UN: Iraq Can Defeat IS but Must Work on What Happens After
Recent victories in Fallujah and Qayyarah show that the Iraqis are capable of defeating the Islamic State group but the country must consolidate control of armed groups and promote political reconciliation in order to achieve lasting peace and stability, a United Nations official said Friday. Jan Kubis, the U.N.'s envoy for Iraq, told the Security […]Recent victories in Fallujah and Qayyarah show that the Iraqis are capable of defeating the Islamic State group but the country must consolidate control of armed groups and promote political reconciliation in order to achieve lasting peace and stability, a United Nations official said Friday.
Jan Kubis, the U.N.'s envoy for Iraq, told the Security Council that recent progress against IS puts the liberation of Mosul high on the agenda and that means local officials must accelerate planning for what happens "the day after."
"With the progress in fighting Daesh, reforming Iraqi security institutions and ensuring the state has full control of all armed groups becomes a priority," he said.
Kubis added that despite the IS defeat in Fallujah, the group remains capable of carrying out devastating attacks throughout Iraq and is increasingly resorting to brutal insurgency tactics to compensate for the loss of territory.
