article_snippet.sent: And U.S.-led airstrikes have already made a difference, according to officials in Washington and beyond.
article_snippet.sent: A U.S. official said in February that up to 25,000 Iraqis troops were expected to return to the key northern Iraqi city in April or
article_snippet.sent: May. But, on Thursday, a senior official in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration appeared to back away from that timeline -- saying an Iraqi-led assault on Mosul "might be some time from now (or) might be soon.
article_snippet.sent: It will "take a lot of capacity," A U.S. official said, "and some time to build.
article_snippet.sent: CNN's Kim Acosta contributed to this report.