi into the hands of the Islamic State (IS) militants, reflecting the failure of U.S. policy in dealing with global terrorism.

In his first comments after Ramadi fell to the IS on May 17, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter blamed the weak state of Iraq's military as a major reason for the city's fall.

Carter said in a TV interview that Shiite-led Iraqi forces did not show a "will to fight" in the battle for the Sunni city of Ramadi, despite the fact that the Iraqi soldiers "vastly outnumbered" the IS attackers.

"What apparently happened is the Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight," Carter said, adding that the Iraqi soldiers quickly withdrew and left behind large numbers of U.S. vehicles, including several tanks, that are now presumed to be in the IS hands.

However, Carter's criticism was rejected by Iraqi officials who defiantly blamed the U.S. administration for the fall of Ramadi, because the United States did not provide enough airstrikes and did not arm the security forces.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a TV interview that he was surprised by the comments of the U.S. defense secretary, and pledged to recapture Ramadi soon.

"I'm surprised why he said that. I mean, he was very supportive of Iraq. I am sure he was fed with the wrong information," Abadi said. "It makes my heart bleed because we lost Ramadi but I can assure you we can bring it back soon."

Iraqi lawmaker Hakim al-Zalimi, head of the parliamentary defense and security committee, said that Carter's criticism was "unrealistic and baseless," because the Iraqi security forces did have the will to fight but they lack good equipment and aerial support.

Sabah al-Sheikh, a professor of politics with Baghdad University, attributed the failure in Ramadi and the exchange of accusations to both sides who failed to reach a workable and smooth approach to deal with IS expansion in Anbar.

The Americans wanted to see Sunni Arab recruits on the ground in order not to show themselves (Americans) providing support for Shiite militias, including Iranian-backed militias, in the battles at the Sunni heartland of Anbar to avoid sectarian tension.

But the Americans' insistence to empower Sunni groups put the Iraqi Shiite-dominated government under pressures to legalize and contain this Sunni force, saying that such move would encourage Sunnis to create their own region and later would lead to the splitting of the country.

The Shiite-led security forces are not welcome in Anbar province and other majority Sunni areas, because the government has long been accused by the Sunnis of sponsoring Shiite militias on the ground, while its troops are doing poor combat performance in addition to their sectarian behaviors.

"The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi wasted time because he wanted to catch the stick from the middle between the Americans and the Shiite influential parties," Sheikh said.

However, following Carter's harsh criticism to Iraqi security forces, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden on Monday pledged "full support" for Iraqi efforts to retake territories lost to the IS group.

In a phone call with Abadi, Biden reiterated "full U.S. support" for Iraqi liberation efforts, including "the expedited provision of U.S. training and equipment" to help combat the IS use of truck bombs in fighting, according to a statement issued by the White House.

The White House statement said the vice president welcomed an Iraqi decision to mobilize additional troops and "prepare for counterattack operations."

Ibrahim al-Ameri, a lecturer of politics with Baghdad University, told Xinhua that Carter's remarks were ill-timed, but he admitted that intimidating hurdles are afflicting the Iraqi army for a long time.

"The last thing we need at this stage is to have such comments by an American top official, which reflects reluctant and unclear policy because of the Iraqi forces are preparing for major offensives to liberate areas seized by IS group," Ameri said.

"The Iraqi security forces still have real problems, including poor command and control, lack of coordination, intelligence deficit and other logistic issues," Ameri said, adding that "Abadi's slow reform measures will need more time, which we don't have at this stage."

Abadi has no other way but to depend on Shiite militias who are better organized, having faith and ready to sacrifice, unlike the soldiers who work for the salaries, Ameri said.

He also attributed the IS expansion to the wrong strategies adopted by the U.S. administration toward the world crises, including terrorism of the IS group.

"To many Iraqis, if they want to blame someone for their misery, bloodletting and the expansion of IS in their country and the region as well, they would certainly blame what they name the cowboy policy of the U.S. administration and its irresponsibility in dealing with world issues," Ameri said.

"The aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, sparked hatred and deep division among Iraqis when the occupation empowered some Iraqi factions and disenfranchised others, making co-existence among Iraqis difficult and sometimes almost impossible," he said.

In 2003 the then U.S. president, George W. Bush, consistently described the Iraq war as "the central front in the war on terror." But Bush's war created one of the most dangerous and brutal terrorist organization, which expanded in Iraq and Syria, Ameri said.

"The wrong and irresponsible strategies of the U.S. has dragged Iraq and the region to go through uncountable bloodletting that would continue for decades until the logic of wisdom and fairness to prevail in the end," he added. Endit