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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 21 July 2017
Mattis, Trump: US winning fight against Islamic State group

we’re at in the defeat-ISIS any specifics on the Pen-
campaign” and building tagon meeting, which he
an international coalition, described as “very good.”
“which is enlarging as you He said “you’ll be hearing”
know.” about future action in Af-
The briefing came hours ghanistan.
after Trump and Vice Presi- About two dozen men
dent Mike Pence met with and women in dress uni-
Mattis at the Pentagon. A form lined both sides of the
Pentagon spokeswoman “Chairman’s Hallway” in
said the roughly two-hour the Pentagon. The meet-
meeting was a “broad ing took place in a secure
overview” that touched meeting room colloqui-
on Afghanistan, Pakistan, ally known as “the tank”
North Korea and other — where the Joint Chiefs
countries. No decisions of Staff typically meet.
were made in the meeting When Trump emerged, he
and there was no talk of greeted each serviceman
timelines, said spokeswom- and woman one by one,
an Dana White. shaking hands and say-
The president didn’t ad- ing a word or two to each.
dress an anticipated spike Pence followed.
in troop levels in Afghani- Mattis said after the con-
stan Thursday, telling report- gressional meeting that
ers, “We’ll see. And we’re lawmakers expressed sup-
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence walk with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, doing very well against ISIS. port for the administration’s
center, to begin greeting military personnel during their visit to the Pentagon, Thursday, July 20, ISIS is falling fast, very fast.” efforts. “I have no doubt we
2017.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Trump administration have the support of Con-
hopes to address weak- gress, and that was loud
nesses in Afghan forces and clear,” Mattis said.
By MATTHEW DALY fense Secretary Jim Mattis at the Capitol. with a new strategy and The administration has
VIVIAN SALAMA said Thursday, hours after Mattis, Secretary of State the introduction of several been searching for an
Associated Press President Donald Trump Rex Tillerson and Gen. Jo- thousand American forces. improved approach to
WASHINGTON (AP) — The said “ISIS is falling fast, very seph Dunford, chairman There are now about 8,400 achieving the goal it in-
United States is winning its fast.” of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, there. Asked about pos- herited from the Obama
fight against the Islamic “We’re winning. They’re spoke with House members sible troop increases, Mattis administration: getting the
State group and enlarging losing. How’s that?” an up- for more than 90 minutes. said, “I’m sure the president Afghan government to a
an international coalition beat Mattis told reporters Mattis said they updated will make a decision soon.” point where it can defend
to defeat the group, De- after a closed-door briefing lawmakers on “where Trump avoided providing itself.q

US seeks Syrian solution, but Assad doesn’t have to go first

By DEB RIECHMANN news reports that Trump
BASSEM MROUE had decided to halt the
Associated Press CIA’s years-long covert
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — The program to arm and train
U.S. is seeking a political moderate Syrian rebels
resolution to the crisis in battling the Assad gov-
Syria and won’t insist on ernment. Russia had long
Syrian President Bashar pushed the United States
Assad’s immediate ouster, to end the program.
President Donald Trump’s The phasing out of the se-
homeland and counterter- cret program was reported
rorism adviser said Thurs- by The Washington Post on
day. Wednesday.
“I don’t think it’s important Officials told the newspa-
for us to say Assad must go per that ending the opera-
first,” Tom Bossert said at tion reflects Trump’s inter-
the Aspen Security Forum, est in finding ways to work
an annual gathering of in- with Russia.
telligence and national se- The program was a key
curity officials and experts. component begun by the
“The U.S. would still like Obama administration to
to see Assad go at some put pressure on Assad to
point. That would be our Syrian Internal Security Forces dance during their graduation ceremony, at Ain Issa desert base, relinquish power.
desired outcome.” in Raqqa province, northeast Syria, Thursday, July 20, 2017. Some 250 residents of Syria’s Raqqa The CIA began the covert
province are the latest batch to graduate from a brief U.S-training course that is preparing an
Bossert said there needs internal security force to hold and secure areas as they are captured from Islamic State militants. operation in 2013 to arm,
to be a political outcome (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) fund and train a moder-
in Syria, not a military- ate opposition to Assad.
imposed one that has no void in leadership. Still, he hope for a peaceful Syria. soon thereafter, it would By some estimates, the CIA
said Assad staying in con-
Whether Assad’s leaving be a nice outcome.”
political strategy to fill a trained some 10,000 fight-
trol does not offer the best “comes first or second or Bossert spoke following
ers. q