WEBVTT

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Salaam Alaikum , Good

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afternoon ,

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Ladies and gentlemen , it's been about

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three months uh , since I last spoke to

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this group down here in Baghdad coming

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down from Tikrit , which is where we

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are stationed . Uh , I know many of you

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are interested in the security

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conditions in the north , but I know

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some of you are interested in some of

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the other things that are going on in

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the north . So I'll try and cover both

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of those things in an opening statement

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first of all , in terms of security .

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Uh , since june of last year , the

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significant activity in The northern

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provinces as we measure them , have

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been reduced by about 75% across the

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board . Uh , it's gone from about 2600

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reported events A month ,

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uh , in June of 2007 to about

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650 in June of 2008 . And

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that's continuing to decline so far

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this month , in July , The number of

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IED . S that we have seen in the

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northern provinces have decreased by

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about 50% since February of this year .

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From about 950 to about

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430 . Uh , as measured in June . And

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those also continued to decline . Uh ,

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that's not to say we still don't have

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threats . The largest threats that

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we're seeing from both terrorists and

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criminal organizations are

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suicide vest in the southern province

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of Diyala and vehicle born explosive

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devices throughout the provinces , but

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specifically in Mosul . And what I'd

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like to say about those two things

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because it shows the barbarous and evil

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intent of our enemies and why they must

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be destroyed in Iraq . So Iraq can

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continue on is by our count , the

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number of killed Iraqis uh , from

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suicide Best has been about 250 since

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the first part of the year . The number

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of Iraqis killed by vehicle born

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explosive device is in the neighborhood

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of about 1500 . These are

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random violent acts conducted by these

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criminal terrorists and that's why we

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are continuing to go after . Not only

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the ones that do these things , but the

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networks that support them uh

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continuing operations . I brought this

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map here just to show you uh , the

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areas that we operate in as you all

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well know , here is the city of Baghdad

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and all of these provinces are the

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multinational north divisions ,

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Operation areas . Uh , we are

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continuing to conduct with my brother ,

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Lieutenant General Riad Operations ,

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Mother of Two Springs in Mosul and New .

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Uh , along with the second Iraqi Army

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Division in the third Division , Third

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Iraqi Army Division with elements of

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coalition forces continue to operate in

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Mosul and throughout the province . Uh ,

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we are beginning as announced by Prime

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Minister maliki . The Operation Omens

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of prosperity , Please don't fault me

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for my pronunciation bashar al car .

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The Operation Omens of prosperity in

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Diyala province and that will begin in

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early august and while those two

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operations are being led by the Iraqi

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army , we will continue to partner with

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Iraqi security forces and begin

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conducting our own operation , which is

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called Iron pursuit . Now that's an

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operation that's directed against all

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the support zones of Al Qaeda in Rio ,

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in Iraq . Uh , and our message in

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conducting that operation is , we have

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secured the key cities of the north .

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We have seen Al Qaeda continue to be

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pushed into the , what we call the

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support zones are the areas of the

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desert and we will continue to pursue

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them into those areas , uh ,

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relentlessly pursuing them and showing

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them there is no sanctuary until they

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leave this country . Uh , With that

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is uh , the security breakdown , what

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I've summarized by saying is security

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is better in the North , it's better

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throughout Iraq . You all know that

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it's getting better daily . Uh , right

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now , as we speak , there are over 1200

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new Iraqi policemen in training

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academies throughout our four academies

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in the Northern provinces .

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Additionally , the Iraqi Army continues

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to grow in both capability in size . Uh ,

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We conducted as an example , we

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conducted this last Wednesday , a

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combined air assault with Iraqi forces

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in Diyala province that consisted of

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about half and half Iraqi army US Army

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at a two battalion assault into an area

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that has been the sanctuary of Al Qaeda

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and we're continuing to clear those

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areas as well . Uh , this improved

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security has allowed a greater economic

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development in the four northern

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provinces and I'd be happy to talk

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about that , the markets are open and

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getting better every day . The roads

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are being paved as I flew down here for

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commanders conference yesterday , I saw

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personally three different asphalt

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cruise on different roads throughout

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different areas of the provinces . I

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saw hydro electric lines going up

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throughout the provinces and being

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repaired , electrical powers that are

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going to bring better and increased

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electricity generators have been moving

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throughout our provinces . Uh , we just

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moved several large generators in

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december uh , last week and the exports

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are increasing as well . The oil

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experts , as you know , are at a record

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high that also allows for greater

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political interaction between the

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government of Iraq and the provincial

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governments , which we're seeing as

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they prepare for the upcoming vote .

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And I'd like to talk about that as well .

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But those are my opening statements

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with that . I'd like to take any

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questions . Yes , ma'am .

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Okay , mm .

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Uh ,

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two questions . What your comments were

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about some of the recent military

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officials who talked about Al Qaeda

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leaving Iraq or Afghanistan and how

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that's affected um , your area of

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operations . And my second question was

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in regards to Mosul , there have been

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reports um , before about

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assassinations that professors and

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certain other professional groups and I

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was just wondering what the situation

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is . Now . Um , we're still hearing

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reports of that happening . I'll answer

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the first one . The first question

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about the Al Qaeda leaving Iraq . I , I

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really don't concern myself with that

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to be honest with you , that's for my

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higher commanders to concern themselves

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with . My concern is making sure that

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we go after him in our area of

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operations . If they leave Iraq ,

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that's fine with me . But all I'm

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concerned about is either killing them

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or capturing them and getting them out

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of the way of the Iraqi people so they

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can improve security in the northern

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provinces in terms of uh individuals

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being killed . That's true . There are

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intimidation tactics going on

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throughout the northern provinces . Al

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Qaeda we think has been targeting not

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only Iraqi security forces writ large ,

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but specifically in some cases Iraqi

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police , they are targeting in some

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cases Iraqi intellectuals because they

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know these are the individuals who are

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speaking out for a more representative

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Iraq and a more inclusive Iraq . So yes ,

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that intimidation and murder campaign

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certainly is ongoing . I don't believe

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it's at the level of extreme yet , but

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there are some instances and we track

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that every day as part of our

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significant activity uh looks in the

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various provinces . Yeah . Yes , sir ,

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there

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was a report said the failure of the

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operations in Mosul . Also , previous

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statement , Iraqi officials said ,

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currently revised the operation in

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Mosul regarding the

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operation . Uh

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is it really the first military

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campaign failed in muslim ? I'm sorry ,

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say again . The last part

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when the second space of

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military operation in Muslim will begin .

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Do you think it's really the military

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operations . And muslim have held no ,

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I would not say the military operations

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in Mosul has failed at all . In fact ,

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what I would say is General Riyadh's

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operations have been a great success .

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Uh There are still attacks going on in

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the city , but they have been

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significantly reduced what is occurring .

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And I was just in Mosul last Wednesday

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and in fact I'd like to talk a little

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bit about that . I was in Mosul last

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Wednesday and what I saw compared to

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three months ago was a completely

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different city .