Iraqi offensive against al Qaeda in Mosul underway

CNN:

A major movement of Iraqi forces gathered on Sunday in Mosul as a prelude to a planned offensive against Islamic fighters loyal to al Qaeda, an Iraqi government spokesman said.

The forces include troops, special forces, tanks and Iraqi air force support, Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told the state-run television network al-Iraqia. Iraqi police and the army will play the lead role and will be supported by multi-national forces, he said.

Al-Askari said multi-national forces and members of the country's "awakening councils" -- a frequent target of the jihadists -- will participate in the offensive as well. Awakening councils are largely Sunni Arab groups that are cooperating with U.S. troops against al Qaeda in Iraq.

A security official in Mosul told CNN that reinforcements from Baghdad would begin arriving Sunday and continue over the coming two weeks.

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This is an interesting development that should tells us a lot about how ready Iraqis are to assume responsibility for security. It is a bold move on the part of the government and the Iraqi military. The US will still have their back, but it is good to see them taking the initiative. If they succeed it could reinforce the planned reduction in forces that the US has scheduled for this year. It will not mean that the Iraqis are ready to defend themselves from outside threats, for which they will need US assistance for several years.