Mohamed Minshawi-Washington

Before the end of last year, President Donald Trump announced his readiness to withdraw US troops from Syria after the end of the "successful" campaign against the Islamic State.

Many military experts criticized the announcement, saying it was too early to talk about the group's defeat, and the move led to the protest and resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis days later.

Nine months after the US president reiterated the doctrine of eliminating IS on several occasions, a report overseen by the Pentagon's inspector general, in cooperation with the State Department and the US Agency for International Cooperation, presented results that were completely contrary to Trump's claim.

back again
The report concluded that IS is "re-emerging" in Syria as the United States withdraws its forces from the country, stressing that the organization has also "strengthened its capabilities" in Iraq.

While he pointed out that there are constant threats from followers of the organization, which US experts believe to number up to 15 thousand people, while the report did not mention the number of US troops now in Syria, which was a year ago more than two thousand people.

The report said that ISIS exploits the tension inside Iraq between Shiites and Sunnis on the one hand and between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and stressed that the conflicting parties do not cooperate together to face the activities of the organization.

Comment on the report
"The report concluded that Trump's order to withdraw the troops came at the worst possible time by reducing the resources necessary to complete the mission," former White House envoy Brett Major said. Majork resigned from the Trump administration in December following the withdrawal.

"The report is routine and nothing new," a foreign policy expert at a Washington think-tank told Al Jazeera. "It has revealed and documented what all circles interested in the phenomenon of terrorism in the Middle East are aware of. It is impossible to completely eliminate an armed organization as President Trump claimed."

The US expert stressed that Syria was not an issue that served Washington's interests, although Russia and Iran played an important role in the Syrian conflict. "The goal was to contain Israel for Iranian militias inside Syria and limit its ability to move," he said.

Troops in Syria
Despite the summer recess and congressional recess, the debate over Washington's military presence in Syria came back as the report coincided with Ankara and Washington announcing the creation of a joint operations center in preparation for an agreement on the safe area in northern Syria.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on the report: "The Trump administration is keenly aware of the success it has achieved in its war against ISIS." I am sure there are pockets of ISIS, but I can confirm that they have become more vulnerable, "he acknowledged not reading the report.

During his campaign, Trump has pledged to withdraw his country's military from Middle East issues that do not directly serve Washington's interests. As the campaign season begins in 2020, Trump wants to reassure his grassroots of his promises.