FILE – In this March 27, 2020 file photo, U.S. soldiers stand guard during the hand over ceremony of
Qayyarah Airfield, Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq. In a quest to root out Islamic
State group hideouts over the summer, Iraqi forces on the ground cleared nearly 90 villages across a
notoriously unruly northern province. But the much-touted operation still relied heavily on U.S.
intelligence, coalition flights and planning assistance.