As Iraqi forces look to regain control of Mosul, both sides are choosing their tactics with an eye to the future.
![Peshmerga forces fires a mortar towards Islamic state militants'' positions in the town of Naweran near Mosul [REUTERS]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4e1f63cb63c34848be0b261033c81872_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)

Crispian Cuss is a former British Army officer who lives and works in Southeast Asia.
As Iraqi forces look to regain control of Mosul, both sides are choosing their tactics with an eye to the future.
![Peshmerga forces fires a mortar towards Islamic state militants'' positions in the town of Naweran near Mosul [REUTERS]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4e1f63cb63c34848be0b261033c81872_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
As ISIL loses territory in Iraq and Syria, the nature of the threat in Southeast Asia is set to change.
![Malaysians take part in a demonstration demanding to end the indiscriminate killings, the oppression, and the ''Zionist imperialism'' [Getty]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/de33c45284134e4aba8e4de459a0554a_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
The outcome will be a far cry from the sunny utopian uplands of independence many Brexiters are expecting.
![The flag of the European Union and the Union flag sit on top of a sand castle on a beach in Southport, United Kingdom [Getty]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/46e7c42e12d449f1a62e73c2fe42d084_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Many of the arguments against air strikes were based on emotion rather than an understanding of the military campaign.
![A fighter jet in the background landing as a transport aircraft is seen on the ground at the RAF Akrotiri, a British air base near the coastal city of Limassol, Cyprus [AP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/32d778b7f00f42bcba7ce2581697dba7_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Will the deaths of high-profile British ISIL fighters act as a deterrent for others thinking of following their path?
![Ground Control Stations at RAF Waddington [Getty]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/16e78d588f134c1b9cba2fe413e3b0a2_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Welcoming more refugees to Europe will not solve the problem.
![A Syrian refugee holds a child moments after arriving on a dinghy on the Greek island of Lesbos [REUTERS]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/d5db51208c5046f89d68fac33876889c_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
What Jordanian pilot’s slaying really showed was how scared ISIL is of their enemies in the sky.

Western fighters on the Kurdish front lines is a counter-narrative to the thousands of foreigners who have joined ISIL.
![A British military adviser instructs Kurdish Peshmerga fighters during a training session in Arbil [AFP/Getty Images]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014112572144742734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
A calculated strategic swap of allegiances as Iran replaces Saudi Arabia as the United States’ favou
![The Sadrist 'Peace Brigade' organise a parade in Baghdad, Iraq [Getty]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/20141110133126224734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
The US knows it cannot destroy ISIL alone but the region knows it cannot do without US leadership an
![It is right to question why and how the US has chosen to reengage, writes Cuss [AP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/20149168164416734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)