Outgoing Army Chief Ray Odierno: U.S. In ‘Stalemate’ With ISIS
By Morgan Chalfant. Days before his retirement, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno is emphasizing the need for the United States to continue its campaign against the Islamic State in the Middle East, describing the current U.S. position against the terrorist organization as a “stalemate.”
AFP reported that Odierno said Wednesday that though the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS) “has been blunted somewhat” in Iraq by U.S. airstrikes coupled with Kurdish and Iraqi ground forces, the military must make defeating the terrorist group its top priority.
“I think right now we are kind of at a stalemate and continue to make some progress,” explained Odierno, who spent more time in Iraq than any other U.S. Army general. He also stressed the need for the U.S. to continue to rebuild the Iraqi forces.
He echoed comments made by the veteran general nominated to lead the Marine Corps earlier this month. While undergoing questioning from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R., Ariz.), Lt. Gen. Robert Neller likewise characterized the U.S. campaign against IS in Iraq and Syria as a “stalemate.”
However, Obama administration officials–including the president himself–have touted the “progress” the United States has witnessed against IS. (Read more from “Outgoing Army Chief Ray Odierno: U.S. In ‘Stalemate’ With ISIS” HERE)
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Croatian Hostage Reportedly Beheaded in Egypt
By Brian Rohan. A Croatian hostage abducted in Egypt by Islamic State militants has been beheaded, according to a gruesome image circulated Wednesday, a killing that, if confirmed, would be the first of its kind involving a foreign captive in the country.
The killing of the 30-year-old oil and gas sector surveyor would deal a blow to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s attempts to burnish the country’s reputation a week after he unveiled a new extension of the Suez canal in a much hyped ceremony attended by international dignitaries.
It will also probably rattle companies with expatriate workers in Egypt and cast a cloud over hopes of boosting international investment and tourism following years of unrest in the aftermath of Egypt’s Arab Spring uprising.
The still photo, circulated by Islamic State supporters on social media, appeared to show the body of Tomislav Salopek, a married father of two, wearing a beige jumpsuit like the one he had worn in a previous video. A black flag used by the Islamic State group and a knife were planted in the sand next to his body.
A caption in Arabic said Salopek was killed for his country’s participation in the war against the Islamic State, and said the deadline had passed for Egypt to meet the group’s demands to free jailed Islamist women. (Read more from this story HERE)
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