Will Mr. Hagel's resignation change America's anti-IS policy?

Before resigning, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel criticized the US policy against IS in Syria.

According to CSM magazine, Mr. Hagel's criticisms were made in a letter to US National Security Advisor Susan Rice.

However, Pentagon officials said this did not affect Mr. Hagel's decision to resign.

Smoke rises after a US airstrike on IS in the town of Kobani, Syria (Photo: Reuters)

Many experts believe that Mr. Hagel's resignation could be a signal that President Obama's administration is planning to change its strategy against IS.

Experts say the resignation of top officials is often seen as a precondition for the US President to change his policies as the White House struggles to defend the US position in the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria.

However, the Pentagon affirmed: "There is no connection between the information about Mr. Hagel's resignation announced on November 24 and the strategies that the US is pursuing to fight IS in Iraq and Syria."

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby emphasized on November 25: "I will not make any comments regarding Mr. Hagel's resignation or whether the US will change its defense policy or not."

“The current strategy against IS is still very effective. We are making concrete progress,” Kirby said, adding that Iraqi security forces were stepping up attacks in the western province of Anbar, where IS has carried out brutal attacks on Sunni tribes.

Mr Kirby also said that Kurdish fighters were also trying to capture areas in northern Iraq and they had established a security zone around Diyala province, where many Sunnis live.

However, according to a report by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), IS is still stepping up its campaigns, leading to “increasing chaos”.

The ISW report also warned: “The IS threat is particularly severe in Diyala, Baghdad and also in the southern Iraqi province of Basra.”

However, in his letter to Ms. Rice, Mr. Hagel expressed concern that the US policy in Syria has not been as effective as it should be. This clearly contradicts the statements made by the White House.

“There were disagreements or disputes about US policy in Iraq and Syria, but that was not the main reason for Mr. Hagel's resignation,” Mr. Kirby said.

“His job is to express his views and he cannot lose his job for expressing those views,” Mr. Kirby asserted.

“Regardless of what the media wants to say, Chuck Hagel still wants to tell you that the policy that the United States is pursuing to fight ISIS in both Iraq and Syria is the right one,” Kirby said. “Mr. Hagel also said that this strategy will always have to be reviewed and re-evaluated.”

According to VOV