L.A. Times: 'The closer we get, the more complex it gets.' White House struggles on strategy as Islamic State nears defeat in Iraq and Syria
With American-backed ground forces poised to recapture Mosul in Iraq and Raqqah in Syria, Islamic State’s de facto capitals, U.S. commanders are confident they soon will vanquish the militant group from its self-declared caliphate after three years of fighting.
But the White House has yet to define strategy for the next step in the struggle to restore stability in the region, including key decisions about safe zones, reconstruction, nascent governance, easing sectarian tensions and commitment of U.S. troops.
Nor has the Trump administration set policy for how it will confront forces from Iran and Russia, the two outside powers that arguably gained the most in the bitter conflict — and that now are hoping to collect the spoils and expand their influence.
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Update: Trump's ISIS Strategy: The Syrian City Emerging as a Test of US Policy -- Newsweek
WNU Editor: Some are claiming that US Secretary of Defense Mattis' "annihilation strategy" is working better than expected as the collapse of ISIS continues to accelerates .... Trump’s war of annihilation strategy against Islamic State frees military to quickly seize territory (Washington Times). I personally think it is too early to make such a claim .... but it is true .... the collapse of the Islamic State ISIS has surprised a lot of military analysts .... and as a result it has sped up the debate and planning on what should be the policy and strategy to fill this void. As for what this may entail .... David Ignatius gives a possible glimpse of it in this post .... As the Islamic State falls in Syria, one city offers a preview of the country’s future (David Ignatius, Washington Post).
WNU,
ReplyDeleteYou can count me in the surprised group. I know I said early on that this group needed to smashed in the mouth by a professional military, I just didn't think they'd fold their tent this quick.
Either we back home or we stay for defending the "good" opposition against Assad who has no more legitimacy after killing his own people.
ReplyDeleteThe first one is easy to explain: "we have done the job", but that's a blind eye on the consequences with Iran having upper hand on Iraq, Syria and later Lebanon. A ground link between Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea. That's a strategic defeat.
The second one could be explained by political and strategic reason, but in complete contradiction with what Trump was elected and American's are more than fed-up with war. The only one they will agree is for defending their country.
So cute when they first believe that God is on their side ..then slowly bit steadily thesee ISIS fucks realise that they'll all be killed and that there's no God on their side coming to help because they were the barbaric monsters all along and God is on our side :) mwaaahaha *laughs in technology* :p
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