“THE time of victory has come…today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh [Islamic State].” With these words, broadcast at 2am on October 17th, Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, announced the start of the long-awaited offensive to liberate Mosul, the country’s second-biggest city, which was seized by IS in June 2014, and is the only significant place in Iraq that the jihadists still hold. Mr Abadi added: “The Iraqi flag will be raised in the middle of Mosul and in each village and corner very soon.” Across the rest of Iraq, following a series of victories this year, it already has been.
This last battle will be the hardest though. In what will be the most complex military operation in Iraq since the American invasion in 2003, the opening phase of a battle that may take many weeks to conclude began with some 4,000...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2eeTnGB
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