Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-styled leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), must regret ever making his boastful Boxing Day message that, for all the coalition’s efforts, his organisation continues to grow and expand.
No sooner had his message been broadcast through the Arab media than the Iraqi government announced one of the most significant military gains of 2015 – the recapture of the Sunni stronghold of Ramadi just 60 miles from the capital Baghdad. Isil’s capture of Ramadi last spring represented a severe setback to Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, who, with the help of several Iranian-backed militias, had just succeeded in recapturing another iconic Sunni position from Isil, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit.
Read Full Article »