Pentagon to stay in Islamic State fight from Iraq
The Pentagon expects to fight the Islamic State from Iraq, a senior defense official said today, as American troops are set to leave northern Syria under pressure from a deepening Turkish offensive.
The Pentagon expects to fight the Islamic State from Iraq, a senior defense official said today, as American troops are set to leave northern Syria under pressure from a Turkish offensive probing deeper into the war-torn country than the Defense Department anticipated.
The campaign to defeat the Islamic State (IS) will continue, the official told reporters at the Pentagon. “We have significant assets, personnel as well as coalition capabilities throughout the region, and we will continue to prosecute that campaign.”
The US Central Command is still planning the details of how to remotely wage the campaign, which has leaned heavily on a Kurdish troops that have struck a deal for protection with the Bashar al-Assad regime under intense military duress from Turkey’s three-pronged drive into the country.
“We will be adjusting to new circumstances on the ground that create new challenges,” the official said. “But we’re good at adapting and we’ll continue to do so.” The official said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had “signaled a willingness to continue prosecuting" the fight to defeat IS in Syria.
