Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 23 august 2017
In Baghdad: Officials say Trump Afghanistan

Pentagon chief says militants ‘on the run’ plan involves 3,900 more troops

By ROBERT BURNS more aggressive, effective possession of Mosul in July, By LOLITA C. BALDOR attacks against America
AP National Security Writer approach against IS in Iraq the U.S. military effort is MAT PENNINGTON before they emerge.”
BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. De- and Syria, but he has yet showing tangible progress Associated Press Speaking to reporters in
fense Secretary Jim Mattis to announce a strategy and the Pentagon can WASHINGTON (AP) — Iraq, Defense Secretary
said Tuesday he is confi- for that conflict that differs credibly assert that mo- President Donald Trump’s Jim Mattis declined to
dent that U.S.-backed Iraqi greatly from his predeces- mentum is on Iraq’s side. plan to end America’s confirm a precise num-
forces will finish off the Is- sor’s. The ranking U.S. Air Force longest war and elimi- ber Tuesday, saying he
lamic State militants cling- The Pentagon chief told officer in Iraq, Brig. Gen. nate Afghanistan’s rising was waiting for more in-
ing to strongholds that are reporters before he left Andrew A. Croft, said that extremist threat involves put from Gen. Joseph
shrinking in size and num- neighboring Jordan that over the past few months, sending up to 3,900 ad- Dunford, America’s top
ditional U.S. troops, senior military official. Mattis said
officials said Tuesday. The he will “reorganize” some
first deployments could U.S. troops in Afghanistan
take place within days. to reflect the new strat-
In a national address egy.
Monday night, Trump re- Meanwhile, the top U.S.
versed his past calls for a commander for the Mid-
speedy exit and recom- dle East said he expects
mitted the United States the first reinforcements
to the 16-year-old con- to arrive “pretty quickly,”
flict, saying U.S. troops within days or weeks.
must “fight to win.” He “What’s most important
warned against repeat- for us now is to get some
ing what he said were capabilities in to have an
mistakes in Iraq, where an impact on the current
American military with- fighting season,” Gen. Jo-
drawal led to a vacuum seph Votel, who spent last
that the Islamic State weekend in Afghanistan,
group quickly filled. told reporters traveling
Trump would not con- with him to Saudi Arabia
firm how many more ser- on Tuesday.
vice members he plans Most of the new forces will
to send to Afghanistan, train and advise Afghan
which may be the pub- forces to improve their
Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan al-Hayali, right, welcomes U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, left, and lic’s most pressing ques- combat abilities, or pro-
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman, to the Ministry of Defense, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, tion about his strategy. In vide security for American
Aug. 22, 2017. Mattis said he’s confident that U.S.-backed Iraqi forces will finish off the Islamic interviews with television adviser teams in the field,
State militants clinging to strongholds that are shrinking in size and number. networks Tuesday, Vice Votel said. U.S. counter-
(AP Photo) President Mike Pence terror forces will make up
ber. the Middle Euphrates River IS has lost much of its ability similarly wouldn’t give a smaller portion, as will
“ISIS is on the run,” Mattis Valley — roughly from the to command and control any clear answer, but other support forces and
told reporters after meet- western Iraqi city of al-Qa- its forces. he cited Pentagon plans medical personnel.
ing with Prime Minister im to the eastern Syrian city “It’s less coordinated than from June calling for 3,900 About 460 of the total
Haider al-Abadi and other of Der el-Zour — will be lib- it was before,” he said. “It more troops. troops will help the U.S.
Iraqi government leaders. erated in time, as IS takes appears more fractured — “The troop levels are sig- train more Afghan spe-
“They have been shown to hit from both ends of the flimsy is the word I would nificant, and we’ll listen to cial commandos in more
be unable to stand up to valley that bisects Iraq and use.” our military commanders locations, said U.S. Maj.
our team in combat.” Syria. It seems likely that in com- about that,” Pence said. Gen. James Linder, com-
Mattis spoke alongside Lt. “You see, ISIS is now ing months Trump may be Although the Pentagon’s mander of U.S. and NATO
Gen. Stephen Townsend, caught in-between con- in position to declare a plans are based on 3,900 special operations forces
the top U.S. commander verging forces,” he said, victory of sorts in Iraq as IS additional troops, the ex- in Afghanistan.
in Iraq, who is due to finish using an alternative acro- fighters are marginalized act number will vary as Before he was a presi-
his tour of duty here in early nym for the militant group and they lose their claim conditions change, senior dential candidate, Trump
September. that burst into western and to be running a “caliph- U.S. officials said. Those of- argued for a quick with-
“The fighting is tough,” northern Iraq in 2014 from ate” inside Iraq’s borders. ficials weren’t authorized drawal from Afghani-
Townsend said, “but the Syria and held sway for Syria, on the other hand, is to speak publicly on the stan and called the war
momentum is with our part- more than two years. a murkier problem, figures and demanded a massive waste of U.S.
ners.” “So ISIS’s days are certainly even as IS loses ground anonymity. “blood and treasure.” On
Earlier, Mattis described numbered, but it’s not over there against U.S.-support- They said the Pentagon Monday, he suggested
the extremists as being yet and it’s not going to be ed local fighters and Rus- has told Trump it needs an open-ended commit-
trapped in a military vise over any time soon.” sian-backed Syrian gov- the increase, on top of ment rather than a “time-
that will squeeze them on Mattis referred to this area ernment forces. the roughly 8,400 Ameri- based” approach.
both sides of the Syria-Iraq as “ISIS’s last stand.” The U.S. role in Iraq parallels cans now in the country, “Conditions on the
border. Unlike the war in Afghani- Afghanistan in some ways, to accomplish Trump’s ground — not arbitrary
Mattis had arrived in the stan, Iraq offers a more starting with the basic tenet objectives. Those goals, timetables — will guide
Iraqi capital hours after positive narrative for the of enabling local govern- he said Monday night, our strategy from now
President Donald Trump White House, at least for ment forces to fight rather include “obliterating ISIS, on,” Trump said.
outlined a fresh approach now. than having U.S. troops do crushing al-Qaida, pre- At its peak involvement
to the stalemated war in Having enabled Iraqi gov- the fighting for them. That is venting the Taliban from in 2010-2011, the U.S. had
Afghanistan. Trump also ernment forces to reclaim unlikely to change in either taking over Afghanistan roughly 100,000 troops in
has pledged to take a the Islamic State’s prized country.q and stopping mass terror Afghanistan.q