Masrour Barzani: Discussions regarding post-Mosul liberation ongoing
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) recently spoke to Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) network regarding the upcoming Mosul operation.
Masrour Barzani, the Chancellor of the KRSC, sat with ABC correspondent Matt Brown to speak about the liberation mission to defeat the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul.
Barzani explained the insurgent group had become significantly weaker since their emergence in 2014.
The Chancellor added the confidence of IS on the battlefield had weakened considerably as well.
“We see [IS] is becoming weaker, the morale is lower now compared to before, we’ve seen some [IS] members defecting,” Barzani stated.
The KRSC head pointed to new problems among the group which indicates the insurgents are on the brink of defeat.
“Assassinations, killings, theft, problems inside the city which were not the case before,” he said. “This is a proof that [IS] is losing its grasp of the security inside the city itself.”
Asked about finding possible allies within Mosul before the liberation offensive, Barzani explained civilians’ safety is a primary concern.
The Chancellor noted that people inside the city are not “comfortable” rising against IS for fear of death.
“People are still very afraid, and we know how savage these terrorists are, so any mistake, any leak could lead to the execution of people,” he stated.
Additionally, Barzani addressed plans after the liberation of Mosul affirming discussions with all ethnic components in the city to find an agreement is necessary.
The KRSC head explained that Kurds would enter Mosul only if there were an “agreement” with the other groups involved (Shias, Sunnis, Christian, Turkmen, etc.).
“Every [ethnic group] wants to have a guarantee for a safe and secure future, and they all want to play a role during the operation and of course after the liberation,” he said.
“We are talking with the Iraqi government, with the coalition forces, with all these components to see how best we can come up with a mechanism that would satisfy the needs of all these people inside,” the Chancellor concluded.