(USA Today) Jim Michaels - Iran's military is playing a significant role in helping Iraq drive the Islamic State from Tikrit, raising U.S. concerns about growing Iranian influence in Iraq. Iran is providing artillery and other support, according to a senior U.S. military official, but Iraq did not ask for U.S. airstrikes to support the Tikrit operation. If marauding Shiite militias enter Tikrit, a Sunni stronghold, they could drive Sunnis into the hands of the Islamic State, since Sunni leaders oppose the militias.
2015-03-04 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive