最後のポケットまで縮小―Islamic State

BBC Trump sees total rout of Islamic State group as imminent 6 Feb 2019

　現行の支配地域のポケットなんぞ、手段を選ばなければ踏み潰すのは簡単だろうが、問題は個々の構成員が種子となってあっちこっちに飛び火して再発することなんだから…。

「US President Donald Trump has said territory held by the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq could be "100%" liberated as early as next week.」

　つまり今週だな。「手段を選ばなければ」ともかく、さあ、そんな簡単にいくかねえ、とは。

「On Tuesday the head of the US military's Central Command, Gen Joseph Votel, told a Senate committee up to 1,500 IS militants remained in a 20 sq mile (52 sq km) pocket on Syria's border with Iraq.」

　…その家族ごと絨毯爆撃で殺しちゃえば、一週間の期限は守れるだろうけど。兵隊の家族そのほかの民間人に考慮する場合、時間制限はきっつくないですかねえ、とは懸念する。そしてそういう無茶な期限の設定は現場に無理を強いるのだ。

　現時点では順調：

BBC IS resists 'final push' by US-backed force in eastern Syria 9 Feb 2019

「US-backed fighters in Syria say they are meeting fierce resistance in the last enclave held by Islamic State (IS) militants near the Iraqi border.」

「A spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told the AP news agency "the most experienced" jihadists are defending their last stronghold.」

「Over the past few months, the US-backed SDF has patiently driven IS out of every town and village in the northeast of Syria. The jihadists have been reduced to just a few square kilometres/miles of territory.」