The United States of America has not fulfilled its promises to help Iraq in the fight against the jihadists of the Islamic State, said the commander of Iraq's powerful Shiite forces, Hadi al-Amiri, and added that, unlike Iran, he provided "unconditional support" to Iraqi forces.
On the front in Tikrit, where Iraqi forces are fighting members of the Islamic State to regain control of Saddam Hussein's hometown, he criticized those who "kiss the hands of the Americans and get nothing in return," the AP agency reported.
Iraqi forces entered Tikrit from the north and south for the first time on Wednesday, and yesterday they fiercely clashed with jihadists over control of the northern part of the city of Qadisiya and fired shells into the city center, which is still in the hands of IS.
Al-Amri pointed out that "Iran's help is unconditional" and warned that Iraq should not sacrifice its sovereignty to get weapons and aid from the US, suggesting that the Iraqi government is taking instructions from official Washington.
"Our sovereignty is more important than American weapons. We can import weapons from any country in the world," said Al-Amri.
Shiite forces, aided by Iran, are playing a key role in wresting Iraqi territory from Sunnis fighting on the side of the Islamic State and providing significant support to the official Iraqi army and police.
An unnamed Iraqi official told the AP that Iran had sold weapons worth ten billion dollars to Baghdad, mostly for street fighting.
On the other hand, the international coalition led by the USA has carried out more than 2014 airstrikes against IS positions in Iraq alone since August 2.000, which, according to the Iraqi and American authorities, played a significant role in the victories over the jihadists in several Iraqi cities and at the Mosul dam.
American forces, however, are not participating in the operations in Tikrit, because, as US officials point out, official Baghdad did not invite them to participate.
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