Pentagon scraps attack on Mosul: ‘There are gaps and seams that need to be closed’

Pentagon scraps attack on Mosul: ‘There are gaps and seams that need to be closed’

The Pentagon has put plans to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, from Islamic State militants on hold indefinitely.

Defense officials pentagon-scrubs-major-attack-on-isis.html” target=”_blank”>told The Daily Beast on Friday that the plans for a counteroffensive attack have been pushed back for several months at least.

The report comes after the Pentagon recently announced that the first major ground offensive against the terrorist group would come in the next few weeks.

Defense officials who once hoped that Iraqi troops could move into Mosul by spring now say that a fall deadline is more realistic, The Daily Beast reported.

“It is an Iraqi decision but we don’t want to do anything until they are ready and can win decisively,” a military official told The Daily Beast. “They cannot now.”

Defense Department spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby skirted questions on the timeline on Friday, saying he couldn’t name a certain date, nor deny that April was no longer a realistic option.

via NorthEast Calling http://ift.tt/1zs2hCo