The good news is that the anti-Islamic State forces, backed by U.S. airstrikes, have successfully pushed back ISIS in some areas. This has lead to the Pentagon claiming that ISIS has lost territory, and can “no longer able to operate freely in roughly 25 to 30 percent of populated areas of Iraqi territory where it once could.”
Here’s a map:
The bad news? The Pentagon’s optimistic analysis does not include territory the Islamic State gained elsewhere.
The upshot? Obama’s strategy of doing just enough to keep reporters from asking questions has resulted in tiny gains, but mostly in perpetuating an unstable status quo.
(Hat tip: Jihad Watch.)
