“We also see that ISIS leaders are very concerned about their own security. They are not moving particularly freely these days.” Does Barack Obama walk out of the front door of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, stroll down the street to a local, bar, and walk in, sit down and have a beer? Alone and unaccompanied? When he plays golf, does he drive over to the links alone, and play the course with his circle of friends and no security guards? Or is he not moving particularly freely these days? The fact that Islamic State leaders take security precautions doesn’t in the least mean that the Islamic State is losing.
Meanwhile, Earnest repeats the discredited claim that the Islamic State is losing territory. The Pentagon announced on April 13, 2015:
ISIL is no longer the dominant force in roughly 25 to 30% of the populated areas of Iraqi territory where it once had complete freedom of movement.
But just two days after the Pentagon’s announcement, the Islamic State began what ultimately became its successful siege of Ramadi, demonstrating all the characteristics of a confident, advancing force rather than a shattered, retreating one. Then, on April 22, came definitive confirmation. The map the Pentagon had used to illustrate its claim that the Islamic State had lost 25 to 30 percent of its territory was inaccurate and misleading, leaving out or obscuring information that made it appear as if the U.S. airstrikes had not been successful. The map showed territory that the Islamic State controlled in April 2015, and territory it had lost since August 2014 when the airstrikes started. However, the map did not show territory that the Islamic State had gained between August 2014 and April 2015. It left out all of western Syria, where the Islamic State had made significant gains.
Baghdad Bob is now firmly ensconced in the White House.
“White House Denies ISIS Has Established a Caliphate,” by Pam Key, Breitbart, May 21, 2015:
Thursday at the White House press briefing, when asked if he believes ISIS has a caliphate, press secretary Josh Earnest said, “No, I don’t believe that at all.”
Earnest said, “No, I don’t believe that at all. What we actually see is they do control some territory, but less than they used too [sic]. We also see that ISIS leaders are very concerned about their own security. They are not moving particularly freely these days. They are justifiably concerned about their safety because they know that the U.S. and our coalition partners have the capacity to take them off the battlefield.”