Anybody (left) reading past the headline knows that the congratulations are a tad premature. 

"Air strikes and exchanges of gunfire could still be heard in the narrow streets of Mosul’s Old City, where the group has staged its last stand against Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led international coalition."  Been that way for days and days. I guess the PR people just got tired of waiting.  And waiting.  And waiting some more.

I've said it before, but think it bears repeating: let's compare this "liberation" with another one, Paris, 1944.  Mosul's liberation has taken over 8 months--ain't over yet.  Coalition forces faced a rag-tag bands of guerrillas' small-arms fire, hand-held rocket-launchers, heavy machine-guns mounted on pickups. From D-Day landings until Liberation of Paris: June 6-Aug 25, less than three months. Not one liberated city along the way, but many: Cherbourg, Caen and Falaise, where allies faced elite troops and SS Panzer tank divisions.

"War" as self-serving farce.