Skip to main content

Trump, touting gains over IS, focuses on Syria exit

Speaking to diplomats attending a ministerial meeting of the 79-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS today, President Trump said a formal announcement would come next week that 100% of the terror group's territory had been liberated.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to foreign ministers from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1528E7D100

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, addressing diplomats from some 70 countries at the State Department today, said he expected a formal announcement on the territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State, IS or ISIS, possibly as early as next week.

“It should be formally announced sometime probably next week that we will have [liberated] 100% of the caliphate,” Trump told diplomats attending a ministerial meeting of the 79-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. “You can’t do better than we’ve done, militarily.”

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.