"But first, we have to think about that extraordinary reach that they had. In 2014, they rolled in and took one-third of Syrian territory, huge parts of Iraq, created their own state. So compared to that, yes, they're territorially gone, but they're still there. There are remnants of them, as you say, mostly in the desert in Iraq and Syria, and they have been regrouping and launching more attacks."
"STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: As the United States considers military action against Iran, it's also considering a military move in Syria. The idea is to withdraw the last U.S. forces from Syria. Up to now, their job there has been to attack the remaining ISIS militants and guard Syrian oil fields. Jane Arraf in Jordan and NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman are covering this story, and they're both with us."
U.S. decisionmakers are weighing potential military action against Iran while also considering withdrawing the remaining U.S. forces from Syria. Those forces have been attacking remaining ISIS militants and guarding Syrian oil fields. ISIS once held large swaths of Syria and Iraq in 2014, and although it no longer controls territory, remnants persist in desert areas of Iraq and Syria, regrouping and carrying out attacks. Security gaps between forces allow ISIS to exploit ungoverned spaces. Ideological support endures among camp populations, including women and children in al-Hol who long for a restored caliphate. Withdrawal risks abandoning Kurdish partners who helped defeat ISIS.
Read at www.npr.org
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