Iraqi officials have expressed irritation and analysts skepticism at the US prediction that an offensive to retake Iraq's key city of Mosul from jihadists could be launched in April-May.
Mosul is a major hub for the Islamic State (ISIS) group and holds special significance as the place where jihadist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria.
It has been under the jihadists' full control since the second day of their June offensive in Iraq, but federal and Kurdish forces have been slowly closing in, reports AFP.
An official with the US Central Command said last week that "the mark on the wall we are still shooting for is the April-May timeframe."
Iraq's defense minister, Khaled Obeidi, was irate that the Pentagon would call a date for the Mosul battle.
"A military official should not disclose the date and time of an attack," he told reporters on Sunday. "The timing is up to (Iraqi) military commanders. Where this American official got his information from, I don't know."
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ReplyDeleteHad to have been OK'd by Field Marshals Obama & Jarrett. Same successful strategy they used in Afghanistan to show their cards at earliest moment.
If bad guys know ahead of time what our plan and timeline is they can hide until we leave. If they're hiding we use less ammo killing them since there is nobody to shoot at. Saved ammo lowers the budget deficit. Trust the Field Marshals.