ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Winning peace will be just as challenging as winning the war against ISIS the Chancellor of Kurdistan Region’s Security Council Masrour Barzani said, adding that there should be a political agreement between all the peoples of Mosul in order to prevent the rise of another such terrorist organization in the region.
"The fight against ISIS is going to be a long fight," Barzani told Reuters in an interview on Sunday, "not only militarily but also economically, ideologically."
"Winning the peace after winning the war is equally important."
He said he believes that, in order to prevent the emergence of another radical group like ISIS in the future, there should be political reconciliation, as the rise of extremist groups in Iraq is the result of a failed political system.
"The number one point to prevent the rise of terrorist and radical organizations is to make sure there is political reconciliation, and a political agreement among all the components so that no one will feel like an outcast."
"We do believe that ISIS is the byproduct, is the result of a political failure, the political system that failed in this country," he added.
Barzani noted that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by ISIS will remain a threat and will leave towns in ruins.
"There are many different IEDs that they put in different places, coming up with different tactics. Many that are used like networks," Barzani said.
"So in one house they are putting one IED and trying to hide it. And once it explodes then the entire neighbourhood explodes," he detailed.
Barzani explained that ISIS continues to recruit new members and Kurdish security forces have caught many of them among the internally displaced persons (IDPs), trying to infiltrate the Kurdistan Region.
"Every day, every week, every month they are trying to recruit new people. New fighters are joining," he said, though he added the numbers have recently decreased.
"We have captured a number of sleeper cells, or people that were disguised as IDPs. Hundreds of them actually," Barzani said.
"The fight against ISIS is going to be a long fight," Barzani told Reuters in an interview on Sunday, "not only militarily but also economically, ideologically."
"Winning the peace after winning the war is equally important."
He said he believes that, in order to prevent the emergence of another radical group like ISIS in the future, there should be political reconciliation, as the rise of extremist groups in Iraq is the result of a failed political system.
"The number one point to prevent the rise of terrorist and radical organizations is to make sure there is political reconciliation, and a political agreement among all the components so that no one will feel like an outcast."
"We do believe that ISIS is the byproduct, is the result of a political failure, the political system that failed in this country," he added.
Barzani noted that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by ISIS will remain a threat and will leave towns in ruins.
"There are many different IEDs that they put in different places, coming up with different tactics. Many that are used like networks," Barzani said.
"So in one house they are putting one IED and trying to hide it. And once it explodes then the entire neighbourhood explodes," he detailed.
Barzani explained that ISIS continues to recruit new members and Kurdish security forces have caught many of them among the internally displaced persons (IDPs), trying to infiltrate the Kurdistan Region.
"Every day, every week, every month they are trying to recruit new people. New fighters are joining," he said, though he added the numbers have recently decreased.
"We have captured a number of sleeper cells, or people that were disguised as IDPs. Hundreds of them actually," Barzani said.
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