Iraqi army declares victory over Islamic State in Ramadi
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ramadi-battle-won-article-1.2479100
Fully understanding that the tides of war can reverse quickly, a moment has arrived in the bloody struggle against the Islamic State to praise allied forces for retaking most of Ramadi, the strategically crucial city in the center of Iraq.
The American-led coalition that has punished ISIS from the air — too cautiously at times, thanks to President Obama’s hesitant command — helped reclaim a population center that fell to the barbarous terrorists in May.
The latest in a series of setbacks dealt to ISIS on the ground, the achievement is especially notable because Iraqi military men are displaying a mettle they have all too often lacked.
IRAQI CITY OF RAMADI 'FULLY LIBERATED' FROM ISIS
American and Western firepower from the air, special forces and logistics support will never be enough to defeat ISIS. Winning the war, in both Iraq and Syria, will depend on full battlefield engagment by Sunni Muslims who reject the nihilist and apocalyptic vision of those who call themselves a caliphate.
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
Progress
Calls for annihilating ISIS by, say, carpet bombing, as espoused by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, are both strategically stupid and morally odious.
As the United States grapples with fears of ISIS-inspired killings here at home and concerns about more U.S. troops put in harm’s way abroad, it is sobering that it took seven months to crack the occupation of Ramadi.
Also very sobering is public opinion research by Munqith Dagher, a specialist in measuring sentiment in the Middle East under extreme situations.
In a survey conducted this month and presented at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, Dagher found that, regardless of its barbarism, ISIS maintains some public goodwill.
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I didn't see right wing news today. I assume they are all patriotically praising this coalition victory over ISIS.