ISIS gained in strength under Barack Obama.
Donald Trump campaigned on cleaning up that mess by utterly destroying the Islamic terrorist organization.
During the campaign, Trump promised to deliver a plan that would eliminate the threat of ISIS.
The terrorist group was repeatedly underestimated during Obama’s years in office.
He once even referred to them as a “JV” team.
But as the murderous Islamists carried out global terrorist attacks, the American people demanded a plan of action.
Trump pledged a course correction.
And he delivered in a big way.
Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis announced Trump’s latest order would “annihilate” ISIS.
Breitbart reports:
“First, James Mattis said, Trump has authorized him to delegate more decision-making authority down to U.S. commanders who are on the ground with Iraqi and Syrian partners fighting ISIS, to speed up the program.
“No longer will we have slowed decision cycles because Washington D.C. has to authorize tactical movements on the ground. I have absolute confidence as does the president, our commander in chief, in the commanders on the ground,” Mattis said.
Secondly, he said that Trump has also approved a tactical shift from pushing ISIS fighters out from a stronghold to enabling local partners to completely encircle them and move in, referring to it as an “annihilation” campaign.
“The intent is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters,” he said.”
Mattis announced that the “annihilation campaign” was designed to prevent ISIS fighters from returning home where they become worldwide dangers to commit acts of terrorism.
Breitbart also reports:
“The intent is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters,” he said.
Mattis emphasized that there has been no change to the rules of engagement concerning the use of force or in avoiding civilian casualties. However, he acknowledged the tactical shift also meant needing to go into populated areas to fight ISIS and ISIS refusing to let civilians leave and perhaps using them as human shields.
But he also said the strategy would prevent ISIS foreign fighters from returning home and carrying out attacks on the U.S. and its allies.
“The foreign fighters are the strategic threat should they return home to Tunis, to Kuala Lumpur, to Paris, to Detroit, wherever. Those foreign fighters are a threat. So by taking the time to deconflict, to surround and then attack, we carry out the annihilation campaign so we don’t simply transplant this problem from one location to another.”
After eight years of Obama’s failed foreign policy where ISIS flexed their muscles with repeated attacks across the globe, Trump taking the fight to the enemy is a welcome change.