ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—President Masoud Barzani welcomed General Joseph Votel, Commander of the United States Central Command, in Erbil on Thursday, and, once again, Mosul was top of the agenda. “The President and General Votel spoke of the details of the planning for the Mosul operation and how that operation is a key to the collapse of the terrorists of the Islamic State,” reads a statement issued by the Kurdistan Region Presidency. “Additionally President Barzani repeated his stance on the planning for post liberation management of Mosul.” Ensuring that a plan is in place for after the liberation of Mosul has been a key concern for Barzani. He raised the issue in a meeting with the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Elissa Slotkin, on Tuesday, when the United States and the Kurdistan Region signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on military coordination. According to the president’s office, “General Votel agreed with the President and stated that planning also needs to be carefully drawn.” “General Votel spoke of the importance of the role of the Peshmerga forces for the liberation of Mosul just as that role has been essential in other counter terrorism operations against the Islamic State.” Thursday’s closed-door meeting was also attended by a number of officials from the US State Department and Department of Defense, Ministry of the Peshmerga representatives, as well as Stuart Jones, US ambassador to Iraq. Votel’s visit to Erbil followed a meeting in Baghdad with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi.
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