Iraq: Battle over Fallujah test of Abadi’s leadership

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Fallujah is an opportunity for the central government to regain the trust of Iraq’s Sunni population.
Renad Mansour
The Fallujah battle is a test of whether Iraqi forces can fight in areas they have not controlled for two years [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters]The Fallujah battle is a test of whether Iraqi forces can fight in areas they have not controlled for two years [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters]

As Iraqi forces, backed by a coalition of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), Popular Mobilisation Forces (al-Hashd al-Shaabi), and local tribes, fight to recapture Fallujah, the battle represents a major effort against ISIL, which took over the city in January 2014.

Ever since, Fallujah’s predominantly Sunni Arab residents have lived under ISIL jurisdiction with no connection to Baghdad, which is only an hour’s drive away.

The battle to reclaim Fallujah has implications not only for the city and its residents, but more generally for the larger fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). For the battle for Fallujah is not only a military undertaking. There is a political element that needs to be addressed simultaneously, rather than after the fact.

According to Sunni Arab leaders in the city, many of their constituents are not necessarily pro or anti-Islamic State. Rather, they remain indifferent. This means they may be willing to jump from one camp to the other, or from ISIL ranks to the central government.

This will only come to fruition, however, with the provision of certain guarantees associated with greater local autonomy and revenue sharing. Without such guarantees, Fallujah will continue to be a hot spot.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/iraq-battle-fallujah-test-abadi-leadership-160601063735601.html