ABC: ISIS Taking Ramadi Undercuts the White House’s Rosy Statements

Weeks of massive attacks, including the takeover and burning of the government headquarters, have led to the Iraqi city of Ramadi being taken and placed under control of Islamic State militants.

ISIS now controls one of the largest cities in Iraq. Ramadi is less than 80 miles away from Baghdad.

ABC News reports that 100 of Iraqi soldiers are being slaughtered, while others have been seen abandoning their positions and running away.

“ISIL seems to have the advantage,” Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman said according to the Wall Street Journal. “They will use this for their own propaganda purposes, but it doesn’t give them a significant tactical advantage.”

Here’s a map showing you just how much ISIS has spread as Obama’s U.S.-led air strikes campaign fails to secure the country and drive out Islamic State fighters:

“The Iraqi government is desperate,” ABC News reports, “and asking Iran for help. . . that’s exactly what the U.S. does not want.”

Indeed, according the Washington Post, “Iranian-aligned Shiite militiamen honed in urban combat during Iraq’s anti-American insurgency readied Monday to join government forces seeking to thwart Islamic State militants after stunning advances west of Baghdad.”

“All this really undercuts the rosy statements in recent weeks from the White House and Pentagon on how the war is going,” ABC’s Terry Moran said. “It’s going badly.”