ISIS is “not dead,” but the end of the mission to defeat them has come at the right time

The so-called Islamic State is “not dead” but the Western mission to defeat them territorially in Iraq and Syria can be considered a success, a former British defense secretary has said.

Operation Inherent Resolve was the name of the US-led coalition mission to defeat IS, with Operation Shader being the UK’s contribution to driving the terrorist group out of Iraq and Syria.

But last week it was announced that Op Inherent Resolve, and with it Op Shader, would be coming to an end.

Sir Michael Fallon, the UK Defense Secretary when Op Shader began, was on Sitrep this week – which analyzes the week’s top defense stories and is available wherever you get your podcasts.

He said a line needs to be drawn as to when these missions end.

“There is no doubt that Daesh has been pushed back, particularly in Iraq,” he said.

“And although Iraq is fragile, it remains a democracy.”

“There is a functioning parliament and a functioning government and there is always the risk of a resurgence of Daesh, there is still terrorist pressure there.”

“Syria is of course not resolved, but I think there comes a point where you have to draw a line and I’m afraid it’s inevitable that attention will then focus on other things and of course other parts in the middle “Focused on the East and Ukraine.”

He added that ISIS is “not dead,” but the “immediate threat to the stability of Iraq has certainly receded.”

“In that sense, I think Operation Shader can be considered a success, not least because it obviously followed a series of far more controversial interventions in the Middle East,” he said.

“We said from the start that we would not station our own troops on site.

“We would obviously help from the air, we would help with reconnaissance, we would help with training.”

“But the fighting ultimately had to be carried out by local troops with the support of the local population.”

“And I think that ended up being one of the keys to the success of the operation.”

Professor Michael Clarke, an expert at Sitrep, added that the fight against ISIS was done from a strategic perspective.

“The idea is not ready yet because we live in a world where these ideas are still somewhat thriving,” he said.

“And so… you can’t completely eliminate these barbaric groups, but you can prevent them from having a strategic impact.”

Prof Clarke said when ISIS established its “caliphate” in northern Iraq and Syria it was “an evil empire, an operation that had to be fought” – and that is the case now.

“ISIS still exists and will emerge elsewhere, but in ways that are not yet strategically significant.”

“That’s what Op Shader was all about.

“So yes, it is appropriate that we leave it alone for now and concentrate on what is most important to us strategically.

“I think we understand that our European commitments require us to rethink our strategic priorities and that you can’t keep doing these things forever.”

“So I suspect this is part of a vote as we consider our strategic future for the next decade.”

The announcement that the operation had ended also outlined a defense partnership with Iraq that would continue.

Sir Michael Fallon said Britain must continue to help Iraq where it needs help.

“This is, of course, counterterrorism,” he said. “There is some debate in Iraq, particularly about the American presence.

“We have always made it clear that we are there at the request and with the support of the Iraqi government. And I think those are really the two key conditions.”

“If they are not met, our commitment is not welcome.”

“As long as the Iraqi government feels it needs our support and welcomes it, we should continue.”

You can listen to Sitrep wherever you get your podcasts, including on the Forces News YouTube channel.