Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

Mosul: Winning the Battle and the War

The Trump Administration has inherited a complex set of problems in Iraq. Most pressing among them is the ongoing campaign to recapture Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, from ISIS. The operation to liberate Mosul has met fierce resistance, but Iraqi forces – with coalition aid – control the eastern half of the city and have now begun their final assault on the last pocket of ISIS forces in the west. Helping those forces liberate the western half of Mosul is one of the first challenges that President Trump and his administration face in Iraq. However, perhaps more important will be the political race for influence in the city – and much of northern Iraq – by the region's power players. The Cipher Brief’s Fritz Lodge spoke with former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Jack Keane, to see where the battle for Mosul stands, and what the Trump Administration will need to do to secure the city afterward.

The Cipher Brief: Where does the battle for Mosul currently stand?

Keep reading...Show less
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Related Articles

Experts Assess Iran Strikes, Response and What Comes Next

Experts Assess Iran Strikes, Response and What Comes Next

EXPERT SUMMARY -- Given this weekend’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the incredible fast pace at which events are unfolding, The Cipher [...] More

Dead Drop: June 20

IT ONLY TOOK 116 YEARS: The British Secret Intelligence Service better known as MI6 will soon be headed by its first-ever female chief when Blaise [...] More
How Resilient is the Energy Market in Midst of Middle East Crisis?

How Resilient is the Energy Market in Midst of Middle East Crisis?

EXCLUSIVE EXPERT PERSPECTIVE -- One would have thought that the outbreak of a major war between Iran and Israel with daily missile salvos, would have [...] More

Report for Friday, June 20, 2025

9:22 America/New York Friday, June 20 [...] More

Report for Thursday, June 19, 2025

9:51 America/New York Thursday, June 19 [...] More

The Rampant Leadership Corruption Plaguing China and Russia

OPINION — In March 2025 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) published an unclassified report on “Wealth and Corrupt Activities [...] More
Hitting the Panic Button on Rare Earth Minerals

Hitting the Panic Button on Rare Earth Minerals

Rare Earth minerals might not be at the top of your panic list today but when it comes to U.S. national security, it’s an issue that has the [...] More

Amid Crisis, A Lesser-Told Story of US-Iran Similarities Holds Some Hope

OPINION — As experts studiously debate what the latest Israel-Iran fighting will lead to, including a possible Iranian collapse, one enduring but [...] More

Report for Wednesday, June 18, 2025

9:04 America/New York Wednesday, June 18 [...] More