#Iraq #Mosul - The U.S. and Iraq are planning a spring offensive to retake the city of Mosul that will require 20,000 to 25,000 Iraqi troops to defeat 1,000 to 2,000 ISIS fighters, according to an official from U.S. Central Command. The main attack force of five Iraqi army brigades will need to be trained first by U.S. advisers, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity at a briefing Thursday to discuss military operations. The U.S. hasn’t ruled out delaying the offensive from a planned start in April or May if more time is required for training, most of which has yet to begin, the official said. While there has been public speculation about a possible Iraqi offensive this spring, the official offered details on the size of a force required to recapture Iraq’s second-largest city from ISIS, which seized Mosul in June.
Providing specific information about a forthcoming military operation is unusual. When the official was asked why he was disclosing troop details, he said his briefing was intended to describe the commitment of Iraqi forces to the battle against the extremists. Some U.S. defense and intelligence officials remain skeptical that a large enough Iraqi force can be ready and equipped for such a challenging mission in the next few months, raising questions about whether the briefing may have been intended in part to foster the impression that ISIS has lost the initiative and is now on the defensive.
The battle for Mosul would be the first major test for Iraqi forces since many fled as ISIS extremists swept across northern Iraq last year to create their self-styled caliphate, or religious state. While some Iraqi officials pushed for an earlier offensive in Mosul, the U.S. has resisted such pleas, saying more time was needed for training. Iraq has identified the units needed for a Mosul offensive, said the official from Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
The force will include five Iraqi army brigades, three smaller brigades serving as a reserve force, three brigades from the Kurdish Peshmerga military, a local force of police and tribal fighters as well as some counterterrorism forces, the official said.
The
U.S. and Iraq are planning a spring offensive to retake the city of
Mosul that will require 20,000 to 25,000 Iraqi troops to defeat 1,000 to
2,000 ISIS fighters, according to an official from U.S. Central
Command.
The main attack force of five Iraqi army brigades will
need to be trained first by U.S. advisers, the official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity at a briefing Thursday to discuss military
operations. The U.S. hasn’t ruled out delaying the offensive from a
planned start in April or May if more time is required for training,
most of which has yet to begin, the official said.
- See more at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Feb-21/288226-iraq-aims-to-retake-mosul-with-20000-troops.ashx#sthash.wFTW5Wsf.dpuf
The
U.S. and Iraq are planning a spring offensive to retake the city of
Mosul that will require 20,000 to 25,000 Iraqi troops to defeat 1,000 to
2,000 ISIS fighters, according to an official from U.S. Central
Command.
The main attack force of five Iraqi army brigades will
need to be trained first by U.S. advisers, the official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity at a briefing Thursday to discuss military
operations. The U.S. hasn’t ruled out delaying the offensive from a
planned start in April or May if more time is required for training,
most of which has yet to begin, the official said.
- See more at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Feb-21/288226-iraq-aims-to-retake-mosul-with-20000-troops.ashx#sthash.wFTW5Wsf.dpuf