Last ISIS stronghold has been liberated

[Munson]

https://www.foxnews.com/world/isis-h...ws-has-learned

ISIS caliphate has crumbled and last stronghold liberated, Fox News has learned

By Benjamin Hall | Fox News

BAGHOUZ, Syria -- The caliphate has crumbled, and the final offensive is over. While the official announcement hasn’t yet been made – Fox News has been told that this village, the last ISIS stronghold, is liberated.

It’s the first time since we’ve been here in Syria for five days that the bombs have stopped dropping and the gunfire has disappeared. We have witnessed the end of the caliphate – the brutal empire that once ruled over 8 million people – is gone.

Troops here are now bringing down the black flags of ISIS. The flags no longer fly over the town, instilling fear.

The last five days, Fox News has witnessed the last major offensive up close -– with U.S.-backed SDF forces attacking ISIS from three sides, pushing the fighters back, house to house, then tent to tent, against the Euphrates River.

Inside Baghouz, it’s easy to see how they hid for so long – not just in tunnels but trenches and hundreds of cubby holes covered by tarpaulins, which blend in perfectly to the dirt.

In the end, the majority surrendered. In fact, since the start of the year about 60,000 have dripped into the desert, and most are now held in camps.

There is a major concern about what to do with the camps though. The SDF has asked for U.S. support in setting up a tribunal here to prosecute them.

This final corner of the caliphate was in the far eastern desert of Syria– it was where ISIS first captured territory, and it is where they finally lost.

A clearing operation is now underway in the town– and an announcement is expected soon.

None of the main surviving ISIS leaders have been caught inside Baghouz. Instead, they left their men to fight alone. It’s thought they prepared ahead for the insurgency.

The scale of the devastation here is incredible. And everyone acknowledges that without U.S. support, it would have taken far longer.

For four-and-a-half years, ISIS held this territory, ruling over it with an iron fist. It was the terrorist group’s heartland – and they were so dug in that the only way to push them back was to flatten whole villages. The devastation here goes on for miles – and craters like this are a reminder of the critical role played by U.S. airpower. Military jets still fly overhead.

SDF fighters are all so grateful to the U.S., not just for their help in the battle, but now for its decision to leave troops here when it’s done. Reports now suggest the figure may be around 1,000 staying.

[Donger]

Daesh's maximum territory happened in 2014 and has been dropping since, IIRC.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by Munson

ISIS Caliphate two years ago in red vs. ISIS Caliphate TODAY. (Was even worse in November 2016 before I took office). pic.twitter.com/MUgfex4rCj

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2019

Trump's "map" makes it so? You sayin' it's done for good, then....right?

[Munson]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kotter

Trump's "map" makes it so? You sayin' it's done for good, then....right?

Trump's "map" is from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

I thought all leftists believed our intelligence agencies?

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by Munson

Trump's "map" is from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

I thought all leftists believed our intelligence agencies?

And I thought none of you RWNJs trusted anything the SWAMP! puts out...

[Carr4MVP]

Liberals are mad that ISIS is dying.

[LiveSteam]

I'm mad Progressive liberals aren't dying.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Trump cleaning up Obama's mess

Funny how when Obama left office. All funding and support of isis died.


What a pos Obama is.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kotter

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Remember how that worked out for W, right?

Not good when the next guy funded isis. Remember Obama?

[SuperBowl4]

Originally Posted by Donger

Beats me. A lot of liberals and Bush haters don't know the story behind it.



I certainly hope not.

The story behind it is The Project For A New American Century. Seven countries in FIVE years.

[Coyote]

https://www.inherentresolve.mil/Abou...OIR/Coalition/

Phase 4 should be for our operationally challenged partners- U. K. Members, etc. - to execute and for us to provide any sea based air support if warranted. Now is the time to exfil and RTB Conus with U.S. forces ashore and follow the coalition partner visual roadmap created under the previous President’s stance of “leading from behind.”

This has been the Phase we’ve been screwing up in this century and where all the political bashing of the “Mission Accomplished” sign on 1 May 2003 (though President Bush said the opposite https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss...plished_speech ) began. Walk away.

This phase 4 crap started with Colin Powell and his “rules.” “If you break it you have to fix it,” should never apply to our enemies.
https://www.inherentresolve.mil/campaign/

The Campaign
*
*
The Combined Joint Task Force will accomplish its mission – to militarily defeat DA’ESH in the Combined Joint Operations Area by, with, and through regional partners in order to enable whole-of-governmental actions to increase regional stability – by conducting a campaign against Da’esh in Iraq and Syria in four phases.
*
In Phase I, Degrade, the CJTF conducted strikes against Da’esh to blunt their expansion into Iraq and to begin to reduce their combat effectiveness.* During this phase, the CJTF began providing training and equipping and advice and assistance to the Iraqi Security Forces and, in a more limited role, partnered forces on the ground in Syria. *CJTF transitioned from Phase I to Phase II of the operation at the end of 2015.
*
In Phase II, Counterattack, the CJTF supports the ISF and the partnered forces in Syria as they attack to liberate territory and people under the control of Da’esh.* During this phase, the CJTF conducts strikes against Da’esh fighters in support of the maneuver of our partnered forces and in support of shaping future battles, increasing pressure and maintaining the momentum of the ground forces.* The CJTF continues the training, equipping, advising, and assisting of our partnered forces, elevating the training to unit collective tasks, focused on combined arms maneuver, where appropriate.
*
In Phase III, Defeat, the CJTF conducts strikes in support of the decisive battles against Da’esh.* ISF and partnered forces in Syria liberate the two capitols of the self-proclaimed caliphate, Raqqah in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, and eliminate Da’esh’s physical means and psychological will to fight.* After the liberation of Mosul and Raqqah, partnered forces clear remaining pockets of Da’esh resistance throughout both countries.* During this phase, the CJTF conducts fires against Da’esh fighters in support of the decisive maneuver of our partnered forces, maintaining the momentum, and continues the training, equipping, advising, and assisting of our partnered forces.*
*
In Phase IV, Support Stabilization, the CJTF provides security, planning, and required support to the Government of Iraq and appropriate authorities in Syria.*
*
*
The Combined Joint Task Force organizes its tasks and missions along three lines of effort to bring about the military defeat of Da’esh in Iraq and Syria.* A line of effort is a line linking multiple tasks and missions using the “logic of purpose” – i.e., cause and effect – to focus efforts to establishing conditions at the strategic and operational levels.
*
In other words, a line of effort links all the unit’s actions, military and non-military, toward establishing a set of conditions to accomplish the mission.
*
In support of Line Of Effort 1, the CJTF will enable the military defeat of Da’esh in Iraq and Syria.* We accomplish this primarily by striking Da’esh across the breadth and depth of the so-called “caliphate” throughout both countries.
*
In support of Line Of Effort 2, the CJTF will enable sustainable military partner capacity in Iraq and Syria.* We accomplish this primarily by training and equipping and advising and assisting our partnered forces in both counties.
*
In support of Line Of Effort 3, the CJTF will leverage the cohesive effects of the contributions of the contributing nations of the Coalition.* We accomplish this primarily by maximizing the effectiveness, or harnessing the power, of Coalition contributions of people, equipment, and logistics in support of our partnered forces.

[NJChiefsFan27]

The reaction to the news ITT is a great illustration of why Trump supporters and wrestling fans have such huge overlap.

[kcpasco]

Originally Posted by Carr4MVP

Liberals are mad that ISIS is dying.

.

[fan4ever]

Originally Posted by Donger

Beats me. A lot of liberals and Bush haters don't know the story behind it.

Like so many things, they'd rather not.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan27

The reaction to the news ITT is a great illustration of why Trump supporters and wrestling fans have such huge overlap.

Can you pussies actually acknowledge this is a great thing for the US and the World that the Caliphate has been defeated? ISIS, or a form of radical Islam will continue and we will be challenged with it for decades, but this is a huge win for freedom. You, and others on here wishing this wasn't true are shit stains.

[sully1983]

Outstanding news! Our military kicks so much ass . Thanks to them!