What’s next for Mosul?
The fight for Mosul is fraught with risks. The long-awaited battle began Monday morning, when U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces launched an offensive to drive Islamic State from Iraq’s second-largest city and the group’s last major stronghold in Iraq. It is the biggest operation in Iraq since the 2003 American-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Islamic State seized Mosul, a Sunni-majority city that once included many Shi’ites and Christians, more than two years ago. Yet as fighters prepared for an operation that the commander of the allied coalition said would likely continue for weeks or longer, analysts were assessing both the military strategy and its “day after” effect on the beleaguered city.… Seguir leyendo »