Iraq ready to finish off al-Qaeda?
The Maliki, ass-kicking tour continues . From Basra, to Sadr City, now to Mosul, Hot Air has the scoop.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday to supervise a military offensive against al-Qaida in Iraq in its last major stronghold, regional Gov. Duraid Kashmola said.
Maliki’s flight to northern Iraq mirrors a similar trip he took almost two months ago to the southern city of Basra, where government troops fought radical Shiite militias. That fighting spread to the Shiite slum of Sadr City in Baghdad, where a cease-fire to end those clashes was only reached on Monday.
The offensive, called Lion’s Roar, is the latest effort by Iraqi and U.S. troops to clear al-Qaida fighters from Mosul, the nation’s third largest city. Troops began sweeping though the city’s neighborhoods last week.
Mosul is considered the last important urban staging ground for al-Qaida in Iraq after losing its strongholds in Baghdad and other areas during the U.S. troop “surge” last year. American troops will support Iraqi forces when requested, the U.S. military has said.
Excellent work going on in Iraq by Iraqi forces! Maliki has sent a very strong message to his people and to the terrorists that he will not allow terrorists to hold sway in Iraq.