Pentagon chief optimistic about recapturing Mosul before Trump takes office

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said today that while the fight to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Daesh is going to be difficult, it is “possible” that the mission could be completed before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Capturing Mosul, the largest city under control of Daesh, is seen as being crucial for dismantling the caliphate which the militants declared over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Some 100,000 Iraqi government troops, Kurdish security forces and mainly Shia militiamen are taking part in “Operation Fath”, which began on 17 October, with air and ground support from a US-led coalition. When asked if the recapture would be complete before Trump starts his presidency next month, Carter said, “That is certainly possible and again it is going to be a tough fight.”

Daesh fighters had been retreating in the face of a seven-week military assault on Mosul. However, the fragility of the gains by coalition forces were made obvious as the militant forces hit back when US air support was hampered by cloudy skies. In a series of counter-attacks since Friday, the jihadist fighters struck elite Iraqi troops spearheading the offensive in eastern Mosul, and attacked security forces to the south and west of the city. “Obviously there (are) always weather issues… the Iraqi security forces are prepared for any eventuality there,” Carter pointed out.

Iraqi officials say that they continue to gain ground against the militants who still hold about three-quarters of the country’s largest northern city, but the fierce resistance means that the campaign is likely to stretch well into next year. It aims to recapture a city where the jihadists are dug in among civilians and using a network of tunnels to launch waves of attacks. Carter did not explain how the recapture could be completed before 20 January in the face of such resistance by Daesh.

According to Reuters, Carter has left the door open for US and coalition forces to stay in Iraq after Daesh has been removed. “In Iraq in particular,” he said in a speech in California on Saturday, “it will be necessary for the coalition to provide sustained assistance and carry on our work to train, equip and support local police, border guards and other forces to hold areas cleared from [Daesh].”