Article snippet: Intelligence officials on Tuesday offered stark warnings of the threats posed by the terrorist organization ISIS, a message in contrast with MORE's declarations that the group has been defeated. While Director of National Intelligence MORE and CIA Director Gina Haspel said the U.S. had made significant gains against ISIS, the report they oversaw argues that any lifting of pressure on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) could allow it to regroup. “The group will exploit any reduction in [counterterrorism] pressure to strengthen its clandestine presence and accelerate rebuilding key capabilities, such as media production and external operations,” the report states. The report also warned that ISIS is still likely to try to attack the United States. “ISIS very likely will continue to pursue external attacks from Iraq and Syria against regional and Western adversaries, including the United States,” it said. President Trump last year announced he was removing all U.S. troops from Syria because ISIS had been defeated. The decision led to the resignation of Defense Secretary MORE and other officials, as well as criticism from GOP lawmakers. American forces in Syria have fought with Kurdish troops against ISIS. Many fear that a U.S. withdrawal could leave the Kurds open to attack from Turkey, who label those forces as terrorists. A suicide bombing in a Syrian town killed four Americans shortly after Trump made his announcement, and ISIS claimed credit for the act... Link to the full article to read more