More than 10,000 IS fighters remain at large in Iraq and Syria, more than two years after the militant group's claimed defeat, Vladamir Voronokov, the head of the UN’s Counter-Terrorism Office said.
"Small cells" of jihadists continue to move freely between the two countries to carry out ambushes, arson, and gun and bomb attacks, while the group and its affiliates have also claimed to be behind recent terrorism in Egypt, Libya, Afghanistan, Yemen and West Africa, he added.
I question the 10,000 IS fighters estimate. Is that full-timers only or full-and part-timers? Are non-fighter supporters included? Does that include family members of actual fighters? I doubt it is the first because if it was I think we'd see a lot more attacks.
In the recent past, reports of "fighters" included family members fleeing with the terrorists.
Still, don't make the mistake of 2011 and assume America has no role in keeping Sunni Arab terrorists in Iraq defeated. Kill them all.
UPDATE: The United States will reduce troop strength in Iraq to 3,500 by November. Is this enough?
I thought 5,000 would have been too little in 2011.
Luckily, American and pro-American forces in Syria screen Iraq's western border now, so the danger is lower. We'll see.
