''Few in the West are familiar with the city that Iraqi Prime Minister
Haider al-Abadi ordered to be invaded 10 days ago. "You either
surrender, or die," he said in a televised speech, a combative
appearance during which he wore the black fatigues of the notorious
anti-terror units. The town is called Tal Afar, located west of the
recently liberated city of Mosul, and it is one of the last Islamic
State (IS) strongholds in Iraq.
Tal Afar is essentially one of two IS hometowns, having produced
several high-ranking members of the terrorist organization. Even under
Saddam Hussein, the city was something of a laboratory of hate. The
Turkmen majority here mistrusted the Arab minority, yet the Turkmen
community included both Sunnis and Shiites, allowing Saddam to play them
off against each other. Sunnis, for example, were allowed to pursue a
career in the secret services and enrich themselves at the expense of
their neighbors.
When IS conquered Tal Afar in June 2014, the'..''
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