The Fight for Fallujah: Another Trap for America?

Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition launched a major offensive to retake the strategic city of Fallujah - the symbol of the US’ War on Iraq which has been held by Daesh for the last two years.

Back during the days of the American occupation, the city was the scene of multiple bloodbaths and has been enshrined in the American consciousness as the most resistant of all of Iraq’s cities. Now there’s a different type of resistance, Daesh, and it’s definitely not fighting for anything admirable.

As the Iraqi Army and its allied militias roll into the outskirts of Fallujah aided by American advisors and airstrikes, the rest of the world is standing on edge to see if Daesh is ready for an epic battle like everyone expects, or if it’ll just retreat into the sand towards Syria and live to fight another day.

Kirill Koktysh, Associate Professor at MGIMO-University (studio guest); General Elias Farhat, General Retired, the former head of Lebanon’s army’s Staff and Command College; and Israel Shamir, independent Middle East analyst (Moscow), joined us to discuss the issue.