The Islamic State in 2017 – Despite reverses in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan the Islamic State in 2017 still presents a viable and persistent threat to the United States, Europe, Middle East, and other regions of the world. Some recent news articles, publications, reports and papers are presented below.
France and ISIS. “Francois Hollande: Fighting IS in Iraq prevents terrorism in France”, BBC News, January 2, 2017. Hollande recently visited Iraq where he met with the Iraqi leaders, senior military members of the Coalition, and French troops. There are over 500 French troops in Iraq to include some Air Force units. In addition, there are French special operations forces on the ground engaged in the fight for Mosul.
Fighting ISIS over the Long-Term. A three-star general based in the Middle East says it will take two more years to defeat the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. See “Top U.S. General: Two More Years to Beat ISIS”, The Daily Beast, by Kim Dozier, December 25, 2016.
Destroying the Oil Revenue Base of ISIS. The U.S. Air Force along with its Coalition partners are having an impact on the revenue base of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The destruction of its ability to produce and market oil has hampered the finances of ISIS in a significant way. Read more – “Inside the economic war against the Islamic State”, The Washington Post, December 31, 2016.
ISIS Support and Twitter. A group of authors writing for the RAND Corporation have penned a report entitled Examining ISIS Support and Opposition Networks on Twitter, December 2016.
