Global Coalition spokesman: We are committed to the defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria
WASHINGTON, DC, USA (North Press) – Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman Colonel Wayne Marotto stated in an exclusive interview with North Press that the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS will stay in Syria to continue carrying out their mission to ensure the group’s enduring defeat.
“They are defeated territorially; they are resilient. We know they are still dangerous; they still pose a danger to Iraq and Syria and the rest of the world,” said in a video interview with North Press.
Marotto indicated that their mission is to defeat ISIS in specific areas of Syria and Iraq, and that the continuation or cessation of the mission is up to the various member states and politicians in member countries.
“We started six years ago. We’ve had several phases, and we defeated [ISIS] a couple years ago territorially…and now we are partnering with the [Iraqi security forces], the [Syrian Democratic Forces], and some other nations, and we’re trying to create stability here,” Marotto explained.
The spokesman praised the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), saying, “They fought bravely to liberate vast stretches of their country from [ISIS] control, and we salute their heroism and their sacrifice.”
“Right now in northeast Syria we have approximately 900 US service members there, and they are currently supporting the [mission to defeat ISIS] in Syria,” Marotto said of the current troop numbers, adding that those numbers do fluctuate, as when the troop numbers went up when the Coalition delivered Bradley combat vehicles to the SDF.
Marotto stressed that the fight against ISIS continues in Syria and Iraq. “At one point they had about 110,000 square kilometers of territory – that’s the size of Virginia. They had control over eight million people,” he explained. “Today, they have no territory. They control no one.”
He pointed out that what ISIS is doing now, instead of possessing massive swaths of territory, is “reestablishing networks, assassinating and intimidating local leaders and security forces, and trying to extend their influences in rural areas.”
But they are subject to return, according to Maroto. They do not own land, “but they operate through refugee camps and establish networks to assassinate people and assassinate elders.”
With regard to the situation of the detainees, the spokesman for the International Coalition said: “The US and the Coalition [do] not operate any detainee facility or IDP camp in Syria. They’re all run by the SDF.” He did add, however, that the Coalition does provide support to assist the SDF in detaining ISIS prisoners in a secure and humane manner.