If one were to go alone by the recent heated words exchanged between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, one would be excused for thinking that Turkey and Iraq were in a state of open hostility, rather than trying to work together to erase the terrorist threat of Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) from Mosul. The exchange has seen Erdogan taunt Al Abadi and advise him to “know his place”, while Al Abadi has responded, saying that Mosul will be liberated by men and not over Skype — a less-than-veiled reference to the failed summer coup where the Turkish president broadcast to his nation over an internet call.
What needs to be remembered here is that Daesh is a destabilising force of terror and destruction that has wrought havoc across Syria and Iraq. With forces massing in Iraq for a final battle to retake Mosul from Daesh, tensions are running high, given that the terrorists are now using every possible building to stall attacking forces. With 1.5 million Iraqis still estimated to be living in the city under the terrorists’ reign, whoever retakes Mosul will face a determined enemy that will use any and every opportunity to exact a heavy toll. It’s essential, however, that those forces of liberation must use every restraint to ensure that the civilian population of the city, which has already endured so much, must not face further violence and atrocities fuelled by sectarian tension and hatred.
Al Abadi also has a responsibility: First and foremost, to ensure the city is liberated. Iraq’s territorial integrity is an Iraqi issue and members of the international community are providing air power, munitions and on-the-ground leadership and training to ensure Mosul is retaken. The focus must be on liberating the civilian population, eradicating Daesh’s base and returning the city and its hinterland to the rule of law, governance and authority of the government of Iraq.
Al Abadi has a responsibility to all Iraqis to ensure that he provides a stable and pluralistic government, free of corruption and outside influences, and that all of the militias working with the international community act in a responsible and law-abiding fashion. Sadly, some of these militias have records that are less than stellar in this regard.
