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ISTANBUL, Turkey -- While the U.S. is backing Sunni Arabs in Yemen, in Iraq it is fighting on the same side as Shiite militias who've been helping the Iraqi Army try to kick ISIS out of Tikrit. U.S.-led airstrikes targeted ISIS vehicles, heavy weapons and fighting positions around the city, which was captured by the extremists in June.

The strikes were requested by Iraq's government -- after Iraqi leaders earlier said they didn't need U.S. help to win back the city. Instead Iraq turned to military advisers from Iran to help its fighting force of more than 20,000 men -- many of them from Shiite Muslim militiamen with Iranian links.

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Iraqi forces are closer to recapturing the ISIS stronghold of Tikrit. The city fell to ISIS last year, but Iraqi forces have been working for nea...

"We got the ability, we got the capability to defeat terrorism, and push them away from Iraq," al-Azawi said at the time.

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The U.S. as dropped aid to entrapped minority groups and bombed installations of the militant group ISIS as it fights on several fronts in Iraq

"There are very few. They're using snipers, and booby trapped buildings," said Saad al-Muttalibi.

Al-Muttalibi admits that Iraq's army is feeble - despite the $20 billion spent by America to train and equip it.

"I think the American money was very badly spent by the Americans," he said. "The Americans produced for us a very weak, disorganized army filled with corruption that fell within the first battle."

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Iraq begrudgingly asks U.S. for help in battle of Tikrit