Eye on Iraq: Are We Witnessing the Start of a Shiite-Sunni Regional War?
Who Are They? The Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIS) was established from an al-Qaeda linked group in Iraq. Consisting of 3,000-5,000 fighters, this militant army has been led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who is identified as a battlefield commander and tactician. A large swath of Syrian territory in the eastern portion of the country is under their control. Bases were established by the ISIS in the western desert of Iraq from which to wage war in Syria. The jihadists had already subdued Ramadi and Fallujah and by Wednesday, June 11, had easily taken Mosul (it’s greatest triumph yet) and Tikrit (Saddam Hussein’s hometown). What Happened? source The New York Times reports that army commanders from the era of Saddam Hussein joined forces with ISIS to defeat the Shiite-led Iraqi government. Many of Saddam’s senior officers are reported to have come from Mosul. Inexplicably, yet perhaps a related event, Iraqi forces fled the fight in Mosul, abandoning equipment and unifo...