Conflicting casualty figures a week after Mosul blast

This is a big part of the reason that the Obama administration followed the very cautious approach that it did. It is well known that ISIS uses this tactic of purposely putting civilians in harm's way. They know it makes fighting them harder. They know it creates public relations disasters when those civilians are killed in this sort of strike. They know that those public relations disasters help reinforce their narrative. And they know that when their narrative is reinforced, it helps their recruiting.

That is why we SHOULD be taking a very cautious, patient approach. One where local muslim fighters are the ones doing the bulk of the combat. This is very much a "slow and steady wins the race" situation. The Obama administration knew that, and formulated their strategy accordingly.

Trump knows nothing about the rewards of patience and dilligence. He wants results and he wants them NOW. That has been his methodology for his entire life. Consequently, he acts like a bull in a china shop, and makes a mess out of everything he touches.

Just look at his rushed and therefore ham-handed failures associated with his health care bill, his travel ban, his immigration reform....

We can only read between the lines here and feel intense sorrow for those caught up in the fighting.

Quote: "A local lawmaker and two witnesses say a coalition air strike may have targeted a large truck bomb, triggering a blast that collapsed buildings. Ghazwan al-Dawoodi, head of the Nineveh governorate human rights council, said his team had made a field visit and that 173 people were killed after militants forced them into a bunker, and then opened fire on gunships to prompt an air strike. Another eyewitness Abu Obeid, a teacher, told Reuters Islamic State had parked a truck bomb in the neighbourhood. There was one huge blast then several others, he said. When he emerged from his home after three hours, many homes were destroyed."