At issue is who will confront ISIS on the ground in a country where sectarian divisions run deep.
“Arab partners in the ISIS coalition are concerned that the planned operation by Iraqi and coalition forces to retake Mosul will be largely led by Shia-dominated Iraqi forces which will alienate local Sunnis and fuel instability after the operation”, a senior Arab official tells CNN.
Related: U.S. official: Plans in place for 25,000-strong Iraqi spring push to retake Mosul
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However, the military force authorization the administration is currently seeking from Congress would not limit future action geographically.
And at remarks in November at a Washington think tank, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. “will remain committed to degrading and defeating Daesh in Iraq, in Syria, and wherever it is found. And we will do so until that goal is achieved, I assure you.”
