U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday (December 14) that Islamic State militants had lost swaths of territory they once controlled in Iraq and Syria but that progress needed to be made faster against the group.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon Obama said that the Islamic State, which he referred to as ISIL, has not conducted a successful offensive since the summer.
“In many places, ISIL has lost its freedom of maneuver because they know if they mass their forces, we will wipe them out. In fact, since this summer, ISIL has not had a single successful major offensive operation on the ground in either Syria or Iraq,” he said.
Obama’s rare Pentagon trip is part of the White House’s increased focus on the Islamic State in the wake of the November terrorist attacks in Paris and the mass shooting in California on December 2nd carried out by a couple that reportedly pledged loyalty to extremist groups.
Stepped up coalition and U.S. military operations have deprived the Islamic State of significant territory in Iraq, said Obama.
“ISIL also continues to lose territory in Iraq. ISIL had already lost across Kirkuk province and at Tikrit; more recently, ISIL lost at Sinjar, losing a strategic highway. ISIL lost at Baiji with its oil refinery. We saw during raid — the daring raid supported by our special forces which rescued dozens of prisoners from ISIL and which Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler made the ultimate sacrifice. So far, ISIL has lost 40 percent of the areas it once controlled in Iraq, and it will lose more,” he said.
Obama’s Pentagon meeting comes amidst a stepped up commitment of U.S. special forces troops to fight the Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq.
The Islamic State has also lost territory in Syria, he said.
“ISIL has lost thousands of square miles of territory it once controlled in Syria and it will lose more. The special forces that I ordered to Syria have begun supporting the local forces they pushed south, cut off supply lines, and tightened the squeeze on Raqqah,” said Obama.
Obama said he had tasked Defense Secretary Ash Carter with going to the Middle East to secure more military contributions for the coalition fight.
“I have asked Secretary Carter to go to the Middle East — he’ll depart right after this press briefing — to work with our coalition partners on securing more military contributions to this fight. On the diplomatic front, Secretary Kerry will be in Russia tomorrow as we continue to work as part of the Vienna process to end the Syrian civil war,” said Obama.
The United States and its allies conducted 16 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, according to the coalition leading the operations. (Reuters)
