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The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants, not of Reuters News. The idea that all these disparate organizations who might have some common ground

will actually continue to act in a common way after that unique interest is resolved is of course where all this falls apart.

A coalition of the Iraqi army, the Kurdish Peshmerga, and Shiite militias has

launched an attack on Masool, Iraq's second largest city.

The United States and other nations are providing support on the ground and in the air.

There are as few as 4,000 Islamic State militants holding Masool against them.

So what's going to happen to the people of Masool as their crush between these two forces?

And what's the plan for governing once the Islamic State is defeated.

You're listening to Reuters War College, a discussion of the world in conflict, focusing on

the stories behind the front lines.

Here are your hosts, Jason Fields, and Matthew Gault.

Hello and welcome'm Matthew Gault with Worskollage. I'm Jason Fields with Reuters.

And I'm Matthew Gault with Wars Boring.

Today we're joined by Peter Van Buren.

He is a State Department veteran with more than 24 years of experience.

His book about a year he spent in Iraq, We Meantwell, was published in 2011 and it got him

into a lot of trouble with Hillary Clinton State Department.

After a legal battle about whether he had the right to publish the book, Peter retired with his full pension. He is now a full-time writer. So Peter, thanks for joining us.

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