Shi'ite forces ordered to deploy after fall of Iraqi city

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

Shi'ite paramilitaries were preparing to deploy to Iraq's western province of Anbar on Monday after Islamic State militants overran the provincial capital Ramadi in the biggest defeat for the Baghdad government since last summer.

The U.S.-led coalition stepped up air raids against the Islamists, conducting 19 strikes in the vicinity of Ramadi over the past 72 hours at the request of the Iraqi security forces, a coalition spokesman said.

A spokesman for the paramilitaries, which are known as Hashid Shaabi, told Reuters they had received orders to mobilize, but details could not be revealed for security reasons.

"Now that the Hashid has received the order to march forward, they will definitely take part," said Ali al-Sarai, a member of the Hashid Shaabi's media wing. "They were waiting for this order and now they have it."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/18/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSKBN0O20M020150518

[Bosonic]

1. Iran-backed militias 'ordered to recapture Iraq's IS-held Ramadi'

Iran-backed militias 'ordered to recapture Iraq's IS-held Ramadi'

Iran-backed Shia militias have been ordered to recapture the Iraqi city of Ramadi seized by Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday, reports say.

About 500 people are estimated to have died in several days of fighting in the city, which lies only 70 miles (112km) west of the capital, Baghdad.

A regional government official spoke of people fleeing Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, "in great numbers".

But the US has said it is confident the capture of Ramadi can be reversed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-32777138

[LiberalLovinLug]

2. I still don't get how his rag tag motley crew are taking these cities

Estimates from 15,000 to 200,000. But even on the high end, you are telling me that the Iraqi forces, together with Iranian and American (is it bomb bomb ISIS now McCain?) plus other western nations and Saudi Arabia...cannot stop this gang of criminals?..made up in large part by untrained volunteers? Somethings really strange about that.