US envoy: In Mosul, ‘there is one plan, there is one command’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Four dimensions of the operation to liberate Mosul from Islamic State (ISIS) are in place, the US special envoy to the global anti-ISIS coalition detailed on Friday, stressing that for Mosul “there is one plan, there is one command,” and the operation will be launched on Baghdad's call.

Brett McGurk noted that there are a lot of “wild cards” when it comes to the military, humanitarian, and political plans for Mosul but the coalition of forces is trying to carry out the operation in a way that the people of Mosul are confident they will have a much better life after ISIS. 

The people of Mosul are very concerned about the security and political governance of their city after the military operation. The Mosul Eye, a blogger in Mosul and one of the few sources of information in the city, reacted to McGurk’s comments, telling Rudaw English that “it seems that they have no plans for post-ISIL Mosul,” using an alternative acronym for ISIS. 

But despite the fears for after their liberation, the people of Mosul just want to be rid of ISIS as soon as possible. “Let them just start the battle!” said the Mosul Eye, noting that anticipation of the operation is high in the city. Referring to those planning the offensive, he said, “One year for them is nothing, but one day here is more than 10 years.”

A man originally from Mosul who is in contact with family and friends in the city, said their priority is to get rid of ISIS and return to normality and stability. 

People have weapons in their homes, he told Rudaw English on the condition of anonymity to protect his family and friends in the city. They are waiting for the offensive to begin and will rise up when it does. 

The four dimensions of the Mosul plans McGurk outlined, while declining to discuss timing or specifics for security reasons, are the political disposition of forces, humanitarian, stabilization, and governance. 

A 30,000-strong force consisting of Peshmerga, Iraqi security and counter-terrorism forces, local police, and 14,000 Nineveh tribal fighters are prepared for the offensive. Coordinating all the different forces took “a lot of work” McGurk said, noting that Erbil and Baghdad have closely cooperated and all agreements are in place.

The coalition is working with non-governmental organizations and the governments of Erbil and Baghdad as well as provincial authorities to prepare as best they can for the displacement of residents due to the military offensive. They now have enough resources in place for 750,000 people, but “the plan is to keep people in their homes,” McGurk said, adding that they hope to achieve that by proceeding methodically, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. 

Regarding stabilization and making it possible for people to return home as soon as possible after the fighting, McGurk said they are pre-positioning materials. 

The coalition of forces is also looking for “independent screening mechanisms” in order to ensure that problems such as what occurred in Fallujah do not happen in Mosul when carrying out security screening of the population. One element of this, McGurk said, is to “make sure that armed groups that are not under full control of the Iraqi government are not a part of the campaign.”

In the liberation of Fallujah, Shiite militia forces were accused of human rights violations and abusing the Sunni population.

Governance after the military operation will rely on existing Iraqi institutions, McGurk detailed, noting that, logistically, this makes the most sense. 

The governor of Nineveh will be empowered through decentralization and both Baghdad and Erbil will appoint representatives to aid the governor. It has already been decided who will govern each district within Mosul.