The Pentagon conceded Monday that the Islamic State controls most of Ramadi and that most Iraqi security forces had abandoned their posts and U.S.-provided equipment after an almost year-long struggle to hold the city.
“It appears the [Islamic State] forces simply had the upper hand and it was time for the Iraqi forces to reposition,” said Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren.
The Defense Department did not have a breakdown on what equipment had been lost as the remaining forces in Ramadi left their posts to Islamic State militants. Pentagon officials highlighted that they believe there is at least one pocket of Iraqi troops who remain in the city.
The failure of the ground campaign was a setback for Iraqi and coalition forces who had bombarded Islamic State positions and equipment through more than 170 coalition airstrikes in the last several months.
It also was another setback for the Pentagon, which has tried to maintain control over the message that the Islamic State is in decline and on the defensive in Iraq.
However, “the Islamic State is clearly not on the defensive in Ramadi,” Warren said.
Despite U.S. and coalition efforts to push a multi-sectarian approach to Iraq’s security forces, the Iraqi government has been reluctant to distribute U.S.-provided arms or ammunition to Sunni tribes who may have been the most likely to be able to mount a more successful defense in the majority Sunni city. On Monday, the Pentagon said it will continue to work through the Iraqi government to provide additional arms, and the surrender of weapons at Ramadi would not change that policy.
“We will retake Ramadi,” Warren said. “We will retake it in the same way we are slowly but surely retaking other parts of Iraq.”
The Pentagon said it would not change its stance on cooperating with Iranian-backed militias, which are the best prepared to fight the Islamic State but carry the major risk of further igniting sectarian fighting there.
“We do not welcome involvement from anyone who is not willing to participate through the central Iraqi government and who is not willing to help ensure Iraqi unity,” Warren said.
