The Iraqi army is planning to storm the city of Fallujah which fell under the control of an al Qaeda militant group that fights in both Iraq and Syria.  It’s a troubling sign of the terrorist organization’s resurgence in Iraq, where it had largely been put out of business just three years ago.

Thousands of Fallujah residents have fled the city and likely more will with the government’s expected counter-assault against the Sunni Islamists.  Senior regional Iraqi army commander, Lieutenant General Rasheed Fleih says it would take “two to three days” to eject the militants from Fallujah and Ramadi, which is in the same restive province.  Many of the al Qaeda fighters are believed to have come over from Syria, where they have been battling the government forces loyal to President Bashir al-Assad.  

Shi’a Iran has offered military support to the government, in the form of military equipment and advice to Iraq to help it battle Sunni al Qaeda.  So has the US, although the Americans are making clear that will not include troops.

“This is a fight that belongs to the Iraqis,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said.  “That is exactly what the President and the world decided some time ago when we left Iraq.  So we are not, obviously, contemplating returning.  We’re not contemplating putting boots on the ground.”