The Wire

Today, the Iraqi army will face its greatest test so far, being tasked with re-taking Mosul back from ISIL.  Coalition forces and Kurdish Peshmerga are all combining to support the re-taking of the city.  Australian air force aircraft could also be involved in taking out specific targets.  But Mosul is a much bigger city than Fallujah, which took three weeks to retake.

This comes on top of continued Russian and Assad air attacks on Aleppo in Syria that has reduced the treasured historic city to piles of rubble. The targeting of hospitals and civilians in Aleppo has prompted the US and UK to threaten more sanctions against Russia and Assad’s regime.  But it this a hollow threat?