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question:Washington (CNN)The U.S. military is trying to gather as much intelligence as it can about ISIS defenses in Mosul to make a key decision about whether it's necessary to recommend American ground troops accompany Iraqi forces on the looming fight to retake Iraq's second largest city. The first move by Iraqi forces on the ground could come as soon as April, a U.S. Central Command official told CNN. ISIS is continuing to attempt to reinforce its defenses of Mosul. If those defenses grow to a significant level, then Iraqi forces may need U.S. help in locating military targets to hit, the official said. If ISIS defenses reach that critical point, the Pentagon and Central Command may then recommend to President Obama that U.S. troops be involved, the official said. Gen. Lloyd Austin, head of Central Command, and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, have both suggested a small number of U.S. troops could be needed to help with targeting, but not to go into combat. Now there is a more specific explanation of the trigger — ISIS defenses — that could cause the recommendation to go to the President. The United States already is observing ISIS members protecting their families by sending them out of Mosul, the official said. Recent coalition airstrikes around Mosul have been aimed at cutting off all supply lines to ISIS in the city. That way, when the military operation begins, ISIS will be isolated inside Mosul and unable to reinforce its fighters. Centcom believes ISIS has lost the ability to gain significant new amounts of territory in Iraq and hold onto it, the official said. And in both Iraq and Syria, the assessment is that ISIS fighters are stretched so thin, leaders are having to make choices and prioritize where they want to put their resources and fighters, the official added. That became a key reason they abandoned the fight for Kobani. There is also some evidence that the number of foreign fighters coming into Syria and Iraq may have declined over the last four to five months. However, hostage killings videos do underscore that the ISIS social media propaganda campaign remains strong, the official said. U.S. military and intelligence officials are noting the highly produced nature of some of the videos indicate ISIS had spent considerable time on the efforts.
answer:The U.S. military is intensifying its intelligence-gathering efforts to assess ISIS defenses in Mosul, Iraq, to determine whether American ground troops will be needed to assist Iraqi forces in retaking the city. Iraqi forces could begin their offensive as early as April, according to a U.S. Central Command (Centcom) official. If ISIS defenses become significantly reinforced, the Pentagon and Centcom may recommend to President Obama that a small number of U.S. troops be deployed to help with targeting, though not for direct combat. Recent coalition airstrikes have aimed to isolate ISIS in Mosul by cutting off supply lines, and Centcom believes ISIS has lost the ability to gain and hold significant new territory in Iraq. ISIS fighters are reportedly stretched thin, leading to strategic withdrawals, such as from Kobani. However, the group's social media propaganda, including hostage killing videos, remains robust, indicating a continued investment in propaganda efforts.
question:Fetch the Billboard Hot 100 Songs year-end chart for 2020 and 2021.
answer:<tool_call>[{name: hot_100_songs, arguments: {year: 2020}}, {name: hot_100_songs, arguments: {year: 2021}}]</tool_call>
question:I have a short piece of writing that I was hoping you could edit for me. Here it is: The new policy has been met with both widespread criticism and support. Many have argued that it will cause undue hardship to local buisness's while others argue that it is a necessary step forwards. Despite concerns it is set to come into effect early next year. The local goverment has reasured the public that they have looked into the matter extensivly and it is in the best intrest's of the community. How can I improve this piece of writing?
answer:Your piece effectively conveys the main points, but there are a few areas that could be improved for clarity and professionalism. Here's a revised version: The new policy has been met with both widespread criticism and support. Many argue that it will cause undue hardship to local businesses, while others see it as a necessary step forward. Despite concerns, the policy is set to take effect early next year. The local government has assured the public that they have thoroughly investigated the matter and believe it is in the best interests of the community. I made the following changes: - Corrected spelling errors (e.g., buisness's to businesses, goverment to government, extensivly to thoroughly, and intrest's to interests). - Changed reasured to assured, which is a more formal and accurate term in this context. - Changed it is set to come into effect to the policy is set to take effect, which is more concise and clear. - Made minor adjustments to sentence structure and wording to improve flow and readability. These changes should help refine your writing and make it more polished.
question:What do you think about the use of passive voice in the first sentence, and what alternative could be used to make it more engaging to read?
answer:The first sentence, The new policy has been met with both widespread criticism and support, is written in the passive voice. While the passive voice can be useful in certain situations, it can sometimes make the writing seem less engaging or less clear. In this case, using the passive voice makes the sentence a bit vague, as it doesn't specify who is doing the criticizing or supporting. To make the sentence more engaging and clear, you could consider rephrasing it in the active voice. Here's an alternative: The new policy has sparked heated debate, with many residents expressing strong criticism and others voicing their support. Or, if you want to emphasize the critics and supporters: Critics and supporters alike have been vocal about the new policy, with some arguing it will cause undue hardship and others seeing it as a necessary step forward. By using the active voice, you can make the sentence more dynamic and engaging, and provide a clearer picture of who is involved in the criticism and support. This can help draw the reader in and make the text more interesting to read.