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Defense secretary Mattis says US policy against Isis is now 'annihilation'
Source: The Guardian
Defense secretary Mattis says US policy against Isis is now 'annihilation'
Retired general indicates aggressive turn in Iraq and Syria,
saying ‘intention is that foreign fighters do not survive’ and
‘civilian casualties are a fact of life’
Martin Pengelly
Sunday 28 May 2017 19.08 BST
Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Sunday the US had “accelerated” its tactics against the Islamic State, moving from a policy of “attrition” to one of “annihilation”.
The retired Marine Corps general also said “civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation”, adding: “We’re not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. And so we’re doing what we can.”
His remarks came a day after he cited the suicide bombing in Manchester, which has been claimed by Isis, in a speech to graduating cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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“We have already shifted from attrition tactics, where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria, to annihilation tactics where we surround them. Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa. We’re not going to allow them to do so. We’re going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Retired general indicates aggressive turn in Iraq and Syria,
saying ‘intention is that foreign fighters do not survive’ and
‘civilian casualties are a fact of life’
Martin Pengelly
Sunday 28 May 2017 19.08 BST
Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Sunday the US had “accelerated” its tactics against the Islamic State, moving from a policy of “attrition” to one of “annihilation”.
The retired Marine Corps general also said “civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation”, adding: “We’re not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. And so we’re doing what we can.”
His remarks came a day after he cited the suicide bombing in Manchester, which has been claimed by Isis, in a speech to graduating cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
“We have already shifted from attrition tactics, where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria, to annihilation tactics where we surround them. Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa. We’re not going to allow them to do so. We’re going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/28/james-mattis-defense-secretary-us-isis-annihilation
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