“ISIS's reign of terror over nearly ten million people has come to an end,” CBS international correspondent Charlie D’Agata proudly announced during Wednesday’s CBS Evening News. The reports came as President Trump told the press that the last remnants of the terrorist group should be wiped out by tonight. It was great news that got little airtime on ABC’s World News Tonight, where anchor David Muir sounded skeptical of the President.
In a fleeting news brief lasting only 18 seconds, Muir sought to discount and contradict the President’s timetable:
Now to Syria tonight. President Trump proclaiming ISIS will be gone from that country by tonight. The President standing in front of the White House today, holding a map, showing the success of U.S.-backed forces over the past two years. Military officials have given no indication on when the battle over the last remaining ISIS foothold in that country will end.
Meanwhile, in CBS’s full-length report (one minute and 23 seconds), D’Agata had no problem with confirming the President.
Describing the remains of what was once ISIS territory as “a smoldering scrap heap”, D’Agata recalled what he witnessed from just behind the frontlines. “The guns fell silent today across the battlefield. U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say, aside from a few pockets of resistance, ISIS is done,” he said. “And at least as long as we've been here, there’s been no sound of gunfire going in or coming out.”
D’Agata admitted that there was still work to do in clearing out ISIS’s “extensive network of tunnels”, cleaning up the destruction, clearing all the booby traps, and to take care of the new ISIS insurgency.
But, D’Agata concluded by sharing this deeply profound observation: “For the first time in nearly four years, not a single ISIS flag is flying for as far as the eye can see.”
As for NBC Nightly News, they spent one minute and 26 seconds reporting on news out of Syria. 29 seconds was about ISIS getting knocked out. The rest was about President Trump announcing that the U.S. had killed the terrorists responsible for killing four American service members in the bombing of a Syrian restaurant.
“Tonight, after days of intense firefights, U.S.-backed forces in Syria have taken back control of the last scrap of land held by ISIS. Battle-weary soldiers leaving the front lines. President Trump declaring victory is imminent,” NBC foreign correspondent Matt Bradley reported.
Instead of reporting fully on the collapse of ISIS, ABC spent two minutes and 14 seconds on Trump’s feud with the late John McCain.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
March 20, 2019
6:44:15 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Now to Syria tonight. President Trump proclaiming ISIS will be gone from that country by tonight. The President standing in front of the White House today, holding a map, showing the success of U.S.-backed forces over the past two years. Military officials have given no indication on when the battle over the last remaining ISIS foothold in that country will end.
CBS Evening News
March 20, 2019
6:42:45 p.m. EasternJEFF GLOR: The President said today ISIS will lose the last of its territory tonight. Charlie D’Agata is with U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria.
[Cuts to video]
CHARLIE D’AGATA: The guns fell silent today across the battlefield. U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say, aside from a few pockets of resistance, ISIS is done.
After weeks of heavy fighting, it has finally come down no this, a smoldering scrap heap on the banks of the Euphrates River. And at least as long as we've been here, there’s been no sound of gunfire going in or coming out.
S.D.F. soldiers toured the camp of ISIS' last stand where they say they found an extensive network of tunnels below. So, what comes next? Well, aside from cleaning up all of this destruction, the entire area has to be cleared of booby traps in the buildings and bombs in the road. But already, ISIS has transitioned into an insurgent group, launching ambushes and suicide bombings.
But as a territorial force, ISIS's reign of terror over nearly ten million people has come to an end. For the first time in nearly four years, not a single ISIS flag is flying for as far as the eye can see. Charlie D’Agata, CBS news, Baghouz, eastern Syria.
NBC Nightly News
March 20, 2019
7:07:57 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Overseas this evening as U.S.-backed forces close in on ISIS holdouts in Syria, we're learning new details about a deadly bombing that killed several Americans at a Syrian restaurant. NBC's Matt Bradley is there.
[Cuts to video]
MATT BRADLEY: Tonight, after days of intense firefights, U.S.-backed forces in Syria have taken back control of the last scrap of land held by ISIS. Battle-weary soldiers leaving the front lines. President Trump declaring victory is imminent.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Everything red is ISIS. When I took it over, it was a mess. Now on the bottom that's the exact same. There is no red. In fact, there's actually a tiny spot which will be gone by tonight.
BRADLEY: It comes as there are new developments regarding this suicide blast at a restaurant here in January that killed four Americans.
(…)
