US general sees Iraq troop drawdown as IS threat dims

A feared resurgence of the Islamic State has not so far materialized in Iraq, paving the way for a further coalition troop drawdown, a US commander said Wednesday. Though IS may never be completely eradicated, the group has been significantly diminished from when it controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria just a few years ago, Major General Kenneth Ekman, deputy commander of coalition forces, told reporters. “What that has allowed us to do is to…