The top U.S. commander in the fight against ISIS told Congress Thursday that while the reduction of the Islamic State’s physical caliphate is a “monumental military accomplishment,” the terrorist group is far from defeated.
U.S. Central Command head Gen. Joseph Votel testified before the House Armed Services Committee as thousands of ISIS fighters are surrendering as their last stronghold in Syria falls to U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
But Votel, who will be retiring in a few weeks, warned that the liberation of the last territory controlled by the terrorist group does not mark the end of the fight against ISIS and violent extremism.
“What we are seeing now is not the surrender of ISIS as an organization but in fact a calculated decision to preserve the safety of their families and preservation of their capabilities by taking their chances in camps for internally displaced persons or going to ground in remote areas and waiting for the right time for a resurgence,” Votel said in his prepared opening remarks.
“Recent observations by our men and women on the ground highlights that the ISIS population being evacuated from the remaining vestiges of the caliphate largely remains unrepentant, unbroken, and radicalized.”
When Votel last testified before Congress, in February, he told the Senate that he was not consulted on President Trump’s December decision to order a complete and immediate withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. ground forces from Syria.
In an interview with CNN, Votel, a four-star general who is the most senior commander in charge of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, later said had Trump asked, he would have advised against the move, which roiled U.S. allies and shook the faith of Kurdish troops who fought on behalf of the United States.
While Trump has touted the defeat of ISIS as an promise kept, the Pentagon has warned that there are more than 10,000 and as many as 20,000 ISIS fighters left in Iraq and Syria who are going to ground and preparing to fight an extended insurgency.
[Read more: Trump predicts ISIS territories will be reclaimed in Syria, Iraq by next week]
“We will need to maintain a vigilant offensive against this now widely dispersed and disaggregated organization that includes leaders, fighters, facilitators, resources, and toxic ideology,” Votel warned in his valedictory testimony.
“The broader international community will need to determine how we deal with the thousands of fighters and family members now being held and safeguarded by the SDF. In my view, this is a serious generational problem that if not handled properly will sow the seeds of future violent extremism.”
Votel said now that Trump has reversed course and decided he is “100%” leaving a small U.S. force behind, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS will be able to shift from liberating territory to training local security forces to counter what he called the “ISIS clandestine insurgency.”
“We will continue our deliberate withdrawal of forces and capabilities as directed by the president but also retain a residual force on the ground to continue our mission and safeguard our interests,” Votel said. “These details are being developed now and will emphasize campaign continuity and capitalize on the contributions of our coalition partners and other partners of the international community.”
Votel will soon be replaced by Marine Lt. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who met yesterday at the White House with national security adviser John Bolton.
