Boris Johnson appears to be frozen out at conference on stabilising Mosul as Iraqi forces try and take back city from Islamic State
Foreign Secretary was invited to join other politicians from the western coalition but was pictured all on his lonesome
BORIS Johnson doesn’t look to have quite mastered the art of diplomacy yet as he was left on the sidelines at a conference on the military situation in Iraq.
The Foreign Secretary was invited to join other politicians from the western countries assisting the forces trying to take back Mosul from the so-called Islamic State in Paris.
But while his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault was pictured getting involved in the discussions about the on-going offensive, Mr Johnson seemed to be on his lonesome.
At the talks Iraq's prime minister vowed to protect civilians fleeing the battle to oust IS extremists, as diplomats worked to ensure the gains are lasting and that jihadists don't escape.
French President Francois Hollande, hosting the conference, urged the international community not to abandon the city once the multi-pronged military operation is over.
Representatives from more than 20 countries gathered to devise a plan to protect civilians, distribute aid and address questions about governing areas newly liberated from IS.
The offensive for Iraq's second-largest city, and the biggest one still held by IS, is expected to take weeks, if not months.
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And there are fears it could unleash sectarian tensions, and threaten civilians in a region ravaged by years of violence.
But the Iraqi PM Haider Al-Abadi said Mosul may fall sooner than expected, saying: "The fighting forces are currently pushing forward toward the town more quickly than we thought, and more quickly certainly than we established in our plan of campaign.”
Mr Ayrault warned up to a million people might try to flee Mosul, and said authorities must check each one to make sure extremists aren't among them.
He also said the international community must think about the next step notably, what do about the IS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria.
As the Mosul fighting intensifies, Mr Al-Abadi said the Iraqi government is "providing support for internally displaced people," and opening humanitarian corridors amid the ongoing military operations.
"We will not allow any violations of human rights," he said.
The talks come as Iraqi special forces charged into the Mosul battle with a pre-dawn advance on a nearby town.
Attack helicopters fired on the militants and heavy gunfire echoed across the plains.
IS captured Mosul during a lightning advance across northern Iraq in 2014, declaring the creation of a ‘caliphate’ once it was under their control.
But it is now the group’s last major urban bastion in Iraq, after coalition-backed Iraqi forces have driven them back.