‘The war is not over’ US commander in Mosul warns Iraq must work to stop 'ISIS 2.0'
ISIS were wiped out from their Iraq stronghold after the vile jihadis holed themselves up in the Old City area of Mosul.
But Lt Gen Stephen Townsend has warned the Government will have to take further steps to reach out to the Sunni population of the country to stop regional tensions causing further conflict.
He said: "If we're to keep... ISIS 2.0 from emerging, the Iraqi government is going to have to do something pretty significantly different.
"They're going to have to reach out and reconcile with the Sunni population, and make them feel like their government in Baghdad represents them."
Iraq’s current Prime Minister is Haider al-Abadi, who represents the Shia State of Law coalition.
The country is one of the world’s few Shia governed states, while Iraq itself is divided between the 57 per cent Shia and 40 per cent Sunni population, as well as the majority Sunni Kurdish citizenry.
Mr Abadi formally declared victory over the vile ISIS regime in Iraq after a nearly nine-month battle against the terror tyrants came to a close in Mosul.
Dressed in a black military uniform he heralded the "collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood” as he waved his nation’s flag.
In a speech shown on state television, he said: "I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul.
"We have another mission ahead of us, to create stability, to build and clear Daesh cells, and that requires an intelligence and security effort, and the unity which enabled us to fight Daesh.”
US President Donald Trump congratulated Iraq and said ISIS’ days were numbered.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the victory "a critical milestone" in the war against ISIS.
