US general warns of IS threat ahead of planned Syria pullout

WASHINGTON DC - A top US general warned on Tuesday that Islamic State would pose an enduring threat following a planned US withdrawal from Syria, saying the militant group retained leaders, fighters, facilitators and resources that will fuel a menacing insurgency.

The remarks by US General Joseph Votel, head of the US military's Central Command, represent the latest warning by current and former US officials about the risk of a resurgence by Islamic State following a planned US withdrawal from Syria ordered in December by President Donald Trump.

"We do have to keep pressure on this network. ... They have the ability of coming back together if we don't," Votel told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

He added that territory under Islamic State's control had been reduced to less than 20 square miles (5,180 hectares) and would be recaptured by US-backed forces prior to the US withdrawal, which he said would be carried out in a "deliberate and coordinated manner."

He said between 1,000 to 1,500 IS fighters remain in that area, though noted thousands more had "gone to ground" elsewhere in Syria.

Votel told the Senate hearing he was not consulted ahead of Trump's surprise decision to withdraw America's more than 2,000 troops from Syria, which helped trigger the resignation of his defense secretary, Jim Mattis.

"I was not aware of the specific announcement. Certainly we were aware that he had expressed a desire and intent in the past to depart Syria," he said.

Trump's Syria withdrawal has fueled rare, vocal opposition from within his own Republican party.

The Republican-led US Senate on Monday backed largely symbolic legislation that broke with Trump by opposing plans for any abrupt withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

It warned that "a precipitous withdrawal" could destabilize the region and create a vacuum that could be filled by Iran or Russia.

State of the union

Trump made his decision to withdraw the US troops after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had said Istanbul would lead the fight against IS remnants in Syria.

He is expected to tout US successes in Syria when he appears before a joint session of Congress to deliver a State of the Union speech at 9 p.m. on Tuesday (0200 GMT on Wednesday).

A source close to Trump said the president will declare the militant group all but defeated and will discuss his planned Syria drawdown.

It is unclear whether Trump's triumphant tone will echo the warnings coming from different parts of his administration, including Votel's Central Command and the US military.

The Pentagon's own internal watchdog released a report on Monday saying Islamic State remained an active insurgent group and was regenerating functions and capabilities more quickly in Iraq than in Syria.

"Absent sustained (counterterrorism) pressure, ISIS could likely resurge in Syria within six to 12 months and regain limited territory," the report from the Pentagon's inspector general said.

The report, citing information from US Central Command, said Islamic State would portray the withdrawal as a "victory" and conduct attacks on American personnel during the pullout process.

Last week, US intelligence chiefs also broke with the president, saying Islamic State would continue to pursue attacks from Syria, as well as Iraq, against regional and Western adversaries, including the United States.

The Tampa, Florida-based Central Command oversees US troops across the Middle East, including Iraq and Syria, as well as in Afghanistan, where Trump wants to strike a peace deal with Taliban insurgents to end the more than 17-year-old war.