The Battle for Mosul: Reality Check

"Mosul, Iraq

For more than a week, I've been trying to finish the Battle for Mosul Part IV. Meanwhile, the battle for Mosul is still on. Writing about this war takes a back seat to living it. Yesterday, for instance, there was fighting and one of our brother units lost a young soldier in battle.

Part IV will focus on the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) who live and work in Mosul. The ISF also were fighting yesterday, and while I was downtown the enemy sprung a "complex ambush" on ISF. Deuce Four soldiers responded and joined the firefight. Such realities often clog my dispatches in the pipeline.

The outcome of our efforts rests on the Iraqi Security Forces and their ability to establish and maintain civil order while new democratic systems take root.

As a serial, there is benefit in reading the segments in sequence. Last week, I republished Battle for Mosul Part I. Part II is republished below for your convenience, and Part III will be available in the next few days.

Many readers have asked for combat video. I have made a few videos of fighting, but mostly photos. Nevertheless, to see a real IED strike on our troops while I was in Baquba (near Baghdad), please click the title of the story above. The video was shot by 1st Infantry Division soldiers that I often accompanied in Baquba.

And now:

Battle For Mosul II"
Michael Yon