[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9638-9639]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  ISIS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in 
the Record a 1-page document prepared by our ranking member on the 
Committee

[[Page 9639]]

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at the conclusion of my 
statement.
  Mr. President, my friend the Republican leader talks about President 
Obama not doing enough to fight ISIL. What we see in the Record is the 
document prepared by Senator Carper that outlines the progress that has 
been made. Is it enough? Of course not, but it is pretty significant in 
our fight against ISIS or ISIL, whatever you want to call them.
  I don't know what the Republican leader wants. Does he want another 
invasion of Iraq, ground troops? Does he want us to invade Syria? Those 
are the two countries he named. Our last invasion of Iraq didn't work 
out too well. We have had about 500,000 Iraqis killed. They are dead 
now as a result of that invasion.
  The number in Syria is reaching about 300,000. Millions of them have 
been displaced because of that last invasion of Iraq. The whole Middle 
East is destabilized. Is that what the Republican leader wants? Does he 
want another invasion? Which country? Both of them? How many troops--
100,000, 150,000? What does he want? Be more specific. What does he 
want done that isn't being done?
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                  Update on Progress Made Against ISIS

       Since the height of ISIS's power, U.S. and coalition forces 
     have recaptured 47 percent of the land ISIS once held in 
     Iraq.
       ISIS has also lost 20 percent of the land it once held in 
     Syria.
       Ramadi and Tikrit were key victories for the U.S. backed 
     Iraqi forces.
       Last Friday, Iraqi forces captured the city center of 
     Fallujah and are now working to clear out the last few 
     pockets of resistance in that key Anbar town.
       As we speak, Kurdish, Iraqi and Syrian Democratic forces--
     backed by U.S. special forces--are making preparations to 
     retake ISIS's key strongholds in Mosul and Raqqa.
       We've killed 25,000 ISIS fighters and more than 120 key 
     ISIS leaders.
       We've cut ISIS funds by up to one-third.
       We've drastically slowed the flow of foreign recruits from 
     a high of about 2,000 a month in 2014 to 200 a month today.
       The same goes for those young Americans who have sought to 
     travel to join ISIS abroad. One year ago, about 10 Americans 
     per month were leaving to join ISIS. Now that number is about 
     one a month.
       At home, the FBI is cracking down on recruits as well. Over 
     the past two years, the FBI has arrested 88 individuals on 
     ISIS related charges.

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