The battle to drive the Islamic State terrorist group out of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, is well underway, and every indication is that it's shaping up to be the bloody, grinding urban warfare military leaders have long predicted.
The Middle East is a quagmire that is drawing more and more countries into the mud, with few signs that the fighting and conflict will end soon. Oil and religion have been responsible for much of the tension in this area, and the way out can only be found in giving power back to the people. Iraq must tackle the problem of constitutional reform to install mechanisms like a semi-presidential system and popularly-elected heads of government branches. Iraq will find its solution in the form of democracy. For more, see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.
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