Contradicting Trump, Merkel Asserts Islamic State Has Not Been Defeated, Reports Reuters

By Joseph Nasr

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated on Friday that the Islamic State is far from defeated and is evolving into a force that engages in asymmetrical warfare following its loss of nearly all territorial control in Syria.

Merkel made these comments during the inauguration of the new headquarters of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, BND. This position contrasts with statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has asserted that the militant group has been defeated.

"The so-called Islamic State has been luckly driven out of its territory, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they have disappeared," Merkel said, emphasizing that the group is transforming into an asymmetrical warfare force, which remains a significant threat.

The chancellor highlighted that tracking developments in Syria is one of BND’s top priorities, alongside addressing cyber threats and combating misinformation that could sway democratic elections.

Trump recently indicated that a formal announcement could come soon, confirming that the coalition fighting the militants has regained all previously held territory. In a tweet last December, he claimed the group had been "defeated."

The U.S. president has expressed a desire to withdraw American troops from Syria by the end of April, a plan that has raised concerns among European allies wary of a potential resurgence of Islamic State in the absence of a solid peace initiative to resolve the ongoing civil war in the country.

"We remain a long way from peace in Syria," said Merkel, who is well-regarded by many of the more than 550,000 Syrians who have sought refuge in Germany after her 2015 decision to open the country’s borders to nearly a million asylum seekers.

The new BND headquarters will accommodate the agency’s 4,000 employees, who will relocate from their current site near Munich.

The large structure, located in the central Mitte district of Berlin, took over ten years to build and was reported to have cost more than 1.4 billion euros.

The building spans 10 hectares and offers approximately 260,000 square meters of office space.