The Fight in Marawi City and the Struggles to Come

The grinding, street-to-street fighting in Marawi City against Islamic State-affiliated militants has focused worldwide attention on the restive and relatively remote Mindanao region of the Philippines. In time, the fighting will subside. But, as with the Iraqi city of Mosul, this monthslong episode is only one part of a longer struggle — one with roots centuries deep and with difficult prospects for a lasting resolution. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a political outsider with a strongman image, is preparing measures that aim to bring stability to the region — and forward his own objectives in the process....