Fallujah Liberation Key to Securing Anbar

On June 13, backed by President Barack Obama, 80 US military counselors arrived at the Habbaniyah base, as well as 450 military experts; 3,000 US soldiers have been there since early February. This step was part of the framework of the liberation battles of Fallujah and the Iraqi western areas that are under IS control.

This US step was opposed by a number of popular mobilization factions, such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which said June 10 that the presence of US forces in Ramadi will reinforce the occupation of Iraq. These factions had already refused to participate in the war in Anbar based on the US vision or through coordination with the international coalition.

Iraq has missed many opportunities to resolve the battle in Fallujah because of disagreements over the way the Popular Mobilization Units would participate in such a battle.

On Feb. 23, 2014, Rajee al-Issawi, a member of Anbar’s provincial council, said that the delay in the entry of security forces to Fallujah was because of Nouri al-Maliki’s government and the extension of his mandate for the third time.

On April 5, the tribes’ leaders and Anbar’s politicians rejected the Popular Mobilization Units’ participation in the Anbar battle and accused the government of refusing to arm them to liberate their cities by themselves.

IS was able to change the war’s equations May 15 by taking over the city of Ramadi — Anbar’s capital — which had resisted the group’s attempts to occupy it for about a year.

On May 17, Abdul Aziz al-Zalimi, a member of parliament for the al-Ahrar parliamentary bloc, said he believed the advance of IS in Ramadi resulted from political disagreements and statements that incite.

On June 28, political sources claimed there were differences between Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the US administration about the liberation of Anbar.

Based on Al-Monitor’s previous articles regarding Fallujah’s military and symbolic importance for IS, the question remains: Do the conditions and reasons still stand to start the liberation battle of Fallujah?