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| U.S. Is Willing to Use Attack Helicopters to Help Fight ISIS | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — The United States is prepared to deploy attack helicopters and additional advisers to help Iraqi forces in their long-running battle to retake the city of Ramadi from the Islamic State, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said Wednesday. | WASHINGTON — The United States is prepared to deploy attack helicopters and additional advisers to help Iraqi forces in their long-running battle to retake the city of Ramadi from the Islamic State, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said Wednesday. |
| For several months now, the Iraqi security forces have been advancing on the city, cordoning it off and surrounding it. It has been a slog, Pentagon officials say, because of entrenched Islamic State positions. | For several months now, the Iraqi security forces have been advancing on the city, cordoning it off and surrounding it. It has been a slog, Pentagon officials say, because of entrenched Islamic State positions. |
| But as the forces make what they have billed as their final push into the city center, which will entail urban warfare, defense officials say they are considering the use of American attack helicopters. Such a move would deepen American involvement in the war and could bring helicopter pilots under increased risk from ground fire, but the Pentagon views it as a necessary step. | But as the forces make what they have billed as their final push into the city center, which will entail urban warfare, defense officials say they are considering the use of American attack helicopters. Such a move would deepen American involvement in the war and could bring helicopter pilots under increased risk from ground fire, but the Pentagon views it as a necessary step. |
| “The United States is prepared to assist the Iraqi Army with additional unique capabilities to help them finish the job, including attack helicopters and accompanying advisers, if circumstances dictate and if requested by Prime Minister Abadi,” Mr. Carter told a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Armed Services Committee, referring to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq. | “The United States is prepared to assist the Iraqi Army with additional unique capabilities to help them finish the job, including attack helicopters and accompanying advisers, if circumstances dictate and if requested by Prime Minister Abadi,” Mr. Carter told a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Armed Services Committee, referring to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq. |
| But officials said they did not envision using the American helicopters until the effort to retake Ramadi reached a critical point and such a move would be necessary to finish the job. | But officials said they did not envision using the American helicopters until the effort to retake Ramadi reached a critical point and such a move would be necessary to finish the job. |
| An American military official, who asked not to be identified because he was discussing internal deliberations, said the offer to provide Apache helicopters and field advisers had recently been conveyed privately to Mr. Abadi. Mr. Abadi — who is under pressure from hard-line Shiite politicians backed by Iran not to accept an expanded American role in Iraq — neither accepted nor rejected the proposal, suggesting that he would weigh the offer on a case-by-case basis, according to American and Iraqi officials. | An American military official, who asked not to be identified because he was discussing internal deliberations, said the offer to provide Apache helicopters and field advisers had recently been conveyed privately to Mr. Abadi. Mr. Abadi — who is under pressure from hard-line Shiite politicians backed by Iran not to accept an expanded American role in Iraq — neither accepted nor rejected the proposal, suggesting that he would weigh the offer on a case-by-case basis, according to American and Iraqi officials. |
| Currently, the American trainers and advisers who have been working with Iraqi troops stay on bases in Iraq. If advisers were to be deployed in the field, they would be attached to select Iraqi brigades. | Currently, the American trainers and advisers who have been working with Iraqi troops stay on bases in Iraq. If advisers were to be deployed in the field, they would be attached to select Iraqi brigades. |
| David H. Petraeus, the former United States commander, has told Congress that the United States should consider advising Iraqi forces in the field at the brigade level. | David H. Petraeus, the former United States commander, has told Congress that the United States should consider advising Iraqi forces in the field at the brigade level. |
| The Obama administration and the Abadi government are each walking tightropes in order to navigate the fight against the Islamic State amid the Shiite-Sunni divide in Iraq. | The Obama administration and the Abadi government are each walking tightropes in order to navigate the fight against the Islamic State amid the Shiite-Sunni divide in Iraq. |
| Shiite militia leaders and politicians who are close to Iran seem to be more concerned with limiting the scope of the American involvement in Iraq than in having the Iraqi government quickly retake Ramadi, the capital of Sunni-dominated Anbar Province. But the United States is concerned that the Iraqi offensive, which is being carried out by the Iraqi Army, may drag on. | Shiite militia leaders and politicians who are close to Iran seem to be more concerned with limiting the scope of the American involvement in Iraq than in having the Iraqi government quickly retake Ramadi, the capital of Sunni-dominated Anbar Province. But the United States is concerned that the Iraqi offensive, which is being carried out by the Iraqi Army, may drag on. |
| Obama administration officials debated in June whether American Apache attack helicopters should be used to retake Ramadi, but the White House only recently decided to offer that option to the Iraqis. | Obama administration officials debated in June whether American Apache attack helicopters should be used to retake Ramadi, but the White House only recently decided to offer that option to the Iraqis. |
| On Tuesday, Iraqi security forces recaptured a onetime military police headquarters in northern Ramadi from the Islamic State, a Pentagon official said, and Iraq’s joint military command said that Iraqi forces, aided by American airstrikes, had retaken 60 percent of Ramadi. But Iraqi forces have yet to cross the river into the city center, where the real urban combat is expected to take place. | On Tuesday, Iraqi security forces recaptured a onetime military police headquarters in northern Ramadi from the Islamic State, a Pentagon official said, and Iraq’s joint military command said that Iraqi forces, aided by American airstrikes, had retaken 60 percent of Ramadi. But Iraqi forces have yet to cross the river into the city center, where the real urban combat is expected to take place. |
| Iraqi forces have dropped leaflets on Ramadi urging residents to flee via the south. | Iraqi forces have dropped leaflets on Ramadi urging residents to flee via the south. |
| Ramadi fell to the Islamic State in May after Iraqi forces withdrew en masse, an embarrassment that caused Mr. Carter to openly question their will to fight. In July, Iraqi forces began the slow grind to retake the city, and they have worked to isolate and cordon it off since. | Ramadi fell to the Islamic State in May after Iraqi forces withdrew en masse, an embarrassment that caused Mr. Carter to openly question their will to fight. In July, Iraqi forces began the slow grind to retake the city, and they have worked to isolate and cordon it off since. |
| Retaking the Sunni heartland city is viewed as a key to the administration’s efforts to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. | Retaking the Sunni heartland city is viewed as a key to the administration’s efforts to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. |
| “There is some risk in using attack helicopters,” said a senior Defense Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “But it is one that we’re willing to do because we think it’s important to help finish the fighting in Ramadi. It’s going to take time, but we’re willing to do that next step.” | “There is some risk in using attack helicopters,” said a senior Defense Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “But it is one that we’re willing to do because we think it’s important to help finish the fighting in Ramadi. It’s going to take time, but we’re willing to do that next step.” |
| Pentagon officials said that the United States was pushing its allies in Europe and the Persian Gulf to provide more than just attack aircraft in the fight against the Islamic State, specifically looking for them to provide Special Operations troops in Syria, as well as security training for moderate forces fighting the Islamic State. | Pentagon officials said that the United States was pushing its allies in Europe and the Persian Gulf to provide more than just attack aircraft in the fight against the Islamic State, specifically looking for them to provide Special Operations troops in Syria, as well as security training for moderate forces fighting the Islamic State. |
| “We’re asking them to step it up in our efforts in Syria, in particular,” the official said. | “We’re asking them to step it up in our efforts in Syria, in particular,” the official said. |
| During the hearing, Mr. Carter expressed frustration with Sunni Arab allies who he said could do more to help with the effort against the Islamic State. “I, too, wish that particularly the Sunni Arab nations of the gulf would do more,” Mr. Carter said. | During the hearing, Mr. Carter expressed frustration with Sunni Arab allies who he said could do more to help with the effort against the Islamic State. “I, too, wish that particularly the Sunni Arab nations of the gulf would do more,” Mr. Carter said. |
| Pentagon officials attributed the recent Iraqi successes in Ramadi to new equipment provided by the United States and a shift in training to emphasize combat engineering rather than counterinsurgency. | Pentagon officials attributed the recent Iraqi successes in Ramadi to new equipment provided by the United States and a shift in training to emphasize combat engineering rather than counterinsurgency. |
| During the hearing, Mr. Carter got into the usual back and forth with Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who has pushed for more American troops to be sent to fight the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. | During the hearing, Mr. Carter got into the usual back and forth with Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who has pushed for more American troops to be sent to fight the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. |
| “There are 20,000 to 30,000 of them,” Mr. McCain said. “They are not giants. Somebody is going to have to convince me that air power alone” is enough to defeat the militant Sunni extremist group. | “There are 20,000 to 30,000 of them,” Mr. McCain said. “They are not giants. Somebody is going to have to convince me that air power alone” is enough to defeat the militant Sunni extremist group. |
| Mr. Carter countered that a large American deployment could do more harm that good. “By seeming to Americanize the conflicts in Iraq and Syria,” he said, “we could well turn those fighting ISIL or inclined to resist their rule into fighting us instead.” | Mr. Carter countered that a large American deployment could do more harm that good. “By seeming to Americanize the conflicts in Iraq and Syria,” he said, “we could well turn those fighting ISIL or inclined to resist their rule into fighting us instead.” |