BBC: Iraq has announced that its war against so-called Islamic State is over.

[WedgeX]

Iraq declares war with Islamic State is over

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a conference in Baghdad that Iraqi troops were now in complete control of the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The border zone contained the last few areas IS held, following its loss of the town of Rawa in November.

The Iraqi announcement comes two days after the Russian military declared it had accomplished its mission of defeating IS in neighbouring Syria.

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But if the direct military war with IS in Iraq is genuinely over, and the country's elite forces can now step back after a conflict that's taken a huge toll on them, it doesn't mean the battle against the group's ideology or its ability to stage an insurgency is finished - whether in Iraq, Syria or the wider world.

Attacks may be at a lower level than they once were, but Iraqi towns and cities still fall prey to suicide bombers, while the conditions that fuelled the growth of jihadism remain - even in the territory that's been recaptured.

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Feels like forever-ago that this began.

 

[Betty]

Mission Accomplished?

 

[Pirate Bae]

It's far from over, but we're making progress.

 

[thefro]

Mission Accomplished?

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Daesh still have some small pockets in Syria and you have to worry about terrorist attacks/possible insurgency, especially in the areas they used to control.

 

[ahoyhoy]

Nice. Hopefully another one doesn't pop up in a few years.

 

[Xiao Hu]

Nothing is over. They've got a Sunni population that will be made a scapegoat by the Shiites for ISIS's expansion into the Jazeeran region. I fear for more sectarian violence and bloody retaliation especially from the radical wings of the Popular Mobilization Forces against alleged collaborators. The Iraqi government needs to start a process of national reconciliation and proper representation of Iraq's minorities as well as guarantee protection for minor groups like Assyrians/Chaldeans, Yazidi, Turkmen etc. The only way I can see this task being effectively approached is by furthering the federalization process that also kept the southern Kurds at bay.

 

[Deleted member 8257]

Not Iraq related, but thousands of ISIS fighters who were holed up in Raqqa were given permission to leave. They are now amongst citizenry. I bet thousands more are in Iraq too. This is good, but the overall battle is far from over.

 

[Glasgow Mega-Snake]

Good. But ISIS is still very active in Libya and the Sinai. And especially in Libya it will be hard to root them out because the country is still without a unified government

 

[lmcfigs]

Good. But ISIS is still very active in Libya and the Sinai. And especially in Libya it will be hard to root them out because the country is still without a unified government

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One problem we created at a time.

 

[Dan]

It's far from over, but we're making progress.

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I'm guessing the context here is the war with ISIL as an open entity in Iraq..

 

[Gennady]

Iraq declares war with Islamic State is over





Feels like forever-ago that this began.

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Their held territory may be lost, but they'll still have underground activities. it's an Al-Quaeda 2.0 now.

 

[Pirate Bae]

I'm guessing the context here is the war with ISIL as an open entity in Iraq..

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Well, that's what I meant. Like ISIL / ISIS is still a huge issue elsewhere, as are other Islamic extremist groups. Just because the group as a whole has been defeated in Iraq does not mean the issue has been resolved entirely.