The way the Iraqi army used to deal with ISIS, when that movement was taking large swaths of the country, was to throw down their weapons and run away. But now the Iraqi army is winning battles against ISIS. This is due to a replacement of corrupt officers, intense training at the hands of U.S. and coalition troops, and the increased confidence that comes from victories.
This week the Iraqis have started an offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, with over a million inhabitants. This will mean house-to-house fighting against the best ISIS has to offer. That will be the Iraqi army’s biggest test.
Jim Michaels gives details after the jump.
From Jim Michaels, How the U.S.-led coalition transformed Iraq’s army into a fighting force, USA Today:
Two years ago Iraq’s military all but collapsed as Islamic State militants swept into their country, seizing Mosul and other key towns and villages. Many Iraqi soldiers simply abandoned their equipment and fled.
At the time, the Islamic State looked invincible, while the Iraqi forces were demoralized, poorly trained and ill-equipped.
Today, Iraq’s military has a string of victories behind it and is on the verge of charging into Mosul, the militants’ last stronghold in Iraq.
This time, the Islamic State is retreating, and it is the Iraqi troops that look formidable.
In the intervening years, a U.S.-led coalition and Iraq’s government have achieved an unprecedented overhaul of Iraq’s armed forces, replacing commanders, training soldiers and issuing new weapons and equipment. They are about to face their most important test yet.
