The Islamic State (IS) is on the brink of total defeat. This past March, Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) teamed up with the U.S. military to attack an IS stronghold in east Syria. The good news is that the coalition defeated the IS fighters and recaptured the final stronghold in Syria.
While SDF and U.S. attacks have been successful from a military perspective, it sometimes comes at a cost. The early March strike resulted in the deaths of roughly 50 innocent civilians.
Read on for the latest military and political news in Iraq and Syria. Learn more about the defeat of IS and the potential for a reemerging threat.
Background
Did you know that at its peak, the IS controlled over 34,000 square miles in Syria and Iraq? The IS also generated over $2 billion in revenue. This cash flow was produced by illegitimate means such as ransoms, drugs, oil production, and more.
The foundation of the IS actually dates back to 2006 during the Bush administration. The terror group started to become powerful and influential in 2013. They absorbed an Al-Qaeda group called the al-Nusra Front.
The IS reached peak power in 2014 when it declared the creation of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Its power surge grabbed the attention of the United States military. The democracy that it fought so hard to create in Iraq was being decimated by the IS.
At this point, the U.S. had no choice but to take action and redeploy troops to Iraq. In 2015, then-President Obama deployed additional military resources to Syria. For the next four years, the U.S. military partnered with the SDF to reclaim lands and defeat the IS.
Troop Levels
There are currently more than 2,000 American troops in Syria fighting the IS. However, there is some political pressure in the United States to bring troops home.
This is an intense debate with many foreign policy experts expressing concern about a premature withdrawal. Nevertheless, President Trump recently declared that American troops are withdrawing from Syria in the near future. The military is planning to leave 400 troops behind to serve as advisers to the SDF.
There are still thousands of defense contractors fighting the IS in Syria. According to the Department of Defense, there are over 5,500 defense contractors in the nation.
Many people wonder how defense contractors working in a combat zone are paid. One way is using a paystub generator to digitally create their paycheck from a remote location.
With the vast majority of troops coming home, the American public anxiously awaits the results. Withdrawing troops from the Middle East failed one time before and poses equal risks today.
A Recap of the Battle Versus IS Fighters
The SDF and U.S. military achieved victory in Syria. They have reclaimed all captured lands and put IS on the defensive.
These gains, however, may be short-lived if the IS regroups and starts to fight back. The world is watching to see if permanent peace can be achieved.
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