RantCrush Top 5: July 10, 2017

Yesterday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared victory over ISIS in the battle of Mosul, the second biggest city in Iraq. This is a major step in the fight against the terrorist group. ISIS fighters are also slowly being pushed out of the group’s self-declared capital, the Syrian city of Raqqa. The battle for Mosul has been going on since October and large parts of the city have been completely destroyed. Thousands of people have died and almost a million have been displaced. The military now has to clear buildings of bombs and booby traps so that people can return home safely. There’s also the potential threat of smaller terror attacks by individual insurgents, especially in the capital of Baghdad. “I have participated in all of the battles of Iraq, but I’ve never seen anything like the battle for the old city,” said Maj. Gen. Sami al-Aradi of Iraq’s special forces.

Iraqi forces plant flag on bank of Tigris River as Prime Minister al-Abadi declares victory over ISIS in Mosul. https://t.co/Gz1l7aHTHQ pic.twitter.com/PSp7bOBrhV

— ABC News (@ABC) July 10, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.