MESOP FLASH : Qasim Sulaimani in Iraq to Command Militias in West of Mosul

The commander of the Iranian Quds brigade,  Basnews English – 08/11/2016 – 15:24      |  Iraq – MOSUL — The Shi’ite militia Hashd al-Shaabi’s deputy commander, Abu Mahdi Muhandis, stated on Monday that the commander of the Iranian Quds brigade, Qasim Sulaimani, is currently commanding the Iraqi forces in west of Mosul.

Muhandis said on Monday in a press statement that Iran’s Sulaimani is in Iraq to command the Shi’ite militia forces in the battle of Mosul in the west of the city.Sulaimani is participating in the Mosul operation while the Iraqi senior officials have repeatedly stated that no foreign forces are allowed to participate in the battle. Nineveh officials and tribes have constantly demanded that the Shi’ite militia Hashd al-Shaabi must be excluded in the Mosul assault; only the Iraqi army, Peshmerga forces and the volunteer forces from Mosul need to take part in the process. In May, 2016, after the operation against Islamic State in Fallujah, Human Rights Watch indicated in their research that members of Hashd al-Shaabi forces have beaten, tortured, summarily executed and forcibly displaced Arab civilians including children. Many of the displaced civilians have disappeared. www.mesop.de