Iraq says it alone will decide on Mosul offensive
Iraq’s defense minister said on Wednesday only Baghdad will decide the time and scale of an attack recapture Mosul, after U.S. officials sent conflicting signals about the offensive. Mosul is the largest city under the control of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insurgents who have declared a cross-border caliphate encompassing eastern Syria and parts […]Iraq’s defense minister said on Wednesday only Baghdad will decide the time and scale of an attack recapture Mosul, after U.S. officials sent conflicting signals about the offensive. Mosul is the largest city under the control of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insurgents who have declared a cross-border caliphate encompassing eastern Syria and parts of western and northern Iraq. Its recapture would be a pivotal victory for Baghdad.
A U.S. Central Command official said two weeks ago that the offensive could start in April or May, using 20,000 to 25,000 troops. U.S. officials have since suggested that timing could slip to the autumn. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday the original briefing was inaccurate and that military officials should not discuss war plans in any case.
