The West has almost killed off Isil – but we need to stick around long enough to bury it
Juliet Samuel Juliet Samuel
11 December 2016 • 6:30am
Time is running out for Isil. With government troops advancing into Mosul, its last major stronghold in Iraq, US-backed forces have just launched a separate assault to liberate Raqqa, the group’s self-declared capital in Syria.
The Mosul offensive is moving slowly and costing hundreds of lives, but it is closing in. The Raqqa advance comprises a mix of Kurdish and Arab fighters known as “Syrian Democratic Forces”, backed by Western coalition advice and air power. Western forces see it as crucial to close the net on both of Isil’s main towns simultaneously. It could take months, at devastating cost, but Isil is being crushed. Its sudden re-entry into Palmyra this week can only delay the inevitable.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/11/west-has-almost-killed-isil-need-stick-around-long-enough/
