'The strategy hasn't changed at all' - Trump's plan to defeat ISIS is the same as Obama's
Kacper Pempel/Getty Images
"The strategy of by, with, through, and alongside our Iraqi partners has not changed," New Zealand Army Brigadier Hugh McAslan, the deputy commanding general for land forces in Operation Inherent Resolve, told Business Insider from Baghdad in a Skype interview.
Though Trump has made small tactical changes to the anti-ISIS campaign, such as giving the military greater authority to call the shots on the ground, the overall strategy established in 2014 remains pretty much the same, according to The Daily Beast.
The president has so far missed two deadlines he set himself for detailing a new ISIS strategy, according to CNN. That delay, according to the Daily Beast, is because the Trump White House has been asking defense officials to pitch new ideas that could differentiate the current strategy from Obama's.
The strategy put in place by the Obama administration, however, seems to be working quite well, McAslan said. Though the overall strategy hasn't changed, McAslan said, what has "changed is the fact that in 2014, ISIS was at the gates of Baghdad, and now they are a desperate enemy about to be defeated in Iraq's second largest city."
"The strategy hasn't changed at all throughout," he added, mentioning coalition efforts to train indigenous forces, advise them, and offer precision air strikes, intelligence, and surveillance.
Iraqi security forces have only about 3% left to go before Mosul is fully liberated from ISIS forces. Once Iraq's second-largest city is recaptured, they will move on to other small pockets of terrain still held by ISIS in Iraq, which include cities such as Hawija, Tal Afar, and Al Qaim.
Meanwhile, coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have continued to push further into Raqqa, Syria, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State. The coalition estimates there are approximately 3,000 to 4,000 fighters left to defend that city.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- From terrace to table: 8 Edible plants you can grow in your home
- India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report
- New study forecasts high chance of record-breaking heat and humidity in India in the coming months
- Gold plunges ₹1,450 to ₹72,200, silver prices dive by ₹2,300
- Strong domestic demand supporting India's growth: Morgan Stanley