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Article snippet: In MORE’s telling, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has suffered a 100 percent territorial defeat. Trump for the past month has adopted the mantra that the militant group has lost its caliphate in the Middle East even though no formal declaration has been made by his own administration, causing consternation among lawmakers and foreign policy experts. Trump said last Saturday during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that officials would make the announcement “probably today or tomorrow” that “we will actually have 100 percent of the caliphate in Syria.” “One hundred percent,” Trump said to applause. “We want to bring our people back home. It's time.” Those comments came just two days after Trump told troops during a stop at an Alaskan military base that “100 percent” of ISIS’s territory had already been seized. On Feb. 6, Trump told representatives of the international coalition fighting ISIS the U.S. would announce “sometime probably next week” that “100 percent of the caliphate” has fallen. “But I want to wait for the official word,” he said at the time. “I don't want to say it too early.” The string of remarks illustrates Trump’s desire to declare victory on a promise he made during the 2016 election. But the repeated statements have been at odds with the situation on the ground, according to news reports, and they have raised concerns about the U.S.’s commitment to finishing the fight against the radical Islamic group. ... Link to the full article to read more