- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Pentagon Says Defeating IS Might Take Up to Five Years

© AP Photo / Manuel Balce CenetaDepartment of Defense Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
Department of Defense Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby predicted that defeating the Islamic State (IS) will take up to five years.

 

A man types on a computer keyboard - Sputnik International
Islamic State Hacks CENTCOM Social Media Accounts
WASHINGTON, January 30 (Sputnik) — Defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria region is a lengthy process that might take up to five years, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Friday.

“This is going to take a while… I can’t predict. I don’t pretend to be smart enough to predict exactly how long on the calendar it’s going to take. We have said it is probably going to take 3 to 5 years,” Kirby said during press conference answering a question about defeating IS terrorists.

Kirby explained that the Pentagon has been honest from the very beginning about how hard and how long it is going to take to degrade and destroy IS capabilities and remove terrorists as a threat in Iraq and in the region.

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft flies over northern Iraq Sept. 23, 2014 - Sputnik International
US Senator Says Washington Strategy Against Growing IS Threat Insufficient
“What really has to happen here, is the defeat of ideology, and that’s not going to be done at the barrel of a gun,” Kirby said, adding that a coalition of over 60 countries is contributing whatever they can into this effort.

Islamic State, a radical Sunni jihadist group, came to prominence fighting Assad’s forces during the civil war in Syria in 2012. Since then, the militants have occupied large areas of neighboring Iraq, including its second largest city Mosul, and has declared an Islamic caliphate over territories under its control in both countries. The group is infamous for its brutal methods that include public crucifixions and beheading hostages.

 

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала