These Are The Issues That Will Shape The Middle East In 2016

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, center, holds an Iraqi flag in the city of Ramadi on December 29, after the army retook the city center from ISIS. STRINGER/REUTERS

Jack Moore, Newsweek: Nine Issues That Will Shape The Middle East In 2016

From the battle to retake Mosul to the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, these are the key developments that will change the Middle East in the coming year—for better or worse.

1. Mosul

Iraqi forces, supported by U.S.-led coalition air strikes and local Sunni tribesmen, liberated the city of Ramadi from the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) just before the turn of the year. Baghdad and Washington will now turn their focus to Mosul, the city where ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the creation of the Islamic State after it was overrun in June 2014.

The city is three times the size of Ramadi and will present a much tougher challenge to Kurdish and Iraqi forces as one of ISIS’ two prized assets, along with Raqqa in northeastern Syria. However, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has pledged to deal a “fatal blow” to the group in 2016 by recapturing the city. While predictions can change in an instant, it seems that the big battle to keep an eye on in 2016 is the projected assault on Mosul.

WNU Editor: I would also include the war in Yemen on this list.