Myriad Forces to Join Invasion of Iraq’s Mosul, But With Different Agendas

Victory Over ISIS Could Draw New Battlelines

The Iraqi government’s interest in getting the invasion of Mosul, the largest ISIS-held city, underway in the next month, has many would-be allies scrambling into the area, forming an array of different factions that all have an interest in participating in the battle.

The Iraqi military is rushing, in no small part because the Kurdish Peshmerga are just north of Mosul, and grabbing territory they intend to annex, while the US embeds troops with the Iraqi military, and both Sunni and Shi’ite militias also looking to join the battle.

The Iraqi government has long relied on the Shi’ite militias in such offensives, but they have been repeatedly caught abusing the Sunni population after sieges, and while the Shi’ite-dominated government sees them as a loyal force with a close relationship to the ruling party, torture and kidnapping could easily spark more unrest in Mosul.

The Sunni militias are usually there for show, to prove that the war isn’t fully sectarian. Meanwhile, the Kurds are going to be looking for influence, just like everyone else. While this many groups could be a boost for the fight against ISIS, it also could easily end up drawing new battlelines over the city.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.