“Therefore, the liberation of Mosul is very important for the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG],” Barzani said in the interview, adding that the operation to retake the city from its Islamic State (ISIS) occupiers is only in the planning stage.

“There are two reasons … From the military and security point of view, who will control the city in the future? The control of the city must be carefully evaluated,” PM Barzani told VOA. “In my view, who controls the city after the liberation is of utmost importance. Aside from this, the Iraqi Army is not adequately ready and could take months to get ready.”