‘Perverse caliphate IS is shrinking’

The Obama administration’s diplomatic point man in the fight against Islamic State (IS) said the extremists have been losing control over territory and that “this perverse caliphate is shrinking”.

Brett McGurk, presidential envoy to a 66-member anti-IS coalition, said the tide has turned in the ideological battle.

He described a round-the-clock anti-IS propaganda campaign involving companies such as Facebook and YouTube and the governments of Jordan, Malaysia, and the UAE.

“For every pro-Daesh Twitter handle, there are now six calling out its lies and countering its message,” said McGurk, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.

US officials have said the military had ramped up cyber-operations against the group.

These include efforts by US Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, to prevent the group using the internet and social media to communicate and distribute propaganda aimed at attracting and inspiring recruits.

Mr McGurk singled out Jordan as an example of what he called Washington’s “sustainable strategy” of eschewing boots on the ground for local, regional, and Islamic forces against IS.

He said Jordan has been conducting weekly air strikes against IS targets and is involved in intelligence gathering and anti-IS propaganda.

The group has suffered recent military setbacks and lost territory in both Iraq and Syria.

Mr McGurk said IS is on the defensive and that “this perverse caliphate is shrinking”.