ISIS has kept all its capabilities despite the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said on Tuesday a report by an independent American organization 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, had no impact on the jihadist group, notes the report from the office of the inspector General of the Pentagon, an independent body responsible for internal investigations into this 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 concluded that the death of Baghdadi did not lead to an immediate deterioration of the capacities" of the organization, specifies the document.
In Iraq, U.S. forces suspended operations against Daesh after the U.S. raid that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, a key figure in Iran’s influence in the Middle East, on Jan. 3 in Baghdad, to focus on defense of the installations and 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 report of the Inspector General considers "unclear" the impact of this pause on the terrorist group, and stresses that the resumption of joint operations does not guarantee the maintenance 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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