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.
bombings. and then event really isis was able to sweep through the city forcing out all of the iraqi security forces. now, the iraqi government is trying to beef up out presence of its own fighting forces in an area at a military base there. and they re also as you re mentioning sending in more of these paramilitary shia units. as well as saying that they are trying to escalate their attempts to arm the sunni tribes all of which, of course further complicates what is already a complicated landscape. because this fighting for us at the end of the day is not necessarily cohesive. it does not necessarily fall under a single demand structure. what it s also doing, john at this stage is forcing the iraqi government and all of the fighters at its disposal truly focused on preventing isis on pushing forward towards baghdad and the u.s. for its part, also trying to perhaps revise its strategy so far being called at this stage a strategy.