STERLING, Va. — President Donald Trump is portraying the Islamic State group’s ouster from its Syrian stronghold as a milestone in the U.S. fight against terrorism and a step toward a political transition and lasting peace in Syria. And there are no signs of an impending political transition, with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government newly strengthened. Kurdish-led forces on Friday declared victory in Raqqa, the extremists’ self-declared capital, where they had terrorized the population for four years. Most Raqqa residents fled long ago and are now scattered across refugee camps or abroad, and there is little for them to return to. So far, the Trump administration has shown little appetite for longer-term engagement or involvement in nation-building in Iraq and Syria.

Source: National Post October 21, 2017 17:03 UTC