French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday visited the Islamic State jihadist group’s former Iraqi stronghold of Mosul, a day after vowing to keep troops in the country.
Macron made the commitment for France to stay in Iraq during a regional summit in Baghdad largely devoted to the fight against terrorism and the impact of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan as the US withdraws.
His visit to Mosul, a melting pot of Iraq’s diverse ethnic and religious communities, symbolized France’s support for Christians in the Middle East.
