Iraqi prime minister says “conspiracy” behind Mosul attack

In his weekly televised address on Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki described the seizure of the country’s second largest city, Mosul, by Islamic militants as a “conspiracy” and vowed to push them out of the areas they had taken. Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister: “I wonder what has really happened and how it happened? How did some units collapse? I know the reasons, but today we are not here to blame those who took part or how the operation was carried out. Where did come from? Who spread the rumours? Who ordered the soldiers to withdraw in order to cause confusion among the military units?’‘ The governor of Nineveh province said that practical steps to restore order in the provincial capital in Mosul were being taken but criticised the central government for not taking action earlier. Atheel al-Nujaifi, Governor of Nineveh province: “Unfortunately Baghdad, and especially (Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri) al-Maliki, didn’t listen to us. He was listening to his army general, more than the government of Mosul.” Al-Maliki has pressed for the parliament to declare a state of emergency over the Mosul attack. A decision will be made in a vote on Thursday.