Will Mosul witness a political battle post-IS?
In an interview with Al-Monitor, former governor of Ninevah province Atheel al-Nujaifi discussed post-Islamic State Ninevah, the motives behind the arrest warrants against him and the need for international assistance in the aftermath of the battle of Mosul.
Atheel al-Nujaifi, the former governor of Ninevah province, has been accused by some in Iraq of being one of the reasons for the fall of Mosul on June 10, 2014, into the hands of the Islamic State (IS). Following pressure from Iraqi political blocs, the Iraqi parliament on May 28, 2015, removed Nujaifi from his position. However, he remained one of the most influential political figures in Ninevah province.
After that, Nujaifi established the National Mobilization Forces, later known as the Ninevah Guards, which joined the Iraqi state-affiliated Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). It has often been reported that a judicial arrest warrant was issued against Nujaifi. However, he has not been arrested despite his constant meetings with Iraqi government and security officials.
A controversial figure, Nujaifi is the brother of former Iraqi Speaker and current Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi. Al-Monitor interviewed Nujaifi from his current residence in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The text of the interview follows:
