Iraqi Military: Challenges & Opportunities

Nate Rabkin comes back on the show to discuss the Iraqi Security Forces and their ongoing efforts to retake territory that is controlled by the Islamic State. Some of the topics covered include:

• Effects of coalition efforts on the situation
• Places where Iraqi forces have made substantial progress
• The disparity between Iraqi special operations forces and regular army divisions
• Political problems that plague the Iraqi military
• Iraqi military’s short and long-term goals
• Problems holding territory once its been retaken from IS
• The controversial Popular Mobilization Units

Links:

• Inside Iraqi Politics
• Nathaniel Rabkin (@NateRabkin) on Twitter
• Karl Morand (@KarlMorand) on Twitter

Thanks to Mikhail Yurchak, Ryan Gell, Adam Smith Intl., and Wendy Plotkin for supporting the show. If you’d like to help support the podcast please visit the show’s Patreon page!