The Mosul operation clearly shows that Western countries so fond of blaming Damascus and Moscow for “inhumane military actions” in Syria don’t even care for civilians in war-torn areas.
On October 17, the world saw the beginning of the offensive of the so-called “coalition forces” consisting of the Peshmerga troops, Shia and Sunni militia and the Iraqi army.
The aerial support is provided by the US-led coalition aviation. US and British Spec Ops, American, French and British artillery and military advisers along with western PSCs are aiding the operation forces on the ground.
Even before the operation started, international humanitarian organizations, journalists and politicians of various countries forecast the aggravation of the humanitarian situation.
It was clear that ISIS wouldn’t let the Mosul population leave the city to use the residents as human shields. The Pentagon, which basically supervised the arrangement of the operation and is controlling it now, initially planned no humanitarian corridors for civilians.
This reminds of the assault on Iraq’s Fallujah in 2004 after it was captured by Muqtada al-Sadr’s militants. Then, the US military gave one week for civilians to leave the city without providing any humanitarian corridors or camps.
Afterwards, all the residents who stayed in the city were considered terrorists’ accomplices. Thousands of civilians fell victims to the assault that followed.
Now, Mosul and its suburbs are witnessing airstrikes on living districts that destroy schools, mosques and residential houses; more than 1.5 thousand civilians were killed the previous month.
Not all of them became the victims of the Coalition’s jets – both Western and Iraqi artillery, which is far from being accurate, also contributes to the death toll.
As analysts predicted, the Western special forces and mercenaries [who] are fighting in Mosul suburbs shoot at almost anything that moves while operating within the city borders.
Such a tactic resulted in dozens if not hundreds of civilians killed, as revealed in the footages of Iraqi journalists advancing with the army. The troops seem to tag the Mosul population as ISIS accomplices not to risk their own lives.
Meanwhile, hundreds of the city and local villages’ residents have been executed or murdered by terrorists themselves.
For instance, one can be killed for violating the ban on using mobile phones, alleged assistance to the coalition forces or simply for an attempt to leave the city without the required fee or permit.
Another side of the humanitarian disaster in Mosul is the refugee crisis.
The UN reports that more than 50 thousand people have left the city and its outskirts since the operation started. Only 12 thousand of them received the required aid. The number of refugees from the war-torn region is projected to reach one million by midwinter.
Before the operation, it was stated that most of them would be placed in Iraq’s Ninawa and Anbar provinces. But as for November 1, the camps there were filled up to 50%.
Meanwhile, at the urge or direction of the US Command, neither Iraqi nor foreign humanitarian organizations are permitted to enter the battle zone. No one cares about the locals suffering from the shortage of medicine, water and food or qualified medical aid.
Actually, people have nowhere to go to, they just can’t escape from the war. They have basically only one way – to move to Europe. Is the West ready for it? That’s unlikely. It would rather keep the Mosul residents in the city until the coalition eliminates everyone it calls “terrorists”.
US-led coalition’s actions threaten lives of thousands of residents living in Mosul
A month after the start of the joint offensive carried out by Iraqi security forces (ISF), Shiite militias and Kurdish “Peshmerga” forces, supported by US-led international coalition on Mosul, we can have a look at the first results of the operation. Apparently, they leave much to be desired.
First, early announcement of the operation provided ISIS militants with opportunity to prepare for a long-term defense, so that the coalition missed the chance to use the element of surprise. As a result, radicals strengthened their positions in Mosul and surrounding villages, forcing the attacking forces to join the battle in the conditions most favorable to the militants. Terrorists are actively using explosive devices which target both security forces and civilians.
Lives of the latter are almost completely ignored by the coalition. Unlike the terrorists, civilians were unable to take advantage of operation’s announcement because the coalition command failed to effectively organize humanitarian corridors.
As a result, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, only 40,000 of refugees managed to leave the city which counts more than one and a half million people. The responsibility for the failure was pushed on the Iraqi security forces, who were forced to attack terrorists using civilians as human shields.
Furthermore, civilian death toll continues to rise due to coalition airstrikes targeting Mosul and its vicinity. Whole families fall victims: late October an airstrike carried out by U.S. Air Force at the village of Fadhiliya resulted in death of seven persons from the same family.
Considering that the coalition air forces conduct dozens of air strikes on a daily basis, the number of casualties should be measured in hundreds, being significantly higher than the official data provided by the coalition.
While the US and its allies stubbornly deny any responsibility for civilian casualties, the consequences of their airstrikes are used by ISIS terrorists to justify the need for confronting “crusaders’ coalition”. Terrorists publish photos and video footages in social media to accuse US-led coalition of civilian casualties.
Obviously, the U.S. planned to liberate Mosul before presidential elections, which were expected to become victorious for the Democratic Party Candidate Hillary Clinton. Now, after Donald Trump’s unexpected victory, the situation around the Iraqi city is getting more confused.
The interest of Obama’s administration in this problem is gradually fading, and there is no guarantee that the United States will be able to accomplish the operation in Mosul. Therefore, it is likely that the people of Mosul could find themselves in front of a humanitarian disaster and terrorists.
The city’s population is between the hummer and the anvil: the coalition continues to conduct air strikes on Mosul, while the terrorists use them as human shields. And no side is confused by the deaths of civilians.