timosman
03-26-2016, 11:19 AM
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/islamic-state-deputy-killed-221237
The Obama administration, under withering criticism on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, on Friday deployed its top architects of the war against the Islamic State with the strongest claims yet that severe damage is being inflicted on the terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for the Brussels bombings.
In a rejoinder to days of verbal assaults from multiple political quarters, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford held a press briefing at the Pentagon to announce the killing of the group's finance chief, Haji Imam, and to highlight a series of recent blows to the group in Iraq and Syria.
“The momentum of this campaign is now clearly on our side," Carter declared.
He said that the finance chief, one of several top operatives killed in recent days, played a role in funding and plotting attacks and his removal "will hamper the organization’s ability to conduct operations inside and outside of Syria."
"We are systematically eliminating ISIL’s cabinet," he added, using the acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
There was a similar message Friday from Secretary of State John Kerry, who has unsuccessfully sought an end to the Syrian civil war.
Using the Arabic acronym for the group, he told CBS News that "40 percent of the territory that Daesh held has been taken back. Their leadership is being taken apart, their revenue is being cut... What you're seeing (in Europe) are desperation, lash-out events."
The upbeat assessments came after days of political heat over the progress of the fight.
More at link - http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/islamic-state-deputy-killed-221237
The Obama administration, under withering criticism on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, on Friday deployed its top architects of the war against the Islamic State with the strongest claims yet that severe damage is being inflicted on the terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for the Brussels bombings.
In a rejoinder to days of verbal assaults from multiple political quarters, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford held a press briefing at the Pentagon to announce the killing of the group's finance chief, Haji Imam, and to highlight a series of recent blows to the group in Iraq and Syria.
“The momentum of this campaign is now clearly on our side," Carter declared.
He said that the finance chief, one of several top operatives killed in recent days, played a role in funding and plotting attacks and his removal "will hamper the organization’s ability to conduct operations inside and outside of Syria."
"We are systematically eliminating ISIL’s cabinet," he added, using the acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
There was a similar message Friday from Secretary of State John Kerry, who has unsuccessfully sought an end to the Syrian civil war.
Using the Arabic acronym for the group, he told CBS News that "40 percent of the territory that Daesh held has been taken back. Their leadership is being taken apart, their revenue is being cut... What you're seeing (in Europe) are desperation, lash-out events."
The upbeat assessments came after days of political heat over the progress of the fight.
More at link - http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/islamic-state-deputy-killed-221237