Army and militias surround town held by Islamic State * Latest stage in push towards big prize of Mosul * PM says aim is “cleansing every inch of Iraqi land” * United Nations seeks funds to help people displaced by fighting (Adds details, context) By Ghazwan Hassan TIKRIT, Iraq, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Iraqi forces launched an operation on Tuesday to retake the northern town of Shirqat from Islamic State, a stepping stone in their campaign to recapture the jihadists’ stronghold of Mosul before the end of the year.
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But, speaking ahead of talks with al-Abadi, he warned: “This is going to be hard, this is going to be challenging”.
“We hope within the next few months we’re going to kick Daesh out of Mosul, and we’ll deliver a huge blow to what Daesh believes in”, he said, using another common name for Islamic State.
Pentagon planners have cautioned that the battle for Mosul could present a mixed picture for war planners, with Islamic State likely to retreat in some areas of the city only to reinforce in others. “It will require resources”, Obama said. Iraqi forces have managed to wrest control of several areas in the southern parts of the city.
US and Iraqi officials are also concerned there has not been enough planning for how to manage Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city and a mosaic of ethnic and sectarian groups, if and when Islamic State is kicked out.
Abadi said ISIS must be “crushed on the ground”.
The aggressive timeline reflects Obama’s hopes of notching another key victory against the Islamic State before he leaves office in January and hands the conflict off to his successor.
For both leaders, moving quickly to retake Mosul is part of a strategy to sustain the momentum that Iraq and its partners have finally built up after years of struggle. Washington considers the Iraqi government’s handling of the displacement to be a test case for reconciliation in Iraq, given the blend of sectarian groups with an interest in the northern city’s future.
Obama also spoke with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta by phone in lieu of a face-to-face meeting. A human rights advocate said the arrest of Afghan-born US citizen Ahmad Khan Rahami in connection with the bombings should not fuel the misconception that accepting more refugees will lead to more terrorist acts.
The pair also discussed the importance of rebuilding Mosul “in a way that assures not only ISIL does not come back, but extremist ideologies born out of desperation do not return”, according to Obama.
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Later this week, Obama will have meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
