20 to 30K ISIS fighters remain in Iraq, Syria

[The Caspian Hare]

Quote

 

Between 20,000 and 30,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria despite the jihadist group's defeat and a halt in the flow of foreigners joining its ranks, according to a UN report released Monday.

The report by UN sanctions monitors estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 IS jihadists were based in Libya while some of the key operatives in the extremist group were being relocated to Afghanistan.

Member-states told the monitors that the total IS membership in Iraq and Syria was "between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals, roughly equally distributed between the two countries."

 

http://www.france24.com/en/20180814-un-30000-islamic-state-group-fighters-left-iraq-syria

[Gromdor]

Hmm, 20,000 to 30,000 is the number the CIA said they had back in 2014.

[+and-then]

8 hours ago, Gromdor said:

Hmm, 20,000 to 30,000 is the number the CIA said they had back in 2014.

back then they were considered the JV and Obarry wasn't interested in doing anything to stop them.  Today, Trump may use the number as cover for keeping troops in Syria indefinitely.

[Gromdor]

17 minutes ago, and then said:

back then they were considered the JV and Obarry wasn't interested in doing anything to stop them.  Today, Trump may use the number as cover for keeping troops in Syria indefinitely.

2014 was the Fall of Mosul.

[+and-then]

Yep...and Obama called them the JV a few months before that debacle...

https://www.truthrevolt.org/news/flashback-obama-dismisses-isis-jv-team

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Mosul

 

[lightly]

None of our involvement in the region has made a bit of sense.  There must be real reasons, but we are not told those.

it's all been a load of hogwash.