Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance system at Farnborough 2010. Anguskirk/Flickr. Some rights reserved.The Baghdad government's success in retaking the city of Ramadi from ISIS forces has been widely reported in western media. At the same time the picture on the ground is nothing like as simple as is often portrayed. Even as the victory was being celebrated, it was becoming clear that ISIS elements still controlled several areas around the Iraqi city.
These elements have proved very difficult to dislodge, with some even able to undertake offensive actions against government positions. At the same time, other ISIS contingents were attacking government forces and local militias in the western Iraqi town of Haditha. Such developments, far from signalling an end to the war, emphasise how distant that prospect remains.
This is equally the case in the international context. ISIS continues to expand its activities elsewhere, notably in Libya. Its Libyan actions, in turn, form part of a rise in Islamist paramilitary activity across much of northern Africa. Behind the positive headlines about Ramadi and elsewhere, United States planners are intent on targeting ISIS and other groups across a range of fronts. Africa in particular is witnessing a substantial increase in Washington's military involvement.
