Iraq is still going after ISIL in Sunni Arab areas:
The greatest damage to ISIL had been its losses of equipment and hideouts. So far this year there have been about a thousand security operations (raids, ambushes, searches and so on) against ISIL and that led to most of the actions that killed ISIL members. The counter-terrorism activity led to the discovery and destruction of 279 hideouts, including a growing number of tunnels built for hiding personnel and material. Most of these hideouts contained some equipment, including weapons, ammo, explosives, roadside bombs and explosive vests ready for use as well as computers, vehicles, communications gear and so on.
How easily we overlook this victory in Iraq, eh?
The evidence of Iraq as an ally fighting at our side against terrorists rather than an enemy is just astounding when you consider the history, but unremarked as the herd goes along with the mooing sounds that America lost the "fiasco" of the Iraq War.
Iraq isn't a perfect ally, but in many ways it is far better than Pakistan or even NATO ally Turkey. And it sure does more than Germany to fight jihadis.
Let's not abandon Iraq after the defeat of ISIL's caliphate. We need to help track down and finish off ISIL. We need to strengthen rule of law in Iraq to foster democracy that will reduce the appeal of jihad to Sunnis in Iraq, enable the Kurds to come to peaceful terms with the Iraqi state, and allow Iraq to resist Iranian influence.
Don't overlook defending our victory in Iraq by the bizarre method of failing to recognize a victory.
And--back to that Strategypage post--we are making gains in the Phase IX fight against Iran in Iraq:
Ever since early January, when the Americans killed the commander of their Quds force and the head of the largest Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Iran has been on the defensive in Iraq. Efforts to strike back with ballistic missiles and unguided rockets have failed and anti-Iran sentiment in Iraq grows.
Don't despair. Work the problems.
