The turnaround

Cairo – There is no cause yet for cheer, but for the first time since last summer’s blitzkrieg by Islamic State (IS) the news from Iraq and Syria has been less than uniformly grim. General Martin Dempsey, America’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, on November 15th told American troops in Iraq that the battle is “starting to turn”— though it will take time to defeat the jihadists. The UN’s en...