Most important, the commandos had found a way to get under the terrorists’ skin. The insurgents were no longer the deadliest, most unpredictable force in Iraq. Now it was their turn to be afraid, and exposed. The truth, as Joseph and his comrades discovered, was that the Islamic State’s fighters were skilled butchers, but lousy soldiers. “They’re only good at terrorizing people who aren’t armed,” he said. “They think they’re good, but when we would wake them up in the middle of the night, they would crap their pants.” The skirmishes inside the darkened houses were silent and short, often three
...more
