Bernhard often micro-analyzes conflicts down to obscure details which I am not interested. But my main takeaway from this article is the convincing evidence he provides to explain the Empire's very active promotion and participation in the attack on Mosul in northern Iraq.
The attack on Mosul proceeds on three axes. From the north Kurdish Peshmerga under U.S. special force advisors lead the fighting. Iraqi forces attack from the east and south. The way to the west, towards Syria, is open. The intend of the U.S. is to let ISIS fighters, several thousand of them, flee to Deir Ezzor and Raqqa in Syria. They are needed there to further destroy the Syrian state.