The US has said that US-led airstrikes have killed up to 75% of ISIS fighters and 180 of its leaders, assessing that the international anti- ISIS coalition has choked the group’s ability to recruit foreigner fighters, undermined its propaganda efforts and helped Iraqi forces retake territory.
Pentagon officials say a lot of work against ISIS remains, work that Trump has signaled he would tackle with a more intense military approach — characterized by his campaign pledge to “bomb the s— out of them.”
Analysts warn, though, that the Trump administration will have to consider a broader set of challenges, not only on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, but beyond them as well, where a hardened military approach may not be the best way to go.
A Trump administration can’t ignore the long-term challenges of ISIS affiliates spread around the world, they said. They warned that an intensified military campaign and possible increased Western troop presence could play into ISIS propaganda.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member