Iraqi commander: Fallujah 'fully liberated' from IS

[Night Watchman]

Source: Associated Press

Jun. 26, 2016 4:26 AM EDT

BAGHDAD (AP) — A senior Iraqi commander has declared the city of Fallujah "fully liberated" from Islamic State group militants after a more than monthlong military operation.

The head of the counterterrorism forces in the operation, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahad al-Saadi, told The Associated Press that on Sunday his troops entered the northwestern al-Julan neighborhood, which was the last area still under IS control.

Al-Saadi says the operation, which began late May, "is done and the city is fully liberated."

Fallujah has been under the control of Islamic State militants since January 2014.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/701e5c697003431bb8d82c83e9828e3d/iraqi-commander-fallujah-fully-liberated

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1: Short article; nothing further at link.
2. I'm a tad skeptical about this report.

[Socal31]

1. That poor town can't catch a break.

Hopefully it stays liberated this time.

[JonathanRackham]

2. Dejavue

[ManiacJoe]

3. The Iraqi leadership tend to be a bit over optimistic

on these announcements.
It is better to see what the American assessment is.

[SkyDaddy7]

4. I agree. nt.

[shadowmayor]

5. American Assessment?

MJ,

Please don't take this personally - but I doubt the American assessment of anything in the mid-east. I remember 6 months at the most, certainly not more than a few billion dollars; I remember we were to be welcomed as liberators, I remember too many Thomas Friedman units of being just six months away, I remember a bullshit "successful" surge, and I absolutely remember any and all in early 2006 saying there was no civil war in Iraq. I was there in OIF3 or 2005 and the civil war was running full steam. And the oil was going to pay for the whole mess too!

We've been standing up troops for more than a decade and now we're sometimes on the same side as al qaeda when the fighting is in Syria? Don't think I'll bother with the American assessment either.

What did the people of Iraq ever do to the people of the United States? And I'm still waiting for those flowers to land on my feet Donny!!!!

[AllTooEasy]

9. Those were W's assessments, not Obama's

Although Obama and Al-Qaeda fought ISIL simultaneously, they weren't working together. Obama sent drone attacks on Al-Qaeda and ISIL positions at the same time. Al-Qaeda and ISIL simultaneously made attempts to kill Americans. Were they on the same side? The situation was more like a circular firing quad than a triangular alliance

The US and Stalin did form an alliance to fight Hitler, and Stalin was atleast twice the mass murderer. I give you that one.

[rollin74]

7. American assessment seems to agree with the Iraqi Prime Minister

https://twitter.com/brett_mcgurk/status/747161010599923712

[rollin74]

6. Daesh is losing ground on multiple fronts now

Fallujah in Iraq

and SDF/YPG making rapid progress around Manbij (Syria). The region around Manbij is strategically important and used to by Daesh to move supplies, weapons and fighters in from Turkey. They are about to lose a major re-supply corridor and further isolate Raqqa.

SDF has, for many days, surrounded Manbij and has now begun to advance into the city itself.

things are not looking so good for 'ISIS'

though you wouldn't know it by watching the mainstream media. they are all but ignoring what is happening with Daesh on the battlefield.

too busy talking about Trump

[romanic]

8. Damn straight.

Our media wants to keep up the ISIS danger when in reality, ISIS is losing major grounds and influence. They may still be around as a terrorist group ala Al-Qaieda, but they'll never be a caliphate to destroy history and oppress women/gay/non-muslims

[AllTooEasy]

10. Folks generally don't watch the news to hear that everything is going well

Americans (arrogantly) always except to win. Ratings sore when the unexpected happens, and Trump is WTF personified.