ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Iraqi forces reported that they have entered Fallujah and controlled the mayoral complex on Friday, three weeks into their offensive, which a military analyst says would be a big blow to the Islamic State (ISIS) but a strategic mistake in the long-run.
“Controlling Fallujah is important because geographically it is close to the capital Baghdad and retaking it would weaken ISIS in Iraq,” retired army major general and military analyst Abdulkhaliq Shahir told Rudaw Friday.
He argued in the meantime that the Iraqi army committed a strategic blunder by attacking Fallujah first instead of Mosul.
“This is a waste of energy for the army and anti-terrorism forces which they could have used to attack Mosul instead,” Shahir said. “Fallujah could have remained surrounded for another period of time while the fall of Mosul could really cripple ISIS in Iraq.”
Shahir went on to say that the offensive has led to immense destruction in the city and unspeakable human rights abuses by the Iraqi army and their Shiite militia partners known as Hashd al-Shabi.
“The Shiite militia have committed unspeakable inhumane acts in Fallujah and Saqlawiyah, to a point that the US ambassador said he was shocked by it,” Shahir said.
He said that the destruction of Fallujah did not start with the ongoing offensive but has been happening for two years as the city has been under heavy artillery bombardment since it fell to ISIS militants in January 2014.
Shahir claimed that the casualties of the past two years has been 9,000 civilians including many women and children.
“Some of the damage has been committed by the militants too, who have been in control of the city,” he said.
Shahir rejected a recent claim by some Sunni tribal leaders who said ISIS militants had left Fallujah and that the fighting was the work of the local population who didn’t want the Shiite militia in their city.
“That claim needs investigation and more details, but in reality ISIS is still there fighting,” he said. “Also it is true that people there have had bad experience with the Shiite militia in other areas such as Salahaddin and Amirli.”
The degree of mistrust with the Shiite militia, said Shahir, “has made people rather risk their lives trying to cross the river to reach safety than walk towards the militia.”
