"The fortunes of war" Topic

"IF SENTIMENT in the towns in or bordering the so-called "caliphate" of Islamic State (IS) is anything to go by, the jihadists are winning the war. "IS is here to stay," a doctor in Falluja says of the group's grip on Anbar, Iraq's largest province. It is a sharp reversal from just a few months ago, when the campaign against IS seemed to be going quite well.

Then, Syrian Kurdish fighters had defeated IS in Kobane. In Iraq the jihadists had been pushed out of 25% of the territory they had grabbed in their blitzkrieg advance a year ago and been expelled from Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. There was even talk of an offensive later in the year to retake Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city. But after the retreat of Syrian regime forces from Palmyra, the black flag of IS now flies over the ancient city; while Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, fell on May 17th. The idea that IS was in retreat has thus taken a severe jolt,

Barack Obama describes the loss of Ramadi as a mere "tactical setback". But a blame game has since broken out. America's defence secretary, Ash Carter, complained that the collapse of the Iraqi security forces against numerically inferior opposition was due to a lack of "will to fight". Domestic critics of Mr Obama, such as John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, talked of a half-hearted and failing military effort. They all have a point…"
Full article here
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Amicalement
Armand

Anyone that can read a map can figure that out too, despite official denials to the contrary.

Now, they're attacking the Saudis as well.

Wonder if/when they'll go after Iran, or if they'll just be satisfied with outflanking/surrounding them in the region, since they're purported to be operating in Afghanistan as well?

Good question my friend.

Amicalement
Armand