French Defense Minister Florence Parly contested President Trump’s declaration of victory over the Islamic State in Syria. In an interview to a French Radio Station, Parly underscored that Paris does not share the position of Washington on the matter of the annihilation of the Islamic State, by saying: “I’ve just told you that we do not share the analyses that the territorial caliphate (of Islamic State) has been annihilated.” France, which together with Great Britain, have taken an active military role along-side the United States in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State, have voiced frustration at the anticipated American withdrawal – dubbing the decision as ‘extremely grave.’ While the French top defense official did not reveal whether Paris would seek to fill the vacuum that is expected to emerge following the American withdrawal, Minister Parly stressed that the “fight against terrorism is of international interest” and that French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly voiced the importance of ‘finishing the job’ against the Islamic state. The French Defense Minister said, “This decision is extremely grave, and we have always thought that this job must be finished – and President Macron has been repeating this convincingly and successfully – because the fight against terrorism is of international interest and has very strong implications for our country.”
