WASHINGTON, DC - The United States has approved the deployment of Shiite militias to retake the Sunni city of Ramadi despite warnings from US lawmakers of an uptick in sectarian violence due to involvement of the Iran-backed Shiite fighters. "The militias have a part to play in this. As long as they are controlled by the central Iraqi government, then they will participate," Pentagon spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren told reporters Monday. Warren added that the urban environment of the city “ limits the ability of airpower, so it creates unique challenges.” The Islamic State, or ISIS, overran Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, on Sunday in a major victory against the Iraqi army. According to social media accounts managed by the extremists, the group seized at least 30 US-made armored Humvees and nearly 10 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks in addition to tons of ammunitions and other advanced weapons. Hawkish Republican senators, many of whom have lambasted President Barack Obama’s strategy to counter the ISIS, warned that allowing the Iran-backed Shiite militias to take part in operations to retake the Sunni city will fuel the sectarian violence in the country. “Whatever operational success Shia militias may have in Anbar would be far exceeded by the strategic damage caused by their violent sectarianism and the fear and suspicion it breeds among Iraqi Sunnis. Moreover, the prominent role of these militias continues to feed the perception of a Baghdad government unable or unwilling to protect Sunnis,” senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham said in a joint statement. The senators called for assisting the Sunnis by allowing them to fight for themselves. “Defeating ISIL requires empowering Sunnis who want to rise up and fight ISIL themselves, including by integrating them into Iraq’s security forces and providing more robust American military assistance,” the senators added. Sunni politicians have accused the government of Prime Minister Haider Abadi of failing to properly train and arm Sunni tribal forces to counter ISIS due fears the arms might be used later against Baghdad. Abadi ordered the deployment of the Shiite paramilitary to recapture Ramadi on Monday after the Anbar Provincial Council voted in favor of dispatching the Shiite fighters. Some analysts believe Baghdad preferred the fall of the city to ISIS than to arm the Sunni tribes. Videos surfaced online showing the hasty withdrawal of the fleeing Iraqi army in the city on Sunday. The Pentagon press secretary warned the battle to retake Ramadi will be “toughest” due to its population. According to UN data, Ramadi’s population is close to one million, while only an estimated 25,000 residents have reportedly left the city "Ramadi is an urban environment that is among the very toughest to fight in," Warren added
