Iraqi General Confession: How Mosul Really Fell

How can 500 rogue jihad fighters take a city from the hands of 30 thousand American trained soldiers in just three short days? That seems to be the question plaguing the Pentagon after ISIS stormed Mosul, taking Iraq’s second largest city as their own, earlier this summer. Now, the Islamic State continues to march their way across Iraq and Syria, taking control of large portions of the country with every passing day.

Mosul used to be the most important strategic city in Iraq. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki relied on Mosul for reinforcements, weapons and a gateway to policing the rest of the country. But when Mosul fell, the floodgates were open. In just two days, ISIS fighters killed or captured thousands of Iraqi soldiers, continued to seize control of FOUR different Iraqi military divisions, it eventually led to driving Maliki out of office in Baghdad, and the surge resulted in Western and Arab countries launching airstrikes in two countries. Instead of facing death at the hands of ISIS, many of those Iraqi soldiers joined forces with ISIS, and are now firing their weapons at Allied forces.

And according to a new Reuters report, it all could have been prevented at Mosul. For months, soldiers would whisper suspicions of a coup or commanders deserting their posts, but no one would go on the record, for fear of being tracked down and killed. Now, Reuters says the decision to leave Mosul unprotected could have gone all the way up to the very top, up to Nouri al-Maliki himself.

The coming assault from ISIS was no secret. It wasn’t an ambush. Everyone knew it was coming. Still, Mosul fell. Kurdish fighters living in and around the area offered to join up with the Iraqi Defense Forces and help defend Mosul. But Baghdad refused. Top military commanders refused. Until now, Maliki and at least three other top military commanders in Baghdad have refused to answer any questions about how Mosul fell. Lieutenant General Mahdi Gharawi says, he’s being thrown to the wolves, a scapegoat in the whole process. The General left his post in Mosul, leaving the city to be taken by ISIS. He stands trial, and potentially the death penalty for the fall of Mosul. But Ghawari says at least three other men could have also issued the orders to rally the troops and defend Mosul. But those orders never came.

While Ghawari’s fate hangs in the balance, so does the fate of the Iraqi people. Billions of American dollars, countless hours of military training and the most advanced weapons in the world are only as good as the courage of the people who hold them.