‘Iraqi army not in position to liberate Mosul alone’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Iraq army is not ready to liberate Mosul alone from the Islamic State (IS), said a senior Kurdish official on Thursday.

IS has been in control of the second largest city of Iraq, Mosul, since June 2014 when the Iraqi army abandoned the area and escaped to the Kurdistan Region without combating the extremists.

The military operation of liberating Mosul is planned to take place in the first part of 2016, said Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi in January.

“The Iraqi regular army, trust me, they are not in a position to do this alone,” Masrour Barzani, Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Chancellor told the Washington Post newspaper on Thursday.

Barzani said he hopes that Makhmour area, located in the south-west of Mosul, will be soon cleared by the Iraqi army, as the city is already surrounded by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces from the north, east, and west as well and eventually in the south by the Iraqi army.

He expressed his concern about the slow preparation in retaking Mosul from IS. “We asked for a plan for taking Mosul. The Iraqi Army doesn’t have a plan yet, or they’re not sharing it with us.”

Chancellor mentioned that Peshmerga cannot take the lead in areas that are populated by Arabs. He believes that Mosul might face a challenging future because it is a diverse city hosting different ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Kurdish Yezidi (Ezidi), Turkmen, Christians, Sunni and Shia Muslims.

“There has to be a political agreement so that all the elements of Mosul will be happy and able to live there,” Barzani added.

He also explained that an uprising by the local population in Mosul to expel extremists is not likely. “This is wishful thinking.”

Barzani noted that Mosul residents will not risk their lives unless they are certain that the military operation of Mosul will succeed.

It is worth mentioning that the Kurdistan Region shares over 1,000 kilometers (622 miles) of its border with IS. Peshmerga has been one of the most effective ground forces in defeating the extremists.

Reporting by Mewan Dolamari
Editing by Ava Homa