IS resurgence possible if…

THE ISLAMIC State group is weakened but a resurgence is possible if the United States leaves Iraq, US Major General Alexus Grynkewich, the number two commander for the international anti-jihadist coalition in Iraq and Syria, said Wednesday.

The group “certainly still remain a threat,” he said. “They have the potential to resurge if we take pressure off of them for too long.”

The general said he did not see the threat of an immediate IS comeback.

“But the more time we take pressure off of them, the more of that threat will continue to grow,” he said.

At a Pentagon press conference, he said the structural weakness of IS is shown by their failure to take advantage of demonstrations in Iraq calling for political reforms since October.