Illustration of the Islamic flag. – H. Malla / SIPA
ISIS has kept all of its capabilities despite the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said on Tuesday a report by an independent American body which warns that a departure of the American forces from Iraq would “probably” lead to a resurgence of the jihadist group.
The death of its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi on October 27 during an American raid in northwestern Syria, has had no impact on the jihadist group, notes the report from the Pentagon’s office of the Inspector General, an independent body responsible for internal investigations into the sprawling administration.
Citing information provided by the military intelligence agency of the Ministry of Defense (DIA) and the American central command (Centcom), in charge of the American forces in Iraq and Syria, the Inspector General notes that Daesh has “kept its cohesion , with an intact command and control structure, clandestine urban networks and a presence of insurgents in most of rural Syria. ”
“Probable resurgence”
“Both Centcom and the DIA have concluded that the death of Al-Baghdadi did not lead to an immediate deterioration in capacity”, the organization said.
In Iraq, US forces suspended operations against Daesh after the US raid that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, a man of Iranian influence in the Middle East, on January 3 in Baghdad, to focus on the defense of the installations and the American troops deployed in the country.
Despite a vote by the Iraqi parliament calling for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq and the wish expressed by certain members of the Baghdad government, Washington refused to withdraw its troops from Iraq and the Iraqi forces resumed operations with the coalition at the end of January international anti-jihadist campaign led by the United States.
The Inspector General’s report finds the impact of the hiatus on the terrorist group “unclear” and points out that the resumption of joint operations does not guarantee the continuation of the US military presence in Iraq. But “without an American military presence, a resurgence of Daesh is likely,” he added, citing an analysis by the DIA.
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