Defeating ISIS isn't enough — US must protect Iraq from looming Iran

Jason Brodsky, UANI Policy Director: "The fight to eject the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from Mosul - the terror group's last stronghold in Iraq - has demonstrated that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's government can be a proven counterterrorism partner in rolling back ISIS gains. Beyond this immediate goal, the Trump administration must turn its attention to three key governance issues that will determine Baghdad's future beginning the day after it reclaimed Iraq's second largest city: Stanching Iranian influence at the highest levels of government; Restraining powerful Shiite militias, also known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs); and Empowering Sunni elements within the Iraqi security architecture. Failing to curb Iranian meddling risks replanting the seeds that gave rise to the ISIS onslaught."