The Long War Journal (Site-Wide)

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• Anatomy of a Taliban ambush
• Islamic State ‘finance emir for Mosul’ relocated to Turkey, US says
• Iraqi government announces liberation of Tal Afar from Islamic State
• NATO refutes Taliban claim it shot down US helicopter
• US must retreat from Afghanistan for there to be ‘peace’, Taliban leader says

Anatomy of a Taliban ambush Posted: 01 Sep 2017 08:09 AM PDT The daylight ambush destroyed multiple Afghan vehicles, and despite the fact that US helicopters were nearby, the Taliban do not appear to have been targeted during the fighting.

Islamic State ‘finance emir for Mosul’ relocated to Turkey, US says Posted: 31 Aug 2017 10:25 AM PDT On Aug. 29, the Treasury Department announced that Salim Mustafa Muhammad al-Mansur had been added to the US government's list of specially designated global terrorists. The move was made in conjunction with the Iraqi government. Al-Mansur served as the Islamic State's "finance emir for Mosul," Iraq as of earlier this year, but he has "moved to Turkey."

Iraqi government announces liberation of Tal Afar from Islamic State Posted: 31 Aug 2017 03:20 AM PDT The Iraqi government announced the liberation of Tal Afar in northern Iraq earlier today. The offensive to retake the city began on Aug. 20 and progressed quickly. Three Iraqi army divisions, the Counterterrorism Service, Federal Police, the Popular Mobilization Forces and Kurdish Regional Government Peshmerga all took part and were backed by the US-led coalition.

NATO refutes Taliban claim it shot down US helicopter Posted: 30 Aug 2017 02:52 PM PDT Resolute Support, NATO's mission in Afghanistan, claimed the aircraft made "a precautionary landing for a maintenance issue."

US must retreat from Afghanistan for there to be ‘peace’, Taliban leader says Posted: 30 Aug 2017 12:53 PM PDT The Taliban released a statement attributed to its emir, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who says that "peace" is only possible if the "occupation" is ended. The statement is entirely self-serving and contains absurd claims. For example, Akhundzada writes that the Taliban wants a "free, independent and progressive Afghanistan," which is completely inconsistent with the group's ideology and history.