Page 8 - aruba today

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 24 February 2017
Somalia’s new
Iraq retakes Mosul airport amid advances against IS president picks

tacks, including dozens of prime minister
car bombs that struck the
slow-moving Iraqi convoys ABDI GULED
with deadly consequenc-
es. Associated Press
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP)
Clashes at Mosul’s airport
continued for hours, with — Somalia’s new Presi-
dent Mohamed Abdul-
IS militants hunkered down
inside several airport build- lahi Mohamed on Thurs-
day appointed a political
ings. By early afternoon,
federal police commander newcomer as the prime
minister, shortly before de-
Maj. Gen. Raid Shakir Jaw-
dat told Iraqi state TV that parting to Saudi Arabia for
his first foreign trip since his
his troops had control of
“more than half” of the air- election. Norwegian
Somali-born
port complex. About 200
families were evacuated to national Hassan Ali Khaire,
a former executive of Brit-
safe areas in government-
controlled areas, he said. ish energy explorer Soma
Oil & Gas, was appointed
Separately, the spokesman
of the Joint Military Opera- prime minister.
His selection is a nod to
tion Command, Brig. Gen.
Yahya Rasool confirmed balancing clan interests
A masked Iraqi security officer stands guard outside a house during a raid on suspected Islamic to the AP that Iraqi special in this Horn of Africa na-
State group fighters, in Mosul, Iraq. forces entered the Gha- tion. Khaire is a member
(AP Photo/John Beck) of the Hawiye clan, as is
zlani military base next to
QASSIM ZAHRA this week to drive IS from borhood, where they were the airport on the southern former President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud, whom
SINAN SALAHEDDIN the western half of Iraq’s working to surround it be- edge of the city. Mohamed defeated in the
SUSANNAH GEORGE second-largest city. By af- fore punching into the city. On Sunday, after weeks of election earlier this month.
Associated Press ternoon they had entered Several armored coalition preparations, Iraqi forces Mohamed is with the Da-
SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq (AP) the Ghazlani military base vehicles could be seen in launched the operation to rod clan.
— Closely supported by the south of the city, as well as the line of military vehicles, take Mosul’s western half, Khaire served as the Horn
U.S.-led international coali- the airport. and security officials said with the Iraqi regular army of Africa regional chief for
tion, Iraqi forces secured a Iraqi helicopters circled coalition troops were em- and federal police forces the Norwegian Refugee
series of cautious advances above Mosul firing down bedded with the forward taking part in the initial Council aid group from
on Thursday, pushing into onto the city’s southwest- advancing forces, advis- push. Since then, the mili- 2011-2014. In June 2012, he
a sprawling military base ern edge. Coalition and ing the Iraqi troops as they tary says they have retaken was in a motorcade that
outside of Mosul and onto Iraqi airstrikes that hit tar- conducted the assault. The some 120 square kilometers was attacked by armed
the grounds of the city’s air- gets inside Mosul sent officials spoke to The Asso- (nearly 50 miles) south of men on the Somalia-Kenya
port, where they took con- plumes of white smoke into ciated Press on condition the city. border, the Norwegian dai-
trol of the runway. the air on the horizon. of anonymity because they Thursday marked the first ly Verdens Gang reported.
The three-pronged at- “We’ve broken the first were not authorized to talk time the Iraqi special forc- The incident led to criticism
tack began just after sun- line of IS defenses,” said to reporters. es, which played a key role of the aid group’s security.
rise, with three convoys of Iraqi special forces Lt. Yas- The cautious advance in securing the eastern half Mohamed, who was inau-
Iraqi forces snaking north er Mohsen, whose troops stood in sharp contrast to of the city, joined the fight gurated on Wednesday,
across Nineveh’s hilly des- captured the key village the first days of Iraq’s push for western Mosul. also holds U.S. citizenship.
ert on Mosul’s southern of Tell al-Rayan, where Is- into Mosul from the east, A special forces officer His election was a key step
approach. Iraq’s special lamic State snipers had when Iraqi forces quickly overseeing the operation toward establishing Soma-
forces joined federal police been slowing the govern- advanced deep into the said IS targeted the ad- lia’s first fully functioning
and rapid response units in ment offensive. They then city’s congested neighbor- vancing troops with dozens central government in a
the push — part of a major moved to the edge of Mo- hoods, where they were hit of bombs dropped from quarter-century. The inter-
assault that started earlier sul’s western Mamun neigh- with heavy IS counterat- drones. q
national community has
UN working to get Cyprus peace talks back on track praised the peaceful trans-
fer of power.
Somalia, with an estimated
M. HADJICOSTIS cally split island who have nized only by Turkey which the Turkish Cypriot side’s population of 10 million,
Associated Press “stated their commitment” keeps over 35,000 troops in hardened stance. has a diaspora of more
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — to the 22-month peace the north. Akinci, in turn, accused the than 2 million people scat-
The United Nations said process. Thursday’s scheduled Greek Cypriots of reluc- tered by a quarter-century
Thursday it was working New meetings between meeting was scrapped af- tance to give ground on of conflict and drought at
to get negotiations to re- breakaway Turkish Cypriot ter Akinci withdrew over re- the Turkish Cypriot demand home. Many of the more
unify ethnically split Cyprus leader Mustafa Akinci and cent legislation making the for sharing the presidency than 20 presidential candi-
back on track, after the President Nicos Anastasia- commemoration of a 1950 in a federated Cyprus and dates held dual citizenship.
latest round of scheduled des, a Greek Cypriot, will vote for union with Greece equal representation in de- The new president has
talks were called off over a be announced “in due compulsory in Greek Cypri- cision making bodies. vowed to make security a
controversial Greek Cypriot course,” said the U.N. ot schools. Akinci said in a statement priority in a country where
schoolroom commemora- Cyprus was divided in 1974 Cypriot Foreign Minister that any progress in nearly Somalia’s homegrown Is-
tion. when Turkey invaded fol- Ioanis Kasoulides said it’s two years of talks was owed lamic extremist group, al-
The U.N. said in a statement lowing a coup by support- up to Akinci to get back to to the Turkish Cypriot side’s Shabab, still carries out
that envoy Espen Barth ers of union with Greece. A talks, which haven’t made deadly attacks in the capi-
Eide is working with the Turkish Cypriot declaration any progress in weeks be- “great effort and construc- tal, Mogadishu, and else-
rival leaders of the ethni- of independence is recog- cause of what he said was tive stance.” q where. q