Shiite militia "rebrand" mission to retake Iraq city of Ramadi

Every military operation appears to require the proper name or branding. The Pentagon has become expert at providing euphemistic names for operations such as Enduring Freedom.

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The Shiite militia, who are launching an operation to retake the city of Ramadi, named it "Labyek Ya Hussein" which means "At your service Hussein." The name does not honor Saddam Hussein of course but Husayn_ibn_Ali the first Imam of Shia Muslims. He is a key and revered figure in Shia Islam. Many felt that the name was too clearly sectarian to be appropriate in an operation to free a largely Sunni city.

The U.S. complained about the name as did many Sunnis in the area. The paramilitaries, called Hashd al_Shaabi, responded by re-branding the operation as "Labyek Ya Iraq" or "At Your Service Iraq." A spokesperson for the militia, Karim al-Nouri said that the two names had "the same meaning": "Now we have opted for 'Iraq' and there is no problem," .

Even the Shia cleric and leader Moqtada al-Sadr was critical of the earlier name for the operation. He claimed it was much too sectarian for an operation to rescue their Sunni brothers. Although fiercely anti-American and having spent much time studying in Iran, al-Sadr is a strong Iraqi nationalist who unlike many of his brethern sees it as crucial to develop good relations with the Sunnis if there is ever to be a unified Iraq. He has also been critical of some Shia militia fighters who have taken vengeance on Sunnis when they capture territory For once Al-Sadr agrees with the Americans on an issue, as Pentagon spokesperson Col. Steve Warren expressed disappointment at the operation’s name, claiming it was “unhelpful.”

Map locating Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar's province

Graphic/AFP

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi no doubt worries having Shiite militias play a key role in liberating Ramadi may create a backlash against the central government dominated by Shias. However, given the poor performance of regular Iraqi forces in defending the city against the Islamic State his choices were quite limited. If the militia are successful this may make them even a stronger power within Iraq and further Iranian influence. However, the Islamic State insurgents are digging in and laying mines on the outskirts of the town. Retaking Ramadi may not be an easy task. Already IS has ambushed and killed six police and tribal fighters east of Ramadi. They also seized a village just 19 miles northwest of Baghdad after ambushing a military convoy and killing eight soldiers. Iraqi troops massing for an offensive in Anbar were hit by devastating suicide attacks.

As more Sunnis are fleeing battle areas such as Ramadi, the humanitarian situation is getting much worse. The sectarian divide and conflict is also increasing as Shiite authorities are restricting where the fleeing Sunnis may go. They fear they may be a security threat. Of those in flight almost 85 per cent are Sunnis and as the Islamic State holds much of the Sunni areas of Iraq, the Sunnis are seeking safety in Shiite controlled areas where they are sometimes not welcomed.

Iraqi Shiites Denounce security pact with U.S.

This is from AFP.
There does not seem to be much attention paid to this by the U.S. press for the most part. The issue of whether this agreement should go before American legislators also seems to be on the back burner as well. This is one of the most important issues with respect to the Iraq war one would think. It is taken very seriously in Iraq but is off the radar in the U.S.

Iraqi Shiites denounce security pact with US
Fri Jul 4, 9:14 AM ET
Large crowds of Shiites on Friday denounced the security pact Baghdad is negotiating with Washington for a long-term US military presence in violence-wracked Iraq.
In Baghdad's Sadr City, the bastion of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, Shiite men, women and children shouted anti-American slogans as they demonstrated against the security deal after the weekly Friday prayers.
"No, no to colonisation! Out, out you occupier!" the crowd shouted in the centre of Sadr City where fierce battles raged in March and April between Shiite militants and US forces in which hundreds of people were killed.
The fighting ended with a truce on May 10.
Washington and Baghdad are currently negotiating a security pact on the long-term foreign troop levels in Iraq.
Last November US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki agreed to sign the pact by July 31 this year.
However the country's political factions have strongly opposed the agreement, saying it would put Iraq on the path of "slavery."
On Thursday Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari tried to dispel such fears by saying that the agreement would not compromise Iraqi sovereignty.
He said if the two countries failed to sign the deal then Iraq may have to ask for the renewal of the UN mandate which expires in December 2008 or sign a separate bilateral deal with Washington.
The UN mandate is the legal basis for the presence of US-led foreign forces in the country.
Friday's protests against the security agreement reverberated across all Shiite regions of Iraq.
In the central town of Kufa, protesters chanted anti-US and anti-Israel slogans.
"No to America! No to Israel! We reject signing the agreement with the occupation," shouted devotees.
In the city of Karbala, an aide of revered Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged Baghdadto refrain from signing a deal that would compromise national interests.
"If the government signs the deal it has to preserve the interests of the people, not compromise sovereignty and not permit Iraq to be used as a base for attacks on neighbouring countries," said Sheikh Abdul al-Mahdi al-Karbalae.
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