Iraq: Maliki denies responsibility for fall of Mosul, blames Ankara, Irbil
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 August 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq: Maliki denies responsibility for fall of Mosul, blames Ankara, Irbil, 18 August 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55ee96da28.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 18, 2015
Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's former prime minister, has rejected a parliamentary report that recommends he and dozens of other government and military officials stand trial over the fall of Mosul in 2014 to Islamic State (IS) militants.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Maliki said the report's findings have "no value."
He also said the fall of Mosul was the result of "a conspiracy planned in Ankara, then the conspiracy moved to Irbil," the capital of northern Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Iraqi lawmakers on August 17 endorsed the parliamentary panel report and forwarded it to the country's prosecutor-general for possible legal action.
Mahmud al-Hassan, the head of the parliamentary legal panel, said Iraq's judiciary now has the final say on whether legal proceedings should continue.
IS militants overran Iraq's northern city of Mosul in June 2014 as they captured large swaths of territory during a rapid advance through western and northern Iraq.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website