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Who will liberate Mosul?

The liberation of Mosul is complicated by its ethnic, religious and ideological pluralism.
Iraqi defence minister Khaled al-Obeidi (L) talks with Mosul governor Atheel al-Nujaifi during a visit at a training camp for Kurdish Peshmerga troops in Arbil, November 3, 2014. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR4COAN

Atheel al-Nujaifi, the governor of Ninevah province, does not seem concerned by the criticism and calls to dismiss him after Mosul fell to the Islamic State (IS) earlier this year. Instead, Nujaifi appears intent on imposing himself as an essential player in the liberation of the city. He is currently visiting Washington to promote his vision of what needs to be done. Mosul's liberation, however, cannot be left only to Nujaifi’s efforts. It will require representation from all the city's ethnic, religious and sectarian communities.

Nujaifi's views on Mosul coincide with those of Turkey, which he thinks should play a key role in expelling IS, given its geographical location and historical relations. Nujaifi accompanied Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on a Nov. 21 visit to a Kurdish peshmerga camp supervised by the Turkish army in Diana, in northern Erbil.

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