Preventing IS from rising again is biggest challenge: Iraqi Ambassador
By Faten Omar KUWAIT:
Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Alaa Al-Hashemi has declared victory over the Islamic State (IS) group in Mosul, but in the fight against a militant organization that has reincarnated itself before, the biggest challenge may not be defeating IS, but preventing it from rising again.
During a press conference held on Thursday at the Iraqi Embassy, Hashemi said members of the terrorist organization still exist in some areas. “We are seeing the end of the fake Daesh state,” he said, referring to the terrorist group by its Arabic acronym. “We will not relent - our brave forces will bring victory. The security plan is needed at the moment and the experience gained by Iraqi forces and intelligence is very high. We were able to distinguish between militants and citizens who tried to escape during the liberation of Mosul - but many of them remain in hotspots that have not yet been liberated.” Hashemi noted that Iraqi forces can deal with the situation, but it also requires regional and international efforts, because the issue is not limited to Iraq only, but many countries. He said these efforts are required in coordination with Iraq, which has gained experience during years of war against Al-Qaeda and Daesh. “The Amir of Kuwait has announced Kuwait’s readiness to host a conference before the end of this year with the participation of many sponsors and supporters of Iraq to ensure its success,” he added.
On the sidelines of the conference, Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Reza Enayati said the Iran-Iraq border is secure, but with the current situation, it requires to be more so, stressing that this will be through coordination with relevant authorities in Iraq. “We congratulate the Iraqi leadership, government and people on this important victory that was achieved in Mosul. Iraq deserves this victory. The brutal hand of terrorism has hit the good, civilized and ancient Iraq. We hope that such joy will spread throughout our region,” Enayati said.
On participation of Iranian forces in the liberation of Mosul, he said: “We have previously announced that Iran is present only in an advisory role and there are no ground troops in Iraq.” On the Gulf crisis and regional interventions, Enayati confirmed that Iran is not a party in the conflict, but is assisting Qatar.
British Ambassador to Kuwait Matthew Lodge said after his congratulations to the Iraqi Ambassador on the liberation of Mosul, that, “The aim of intensive visits by British officials to Kuwait last week is to support this country’s mediation efforts and noble endeavors led by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to resolve the Gulf crisis. Unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council must be maintained and the dispute resolved as soon as possible.”