Battle for Mosul: Why Troops Reaching ISIS Stronghold Is a Delicate Balance

The Islamic State took control of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, in summer of 2014. Coalition forces have surrounded the city and include Kurds, Iraqis, Turks, advisers from the United States and elsewhere, as well as many militias of varying ethnicities. Multiple challenges are in store: “The Kurdish Peshmerga are only one piece of a complex patchwork of religious and ethnic identities that make up Iraq's security forces,” reports Matt Bradley for NBC News. “The competition, prejudice and lack of trust that have fractured these groups are complicating the fight for Mosul as much as any ISIS counterattack.” He adds that “Shiite militia are barred from entering Mosul as well for fear that they may inflict sectarian abuses against the city's Sunni majority civilians.” Coalition troops who risk their lives can’t help but wonder which group will control Mosul. Resentment will linger. Good governance will be hard to come by. Nearby abandoned villages offer sobering reminders of the Islamic State’s determination to hold on to territory or make communities uninhabitable for others. – YaleGlobal