As the Washington Examiner reported, a coalition air strike destroyed the IS command-and-control headquarters in Mosul. It also served as a propaganda facility.

It was in a medical complex, not unusual for terrorists. They also like to use schools and mosques to shield themselves from attacks.

Intelligence determined it was no longer used for medical purposes nor did it house civilians.

This is another campaign promise Trump plans to keep.

For now, General Mattis said the U.S. was not prepared to work with Russia in attacking IS. It would require a sharing of intelligence and he does believe Russia has been hacking the U.S.

One might wonder why we didn’t bomb the hell out of the command and control center sooner since we are trying to take Mosul back.

There were reports that ISIS militants had hidden among civilians in Mosul. Further they were storing weapons in hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches to avoid being targeted while they are under siege.

There will be casualties and there have been some though they are being kept to a minimum.

Central Command reported that the United States and its NATO partners intend to intensify efforts to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in Brussels on the 16th of February.

At the opening of a counter-ISIS ministerial meeting at NATO headquarters, Mattis said the nations in the 28-member bloc are “united in this fight to defeat ISIS.”

The defense chief called for a sustained effort.

“This is not something that will be over with quickly, but we certainly intend to accelerate this fight, one of the reasons we’re here today is to lay this out to you,” Mattis said.

That was a campaign speech. He knows now he can’t take the oil.