Mosul Offensive I.

This is coolbert:

It is a go!

The long-awaited Iraqi offensive to re-capture the important city of Mosul is underway.

Here begins a series of blog entries extracts from the latest edition of the DEBKAfile newsletter the topic of which is the Iraqi campaign to liberate the city of Mosul from the Islamic State. Images thanks in all cases to AP and Getty! Thank you AP and Getty.
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And from the very get-go problems have arisen.

"Suicide bombers, fires slow US-backed Iraqi advance into Mosul"

18 October.

"The battle for the liberation of Mosul was slowed on its first day by a series of suicide attacks, fires and the homemade bombs that littered the roads and fields in the path of the advancing US-led coalition convoys. Black fumes from oil fires obscured the retreating Islamist fighters and their hideouts from air strikes. Some mingled with civilian inhabitants. Kurdish Peshmerga troops meanwhile combed through the surrounding villages street by street for hidden ISIS fighters. The huge, long-waited Mosul offensive is being carried out by a motley assortment of often rival fighting forces"

The "motley crew" as described sans unified command. Combat action of participants it would seem  unfocused not concerted and concentrated. An egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of war!!

To be continued.

coolbert.