Kurdish PM: governing Mosul must be decided now
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani stressed Sunday that an agreement on power sharing in Mosul after it has been rid of the Islamic State (ISIS) is key, warning that failure to work this out now will raise other problems in the future.
“We should not forget that the case of Mosul is more political than military,” Barzani said, as preparations are underway for an assault on Mosul that is anticipated this month.
“From a military perspective, liberating Mosul will not resolve all the problems of that governorate,” he said, speaking at a conference on the Role of the Private Sector in Kurdistan’s Economic Development.
He reassured that Mosul would be rid of ISIS, “but more important than this is the phase that comes after the liberation of Mosul.” He added that, “all the political and religious components (of the region) should have deserved roles in the political process and determination of the future of the region and how they want to be governed.
“If not, the problems will surely not be solved, which will lead to other problems. That is why it is important that from now, an agreement be made among all the Mosul components, settling this important and sensitive case.”
Barzani stressed that all preparations were in place for the offensive to free Mosul, emphasizing that liberating Mosul will lead to a revival of Kurdistan’s dormant economy, which has been struggling since the militants stormed across Iraq in June 2014 and arrived almost at the gates of the Kurdish capital, Erbil..
“Internal and international preparations have been made for the operation of liberating Mosul. Liberating Mosul will have a direct impact on Kurdistan in every aspect, especially in the area of trade, economy and investment. which will have a big effect on the Kurdistan Region,” Barzani said.
“We hope that after the offensive, a lot of foreign and Iraqi investment would turn to the Kurdistan Region,” the Kurdish prime minister said.