WASHINGTON (AA): The Daesh terrorist group has lost all territory it oncecontrolled in Iraq and Syria, President Donald Trump declared Fridayfollowing a near five-year U.S.-led campaign.
Trump made the pronouncement in brief remarks to reporters after arrivingin Florida, displaying a map showing Daesh in control of a wide regioncompared to its present-day status.
“There’s ISIS and that’s what we have right now as of last night,” Trumpsaid, using another name for Daesh while pointing to a map of the regiondevoid of the terror group. “I think it’s about time.”
Trump has on several past occasions erroneously claimed Daesh’s defeat.
But this pronouncement was followed by a briefing during the flight toFlorida by acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, White Housespokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Sanders said it was the Pentagon, not the president, who “made the call”about Daesh’s defeat.
U.S.-allied forces have been fighting Daesh in its last remaining pocket inBaghouz, Syria.
Trump has long vowed to withdraw the U.S.’s 2,000 troops from the war-torncountry following Daesh’s defeat. But his abrupt pronouncement in Decemberroiled close international allies, and received significant pushback fromAmerican lawmakers, some of whom are key to the president’s legislativeagenda.
Trump has conceded to leave some troops in the country’s northeast, withthe White House saying some 200 will remain as part of an internationalpeacekeeping force in the north and about the same number will be used tosecure a garrison along a strategic roadway in the southeast.
But the number has been contested with at least one report suggesting thetotal force figure could be closer to 1,000, a claim denied by thePentagon’s top brass.
The Wall Street Journal, however, stuck by its reporting which suggestedWashington is seeking to continue its cooperation with the YPG-led SDFdespite Turkey’s warnings that it will conduct a cross-border operationagainst the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.