Islamic State roots run deep in Middle East discontent
There has been a sharp increase in reports that the Islamic State is being eradicated in Syria, but such declarations seem premature.
As the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are slowly clearing the Islamic State (IS) from its last Syrian foothold of Baghouz in the east, there has been a steady stream of media comments and forecasts about the “final defeat of IS.”
President Donald Trump, since announcing US troops will withdraw from Syria, has repeatedly said IS is “finished.” Trump’s White House has likewise adopted a "Mission Accomplished" slogan.
But one should be cautious when linking the words “Islamic State” and “defeat.”
The most pertinent consideration is how to define and measure defeat. If one defines success as eliminating IS' military capabilities and territorial control, then it can be said that IS appears to have been militarily defeated.
