'Trump used Obama's plan to defeat ISIS in Raqqa'

Washington D.C. [U.S.A.] Oct 19 (ANI): A top official of former President Barack Obama has said that President Donald Trump has used Obama's plan to kick the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) out of Raqqa.

The U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared on Tuesday that Raqqa, the last of ISIS's major strongholds, had been taken back from the terror group.

Former Obama State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told host Martha MacCallum on "The Story" on Tuesday night that the plan to retake Raqqa was put in place during the Obama administration.

"I think it took the whole world by surprise how quickly they were able to take territory in Iraq and Syria back when they first really rose to prominence. After our administration got a better sense of what was going on, we did put in place a plan that we see being carried out now. The plan to retake Raqqa was put in place during the Obama administration," The Hill quoted Harf, as saying.

She further said that Trump made some "tweaks around the edges", but the military had the plan in place for a long time.

Trump has said that that the ISIS is 'giving up' because he is President.

"I totally changed rules of engagement. I totally changed our military. I totally changed the attitudes of the military and they have done a fantastic job," The Independent quoted Trump as saying on The Chris Plante Show.

Meanwhile, a top former official of President George W. Bush has said that Trump listened to his generals and that proved a difference.

Appearing on "The Story" on Tuesday night, Karl Rove, a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, didn't agree with Harf's point of view and said that Trump's decision to listen to his generals played a big role in ISIS's Raqqa fall.

"President Trump did two things. First of all, he made clear that we are going to take action, and we saw that, unlike what President Obama said, that's a red line that they dropped gas on their own people," The Hill quoted Rove as saying.

He was further quoted as saying that "when the Syrians dropped gas on their own people under this president he immediately took action, and then he listened to the military and unleashed them on the mission they could do, which is setting up a force of Syrians to work with American trainers and American assistance to do what we saw today".

Rove, however, was of the opinion that the battle against ISIS is going to continue as just like Al Qaeda, ISIS will continue to haunt for years to come. (ANI)