Battle for Mosul: IS defeat imminent, says state TV

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

So-called Islamic State (IS) defences in the Iraqi city of Mosul are collapsing fast and troops expect to take full control in the next few hours, state television has announced.

Only a few metres remain to be taken, a correspondent said.

Some Iraqi security forces have been seen dancing in the streets even though commanders have nor confirmed the news.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40542997

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Local source:

Iraqi Federal Police have announced they achieved their mission to drive ISIS out from the right bank of Mosul after they liberated Bab al-Tub, Suq al-Sagha and Najafi Street on Saturday.

Lt. Gen Shaker Jawdat, chief of the Federal Police, told reporters in Mosul that they have “achieved” their mission on the right bank of Mosul, and will search for any ISIS militants who may be hiding in liberated areas.

Iraq’s Joint Command also stated Saturday that with these areas under their control, “the Federal Police have concluded their missions assigned to them in Old Mosul and the right bank,” which is located west of the Tigris River and bisects Mosul.

The announcement does not come as a declaration of final victory against the extremists as pockets of the group’s militants remain in Old Mosul.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/08072017

[NewJeffCT]

1. Didn't Trump criticize how slowly this battle was going?

or siege, or whatnot?

So, thanks Obama!

[karynnj]

2. Through Trump will try to claim credit for this, it was the international coalition

that has worked for this moment slowly, but surely taking back areas - demining them, rebuilding them and establishing governance so ISIS could not just reappear as soon as the coalition moved on to fighting in other areas. That coalition was built by Obama and Kerry and included many of the countries in the region. They also worked with Iran through deconfliction - where both the coalition and Iran were backing Iraq to fight ISIS. (In Syria, there is a similar deconfliction that was done with Russia and Syria.)

An important part of this was that the soldiers at the forefront of the battle were Iraqi - including the Iraqi government, some Iraqi Shia militias and Kurdish forces. They were advised by many in the coalition and given air support from the coalition. The coalition also supported the effort to demine the recovered efforts.

This is first and foremost an accomplishment for Abadi and the Iraqi government, which now has a very tough road ahead of it to continue to work for an inclusive enough government - possibly giving more power to both the Kurds and Sunnis. It is also an accomplishment for the coalition and the efforts it made starting back in 2014 -- when the US and others favored Abadi forming the new government, rather than Maliki, after the Parliamentary elections. This was a heavy lift, thought to be unlikely, for Kerry, Hagel and their international peers.

Here is one article written slightly before Abadi formed a government, with many links to explain where the situation was before the coalition was formed to support the Iraq government - https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/world/middleeast/us-outlines-conditions-for-expanded-military-and-political-support-in-iraq.html?_r=0 In hindsight, it is easy to forget that in spring 2014, Iraq was unstable, the Obama effort - to push Iraq to form a more inclusive government - and when steps were taken in that direction to lead in building that 68 nation coalition were seen as a pretty tough set of things to do. Obama, Kerry et al argued that this was better than simply relying on overwhelming US force against ISIS.

The big question now for Trump is whether he will continue to allocate support the rebuilding/demining effort that was part of the plan.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Iraqi PM in Mosul to celebrate victory over IS

---snip---
Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi has arrived in Mosul to congratulate Iraqi forces for their victory over IS in the city.

Mr Abadi was there to thank "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people for the great victory," his office said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40549333

[dembotoz]

4. please remember this is the country of bagdad bob--perhaps the prototype for fox news

where does optimism end and propaganda begin?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Battle for Mosul: Iraq PM Abadi formally declares victory

---snip---
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has formally declared victory over so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul.

Mr Abadi waved a national flag with troops after announcing the "collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood".

Earlier, clashes were reported in a small part of Old City where a few dozen IS militants were holding out.
...
Mr Abadi made the declaration of victory at the operations room of the Counter-Terrorism Service, whose elite forces were the first to enter Mosul in November.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40558836