A raid carried out on Saturday by US special forces in northwest Syria killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. President Trump announced the operation on Sunday morning, along with Baghdadi’s death.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the operation was intended to capture Baghdadi, and that the US surrounded his house and asked him to surrender, but he refused, ultimately detonating a suicide vest. Two US soldiers were wounded in the operation.
Baghdadi’s death is being touted as a big success by the US, though clearly capturing him would’ve been much more significant, as he doubtless would have been a resource on ISIS’ international operations. Some documents were reported seized in the raid, however.
A Jihadist commander reported that six bodies, three men and three women, were found at the site. The commander said Baghdadi’s body was not there, believe to have been taken by US forces, and that one of his deputies was also taken.
Iraqi officials say they provided the US with the location of Baghdadi, which was in Syria’s Idlib Province. Russian officials said they had no information, beyond the apparent operation taking place in Turkish-controlled Idlib.
France has reported that they are on high alert after the announcement, fearing that ISIS revenge attacks could take place. France was a country of origin for many ISIS members, and that might make France a location to target.
The death of Baghdadi is a blow to ISIS, even though the group barely exists in Iraq or Syria any longer. It is unclear at this point who will replace him as leader, though it may be likely they will be out of this historic home territory, as more active ISIS factions have set up shop elsewhere around the world.
It is also unclear if this will impact US military operations in Iraq and Syria, which were at least nominally about ISIS, though in Syria in particular the focus has shifted largely to maintaining military control of Syria’s oil.
Russians are reporting there was no US air activity over Idlib on Saturday.
The whole BS “operation” that never was, remember: Russia hasn’t been contacted or been cooperating in anything much less noticed any US movements in the area, all as quite as it gets over there, it’s a fake and an obvious distraction from Dump’s and Pentagram’s grand Syrian oil and resource theft, from the fact that, the US had to flee the place, that Russia, Iran and Turkey entirely is running the show now (while US is air lifting ISIS terrorists in and out of war scenes), as well as a bid for Dump to get reelected. Has he been “buried at sea” yet? Just wait for it…
The real story will come out much later (like with the assassination of OBL).
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4685292/ISIS-admits-leader-Abu-Bakr-al-Baghdadi-dead.html
The proper way to greet our returning heroes/vets is not to say: “Thank you for your service to our country.”
The right think to say is: “Thank you for your service to our corporations.”
I usually reserve my thanks for the ones who frag their officers.
its very easy to show some data, specially with Trump being so graphic and detailed.
if not the US, others will show radar and satelite image of the flight path, scene, recording of voice, conversation between the US and Russia, Turkey and Syria……voice/video recording of an so called screaming Baghdadi.
They can show so much without compromising the soldiers.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said, “The US coalition didn’t even carry out any airstrikes in Idlib recently”.
Moscow pointed out that it recorded no US coalition airstrikes in the Idlib area in northwest Syria on Saturday when the raid was held.
It also rejected Trump’s claims that Russian forces opened up the airspace under its control in Syria to American planes to facilitate the operation against the IS leader.
The ministry questioned the very possibility of al-Baghdadi’s presence in Idlib as the area is held by Al-Qaeda offshoot, Jabhat al-Nusra, who have always been mortal enemies of Islamic State.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/10/27/609722/Baghdadi-Russia-Defense-Ministry-Igor-Konashenkov-US
So the US should prove Russia wrong.
Turkey is calling for an investigation.
Hmmm .. I recently read Mike S. King’s latest article on this very subject, Jim Bim. Just go into his website – TomatoBubble.com – and read it thoroughly. He wrote that the so-called raid was a hoax,
Thanks for the link Eileen.
I thought he was supposed to have been killed years ago?
They said his Body was Taken away? What Body? There wouldnt be anything left if he kaboomed himself.
“the group barely exists there anymore” ….ISIS exists wherever and whenever US militancy says they exists. For example, wherever a US bomb falls.
Baghdadi, at this point, was a largely symbolic trophie kill. Just like the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the deed itself is largely propagandistic in nature. And like the assassination of bin Laden, it’s convenient timing likely points to a much larger, much darker, story to be told. All I’ll say is I hope old Seymour Hersh has another story in him. Otherwise, we may never know the truth.