More than 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces have begun operations against al Qaeda in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, the U.S. military said on Monday, paving the way for what Iraqi officials say will be a decisive strike.
Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced plans to drive Sunni Islamist militants out of Mosul, Iraq’s third-largest city, which U.S. commanders call al Qaeda’s last major urban stronghold. Full Story