Pentagon report: ISIS is regrouping in Iraq, could resurge in Syria

This file photo from 2014 shows ISIS supporters in Mosul, Iraq.

(Image credit: AP Photo, File)

published 5 February 2019

A new Pentagon report released Monday warns that the Islamic State is regrouping in Iraq and could do the same in Syria, as the terrorist organization continues to attract 50 new foreign fighters every month.

Late last year, President Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria," and said he planned on withdrawing troops from the country. It's a move slammed by Democratic and Republican lawmakers who say ISIS still poses a threat. Trump said Sunday that U.S. troops will stay in Iraq in order to keep an eye on Iran.

The Pentagon's Inspector General Quarterly Report on Operation Inherent Resolve states that if "Sunni socioeconomic, political, and sectarian grievances are not adequately addressed by the national and local governments of Iraq and Syria, it is very likely that ISIS will have the opportunity to set conditions for future resurgence and territorial control." The report adds that "absent sustained [counterterrorism] pressure, ISIS could likely resurge in Syria within six to 12 months," regaining territory it has lost over the last few years. The militants are still making money in Syria through illegal means, the report says, including via oil smuggling, extortion, and kidnappings.

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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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