Humanitarian Consequences of Seizing Mosul: 'Up to 1 Million People Forced to Flee,' Administration Says
In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday Sept. 27, 2016. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)
(CNSNews.com) - As Iraqi troops, with U.S. assistance, prepare to forcibly remove ISIS from Mosul, the Obama administration says it is preparing for the "humanitarian consequences" of the city's liberation.
Part one of U.S. strategy is military -- to liberate the city that ISIS has claimed as part of its self-declared caliphate.
"Part two is making sure that we have in place all of the capacity we need to deal with what are likely to be the humanitarian consequences of seizing Mosul and in particular, internally displaced persons," Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress on Thursday.
"The U.N. is projecting that there could be up to 1 million people forced to flee Mosul as a result of the effort to liberate it.
"We are working very hard with the U.N., with the Iraqis, to put in place everything that they need to care for these people. With food, with shelter, with medicine, and that also is on track. It's challenging but it's on track. We've raised the money to do it, we're pre-positioning resources."Part one of U.S. strategy is military -- to liberate the city that ISIS has claimed as part of its self-declared caliphate.
"Part two is making sure that we have in place all of the capacity we need to deal with what are likely to be the humanitarian consequences of seizing Mosul and in particular, internally displaced persons," Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress on Thursday.
"The U.N. is projecting that there could be up to 1 million people forced to flee Mosul as a result of the effort to liberate it.
Blinken said part three of the strategy is "stabilization" of Mosul, so displaced people can return home as soon as possible. ISIS is known to devastate and booby-trap the cities it flees. But Blinken said the U.S. has a plan to "restore basic services, basic security" in Mosul.
The final part of the strategy is governance -- "because unless the basic governance structure is in place and everyone agrees to it, we're going to have problems after the liberation."
Blinken said the U.S. has worked very hard with the Iraqi government, with the Kurds and others to agree on "what governance will look like in Mosel and Nineveh (province)" after the liberation.
The goal is to make sectarian and ethnic antagonists work cooperatively and inclusively, making decisions that reflect the will of the various factions they represent.
"We've also tried to learn lessons from the past," Blinken said. "In Fallujah when it was liberated, as you know, we saw some reprisal atrocities committed by the Shia PMF, Popular Mobilization Forces. We have made sure that for Mosul, there will be no southern or Shia PMF going into Mosul city. Similarly, no Kurdish Peshmerga going in."
Blinken said the security forces and police sent in to "hold" Mosul will be comprised of members of Sunni tribes from the region.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee called Thursday's hearing to discuss another humanitarian crisis -- the six-year civil war in Syria that -- in Blinken's own words -- has "killed at least 400,000 people, triggered the worst humanitarian displacement crisis since World War II, put neighboring countries of first asylum under enormous pressure, exacerbated regional tensions, helped swell the ranks of violent extremist organization, most notable Daesh and al-Qaeda."
In tough questioning, Blinken could not tell the committee if the Obama administration has a "Plan B," now that the "cessation of hostilities" negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry's has failed.
"What is Plan B? Give me the element of Plan B," Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) asked Blinken.
"So, two things," Blinken said. First, he mentioned the "consequences" to Russia if the civil war accelerates and Russia is "stuck in a quagmire," defending the losing Assad regime against "an onslaught of weaponry coming in from outside patrons."
"Second...the president has asked all of the agencies to put forward options. Some familiar, some new that we are very actively reviewing. When we are able to work through these in the days ahead, we'll have an opportunity to come back and talk about them in detail, but we're in the process of doing that."
"OK, so let me just say what we already know," Corker responded. "There is no Plan B..."
"What is Plan B? Give me the element of Plan B," Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) asked Blinken.
"So, two things," Blinken said. First, he mentioned the "consequences" to Russia if the civil war accelerates and Russia is "stuck in a quagmire," defending the losing Assad regime against "an onslaught of weaponry coming in from outside patrons."
"Second...the president has asked all of the agencies to put forward options. Some familiar, some new that we are very actively reviewing. When we are able to work through these in the days ahead, we'll have an opportunity to come back and talk about them in detail, but we're in the process of doing that."
"OK, so let me just say what we already know," Corker responded. "There is no Plan B..."
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/humanitarian-consequences-seizing-mosul-1-million-people-forced-flee
My comments: ALL OF THIS is a result of Obama leaving Iraq and allowing ISIS to form.
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