The White House announced Wednesday that America’s mission against the Islamic State in Syria was coming to a “rapid end,” saying the US military has “almost completely destroyed” ISIS.
The official withdrawal comes just hours after President Trump told his top generals to begin preparations for a reduced footprint in the civil war-torn nation; adding a small contingent of American troops will remain to “eliminate the small ISIS presence” that has yet to be fully “eradicated.”
“The military mission to eradicate ISIS in Syria is coming to a rapid end, with ISIS being almost completely destroyed,” the White House statement said. “The United States and our partners remain committed to eliminating the small ISIS presence in Syria that our forces have not already eradicated.”
“As far as Syria is concerned, our primary mission in terms of that was getting rid of ISIS,” Trump said on Tuesday at a joint press conference at the White House.
“We’ve completed that task and we’ll be making a decision very quickly, in coordination with others in the area, as to what we will do,” he added.
CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: Iraqis Celebrate FIRST Post-ISIS Christmas in Mosul
Christians throughout Iraq celebrated the Christmas holiday at churches and public gatherings across the country this year, marking the first-time residents of Mosul were able to openly worship since being liberated from ISIS just months ago.
From Baghdad to Mosul, videos of Christians attending Christmas services flooded social media; with joyous congregants publicly worshipping in what one twitter user described as “ISIS’ nightmare.”
اول #ميلاد لليسوع في بغداد بعد اعلان النصر على #داعش
الان من كنيسة سيدة النجاة #Christmas #baghdad pic.twitter.com/fJk1d2Gajh— Methaq Alfayyadh (@MethaqAlFayyadh) December 24, 2017
Christians in Mosul Celebrate First Post-ISIS Christmas Mass pic.twitter.com/uV6pMT7K06
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 25, 2017
Iraqi Christians have raised a 30-ft. tall Christmas tree in Baghdad to celebrate both the holiday and the expulsion of ISIS extremists by Iraq Security Forces. pic.twitter.com/e96oaR5neN
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 23, 2017
In July of this year, the Iraqi government officially announced that ISIS has been completely eradicated from Iraq’s second largest city and home to a large proportion of the Muslim nation’s Christian community.
Mosul had fallen to Islamic fighters more than three years ago in June of 2014, when ISIS reclaimed the city after months of fierce fighting against coalition forces.
CRISIS IN KOREA: 4.7 Million North Koreans Join Kim's Army to 'Destroy' USA
North Korean state-run media claimed Thursday that nearly five million citizens enlisted or re-enlisted in the country’s military to help defend the communist nation should war break out on the Korean peninsula.
According to USA Today, North Korean officials released a statement saying that millions of citizens have joined Kim’s army to “bring fire” to the United States. Over one million women enlisted to help the dictator “counter” American forces in the region.
“Over the past six days, millions of young men expressed their will for military enlistment to counter the U.S. force, and even some 1.22 million women vowed to voluntarily follow suit,” said the news agency.
The statement from Pyongyang comes hours after the Chinese government announced they would be shutting down all Korean-backed businesses operating in China within 120 days. Beijing’s new policy effectively cripples the North Korean economy, making it nearly impossible to import fuel, food, and other necessities.
China’s decision comes on the heels of punishing, US-led sanctions from the United Nations following Kim’s continued nuclear and missile tests. Earlier this month, dictator Kim Jong Un successfully tested a hydrogen bomb and launched a medium-range ballistic missile over Japanese Territory.
In response, President Trump warned Kim that the United States was prepared to “totally destroy” his regime should he continue to expand his weapons and missile programs; saying that “Rocket Man” Kim Jong Un was on a “suicide mission” against the United States.