isis

Reports that ISIS have been defeated in al-Bab may superficially being joy to many readers. But the reality is far from good.

Iraqi War Report – February 23, 2017: ISIS Combat Drones In Battle For Mosul       Iraqi military for the first time officially admitted their losses from bombing, carried

Today, the same day that ISIS surrendered Al-Bab to the Turkish army, ISIS abandoned Mosul airport to the Iraqi army.
This is the first important point recaptured by the Iraqi army since the offensive to liberate western Mosul from ISIS was launched on Sunday.

Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel speaks to reporters Saturday, May 21, 2016 during a secret trip to Syria.
(REPORT) — Defense Secretary James Mattis hasn’t finalized his recommendations for the ISIS war, and doesn’t expect to do so until the end of the month, but Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel seems pretty sure that he’d like more troops to command in Syria, and that could mean a significant expansion of US ground troops in Syria.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)
(REPORT) — The CIA is facing a potentially crippling loss of human intelligence from foreign militant groups because some of its best spies in the field are unwilling to work for US President Donald Trump’s administration, Middle East Eye has learned.

(ANTIWAR) Fresh on the heels of reports from Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend that US ground troops have been sent closer to the front lines in the offensive in Mosul, Pentagon officials are now admitting that “some number” of US troops have been wounded in the last six to eight weeks in Mosul.

Turkish news agencies are reporting that ISIS fighters have surrendered the strategically important town of Al-Bab in northern Syria to the Turkish military, which is now in full control of the town.
This follows a succession of see-sawing battles for the town, during which Turkish troops have often suffered heavy losses.

Syrian War Report – February 20, 2017: Turkey Further Pushes Its Plan For Raqqah Offensive     Pro-Turkish militants and the Turkish army have still been facing difficulties in breaking

Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster listens as President Donald Trump makes the announcement at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, that McMaster will be the new national security adviser. (AP/Susan Walsh)
It was recently announced that US President Donald Trump selected US Army Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his National Security Adviser.

The Iraqi government on Sunday 19th February 2017 launched the second stage of its campaign to liberate Mosul – Iraq’s second largest city – from ISIS.
The initial target of the offensive is Mosul’s airport.  Al-Jazeera has published a dramatic account of the early stages of the battle, which includes this evocative phrase