Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian leadership reforms, appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Over 13 million worshipers pray at Rawdah Sharif in a year    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    Pope Francis laid to rest at historic funeral in Rome    Massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port injures over 500 people    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Mosul fight could fracture Iraq, says former governor
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 06 - 10 - 2016

The battle for Mosul will be a make-or-break moment for Iraq that could split the country along ethnic and sectarian lines, said the former regional governor who has assembled a force which will take part in the campaign.
Iraq has been preparing for more than a year for its offensive to drive Daesh (the so-called Islamic State) group out of its last major stronghold. The operation is expected to kick off this month.
What happens after a victory could present an even bigger challenge than the battle, however — Sunnis, Kurds and Shiites who have formed an uneasy alliance against the militants will be faced with the daunting task of drawing up an effective power-sharing formula in Iraq, a major OPEC oil producer.
"The biggest fear is that Iraq will separate if they don't control this fight in a wise manner and they don't give the Arab Sunnis real authority," said Atheel Al-Nujaifi, a prominent Sunni politician who was governor in Mosul when Daesh seized the city.
Mosul fell to Daesh in June 2014 when Iraqi security forces fled. The militant group declared a caliphate which straddled territory in Iraq and Syria, with Mosul as its de facto capital.
In August, an Iraqi parliamentary panel blamed Nujaifi and a handful of other politicians and military commanders for the group's lightning capture of the predominantly Sunni city.
Nujaifi told Reuters he is committed to promoting unity in Iraq, which has descended into a sectarian civil war since a US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
The politician has patched together a force of about 4,500 fighters, mostly Iraqi soldiers and former officers from Nineveh Province, of which Mosul is the capital, to take part in the offensive.
Trained by 200 Turkish military advisors and US forces, Nujaifi says his men are more likely to succeed in stabilizing Mosul because they are locals who can win over the population.
Turkish-backed force
Nujaifi praised cooperation with the Kurds but criticized the Iranian-backed Shiite militias, underscoring sensitivities ahead of the Mosul campaign.
Sunnis accuse the militias of widespread human rights abuses against them, which they deny. The militias, who have been a bulwark against Daesh advances, say they are protecting Iraq from terrorists.
"Kurds are partners on the ground. We have no problems with them. But in terms of the Shiite militias they are an alien or strange entity in the governorate," Nujaifi said in his spacious villa in the Kurdish city of Erbil.
"In terms of the Kurds there is no problem. But in terms of the Iranian presence this is very dangerous for Nineveh governorate," he said in the interview, as armed men in green military fatigues stood guard.
Underscoring the complexities, Nujaifi's ally Turkey is wary of Iraq's Kurds because it fears their semi-autonomous state in the north will encourage Kurds in Turkey to press for independence.
While Nujaifi called for unity, he suggested calm could only come with more regional autonomy, an idea which angers the government in Baghdad.
Nineveh should handle its own administrative and security affairs, and even write up its own constitution, he said. Minority Sunnis held many positions of authority under Saddam, but their fortunes declined after the US occupation. Majority Shiites now dominate government and military posts.
Nujaifi warned Iraq would split if Sunnis are not empowered.
"Maybe it will be divided into more then three or four sections. Even in Baghdad they will have the same problems," he said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.