Disputes Between Anti-Daesh Forces Impede Liberation of Mosul, Iraq

Mosul (the second largest city in Iraq) is still controlled by Daesh terrorists, due to the lack of coordination among anti-Daesh forces, a representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in Moscow said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, remains occupied by Daesh forces due to a lack of coordination and disputes between anti-Daesh coalition members, a representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in Moscow said Monday.

"The speculations about Mosul's liberation have been underway for a year now, but the progress is modest. It's not that the liberators do not have the strength. It's about the fact that this operation is being carried out not only by Iraq. The Iraqi Kurds, the Americans, Iran, Turkey, they all [want to] participate and, apparently, they have not agreed yet on their roles in the operation," Aso Talabani told RIA Novosti.

Talabani added that the talks between the sides mentioned above on "who gets what after the liberation, which areas in Mosul they would control" were still underway.

"Oddly enough, it is more difficult to agree on it than to liberate Mosul," he pointed out.

Daesh took Mosul in June 2014 after the US-trained and equipped Iraqi Army fled the area, leaving behind significant amounts of US military hardware.

On March 5, the special US presidential envoy for the international anti-Daesh coalition, Brett McGurk, announced the launch of a campaign to liberate the city.