Iraqi security forces climb into trucks traveling to Mosul to fight against Islamic State militants at an Iraqi army base in Camp Taji, Baghdad, Feb. 21, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Ahmed Saad)
VOA: Retaking Mosul 'Not in Crystal Ball' in Near Term, US Military Says
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. military intelligence officials are playing down expectations that the Iraqi Security Forces will be ready to reclaim the key northern city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters anytime soon.
The Defense Intelligence Agency chief, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart, told the House Armed Services Committee that while “every effort” is being made to “get after” Mosul, Iraqi forces are not ready to engage in the difficult, large-scale urban fight.
“Taking and securing Mosul in the next eight to 10 months is not something I’m seeing in my crystal ball," Stewart said Wednesday.
“They’ll need a significant amount of help from coalition partners," he said. "I don’t know they will ask for that help.”
U.S. military planners see Mosul as a critical next step in the effort to destroy the Islamic State terror group in Iraq, but have warned it will not be easy.
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More News On The U.S. Downplaying Expectations That Mosul Will Be Retaken From The Islamic State Soon
Retaking Mosul 'could take months' -- Straits Times
SAS and US special forces plotting mother of all battles to smash ISIS in Mosul -- Express
Iraqi gov’t prepares for new wave of refugees after Mosul offensive -- RUDAW
As the battle for Mosul approaches, an electronic war is already raging -- CSM
The US Military Is Laying the Groundwork to Take Back Iraq's Second Largest City -- VICE News and Reuters
What is stopping the liberation of Mosul? -- Mona Alami, IBTimes
2 comments:
I actually think that the dam upstream of Mosul will collapse before any Iraqi offensive begins. I have read that the resulting flood would send a 40 foot wave through Mosul, rendering possession of it moot.
WNU Editor: you have reported about the dam's poor condition previously, but in the last couple of days the U.S. Government issued a new, dire warning that the dam could collapse at any time. The warning urged all Americans to leave locations along the river. The Iraqi Government played down the latest warning. I wonder whether the dam's pending collapse is a tactic the Iraqi Government plans to use to clear ISIS from Mosul. While lots of civilians will die in a flood, a military assault will cause lots of civilian deaths too. Pretty ruthless, but Iraq and their Iranian backers are not above it.
Publius. I posted a story on the dam at Mosul a few days ago. You have just convinced me to update it. It will be posted at 16:00 EST.
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