Hollande urges vigilance over jihadists returning from Iraq

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday urged the US-led coalition backing the offensive against Islamic State jihadists in Mosul to prepare for the aftermath of the city’s fall, including returning fighters. “The recapture is not an end in itself. We must already anticipate the consequences of the fall of Mosul,” he told a meeting of […]

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday urged the US-led coalition backing the offensive against Islamic State jihadists in Mosul to prepare for the aftermath of the city’s fall, including returning fighters.
“The recapture is not an end in itself. We must already anticipate the consequences of the fall of Mosul,” he told a meeting of coalition defence chiefs in Paris.
“What is at stake is the political future of the city, the region and Iraq,” Hollande said, calling for “all ethnic and religious groups” to have a say in the future running of the predominantly Sunni city.
Of the estimated 4,000-5,000 jihadists fighting in Mosul, around 300 are French, according to French officials. He also appealed for measures to shield civilians trapped in Mosul by the fighting and for “vigilance” faced with the prospect of return foreign jihadists returning home from the Iraqi battlefield.