STERLING, Va. (AP) -- President Donald Trump says the end of the Islamic State "is in sight" after the militant group was driven out of Raqqa, its self-declared capital in Syria.
Trump says in a statement that the recapture of Raqqa by the Syrian Democratic Forces is "a critical breakthrough in our worldwide campaign to defeat ISIS."
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He says it'll soon be time to transition to a new phase in which the U.S. will continue to support local security forces and "advance the conditions for a lasting peace."
Trump says the U.S. will back diplomatic negotiations that end the violence in Syria, allow refugees to return safely home and "yield a political transition that honors the will of the Syrian people."
There are no signs, however, that political transition will occur any time soon.
