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BAGHDAD, July 15-- Iraq needs careful and wise plan to deal with division among factions and ensure lasting stability, as post-Islamic State (IS) stage came after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared historical victory over IS in Mosul, experts said. Despite the landmark victory, the Iraqi forces still have to wage a new offensive to liberate less important IS redoubts. Abadi formally declared Mosul liberated from IS on Monday after nearly nine months of fierce fighting to dislodge the extremist militants from their last major stronghold in Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. However, the military prevail is still not gained in southwestern Kirkuk, the adjacent sprawling rugged areas in eastern Salahudin province, in addition to the remaining IS strongholds in the border towns with Syria, including Aana, Rawa, and al-Qaim. Besides, there is a risk that the Iraqi factions, who united in front of battle against IS group, would fight each other for the spoils or their old arguments after IS was defeated. Najib al-Jubouri, an Iraqi political expert, related the division to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, saying that the invasion has substantially decimated the fabric of the Iraqi society, sparking hatred and deep division among Iraqis. "The occupation empowered some Iraqi factions and disenfranchised others, making co-existence among Iraqis difficult and sometimes almost impossible," he said, referring to the factions of the Iraqi security forces, predominantly Shiite paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units, Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Sunni tribal fighters. | 
