But can they actually do it?
Answering that question is key to what might happen in Mosul but also as to whether the terrorist group can be taken out entirely in Iraq. Mosul has been a symbol of the ineptitude of Iraq’s military, given how troops and police ran from their posts as militants arrived in June.
The stunning collapse stirred concerns about the ability of then-Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki not only to recapture Mosul but to save the entire country. And it also shined a harsh spotlight on the will and capabilities of Iraq’s military, now that U.S. combat troops had exited the country.
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Still, why be so specific? The U.S. official said it was being done to demonstrate Iraq’s commitment to winning back Mosul.
It was not immediately clear if the planning of the possible offensive is entering its final stages or if the leaking of the date was intended to have a psychological impact on ISIS and its fighters.
