Source:
ReutersBAGHDAD, April 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Baghdad said on Thursday he was caught off guard when a big battle broke out between Iraqi forces and militias in Basra last week, saying U.S. troops were only able to give support after fighting began.
Ryan Crocker, just days away from delivering key testimony to the U.S. Congress on Iraq, sought to paint a positive picture of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's crackdown on Shi'ite militias that many analysts say highlighted the weakness of Iraq's army.
Iraq's defence minister has said his forces were not ready for such fierce resistance from the Mehdi Army militia of populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the southern city.
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"I was not expecting frankly a major battle from day one. But then again it's not clear to me that they'd decided that's what they were going to do. The enemy has a vote in combat."
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"Were there a lot of problems? There were a boatload of problems and there is still a long way to go," Crocker said when asked about the capability of Iraq's security forces in light of the operation.
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