--- title: White House Touts ‘Momentum' in Fight Against ISIS description: The White House Special Envoy for the operation to counter ISIS said the ongoing campaign has "momentum" at the White House press briefing canonical: https://time.com/4599570/white-house-fight-isis-momentum/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-13T19:54:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:51.540Z article:section: Politics og:title: White House Touts ‘Momentum' in Fight Against ISIS: ‘We Are Killing Their Leaders' og:description: “We are having tremendous success against this enemy" og:url: https://time.com/4599570/white-house-fight-isis-momentum/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt56cff862f5f1c5cf/6988b2c87cdbac2743d56903/4890906fd089424db7d5371d030e7103-0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Josh Earnest, Brett McGurk og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: White House Touts ‘Momentum' in Fight Against ISIS: ‘We Are Killing Their Leaders' twitter:description: “We are having tremendous success against this enemy" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt56cff862f5f1c5cf/6988b2c87cdbac2743d56903/4890906fd089424db7d5371d030e7103-0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # White House Touts ‘Momentum' in Fight Against ISIS: ‘We Are Killing Their Leaders' > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=dfb14c4b-7ddc-43de-826b-b39b1ef7dfed&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Syrian Government Regains Control of Aleppo After Last Rebels Evacuate [Watch (HLS stream): Syrian Government Regains Control of Aleppo After Last Rebels Evacuate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MyZOIZDz.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2016-12-13. A statement by the Syrian armed forces says the northern city of Aleppo has returned to government control, ending a four-year rebel hold over parts of the city._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 13, 2016 7:54 PM UTC  Brett McGurk, White House envoy to the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS, joined by White House press secretary Josh Earnest, left, speaks about the conflict in Syria during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2016. Brett McGurk, White House envoy to the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS, joined by White House press secretary Josh Earnest, left, speaks about the conflict in Syria during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2016. Carolyn Kaster—AP by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 13, 2016 7:54 PM UTC The White House Special Envoy for the operation to counter the terrorist network [ISIS](http://time.com/4598886/palmyra-isis-recapture-syria-assad-isis/) said the ongoing campaign has “momentum” at a [White House](http://time.com/4597181/obamas-christmas-card-white-house/) press briefing on Tuesday. Brett McGurk addressed reporters at the White House shortly after meeting with [President Obama](http://time.com/4598778/obama-daily-show-noah-trump/) and other national security officials about the ongoing counter-ISIS operations. Earlier on Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that [three ISIS leaders](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-says-isis-leaders-linked-paris-attacks-killed-syria-strike-n695371), including two who were involved in the 2015 attacks in Paris, had been killed. At the White House, McGurk touted diminished ISIS territory, reductions in the number of foreign fighters flowing into ISIS-controlled areas, and efforts of the counter-ISIS coalition to reduce the amount of ISIS propaganda that lives online. He also said ISIS has the fewest “battle-ready” fighters on hand now than ever before, 12,000 down from 15,000. “We are having tremendous success against this enemy. We are killing their leaders we are taking out their ability to finance themselves ,” McGurk said before adding there was work to be done to counter the terrorist network. “This will be a multi-year effort,” he said. McGurk’s statements came amid the ongoing [battle for Aleppo in Syria](http://time.com/4599451/syria-aleppo-cease-fire-agreement/), a battle that has been particularly brutal for citizens, many of whom have said they are just waiting to die. The Obama administration will soon bow out, but the counter-ISIS campaign will be left for the next administration to continue. McGurk would not share details about meetings with [President-elect Donald Trump](http://time.com/4598891/donald-trump-rex-tillerson-state-department/)‘s transition team, but he said the two teams have been in contact. Transitions in times of war, he said, are “complex,” but added the officials in the Obama administration are “doing all we can to make sure that it is a seamless transition.” ## Transcript [00:00] [ SOUND ] [00:03] [ MUSIC ] [00:07] Hello everybody, here is Aleppo. Today is Monday, [00:11] December 12th. We are still here under siege. [ MUSIC ] [00:14] To everyone [00:19] who can hear me. We are here exposed to a genocide in [00:22] the besieged city of Aleppo. This may be my last video. [00:26] More more than 50, 000 of civilians who rebelled against [00:29] the dictator al- Assad are threatened with field executions [00:33] or dying under bombing. 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