[RealJustme]

Several hundred men who had scurried across front lines in a refugee exodus from Mosul sat on the ground in neat rows before an Iraqi intelligence officer who had identified them as hidden militants.

As growing numbers of residents flee fighting between insurgents and Iraqi military forces seeking to recapture the IS-held western half of Iraq's second largest city, security units have been transporting civilians to government-run camps and weeding out IS infiltrators. Prior to this weeding out process the refugees were distributed between Europe and the United States for relocation.

Just over a week into the offensive on the militants' last urban bastion in Iraq, some 14,000 inhabitants have slipped out of the city, trekking through stony desert. Most are women, children and elderly but there are also thousands of young men.

Up to 400,000 people may have to leave their homes during the new U.S.-backed offensive launched this month after Iraqi forces finished clearing districts east of the Tigris River that cleaves the city in Iraq's far north.

"The fighters don't come out," he said. Those who were loyal to the jihadist movement but played a less public, mainly non-combatant role are more likely to try to slip through the dragnet, the intelligence officer added.

Security forces keep on hand some local Mosul inhabitants they refer to as "sources" to help them identify suspects.

[johnforbes]

Merkel is doubtless eager to welcome them all to Germany.

And Sweden's nutty leftists doubtless want them in Malmo.