Have you read recently about a number of politicians around the globe claiming the world has defeated ISIS? Or, claiming ISIS has NOT been defeated? Who is right and who is wrong depends on the country making the claim and their interests tying them to that claim. This is the ISIS convenience football kicking and screaming in any direction depending on what serves you best.
Ask yourself the following question: When Iran poses such threats to the region with its missile capabilities and terror proxies, why are we so obsessed with a terror group brandishing AK-47’s instead? A group we can hammer from the air and on the ground with impunity and no one would bat an eye?
So, what is it? Have we defeated ISIS or not?
Here is the short answer to this question. Yes and no. Depending on who is claiming the statement.
For countries and politicians that support the State of Israel, they claim they have not defeated ISIS. Why? Because Israel needs help in containing Iran in Syria. U.S. troops on the ground keeps the IRGC wary of any direct attacks against Israel. It’s a layer of protection the small Jewish State, vulnerable to missile attacks, vies for.
Those who want the U.S. out of Syria usually tend to be also arch-enemies of Israel. Many claim ISIS no longer poses a threat, or, they claim, like Russia does, they will pick-up from the U.S. after its exit from Syria.
Russia’s goals are to submit Israel to its will. That will happen if Vladimir Putin replaces the U.S. in the region, which Donald Trump is happy to yield.
Countries like Germany, which believes its Syrian refugee problem could only be solved with a new leadership in Syria, wants the U.S. to remain in Syria in order to “defeat ISIS“.
Countries kick the ISIS convenience football in the direction that best suits their interests.
Reality though is much less blurry.
The United States, after several years of air and ground attacks using the Kurds of Syria as their allies, one can almost with certainty claim ISIS no longer poses a threat in any shape of form close to the one Iran poses.
The United States has defeated ISIS; and this is why President Trump, who made campaign promises and whose foreign policy calculations are primitive, is exiting Syria.
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