WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday vowed in a multinational ministerial meeting against the Islamic State (IS) to continue the U.S.-led military campaign against the terrorist group.
Speaking at the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat IS held at the State Department, Pompeo said despite the U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria, Washington will continue the fight so as to achieve the eternal defeat of the IS.
The withdrawal was not "the end of America's fight," said the top U.S. diplomat. "The drawdown in troops is essentially a tactical change, it is not a change in the mission. It simply represents a new stage in an old fight."
While calling on attending nations to take back and prosecute foreign fighters captured by the U.S.-led forces, he also urged the coalition members and partners to keep fighting the IS and ensure the permanent defeat of the IS group.
"To that end, we ask that our coalition partners seriously and rapidly consider requests that will enable our efforts to continue...those requests are likely to come very soon," he added, without giving further details.
The White House said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump would deliver remarks in the ministerial at 3:00 PM local time on Wednesday. Reuters reported that he was expected to urge attendees "to stay the course and step up contributions to stabilization efforts."
The U.S. State Department also said on Monday that the meeting, the 10th of its kind since the coalition was founded in 2014, will focus on the resources needed and specific plans against the IS in 2019. Enditem
