German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan shake hands during the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas GebertMunich - 15 February 2019: Acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Friday that the United States is committed to defeating Islamic State in the Middle East and beyond, but officials said European allies are sceptical of Washington's pledges.U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in December that he was withdrawing all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria surprised and rattled allies. Kurdish-led fighters are battling to capture Islamic State's last major stronghold in Syria, but even without territory, the militant Islamist group is widely seen as a continuing threat.Shanahan said he envisioned a "bigger and stronger" coalition to fight Islamic State globally. "We are still trying to understand how the Americans plan to withdraw.

Source: Egypt Today February 15, 2019 14:37 UTC