Upbeat on Mosul, US defence chief eyes future Iraq aid
By Phil Stewart BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter emerged upbeat from talks in Baghdad on Saturday about an unfolding offensive to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State and said he was in discussions about future U.S. support once the city is recaptured. The fall of Mosul, a city of 1.5 million people, would signal a pivotal defeat for the ultra-hardline Sunni jihadistsin Iraq but could also lead to land grabs and sectarianbloodletting. Islamic State itself is also expected to morph into a moreclassic insurgency once it loses its final pockets of territoryin Iraq. Carter said he was encouraged by the campaign so far and wasin discussions not just about potential future roles for U.S.troops after the fall of Mosul but also about the pressing needfor humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. "Now that isn't a defence mission or an Iraqi army mission,but it's a critical part of winning the peace," Carter toldreporters after talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi."So even as we embark on this phase with Mosul ... we needto think about the future. And we are. And I did discuss thatwith the prime minister." The United Nations says Mosul could require the biggesthumanitarian relief operation in the world, with worst-casescenario forecasts of up to a million people being uprooted. Carter said the fight for Mosul was on track and onschedule, an assessment he added was shared by Baghdad. The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Lieutenant GeneralStephen Townsend, said Taliban resistance had stiffened inrecent days as the U.S.-backed Iraqi campaign advanced closer tothe city of Mosul. TOUGH FIGHTING "It's pretty significant (resistance). We're talking enemyindirect fire ... even some anti-tank guided missiles. So it’sbeen very tough fighting. Snipers. Machineguns," Townsend said. "The Iraqis expected this and they're fighting through it." Roughly 5,000 U.S. personnel are in Iraq. More than 100 ofthem are embedded with Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forcesinvolved with the Mosul offensive, advising commanders andhelping ensure coalition air power hits the right targets.Townsend disclosed that a total of about 500 coalition troops, including Americans, had gone "forward" on thebattlefield - moving beyond the advancing forward line oftroops that bears the brunt of the fighting. "In an attack, the forward line of troops is a living,breathing, moving, thing." he said. In a reminder of the risks, U.S. Navy Chief Petty OfficerJason Finan was killed on Thursday by a roadside bomb innorthern Iraq as he was accompanying Iraqi forces, in the firstU.S. casualty of the Mosul campaign. Carter said he met one of Finan's teammates in Baghdad, andlearned more about the sailor's family. "We need to understand … that there are Americans here thatare in harm's way," Carter said. Speaking to a gathering of U.S. troops in Iraq, Carter saidhe was looking at potential future roles for U.S. forces afterMosul is recaptured, including counter-terrorism activities andmore training Iraqi forces. "As ISIL is progressively defeated in the major cities, theywill take to a more of an insurgency type set of tactics. Sowe’ll have a need to help the Iraqis to protect themselves,"should Iraq request support, he said, using an acronym for thegroup. (Editing by Andrew Roche)
