Fallon stressed that it is in “everybody’s interest that Daesh is driven,” out of Iraq’s second-city.
The Defense Minister also said the main purpose of his visit to the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil was “to review the progress of that campaign and the prospects for the liberation of Mosul.”
Rudaw: During last two weeks most of the KRG’s main partners in the fight against ISIS visited Erbil. Last week there was a high US delegation here and today you are here as one of the highest UK Government representatives. What is the purpose of your visit?
Michael Fallon: Like other partners in the coalition we stand shoulder to shoulder with Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the campaign against Daesh which is now facing a critical face with planning for the liberation of Mosul, that was the main purpose of my visit to review the progress of that campaign and the prospects for the liberation of Mosul. But I'm also here to review the training of Peshmerga forces it’s been done by the British troops I had privilege to see that training this morning, in counter IEDs, in snipers identifying snipers, in clearing buildings, and medical evacuation.
We hear from different US, Iraqi and Kurdish sources that liberating Mosul will happen very soon. Is there any agreement between participating parties, especially between Erbil and Baghdad, to start the operation very soon?
We expect the operation to begin soon, some of the shaping operations have already begun with the movement troops into tactical assembly areas, and we expect operations to begin against Mosul in the next few weeks, but it’s for the campaign, for the commanders of the campaign to organize the timing and the disposition of the different forces that will be involved in the liberation of Mosul.
Why should Peshmerga participate in liberating Mosul?
For two reasons first is in everybody‘s interest to drive out Daesh out of Mosul, and indeed out of Iraq, that’s in the interest of Iraq and Kurdish people, in the interest of Middle East and the West also, in the interest of Britain, is in everybody’s interest that Daesh is driven out and secondly Mosul is very close by the Kurdish areas, and in the Kurdish interest too to remove this source of instability and brutality right in its doorsteps.
Are Iraqi forces able to liberate Mosul without Peshmerga?
This is up for PM Abadi and PM Barzani to decide and for coalition commanders to organize.
What is UK’s exact role in Mosul operation?
The UK been supporting these operations for two years now, with strike aircraft with intelligence gathering from the sky, through training of Iraqi and Kurdish forces, and through supply of guns and ammunition, and we will continue to support the operation through our strike aircraft and the training that’s needed.
People of Mosul are against the participation of the Hashd al-Shaabi militia in liberating the city. Will Hashd play any role in the operation?
The disposition, the deployment of the forces to liberate Mosul is the matter for PM Abadi and PM Barzani and for military commanders, it’s not for the coalition partners for prescribe the different forces should be engaged, it is not a matter for me.
In the long-term it may cause certain problems for the people of the region and cause more internal wars in Iraq, especially if Hashd al-Shaabi is actively participating in this operation.
I understand all the concerns about the liberation of Mosul, and indeed day after Mosul is liberated, we must all work to reduce tensions, avoid any further impact on the civilian population and restore security to the province.
Some countries send direct arms to Peshmerga. What is your government’s policy, while the KRG is not happy with sending arms through Baghdad. Because, as they claim, Baghdad never sends Kurdistan its arms.
I can only speak of the government of the United Kingdom, all the arms that we have been able to send, have arrived in the Kurdish areas, we have supplied some 600,000 rounds of ammunition, we also helped a lift of more than 100,000 rounds ammunition gifted by other countries and all that ammunition has reached the Peshmerga.
Do you believe recapturing Mosul means uprooting ISIS?
It's not the final defeat of ISIL, of course it will be a significant blow to ISIL, but that’s not the end of the campaign, Daesh retains influence in other areas including some towns along the Euphrates River Valley, and we should not rest until it is completely expelled from beyond Iraq’s borders.
You had a meeting with President Barzani and Prime Minister Barzani, how were these meetings?
We had two very constructive meetings today, we have very good relationship with the KRG, and it is important now as the operation of Mosul begins that these operations have the confidence of all groups in Iraq and in the Kurdish areas too.
Do you think all forces are confident in the operation and the consequences of the operation?
I have been impressed by the growing confidence of coalition commanders that this operation is nearly ready to proceed, and that Mosul can be successfully liberated, and we will be working to help, not only in the operation but in aftermath, we announced yesterday some 40 million pounds of additional humanitarian aid to be prepared for immediate relief for the civilian population.
What is the main concern of the UK government over this operation, during the operation and the day after?
Our main concern is should be successful, this is a large-scale operation, Mosul is a very big city. It’s extremely important to us successful, Mosul is one of the headquarters of caliphate, from which attacks have been planned against Western Europe, indeed against Britain so this operation extremely is important for us, we will be supporting it. For the days after I have said we are ready to assist reconstruction of Mosul, and to help reduce the impact on the civilian population.
