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| With liberation of Mosul from Isis in sight, US envoy urges plan for refugees With liberation of Mosul from Isis in sight, US envoy urges plan for refugees | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The liberation of the Islamic State-held northern Iraqi city of Mosul is now in sight and preparations are ahead of schedule, but parallel plans for refugees and stabilization of the city must keep pace with the military progress, Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against Isis, said on Thursday. | The liberation of the Islamic State-held northern Iraqi city of Mosul is now in sight and preparations are ahead of schedule, but parallel plans for refugees and stabilization of the city must keep pace with the military progress, Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against Isis, said on Thursday. |
| Speaking at a meeting of 30 defence and foreign ministers in Washington, including the UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, McGurk said: “The liberation of Mosul is now in sight and an achievable goal.” | Speaking at a meeting of 30 defence and foreign ministers in Washington, including the UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, McGurk said: “The liberation of Mosul is now in sight and an achievable goal.” |
| It is widely expected the assault will start in November, although no public timeline is being given by the coalition. | It is widely expected the assault will start in November, although no public timeline is being given by the coalition. |
| Ash Carter, the US defence secretary, added: “The biggest strategic concern of this group of defence ministers was that the stabilisation and governance effort will lag behind the military campaign. Making sure there’s no such lag must be a significant strategic priority for us.” | Ash Carter, the US defence secretary, added: “The biggest strategic concern of this group of defence ministers was that the stabilisation and governance effort will lag behind the military campaign. Making sure there’s no such lag must be a significant strategic priority for us.” |
| The recapture of Mosul would mark the end of the “IS phony caliphate”, McGurk said, adding the liberation would have to be planned with care since the world will be watching. | The recapture of Mosul would mark the end of the “IS phony caliphate”, McGurk said, adding the liberation would have to be planned with care since the world will be watching. |
| The coalition is anxious to ensure that the recapture of the city – which has a complex ethnic structure – does not lead to political or military infighting, as rival groups try to fill the power vacuum caused by the defeat of Islamic State. | The coalition is anxious to ensure that the recapture of the city – which has a complex ethnic structure – does not lead to political or military infighting, as rival groups try to fill the power vacuum caused by the defeat of Islamic State. |
| McGurk revealed detailed planning was under way to ensure that aid organisations could quickly move in to provide food, shelter and other support for an estimated 1 million people in the city. He also said he expected Iraqi security forces would be supplemented by Peshmerga forces and 15,000 local fighters from Nineveh province. | McGurk revealed detailed planning was under way to ensure that aid organisations could quickly move in to provide food, shelter and other support for an estimated 1 million people in the city. He also said he expected Iraqi security forces would be supplemented by Peshmerga forces and 15,000 local fighters from Nineveh province. |
| More than $200m will be needed to help with the aid. A further $100m is needed in Mosul for immediate stabilisation measures and tripling the number of police trainers for the city. He added it was also vital to ensure there was an agreed form of government for the city that accommodates many ethnic and religious groups. | More than $200m will be needed to help with the aid. A further $100m is needed in Mosul for immediate stabilisation measures and tripling the number of police trainers for the city. He added it was also vital to ensure there was an agreed form of government for the city that accommodates many ethnic and religious groups. |
| There are fears that Isis will have planted IEDs, booby traps and other potentially more dangerous weapons in a bid to defend Mosul, leading to a mass exodus from the city. McGurk pointed out that 95% of the population of the liberated city of Tikrit had now returned, but far fewer had returned to Fallujah. The UN estimates that there are currently 10 million Iraqis in need of assistance and that number is likely to exceed 13 million by year’s end. | There are fears that Isis will have planted IEDs, booby traps and other potentially more dangerous weapons in a bid to defend Mosul, leading to a mass exodus from the city. McGurk pointed out that 95% of the population of the liberated city of Tikrit had now returned, but far fewer had returned to Fallujah. The UN estimates that there are currently 10 million Iraqis in need of assistance and that number is likely to exceed 13 million by year’s end. |
| The Kurdish Peshmerga military force had originally not been asked to the Washington conference even though they were in the forefront of the military campaign, prompting angry complaints from the Iraqi Kurds. | The Kurdish Peshmerga military force had originally not been asked to the Washington conference even though they were in the forefront of the military campaign, prompting angry complaints from the Iraqi Kurds. |
| The US government was eager not to offend either the Iraqi government or the Turkish government by appearing t0 legitimise calls for Kurdish independence. After some diplomatic manoeuvring the Kurdish government representative in the US capital, Bayan Sami Abdulrahman, attended the meeting where she said the Kurdistan region was playing a vital role. | The US government was eager not to offend either the Iraqi government or the Turkish government by appearing t0 legitimise calls for Kurdish independence. After some diplomatic manoeuvring the Kurdish government representative in the US capital, Bayan Sami Abdulrahman, attended the meeting where she said the Kurdistan region was playing a vital role. |
| The Washington meeting was held against a backdrop of controversy over military set backs in in Syria. UN senior adviser Jan Egeland has expressed alarm over the continuing siege of eastern Aleppo – where he said 250,000 citizens were on the brink of starvation. The coalition was forced on the back foot over reports that US planes on Tuesday had killed more than 70 Syrian civilians in Manbij in northern Syria, a key supply line from Turkey to Isis’s de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa. | The Washington meeting was held against a backdrop of controversy over military set backs in in Syria. UN senior adviser Jan Egeland has expressed alarm over the continuing siege of eastern Aleppo – where he said 250,000 citizens were on the brink of starvation. The coalition was forced on the back foot over reports that US planes on Tuesday had killed more than 70 Syrian civilians in Manbij in northern Syria, a key supply line from Turkey to Isis’s de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa. |
| The Syrian rebel forces inside the Syrian National Council have called for the Americans to stop its bombing campaign in view of the civilian deaths and what appears like a major failure of intelligence. | The Syrian rebel forces inside the Syrian National Council have called for the Americans to stop its bombing campaign in view of the civilian deaths and what appears like a major failure of intelligence. |
| Talks are expected next week in Geneva on plans for the Americans and the Russians to coordinate their military activities in Syria. The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has offered Russian president Vladimir Putin a deal whereby al-Nursra Front, the Syrian al-Qaida franchise, would be listed as a legitimate target for the Russians, and in return the Syrian air force would be grounded. | Talks are expected next week in Geneva on plans for the Americans and the Russians to coordinate their military activities in Syria. The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has offered Russian president Vladimir Putin a deal whereby al-Nursra Front, the Syrian al-Qaida franchise, would be listed as a legitimate target for the Russians, and in return the Syrian air force would be grounded. |
| Russia claims al-Nusra has been a growing terrorist force, and the US has been unable to persuade the rebels that it backs to disentangle itself from al-Nusra. | Russia claims al-Nusra has been a growing terrorist force, and the US has been unable to persuade the rebels that it backs to disentangle itself from al-Nusra. |