More than two years after the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State, the battle to liberate Iraq's second-largest city appears imminent.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in September that he expected the military offensive in Mosul to begin in October, although in later pronouncements he said he would decide at "the last minute" when to give the go-ahead.
British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the operation to liberate Mosul would begin "within weeks" and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, "There will soon be the main attack." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the military offensive would begin Oct. 19.
Iraqi officials said they expected the liberation to be swift and uncomplicated.
"The capture of Mosul will be finished in record-breaking time," spokesman for the Iraqi army, Gen. Yahya Rasool, told the Financial Times.
Optimism was also expressed by Abadi in a recent interview with CNN.
"Mosul is supposed to be easier than these other cities outside Mosul, which we've been liberating, because these are the outskirts," Abadi said. "They're supposed to be more pro-Daesh than the city itself," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
"We are planning for a fight for many months but we anticipate the fight for Mosul will be easier than probably Ramadi."
The United States leads the anti-IS coalition that provided Iraq with air cover, trained its soldiers and sent 5,000 troops — mainly military advisers — to Iraq. U.S. officials said Iraqi forces are ready for the Mosul offensive.
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. said in September that Iraqi forces "will have in early October all the forces marshalled, trained, fielded and equipped that are necessary for operations in Mosul."
Observers, however, said they fear complications during and after the liberation of Mosul.
Reports from Mosul indicate that IS has tightened its grip on the civilian population it is holding hostage in the city and is not expected to leave without bloodshed, booby traps and "tunnels of fire."
The United Nations and aid agencies have said they are not ready to cope with the hundreds of thousands of people expected to be displaced once the offensive begins in Mosul, which is home to around 1.5 million people.
The Save the Children charity warned that the assault threatens "to put more than half a million children in the line of fire unless safe routes and other civilian protection measures are put in place."
Authorities in Iraq's Kurdish region, which already hosts some 1.5 million internally displaced people, warned that they might not receive more people if they did not receive additional aid.
[upi.com]
10/10/16
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Related:
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in September that he expected the military offensive in Mosul to begin in October, although in later pronouncements he said he would decide at "the last minute" when to give the go-ahead.
British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the operation to liberate Mosul would begin "within weeks" and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, "There will soon be the main attack." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the military offensive would begin Oct. 19.
Iraqi officials said they expected the liberation to be swift and uncomplicated.
"The capture of Mosul will be finished in record-breaking time," spokesman for the Iraqi army, Gen. Yahya Rasool, told the Financial Times.
Optimism was also expressed by Abadi in a recent interview with CNN.
"Mosul is supposed to be easier than these other cities outside Mosul, which we've been liberating, because these are the outskirts," Abadi said. "They're supposed to be more pro-Daesh than the city itself," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
"We are planning for a fight for many months but we anticipate the fight for Mosul will be easier than probably Ramadi."
The United States leads the anti-IS coalition that provided Iraq with air cover, trained its soldiers and sent 5,000 troops — mainly military advisers — to Iraq. U.S. officials said Iraqi forces are ready for the Mosul offensive.
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. said in September that Iraqi forces "will have in early October all the forces marshalled, trained, fielded and equipped that are necessary for operations in Mosul."
Observers, however, said they fear complications during and after the liberation of Mosul.
Reports from Mosul indicate that IS has tightened its grip on the civilian population it is holding hostage in the city and is not expected to leave without bloodshed, booby traps and "tunnels of fire."
The United Nations and aid agencies have said they are not ready to cope with the hundreds of thousands of people expected to be displaced once the offensive begins in Mosul, which is home to around 1.5 million people.
The Save the Children charity warned that the assault threatens "to put more than half a million children in the line of fire unless safe routes and other civilian protection measures are put in place."
Authorities in Iraq's Kurdish region, which already hosts some 1.5 million internally displaced people, warned that they might not receive more people if they did not receive additional aid.
[upi.com]
10/10/16
-
Related:
Iraqi PM: ‘Turkey won’t take part in Mosul op under any circumstances’
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Some 80,000 people newly displaced by conflict in Iraq since March
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