From the BBC:
“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: IS leader
'dead after US raid' in Syria”
The fugitive leader of the
Islamic State (IS) group killed himself during a US military operation in
north-west Syria, President Donald Trump has said. Speaking from the White
House, Mr Trump said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest after
fleeing into a tunnel, chased by US military dogs. Baghdadi came to prominence
in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of
Iraq and Syria. IS carried out multiple atrocities that resulted in thousands
of deaths. The jihadist group imposed a brutal rule in the areas under its
control and was behind many attacks around the world. Although the US declared
the "caliphate" defeated earlier this year, IS militants remain
active in the region and elsewhere. Baghdadi's death is a major victory for Mr
Trump as he faces heavy criticism for his decision to pull US troops out of
northern Syria and fights an impeachment inquiry launched by Democrats. In an
unusual Sunday morning statement, Mr Trump described the night-time operation
in extraordinary detail, saying Baghdadi ran into a dead-end tunnel,
"whimpering and crying and screaming", while being chased by military
dogs. Baghdadi killed himself and three of his children by igniting his suicide
vest, Mr Trump said, causing the tunnel to collapse. No US personnel were
killed but one of the dogs was seriously injured in the explosion.
Mr Trump called Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi a 'brutal killer'
The blast mutilated Baghdadi's
body but, according to the president, an on-site DNA test confirmed his
identity. The special forces spent two hours in the area and gathered
"highly sensitive material". "The thug who tried so hard to
intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and
dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him," Mr Trump
said. Also on Sunday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said IS
spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, described as Baghdadi's right-hand man, had
been killed in a separate joint operation with the US military near the
northern Syrian town of Jarablus.
What is known about the Baghdadi
operation?
The location - the village of
Barisha in Idlib province near the Turkish border - was far from where Baghdadi
had been thought to be hiding along the Syria-Iraq border. Many parts of Idlib
are under the control of jihadists opposed to IS but rival groups are suspected
of sheltering IS members. Baghdadi had been under surveillance for "a
couple of weeks" and "two or three" raids had been cancelled
because of his movements, Mr Trump said, describing the IS leader's move to
Idlib as part of a plan to rebuild the group. Security correspondent Frank
Gardner: "He has symbolised the leadership of so-called Islamic
State" An undisclosed number of forces targeted the compound using eight
helicopters, which were met with gunfire, Mr Trump said. The commandos managed
to land safely and entered the building by blowing holes in the wall, avoiding
the main door which was believed to be booby-trapped. "He was a sick and
depraved man," Mr Trump said. "He died like a dog, he died like a
coward." US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said Baghdadi's
remains should be given the same treatment applied to those of former al-Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden, whose body was buried at sea after he was killed in a
raid in 2011.
'Caliphate' defeated but IS
remains a threat
A "large number" of
Baghdadi's followers also died while others were captured, the president said.
The dead included two of Baghdadi's wives who were both found wearing explosive
vests that were not detonated. Eleven children were removed, uninjured, from
the compound. The SDF - one of the main US allies in northern Syria until Mr
Trump withdrew US troops from the area this month - said they had shared
details about the location of high-level IS members, including Baghdadi. Iraqi
officials also said they had provided "accurate information". Mr
Trump praised them all, as well as Russia - which opened up the airspace it
controls for the operation - Turkey and Syria for giving "certain
support" to the operation. He said Russia had not been told about the
nature of the US mission. After the president's address, the White House
released pictures said to be of Mr Trump watching the operation from the
Situation Room surrounded by Vice-President Mike Pence and top security
officials. While IS lost its territory in Syria and Iraq after a years-long
deadly campaign, experts say the group remains a threat, with affiliates active
in various countries.
A foreign policy success for
Donald Trump
The strategic significance of Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi's death is clear. Removing a skilled and brutal leader from
the battlefield will undoubtedly make allied efforts to eradicate IS forces
easier. The lasting political benefits for Donald Trump remain to be seen. Baghdadi
was far from a household name in the US, although IS has been a well-known
adversary ever since its brutal executions and advance grabbed headlines in
2014. His death will give Mr Trump a signature moment to cite when making the
case that his leadership has led to the methodical defeat of IS forces. It also
will help deflect from weeks of sharp bipartisan criticism following the
president's decision to remove US forces from northern Syria and tacitly permit
a Turkish invasion to drive out US-allied Kurds. While it is true most
Americans only pay attention to foreign policy during times of war, most of Mr
Trump's current political headaches have come from actions directed abroad -
whether it's the Syrian move or the rapidly unfolding impeachment inquiry into
his Ukraine conduct. Now the president has a clear foreign policy success to
tout. It will not solve all his political problems, but it is a start.
How has the world reacted?
Leaders around the world reacted
to the news of Baghdadi's death, with many stressing that the fight against the
group continues. UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson said Baghdadi's death was "an important moment in our fight
against terror but the battle against the evil of [IS] is not over yet". French
President Emmanuel Macron described the development as a "hard blow"
against IS, but said "the fight continues to finally defeat this terrorist
organisation". In a statement, the
Iraqi government highlighted its role in finding Baghdadi's hideout, and said
it would continue to "relentlessly pursue" the militant group.
Who was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?
Baghdadi, whose real name was
Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri, had a reputation as a highly organised and
ruthless battlefield tactician. He was described as the world's most wanted
man. He was born near Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971, and reports suggest
he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the time of the US-led invasion
in 2003. Some believe he was already a jihadist during the rule of former Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the time he was
held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda
commanders were detained. Baghdadi emerged in 2010 as the leader of an umbrella
group that included al-Qaeda in Iraq, and rose to prominence when IS militants
captured the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014, when he declared the creation of a
"caliphate". That was the only time Baghdadi was seen in public. At
its peak, IS had eight million people in territories under its control.
Baghdadi only reappeared in a video released by IS earlier this year. In
October 2011, the US officially designated him a "terrorist" and
offered a reward of $10m (£5.8m at the time) for information leading to his
capture or death. This was increased to $25m in 2017.
^ While it is a great thing that
Baghdadi is dead there are several things to remember. He died by suicide
(although he was being chased by American Special Forces.) An American Military
Dog was wounded during the operation (so Trump shouldn’t have said Baghdadi “died
like a dog” since dogs are much better than Baghdadi ever was.) Trump praised Russia
and Turkey (when both of those countries are making Syria even less safer than
it was before the Turkish invasion which is supported by Russia.) The US
received intelligence from the Kurds (yet Trump continues to abandon them to
their deaths by the Turks.) So while the head of ISIS is dead there were many
mistakes made by Trump (before and after – I don’t know for sure about during –
the operation.) A group like ISIS are crazy extremists and while losing their
leader will stop them for a short time they will regroup – especially now that
so many are allowed to flee the prisons in Syria because the Turks are more
interested in killing the Kurds rather than stopping ISIS. ^
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