Paul Ryan, Donald Trump and Melania Trump. Alex Brandon/AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.The assault on Mosul in northern Iraq has been eclipsed somewhat by the aftermath of the presidential election in the United States. A stuttering military campaign and a messy transition process, however, are also two parts of the same reality. Decisions now being made in Washington seem bound to bring them closer.
Mosul has now been fought over since mid-October. In the early phase, Iraqi government forces were able to move speedily through the less populated outer districts. There, air power could be used repeatedly, but this is less available when close urban fighting is required. This is one reason why the Iraqis' advance into the eastern part of the city has slowed to a crawl.
Reuters provides a graphic illustration of the campaign's difficulties. It reports that the Iraqi army has insufficient special forces able to operate in the current environments, forcing reliance on regular army units. But these often cannot cope. ISIS paramilitaries in some cases have been able to destroy T-72 tanks.
