Sunday, August 27, 2017 -- Iraq Is No Longer A Priority For ISIS -- Mideast Expert

Active rigs:

$47.86	8/27/2017	08/27/2016	08/27/2015	08/27/2014	08/27/2013
Active Rigs	55	30	76	194	186

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Tal Afar

I've posted this story elsewhere to keep the narrative flowing. From The Wall Street Journal. Iraqi Forces seize Tal Afar from Islamic State. Tal Afar was one of extremist group’s few remaining strongholds in the country.

For all intents and purposes in less than six months after taking office, President Trump has seen the defeat of ISIS in Iraq. [In fact, it was only since March 9, 2017, that the US Marines, under a new commander-in-chief, declared "Fight on!' See link above.]

That is a huge story, but what caught my eye is how one Mideast analyst saw the situation:

“It looks like Iraq isn’t [any longer] a priority [for Islamic State],” said Rasha al-Aqeedi, a researcher at Al Mesbar Studies and Research Center, a Dubai think tank focused on Islamic movements.

Apparently this is not new:

• After the Greeks defeated the Persians in 480 B.C., the Persians returned home. One Persian analyst at the time said, "The Persians no longer consider Greece a priority."
• After the North defeated the South in 1865, a Southern belle whispered, "Saving our way of life is no longer a priority." 
• After the Germans surrendered in 1945, one German analyst commented, "Global conquest is no longer our priority."

Not that it matters, but am I missing something here?

“It looks like Iraq isn’t [any longer] a priority [for Islamic State],” said Rasha al-Aqeedi, a researcher at Al Mesbar Studies and Research Center, a Dubai think tank focused on Islamic movements.

It was the WSJ writer's decision to use that quote at the top of the story. I'm sure there were other quotes that could have been used. Maybe "mission accomplished"? In Iraq, perhaps.