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| Defense Secretary Ashton Carter Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq | |
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| BAGHDAD — The defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Thursday morning as American and Iraqi military officials finished plans for an assault meant to retake Ramadi from the Sunni militant group known as the Islamic State. | BAGHDAD — The defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Thursday morning as American and Iraqi military officials finished plans for an assault meant to retake Ramadi from the Sunni militant group known as the Islamic State. |
| Iraqi security forces, backed by American airstrikes, have in recent days begun conducting what a senior American military official called “shaping” and “isolating” operations around Ramadi, a pivotal city about 65 miles west of Baghdad. The Iraqis have several thousand troops ready to attack the city. | Iraqi security forces, backed by American airstrikes, have in recent days begun conducting what a senior American military official called “shaping” and “isolating” operations around Ramadi, a pivotal city about 65 miles west of Baghdad. The Iraqis have several thousand troops ready to attack the city. |
| “When conditions are right, we will transition into an assault to seize Ramadi,” Col. Steve Warren, a Defense Department spokesman, told reporters shortly before Mr. Carter arrived in Iraq. “This is classic maneuver warfare.” | “When conditions are right, we will transition into an assault to seize Ramadi,” Col. Steve Warren, a Defense Department spokesman, told reporters shortly before Mr. Carter arrived in Iraq. “This is classic maneuver warfare.” |
| Colonel Warren said the direct assault would begin within one to eight weeks; he declined to be more specific. | Colonel Warren said the direct assault would begin within one to eight weeks; he declined to be more specific. |
| Mr. Carter is making his first visit to Iraq as secretary of defense. He plans to discuss the looming assault with Iraqi officials and with Americans involved in training the Iraqi Army. | Mr. Carter is making his first visit to Iraq as secretary of defense. He plans to discuss the looming assault with Iraqi officials and with Americans involved in training the Iraqi Army. |
| Retaking Ramadi is an important component of the Obama administration’s plans for defeating the Islamic State. The fall of the city to the militants was a major public relations setback for the Iraqi Army, whose forces retreated frenetically from the city in May. Since then, a force of about 2,000 Islamic State fighters has been building defenses there, including rigging empty buildings with explosives. | Retaking Ramadi is an important component of the Obama administration’s plans for defeating the Islamic State. The fall of the city to the militants was a major public relations setback for the Iraqi Army, whose forces retreated frenetically from the city in May. Since then, a force of about 2,000 Islamic State fighters has been building defenses there, including rigging empty buildings with explosives. |
| Mr. Carter and other Obama administration officials want the Iraqi military to retake the city before the militants dig in even more. But a number of factors impeded the Iraqis, including searing temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit and the observance of Ramadan, the holy month of daytime fasting that ended last week. | Mr. Carter and other Obama administration officials want the Iraqi military to retake the city before the militants dig in even more. But a number of factors impeded the Iraqis, including searing temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit and the observance of Ramadan, the holy month of daytime fasting that ended last week. |
| The assault will not include Iraqi troops trained recently by American military advisers, according to Colonel Warren. Instead, military officials said, the assault is to be led by Iraq’s counterterrorism service, with federal police and army soldiers joining in a total attacking force of about 6,000 troops. Those details are laid out in an Iraqi war plan shaped by American advisers at Al Taqqadum, an Iraqi base east of Ramadi. | The assault will not include Iraqi troops trained recently by American military advisers, according to Colonel Warren. Instead, military officials said, the assault is to be led by Iraq’s counterterrorism service, with federal police and army soldiers joining in a total attacking force of about 6,000 troops. Those details are laid out in an Iraqi war plan shaped by American advisers at Al Taqqadum, an Iraqi base east of Ramadi. |
| Once Ramadi is back in government hands, a second force of 5,000 tribal fighters along with Iraqi provincial police officers would be assigned to hold it and nearby areas of Anbar Province. To avoid inflaming sectarian tensions, Iraqi Shiite militia, which the government calls the Popular Mobilization Force, will not take part in the assault. | Once Ramadi is back in government hands, a second force of 5,000 tribal fighters along with Iraqi provincial police officers would be assigned to hold it and nearby areas of Anbar Province. To avoid inflaming sectarian tensions, Iraqi Shiite militia, which the government calls the Popular Mobilization Force, will not take part in the assault. |
| The base at Al Taqqadum, near the town of Habbaniya in eastern Anbar, is supposed to be a model for other military hubs that could be set up in the country, officials said. American military advisers at the base assist Iraqi forces and try to reach out to Sunni tribes in Anbar. One focus for the Americans is to speed the integration of Sunni fighters into the Iraqi Army, which is now dominated by Shiites. | The base at Al Taqqadum, near the town of Habbaniya in eastern Anbar, is supposed to be a model for other military hubs that could be set up in the country, officials said. American military advisers at the base assist Iraqi forces and try to reach out to Sunni tribes in Anbar. One focus for the Americans is to speed the integration of Sunni fighters into the Iraqi Army, which is now dominated by Shiites. |