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The battle to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from the Islamic State terror group is a fight increasingly without front lines.

“Iraq’s prime minister showed up Sunday in the city of Mosul to declare victory in the nine-month battle for control of the Islamic State’s former capital in Iraq.”

“The military can't solve all of America's international problems.”

“More than 2,000 militants are holed up with their families and tens of thousands of civilians in Raqqa's center, the city's most densely populated quarters.”

“In many liberated zones previously held by the Islamic State, the group remains committed to waging a resistance - an insurgency against the liberating forces.”

“The loss of its two largest cities will not spell a final defeat for the Islamic State, according to analysts and American and Middle Eastern officials.”

“Slashing State Department and global health budgets could threaten US national security. Congress must consider the value of soft power programs before passing a final budget.”

They are known as the cubs of the caliphate, youngsters enlisted by the Islamic State, which views them as “the generation that will conquer Baghdad, Jerusalem, Mecca and Rome.”

Continue on for Commander, U.S. Special Operation Command’s 2017 reading list.

Defense One Multi-Media: “The bloody battle to wrest Mosul from ISIS was the world’s largest military operation in nearly 15 years.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that America and Europe have suffered "one terror attack after another," but that "we're going to get it to stop."

A sampling of comments made by employees in response to survey questions and questions from the study’s interviewers, according to a report on the research.

“Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a new report has claimed.”

“After a few years of declining violence under Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, the drug war has come roaring back to life.”

Continue on for links to all the articles in the latest edition of Military Review.

“When the Nation calls upon the Army to fight and win its next war, the operational environment will be unlike the circumstances of our recent experiences.”

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators visiting Afghanistan on July 4 called for a new strategy from the Trump administration to turn the tide against an increasingly strong Taliban insurgency.

“The exploitation of ungoverned sanctuaries outside of Afghanistan by terrorists and Afghan insurgents is the single greatest external factor that could cause failure of the coalition campaign.”

“The issue is again highlighting the United States military’s outsize role in Afghanistan, with American commanders even shouldering some of the diplomatic efforts around the country.”

“U.S.-Russian agreement on a buffer zone is a promising sign. The line keeps the combatants focused on the Islamic State, rather than sparring with each other.”

“The Iraqi military marked ‘their Iwo Jima’ against the Islamic State group, according to the general overseeing air operations.”

“If he hadn’t failed at the Battle of Fort Necessity in 1754, we might not be celebrating Independence Day.”

“Here are snapshots of some brave American soldiers and civilians I met inside Syria last week who should make us all proud.”

“Long after the city is back in the hands of the Iraqi government, it will continue to be a prop for the Islamic State - although an altogether different one.”

"The White House has yet to define strategy for the next step in the struggle to restore stability."