Washington • Vice President Mike Pence told U.S. diplomats Wednesday that the Islamic State caliphate has collapsed in Syria, but he made no mention of the U.S. military personnel confirmed killed in the country shortly before he spoke.
In remarks filled with praise for the leadership of President Donald Trump, Pence told the Global Chiefs of Mission conference at the State Department that some of the most heinous enemies of the United States are in retreat.
"Thanks to the leadership of this commander in chief and the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces, we are now actually able to begin to hand off the fight against ISIS in Syria to our coalition partners," he said, using a common acronym for the Islamic State, prompting applause from the 184 diplomats in the audience.