ramadi is located. that key city according to iraqi state television is the army. but also these unconventional iranian-backed shia paramilitary units, they re also trying to employ the sunni transcribes. now, there are multiple front lines. this is very much a patchwork battlefield. and we went to one of those area that is right by anbar. a key route for isis that it used to move its fighters and its weapons around the various territories that it controls. and we were with one of these iranian-backed shia units who were moving into this area that runs along a berm but also is a very critical from the north to the south of the country.
neighbor. iran iran is the one that they say is providing them with the advisers on the ground on these front lines. when he did see that we weren t allowed to speak to iranian advisers. iran is providing them quickly with the weaponry that they need. so it s a very complicated situation right now. there are these multiple front lines that are emerging but it seems that the strategy at this stage is to block off isil with supply routes retake territory and with anbar to prepare for the advance into ramadi. and to do that arwa without stoking any big sectarian divide at the same time? reporter: exactly. and that s going to be really be key in all of this. because at the tip of this sphere you do have this iranian-backed shia paramilitary units and, yes in some areas, the sunni prescribetribes are involved but they don t have the weapon that they need.
orders to retreat and allowed the lines to collapse. and in an attempt to recapture ramadi the iraqi government masked forces along that city s eastern front. quite a patchwork of forces though. a combination of military police iranian backed shia paramilitary units and as well as using sunni tribes in defensive positions. arwa damon reporting live from baghdad. thank you so much. on this memorial day, a nation pauses to honor the sacrifices of those who served in the u.s. military. right now in washington a day of remembrance and reflection begins to unfold. next hour president obama honors the war dead at arlington national cemetery. i ll be right back.
secretary ashton carter publicly accused the iraqi army of abandoning the city of ramadi. iraqi troops and police had allied and allied militias are said to be massing on the outskirts. local officials tell cnn officials are waiting for the order to push back into ramadi to try to drive isis out once again. the u.n. estimates more than 50,000 iraqi civilians have fled ramadi since isis militants took control there eight days ago. arwa damon is joining me now from the iraqi capital of baghdad. arwa, what is the very latest other than the back and forth of war of words it seems we re hearing right now? well, that troop levels that iraqi government have massed on the outskirts of ramadi are quite a patchwork combination of army, police, as well as these iranian-backed shia paramilitary units. the sunni tribes involved in this as well, but they are more
the presence of iraqi security forces there to try to hold onto what little ground they have in al anbar province while they wait for more reinforcements while they wait for these iranian-backed shia paramilitary units, popular mobilization units to appear in significant numbers. while they also wait for the iraqi government to start an effort to arm the sunni tribes. until that happens they will not be able to even begin to push isis back. and the provincial governor was also saying the deputy provincial governor was also saying that at this stage the government the central government is taking the situation there seriously because if what little is left of anbar falls to isis the terrorist organization would be right at baghdad s doorstep. and no one can afford to see that happen. absolutely arwa. thanks so much for all that background. we want to bring in now our cnn military analyst major general james spider marks. he served in iraq as the senior intelligence officer in combat