My latest article is how Mosul, Baiji, Tikrit and Alam fell to the insurgents in June. Could tell that IS building up for a large summer offensive. Started with raids on Samarra, Baquba, and Anbar Univ in Ramadi. June 6 attack on Mosul started. Ninewa Operations Command and Baghdad did not take it seriously. When US tried to warn Baghdad that it was a much bigger attack and Kurds offered to send in peshmerga into Mosul to help Maliki wouldn't act because of his political dispute with Kurds. Were three major generals in Mosul during assault who bugged out which started desertions. ISF then given orders to withdraw but not where or how. Insurgents immediately headed south of after fall of Mosul. ISF in Baiji and Tikrit fled or gave up without a fight because spooked by stories of thousands of IS fighters heading their way. ISF had around 30,000 men in Mosul and another 5,000-6,000 in Tikrit vs maybe around 1000 insurgents. Camp Speicher outside of Tikrit gave up without fighting and most of the ISF there were massacred by IS which was posted by social media. Baghdad offered no defense and no orders to help Baiji or Tikrit. Alam outside of Tikrit only area that fought. Held out for 2 weeks before gave up. Massive failure of leadership by ISF commanders and Baghdad during whole debacle. Here's a link to the article.