skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Quotes From Locals About The Fall of Mosul And The Collapse of Maliki's Army
Source of quotes: The Guardian/Mona Mahmood.
"Everyone in Samara is happy with the fighters’ management of the
city. They have proved to be professional and competent. We have water
and power; there is a shortage in fuel because Maliki’s forces have cut
the bridges between Samara and Baghdad. The fighters themselves did not
harm or kill anyone as they swept forward.
We as Sunni people have never been treated fairly by Maliki’s fanatic
government and army. If it were not a sectarian army, it would have
fought to the end but they fled as soon as things got serious. A friend
of mine, a shopkeeper in Samara, told me the army and police have bought
more than 1000 dishdash [a smock worn commonly by men in Iraq] to
prepare themselves to flee in civil clothes in case they are cornered by
rebels. The army’s main interest is money – most of them are
militiamen not professional soldiers." - Taher Hassan.
"I live in Hay Al Nour in Mosul on the left bank of the Tigris. I’m the
head of a big tribe in Mosul - more than 35 members of my family live in
the same neighbourhood. Not one of us has left our home.
For two days now, after the fighters took our neighbourhood, the army
forces have not fought back. They left their weapons behind.
It seems the fighters have a good security plan for the city. They
really know the nature of the city and have not made the same mistakes as
the US forces, or Maliki’s forces, when they invaded Mosul. They are
protecting all the governmental buildings in the city and have not
destroyed or stolen anything. They haven’t harmed a person in the city.
Can you imagine that the armed forces that have had
millions spent on them for more than 11 years collapsed within a few
hours?" - Abu Riyad.
"The situation in Mosul now is stable and quiet. There are no armed
indications in the city at all, you might see two or four fighters at
the main
entrances of the city but not inside. Life is so normal in Mosul. Our
fighters are advancing towards Baghdad without any significant
resistance by the military forces. All we are doing is negotiating with
the army and police commanders, as well as tribes leaders, and they are
coming over to our side.
The fight now is in the Baghdad suburbs, near the Al Taji district. We
have prepared enough men and arms and been waiting for this day for more
then 10 years now. All the fighters are Iraqis from different parts of
Iraq, in addition to senior military leaders who are lading the battles
and setting up our successful plans. This is the reason why we are
advancing further day by day." - Dr Ali Abu Tiba, media coordinator for Al-Naqshabandiyia Resistance Movement in Mosul.