Iraqi forces launch push to take town near Mosul from IS

U.S., Iraqi commanders say forces will be ready in October * Jihadists appear to be digging in for a long, bloody fight * “Caliphate” was declared from Mosul, largest city under IS rule By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Islamic State is building a moat around Mosul in northern Iraq, in preparation for a long, hard battle against U.S. -backed Iraqi government forces for the biggest city in the jihadists’ self-proclaimed caliphate.

Iraqi forces have already reconquered other towns north of Sherqat on the way to Mosul but the question of Shiite militia involvement in military operations there had held up the push.

The town lies on the west bank of the Tigris river 260 kilometres (160 miles) northwest of Baghdad and around 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Mosul.

“They will have all of the forces that they need and it will be a political decision by Prime Minister Abadi as to when operations actually are conducted”, Dunford said as he flew home from talks with USA allies in Europe.

The Iraqi army is gearing up for a major offensive in to purge Daesh from Mosul, the country’s second city.

The report does not identify any of the immigrants by name, but Inspector General John Roth’s auditors said they were all from “special interest countries” – those that present a national security concern for the United States – or neighboring countries with high rates of immigration fraud. To the Obama administration’s relief, Abadi has proven to be a more inclusive leader than his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, whose sectarian approach led many Iraqi Sunnis to see IS as a more welcoming alternative.

NEW YORK (AP) – President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi put the Islamic State group on notice Monday that they plan to recapture the city of Mosul within months.

“Mosul is a large city, and ISIL has embedded itself deeply within that city”, Obama said emphasising that coordination between the US, Iraqi forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters has led the US to “feel confident that we will be in a position to move forward fairly rapidly”.

He said that once the Mosul operation is finished, it will be necessary to rebuild the city to prevent militants and extremists from returning.

Some 1 million people could be displaced by the battle in Mosul, U.S. and United Nations officials say. A year ago, Obama stood at the same podium and declared anew that Syrian President Bashar Assad must leave power, while Putin gave a dueling speech warning it would be a mistake to abandon Assad. Nevertheless, the terrorist group remains in firm control of several parts of the country, including Mosul.

It was not immediately clear what role the militias, which have been accused of rights abuses in previous battles, would play in Shirqat. A human rights advocate said the arrest of Afghan-born USA citizen Ahmad Khan Rahami in connection with the bombings should not fuel the misconception that accepting more refugees will lead to more terrorist acts.

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.

Militia leaders have said the abuses are isolated incidents.

Increasingly, and not without irony, Iraq has become the bright spot in Obama’s campaign against the Islamic State group, though profound challenges remain.