And now they backtrack: Defense secretary mistake to have blurted out mosul offensive plans

I think it was really a political power play that went wrong. After the Tikrit blunder they don't really have a plan yet. But now Iran is making power plays and they are making the plans due to our inaction. I found it hard to believe after all of this that a spokesman for the pentagon messed this up.

"We are tracking the terrorists on their cell phones" - Senate spokesman in Sept of 2001.

This never surprises me anymore really. It just feeds the theories that none of this is a legitimate field of battle anymore and it is all a political play.

Carefully orchestrated propaganda. Why they did it is anybody's guess. I personally think it was an attempt on behalf of the administration that to show they are serious about ISIS and supporting the Iraqis.

Obama's support is slowly falling, and he is increasingly taking heat for his foreign policy especially in the Middle east and the fight against Islamic extremism. stuff like this happens when the top leader tries to micromanage the military.