Iraq's Prime Minister Is Optimistic On The War Against The Islamic State

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi looks on during a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the end of a meeting at Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy February 10, 2016. REUTERS/TONY GENTILE

DW: Iraqi PM announces plan to retake Mosul

Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi has said in an interview with DW that Baghdad is readying a full offensive against "Islamic State." He has asked Germany for aid in rebuilding the cities that government forces have retaken.

Iraq's government is planning a new all-out campaign against "Islamic State" (IS), Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said. In an interview with DW's "Conflict Zone," he said the goal was to recapture Iraq's second city of Mosul, which has been occupied by IS since June 2014.

"That's what we intend to do," Abadi said. "We started the plans last week. We sent the first of our forces to Mosul. They are there now. And we're planning, probably in the coming month, to start a full military operation to retake the city."

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Update #1: Iraq says moving troops, preparing offensive to retake Mosul (Reuters)
Update #2: Iraqi Leader Vows To Defeat IS By End Of 2016 (RFE)
Update #3: Iraqi PM says has won back half of ISIS-held territories (Reuters)

WNU Editor: The Pentagon's top intel chief has a different opinion .... Islamic State unlikely to be ejected from Mosul in 2016: U.S. general (Reuters).