{"id":42806,"date":"2017-07-02T14:30:04","date_gmt":"2017-07-02T22:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/?p=42806"},"modified":"2017-07-02T07:42:15","modified_gmt":"2017-07-02T15:42:15","slug":"islamic-state-facing-defeat-in-mosul-then-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/prophecy\/islamic-state-facing-defeat-in-mosul-then-what\/","title":{"rendered":"Islamic State facing defeat in Mosul: then what?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nUS Army attack in Mosul District<\/em>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n

The group calling itself the Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS) looks close to being defeated in Mosul:<\/p>\n

July 2, 2017<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With American-backed ground forces poised to recapture Mosul in Iraq and Raqqah in Syria, Islamic State<\/a>\u2019s de facto capitals, U.S. commanders are confident they soon will vanquish the militant group from its self-declared caliphate after three years of fighting.<\/p>\n

But the White House<\/a> has yet to define strategy for the next step in the struggle to restore stability in the region, including key decisions about safe zones, reconstruction, nascent governance, easing sectarian tensions and commitment of U.S. troops.<\/p>\n

Nor has the Trump<\/a> administration set policy for how it will confront forces from Iran and Russia, the two outside powers that arguably gained the most in the bitter conflict \u2014 and that now are hoping to collect the spoils and expand their influence.<\/p>\n

Iran, in particular, is pushing to secure a land corridor from its western border across Iraq and Syria and up to Lebanon, where it supports Hezbollah militants, giving it a far larger foothold in the turbulent region.<\/p>\n