Commander of Iraqi Shiite Militias: We Do Not Need Americans

The commander of the Iraqi Shiite militias criticized a group in the country's army for their expectation of air support from coalition forces, describing the government forces in the battle for control of Tikrit as 'under-resourced.' According to AFP, the statements of Hadi al-Amiri, the commander of the forces known as the 'Popular Mobilization' (Hashd al-Shaabi), may indicate a potential distancing between the Shiite militias and the army. These comments come after initial advances by government forces and Iraqi militias in battles against the 'Islamic State' in Tikrit faced delays in achieving full control. On Farvardin 2, during a meeting with reporters at Camp Ashraf, Hadi al-Amiri stated, 'Some of the under-resourced in the army... say we need the Americans. While we say we do not need the Americans.' The Iraqi army had requested air support from coalition forces in the final days of the previous Iranian year. At that time, Abdul Wahab al-Saadi, one of the commanders of the Iraqi army, told AFP that they had completely besieged Tikrit with Shiite militias and some Sunni tribes, but the bunkers, sandbags, and explosive traps set up by jihadist groups inside the city made advances difficult. Nevertheless, the Pentagon stated that the Iraqi government had not made any request for coalition air support in the Tikrit operation, which began 20 days ago. Following the start of the Tikrit operation, reports emerged regarding Iran's role and presence alongside Iraqi forces. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been present on the battlefield, and photos of him alongside forces close to or affiliated with the central Iraqi government have been published. This has triggered reactions from a group of Sunni Muslims in Iraq and some regional countries. Al-Amiri, the commander of the 'Popular Mobilization' in Iraq, is described by some experts as 'Iran's number one man in Iraq.' However, AFP notes that it is unclear who, if anyone can be named, is in command of all operations, and the disagreements among the groups fighting against the 'Islamic State' could affect the course of the battles.