Iraqi Troops Shut Last Exit Out of Mosul

US-backed Iraqi army units shut the main exit out of western Mosul, where the Islamic State (IS) remains in control. A general and residents told the Reuters News Agency that the US-backed troops now control access to the city from the northwest. There are still about 650,000 residents living in western Mosul, and there are fears of a growing humanitarian crisis. The Iraqi army, helped by Kurdish troops and Shiite popular militias. The coalition has already taken over eastern Mosul, and in October launched a campaign to force Islamic State out of western Mosul as well. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is set to sign a new immigration order that will remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary US travel ban. US officials said that President Trump gave in to pressure from the Pentagon and State Department which urged the US to reconsider given Iraq’s key role in fighting Islamic State.