Secretary of State John F. Kerry moved Sunday to deflect criticism from the Obama administration’s anti-terrorism record in light of a slew of recent attacks, insisting that the Islamic State is “on the run” and faulting Congress for not doing more.
The Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, is losing ground in Iraq and Syria, an indication of weakness even as the terrorist organization claims credit for a half-dozen deadly assaults on civilians in France, Turkey and the United States, the top U.S. diplomat said.
“They are on the run, and what I believe what we are seeing are the desperate actions of an entity that sees the noose closing around it,” Mr. Kerry said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
CNN anchor Jake Tapper immediately challenged Mr. Kerry, saying, “With all due respect, sir, I’m not sure it looks that way to the public, that ISIS is on the run.”
Hundreds of civilians have died in the past five weeks in terrorist rampages, including the June 12 massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 49 dead; the June 28 siege on Istanbul Ataturk Airport that killed 45; and the Bastille Day attack Thursday that left 84 dead in Nice, France.
“I don’t think ISIS is on the run,” Mr. Tapper said.
Mr. Kerry said it is unclear whether those attackers were members of the Islamic State or merely inspired by the group’s ideology.
“It depends on where you mean ISIS,” Mr. Kerry said. “I don’t know if this guy [in Nice] was actually ISIS and nor do you. And we don’t know if the guy in Orlando was fundamentally ISIS, nor even told what to do by ISIS. If people are inspired, they’re inspired.”
But, he said, “ISIL, which is based in Iraq and Syria, is under huge pressure, and that’s just a fact.”
Moving from defense to offense, Mr. Kerry took a jab at the Republican-controlled Congress for showing “zero willingness” to place more boots on the ground in the Middle East, even though the Obama administration has shown a similar reluctance in its use of airstrikes with limited U.S. military personnel on the ground.
“A lot of people have talked about American troops going in, etc.,” Mr. Kerry said. “Congress displayed absolutely zero willingness to vote to do that, and if people have a willingness to show that now that has changed, the administration will listen to any legitimate plan, any legitimate way to do more.”
Republicans have criticized the Obama administration for dialing down U.S. involvement in the war on terrorism, including withdrawing combat forces from Iraq and drastically reducing troop levels in Afghanistan.
Still, Mr. Kerry insisted that the Obama administration is open to ideas from members of Congress and others with national security knowledge.
“We welcome additional thoughts from members of Congress, from anybody in the intelligence community, in the defense community. … President Obama is open to any legitimate ways of moving faster that meets the test of our security needs and of what the Congress is willing to support,” Mr. Kerry said.
A media outlet run by the Islamic State reported that the jihadi group has taken responsibility for the Nice attack, saying truck driver Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was a “soldier” who “carried out the operation in response to calls to target nationals of states fighting Islamic State,” according to The Telegraph newspaper of Britain.
The Tunisian native, who was killed after driving a 19-ton truck into a crowd, has been described as a career petty criminal who became radicalized in the past several months.
Even though “people are acting out in various places,” the Islamic State terrorist group is “not growing in their ability to do things,” Mr. Kerry said.
“They are shrinking. We’ve taken back 40 percent, 45 percent of the territory they held in Iraq. We’re squeezing town after town. We’ve liberated communities,” Mr. Kerry said. “We’re making progress now advancing on Mosul in Syria. Likewise, they’re not able to attack and hold towns.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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