ISIS in Iraq: The ongoing fight for territory and legitimacy
In early June 2014, the Islamic State onslaught on Iraq’s second city Mosul caught most observers by surprise. Mosul, with a population of 1.8 million, was overrun in just a few days, even though an estimated 800 Islamic State fighters were hugely outnumbered by around 30,000 Iraqi soldiers. The army simply turned and fled. Reports that […]Daniella Peled writes for Haaretz :
In early June 2014, the Islamic State onslaught on Iraq’s second city Mosul caught most observers by surprise.
Mosul, with a population of 1.8 million, was overrun in just a few days, even though an estimated 800 Islamic State fighters were hugely outnumbered by around 30,000 Iraqi soldiers. The army simply turned and fled. Reports that ISIS stole some $430 million from Mosul financial institutions have never been confirmed, but the group was certainly able to loot vast quantities of U.S.-supplied Iraqi army equipment and military hardware.
