![\"last](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/last-convoy-out-of-Iraq.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nIn case you missed it the other day, the Pentagon released it’s plan to take back the Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIS come Spring. They announced troops numbers and the plan to use Iraqi ground forces in conjunction with American air power. They announced that the plan would start in April or May. So the internet lit up with outrage that the Pentagon was giving away the store by talking with the press about it. Well, the Washington Post<\/a> says that’s all part of their plan;<\/p>\n The Pentagon and Iraqi military commanders are hoping to avoid a massive, bloody battle in Iraq’s second largest city. “We want Mosul to look a lot more like the liberation of Paris than Stalingrad or Fallujah,” said a senior military official familiar with the planning. In other words, U.S. and Iraqi commanders are hoping that they can convince most of the Islamic State fighters to leave the city before the big battle.<\/p>\n So far it remains unclear whether the strategy will work. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yeah, because ISIS is known for the way they run away from tough fights. I’m pretty sure that if the US and Iraq make a big deal out of the upcoming battle for Mosul, that will only strengthen ISIS’ resolve. The 2,000 troops that they think are defending the city now will grow ten-fold in the next few months in anticipation of being able to kill thousands of Iraqi soldiers and, perhaps, by chance get an American adviser or two.<\/p>\n In fact this plan shows how little the Pentagon planners, and the White House folks from whom they’re taking their cue, understand about the extremism that they’re facing. These are folks who think that blowing themselves up is some kind of great victory. They don’t care abut their own casualties, they only care about how their message is received by the world’s media. If they can stage a huge useless bloodletting in Mosul, they’ll call it a victory no matter who ends up occupying the town in the end. And the compliant media will join them in celebration.<\/p>\n Most military officials believe that there are more than 2,000 Islamic State fighters currently in Mosul. It’s unclear how the outnumbered enemy will react to the news of the coming assault by Iraqi forces. For now, though, it appears that the Islamic State fighters are determined to dig in for a hard fight, said military officials.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The bigger deal that West makes about retaking Mosul, the more ISIS criminals we can expect there. It would have been nice if there had been only 2000 to face the planned the 20,000 Iraqis, but that isn’t what it’s going to look like by Spring.<\/p>\n Thanks to Chief Tango for the link.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"