The Trump admin thought they had eliminated ISIS once and for all. The truth is more complicated.
And now Trump is irate after learning what Joe Biden’s letting ISIS get away with now.
Donald Trump’s Success Against ISIS Short-Lived
Donald Trump played a significant role in reducing the territorial control of ISIS during his presidency through a combination of military strategy and coalition efforts. It is largely regarded as one of Donald Trump’s biggest accomplishments during his first term as president. There were a few key elements that contributed to the success.
The Trump administration intensified the U.S. military campaign against ISIS. This included a substantial increase in the number of airstrikes and special operations missions targeting ISIS leaders, fighters, and infrastructure. Trump also gave more autonomy to military commanders in the field, allowing for quicker decision-making and more responsive military actions. This approach was intended to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic delays.
The U.S. continued to support and work closely with local ground forces, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Iraqi military, providing them with training, equipment, and air support. These partnerships were crucial in reclaiming territory from ISIS. The Trump administration also maintained and strengthened the international coalition against ISIS, which included numerous countries contributing military and humanitarian aid to the fight. The Trump administration focused efforts on eliminating ISIS leadership through targeted strikes. Key leaders and commanders were k*lled or captured, disrupting the organization’s command and control structure.
That’s all well and good, but the issue is that ISIS is still an issue in the region. Donald Trump was never going to be able to entirely eliminate the presence of ISIS throughout the Middle East and prevent their terrorist activity around the world.
In fact, a new report suggests that ISIS is working to invade the United States through illegal immigration, with some of these illegal immigrants connected to ISIS and their whereabouts throughout the states being unknown.
Hundreds of Migrants Enter U.S. Through ISIS-Affiliated Network, Over 50 Remain Unaccounted For
Hundreds of migrants have reportedly entered the U.S. through an ISIS-affiliated network, and the whereabouts of over 50 of these individuals remain unknown, NBC News reported Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified almost five hundred foreign nationals who reached the U.S. from various Central Asian countries and other parts of the world as “subjects of concern” because they arrived via an ISIS-affiliated human smuggling network, according to three U.S. officials who spoke with NBC News. While over 150 of these migrants have been apprehended by U.S. authorities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not know the whereabouts of more than 50 of them.
“The fact that the whereabouts were unknown is clearly alarming,” former FBI counterterrorism section chief Christopher O’Leary told NBC News. He added that ICE is likely pursuing these arrests to neutralize any potential threat to national security they may pose, even if there is no clear evidence that they are attempting an attack on the U.S.
“I believe the U.S. is scrambling to locate these individuals, and using the immigration charges is not uncommon,” O’Leary stated. “They are in violation of that law. And if you need to take somebody off the street, that’s a good approach to do it.”
Some of the migrants who were arrested have already been removed from the country, according to NBC News. The remaining migrants have been found across 17 states in the U.S. and could be arrested soon by authorities.
While some of the migrants who have been detained or repatriated were charged with immigration violations, none of them to date have been accused of terrorism-related offenses, according to NBC News.
This report follows FBI and DHS confirmation earlier this month of a nationwide sting operation that resulted in the arrest of several foreign nationals with suspected terror ties. Those individuals were also nationals of a Central Asian country — Tajikistan.
“Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities,” a joint statement from the FBI and DHS about the operation reads. “The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces.”
“The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” the statement continued. “As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment.”
The heightened tensions over a potential terrorist attack come as the number of suspected terrorists reaching U.S. borders has spiked exponentially under the Biden administration.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
