MOSUL, Iraq — The Iraqi advance into Mosul’s western half slowed Saturday as combat turned to urban warfare and Iraqi forces met stiff resistance from the Islamic State group. Hundreds of civilians poured out of Mosul on foot following the advances, but the vast majority of 750,000 estimated to still be in the city’s west remain trapped, and describe deteriorating humanitarian and security conditions.
The IS fighters are responding with car bombs, snipers and dozens of armed drones. The drones have caused relatively few deaths, but have inflicted dozens of light injuries that have disrupted the pace of ground operations.
Similar to the way operations inside eastern Mosul initially unfolded, in west Mosul, IS repeatedly brought Iraqi convoys to a halt Saturday with small teams of one or two men and a handful of car bombs.
Journalists spied on
BERLIN — Germany’s foreign intelligence service apparently spied on the phones, faxes or emails of several foreign news organizations, including The New York Times, the British Broadcasting Corporation and Reuters, the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.
Der Spiegel said that it saw a list that indicated that the German intelligence service, the BND, had monitored at least 50 phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses beginning in 1999.
One number was listed for The New York Times in Afghanistan. Others monitored by the BND included Reuters offices in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, as well as the BBC World Service in London, Der Spiegel reported.
Paris reproaches Trump
PARIS — The usually mild-mannered president of France pointedly reproached President Donald Trump on Saturday after Mr. Trump commented on the dangers of terrorism in Paris, reminding the American leader of a cardinal rule in diplomacy: If you want to keep your friends, don’t criticize them in public.
Francois Hollande rseponded Saturday to remarks Mr. Trump made on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in which he implied that Europe’s open borders had led to the terrorist attacks there.
Mr. Trump pinned his assertions on a friend named “Jim,” who he said had stopped going to Paris because “Paris is no longer Paris.” Mr. Trump said his friend had stopped traveling to the French capital four or five years ago, which was before the terrorist attacks there occurred.
South Africa protests
JOHANNESBURG — South African authorities are under fire for allowing an anti-immigrant “march of hatred” in Pretoria Friday, soon after a series of violent attacks against Somalis, Nigerians and other foreigners.
The results were predictable: Police arrested 136 people, many of them protesters and looters armed with clubs, sticks, pipes and rocks. Migrants, terrified of being attacked, armed themselves with sticks and clubs, too.
Canadian concerns
VANCOUVER — More than 30 prominent Christian leaders in the Vancouver area, including the Vancouver Catholic archbishop and evangelical leaders, issued a public letter Friday expressing concerns about evangelist Franklin Graham ahead of a rally he plans to hold there next weekend.
In the letter, the leaders decried Mr. Graham’s “contentious and confrontational political and social rhetoric.” More than 25,000 people are expected to attend his evangelistic “festival” March 3 to 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
First Published: February 26, 2017, 5:00 a.m.
