Trump Approves Special Ops Raid Targeting ISIS Leader Baghdadi, Military Says He's Dead

[Devil Child]

Source: Newsweek

The United States military has conducted a special operations raid targeting one of its most high-value targets, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), Newsweek has learned. President Donald Trump approved the mission nearly a week before it took place.

Amid reports Saturday of U.S. military helicopters over Syria's northwestern Idlib province, a senior Pentagon official familiar with the operation and Army official briefed on the matter told Newsweek that Baghdadi was the target of the top-secret operation in the last bastion of the country's Islamist-dominated opposition, a faction that has clashed with ISIS in recent years. A U.S. Army official briefed on the results of the operation told Newsweek that Baghdadi was killed in the raid. And the Defense Department told the White House they have "high confidence" that the high-value target killed was Baghdadi, but further verification is pending.

Members of a team from the Joint Special Operations Command carried out Saturday's high-level operation after receiving actionable intelligence, according to sources familiar with the operation. The location raided by special operations troops had been under surveillance for some time.

On Saturday night, after the operation had concluded, President Trump tweeted: "Something very big has just happened!" The White House announced later that the president will make a "major statement" Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-approves-special-ops-raid-targeting-isis-leader-baghdadi-1467982

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Good riddance.

[VarryOn]

1. I really hope this is true! Nt

[still_one]

2. I am sure it is, and you are right, it is a good thing

[Me.]

3. And If He Pops Up Alive Sunday At 9:01?

[Devil Child]

7. Then repeat the operation & continue to strike any of his replacements as needed. n/t

[still_one]

8. He won't. This would not have been announced if he wasn't. Trump was just a monkey told to sign

the order, and the way the asshole is playing it again demonstrates what a f**king idiot we have sitting in the WH

What will be interesting is how much credit he gives to the military, or if he claims it all for himself

[Devil Child]

9. My hunch is trump claiming all the credit at the expense of the US Armed Forces

I'm shocked he was able to maintain operational security and didn't blow the whole thing earlier while tweeting from the toilet.

[still_one]

14. Same here.

[tblue37]

27. First he thanked Russia. nt

[rickyhall]

4. Probly someone already took his place

[Polybius]

5. Awesome news

Rot in Hell.

[renegade000]

6. Yup. Good riddance. Though...

Funny how we got him in an area under Turkish influence...
Guess this was the parting gift for Trump to deflect from the abandonment of the Kurds and letting all the low-level ISIS fighters off the hook...

[cstanleytech]

10. "high confidence" code words for "he was already dead long before we got there"?

[NBachers]

11. Let the ball-spiking begin.

[Linda Ed]

12. Don't take Trump's bait on Baghdadi

According to Palmer Report,,,Trump is planning to announce on Sunday morning that he ordered a U.S. military operation that took out ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. That’s fascinating, considering that by most accounts, Baghdadi has already been dead for years.

23 June 2017: Russian politician Viktor Ozerov stated that al-Baghdadi's death was almost "100% certain."[147] Iran later claimed to confirm Russia's claim that Al-Baghdadi was killed in an airstrike.[

27 October 2019: Baghdadi is targeted in a United States special forces operation in northern Syria, and presumed dead with high confidence.[14] He is believed to have killed himself through the detonation of a suicide vest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi

Media will be all over this tomorrow and drumpf will be praising himself ....Will see what the real story is when someone leaks it to the press...right?

[karynnj]

20. Completely agree We need to unequivocally see this as a US military success

It is good that he is gone as he is a charismatic leader. However, he has long been in hiding, which has likely meant that he has not been able to lead anything.

This might be more like 2003, when we captured Saddam as he hid in his spider hole than like the effort against OBL, who was hidden, with the knowledge and support of the Pakistanis. He had the potential for planning future operations. Like now, we had already defeated the Iraqi government controlling even the Sunni strongholds where he hid. Here, Trump had long claimed that he had defeated ISIS completely. However, remember that Howard Dean was seen as diminishing the importance of capturing him when he made accurate statements that HS was no longer controlling anything. Our 2020 candidates need to be careful to credit the military and make it clear how terrible a terrorist he was.

It is not surprising that he was in Idlib. It was the major area still at war with Assad. There was also speculation that he might have been planning to cross the border into Turkey. (Consider even this last week, they claimed that the Kurds were worse terrorists than ISIS - and Trump actually echoed that!) Given that the US had no presence in Idlib and was not actively involved in the fight there against Assad, I wonder if the intelligence came from the non Kurdish part of SDF even as our allegiance with the Kurds ( thus the SDF) was ruptured as we abandoned them.

One reason why the Kurds were by far the majority faction in the SDF was that many of the Sunni Arabs saw their main fight the one against Assad and they saw Al Nusra, which still controls areas in Idlib as the strongest force in that effort. However, Al Nusra was allied with AQ. Could it be that the intelligence came from non Kurdish SDF? They fought ISIS, but they never completely gave up their connection to Al Nusra - no matter how much the US pushed them to. (Just saw that Kurdish leader tweeted that they helped.)

As they fought ISIS, they would likely have been at risk as ISIS reconstituted, which would give them motive to give information to the US - even as they likely considered we betrayed them as much as we betrayed the Kurds. From some TV accounts even Al Nusra hated ISIS and they control the area.

[DashOneBravo]

33. ..

[elias7]

13. I thought Trump said ISIS was destroyed long ago

[OKNancy]

15. Kick

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. I'm sure Trump will make a tough-sounding speech about this.

He'll talk about how tough he was, as he planned the operation (he'll call it an "op&quot , paid for it with pesos, led the team, and pulled the trigger. He's very tough, you know. The toughest president ever. And he says "tough" with very tough emphasis.

I'm so proud of our president. Tough. I think he should replace TR on Mt Rushmore, he's so tough.

[LawnKorn]

17. The Military approached Trump with one last mission before they are withdrawn from Syria.

The Military knew this was their last best chance to get al-Baghdadi. They put together a plan and took it to Trump for approval at the last minute. Trump had no idea what the mission was, but approved it anyway just to keep the Generals happy.

Low and behold the Special Operations folks score big and Trump jumps out in front to take credit.

[Girard442]

18. This business of assassinating leaders, no matter how bad they may be, is insane.

Think about all the prominent people in America in and out of government who have minimal protection. Trump and Pence have major security, but what about all the White House staff, the Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, candidates, major media personalities, and all their staffs and all their extended families?

I remember some dude in the Middle East who said:

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do ye even so to them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Ahem. Laden & Baghdadi were military leaders who had declared war on the US.

The people you list would be have been hit by them if they could. Which would be terrorism but would have much less effect than the US had in taking out those top two.

One of the beauties of a well-organized democracy is that people are definitely replaceable. Of course, at the moment, the US democracy is a little less well-organized than usual due to 40 years of polarization of the people by Republicons.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. As to your dude, perhaps you would have sent those military commanders fruit baskets and a pony.

Just like you would like a fruit basket and a pony.

[at140]

29. How I wish attempt to assassinate Hitler had succeeded

Had it succeeded, millions of Jews could have escaped deaths in gas ovens.

[Devil Child]

44. Boo-fucking-hoo

A special operations raid or airstrike is a natural consequence for participating in a terrorist organization.

[EX500rider]

47. "This business of assassinating leaders, no matter how bad they may be, is insane" ?!

So the top guy should be safe and we only kill the small fish? What a terribly bad idea that is, always kill the top smartest guys to degrade their organization.

[Girard442]

50. Back in another reality, the Israelis didn't assassinate Eichmann.

They brought him back to Israel to stand trial, publicly. The risks must have been enormous, but they didn't want to be seen as just some more thugs whacking another thug -- a point of view that has ceased to exist, looks like.

[EX500rider]

51. And how do you suggest they arrest a terrorist wearing a suicide vest? nt

[DeminPennswoods]

19. Surprised Trump didn't blurt this op out beforehand

nt

[honest.abe]

23. Apparently Baghdadi blew himself up before US forces actually got to him.

One official told ABC News al-Baghdadi is believed to have detonated a suicide vest he was wearing as a U.S. special mission unit carried out a ground raid in Idlib. The building containing al-Baghdadi was leveled by U.S. operators, the official said.

U.S. officials said they're awaiting final confirmation of his death through fingerprinting or other biometric methods.

https://news.yahoo.com/isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-targeted-believed-043803430.html

So technically we didn't kill him. Some reporter should ask Trump about this if. It will probably piss him off.

[Javaman]

25. You might want to fix that headline

Otherwise bahgdadi may have a future as a porn star lol

[honest.abe]

28. LOL... fixed!

[at140]

30. Baghdadi was running in a dead end tunnel

He realized the end was near and like a coward blew himself up. If he was brave,
he would have fired shots at the approaching soldiers.

[Devil Child]

45. Blew himself up and apparently took three children with him n/t

[dalton99a]

24. Far more Americans have been killed by Trump-inspired terrorists than by ISIS terrorists.

[at140]

26. This news is a big blow to ISIS propaganda .. eom

[Maeve]

31. Oddly, he was also killed two years ago

https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/07/isis-baghdadi-dead/533193/

[yaesu]

32. Another quid pro quo? nt

[keithbvadu2]

34. Not the leader of ISIS anymore.

Not the leader of ISIS anymore

Still the leader of a non-existent Caliphate

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ruthless commander of ISIS, has named a
successor to replace him at the helm of the terrorist organization,
Abdullah Qardash of Tal Afar, a predominantly Sunni Muslim city in
northwestern Iraq. The appointment was announced on 8 August, via ISIS’s
semi-official news agency, Amaq. It came as little surprise to
jihad-watchers across the globe, given Abu Bakr’s deteriorating health
since his most recent recorded address in April, he is believed to be
suffering from limb paralysis-according to the Iraqi Ministry of
Interior-sustained from shrapnel wounds inflicted during ISIS’ last
battle in Hajin on the Euphrates River in Syria.

https://intpolicydigest.org/2019/08/23/abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-relinquishes-control-of-isis-but-not-the-islamic-caliphate/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212627009

[jcmaine72]

35. Do we get to Monday morning quarterback this the way reThugs did when Bin Laden was killed under

the Obama administration, when they basically gave him zero credit for achieving something Dumbya failed to do in eight years?

You know what? I think I'll take the high road here and simply be grateful that there's one less mass murdering terrorist scumbag in the world, no matter how big of an idiot the person in the WH is.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

41. It took three days of silence before the GOP found a way to attack Obama

over Bin Laden's death. First, they lied that Obama had claimed credit for killing OBL, which he didn't -- he gave full credit to the military for executing the operation. Then they found a former Seal Team Six member and had him say negative things about Obama, essentially "swift boating" the president.

Then Right Wing media and the Repugs pounded the drum on those two points 24/7, trotting their Seal Team Six swift-boater out on every Fox television show.

I don't have any problem with the media fact checking Fat Donnie on this one, especially since it seems to be a shiny object to draw attention from the impeachment proceedings.

BTW, has anyone ever heard of the guy who was killed? Osama Bin Laden was a household name, and there was a sense of "finally!" when he was taken out. With the current kill, the reaction is "who?"

[Evergreen Emerald]

36. I do not believe him

He is a trickster and a liar. I do not believe one thing he says.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

37. Where's the body our military will bury at sea?

Inquiring minds want to know.......... .........

[dalton99a]

38. Field DNA testing revealed a beautiful and perfect match

DNA from his body was compared to DNA from his body.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

39. LOL.

Next, tRump will claim the DNA matched Osama bin Laden's.......

[paleotn]

40. And how many times has Al Baghdadi been killed?

The guy has more lives than a cat. I’m not convinced.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

42. More times than Kenny on "South Park."

[paleotn]

43. Yep

[Crowman2009]

46. And then a continuing series of no.1's and 2's will pop up.

I've had war on terror fatigue for quite some time. So it's hard for me to get excited about capturing terrorists that our MOS and so-called allies helped create. Funny how the media just ignores the larger white/alt-right/incel terrorism here at home. Not to mention all the RW assclowns bragging about how they want a civil war.

[Devil Child]

48. And then a continuing series of surgical strikes or operations will pop up to address their arrival

As evidenced by the strike against one of Baghdadi's underlings and possible replacements.

The likely successor to the now-dead Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is also dead, President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. According to the president, the unidentified "number one replacement has been terminated by American troops."

"Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!" the president tweeted.

The White House did not immediately clarify which ISIS leader the president was referencing. But a State Department official confirmed Monday that a strike did kill ISIS spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir in a strike on Sunday, CBS News Pentagon correspondent David Martin reports.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-abu-bakr-al-baghdadis-likely-isis-successor-has-been-terminated-today-2019-10-29/

[Crowman2009]

52. This will never end unless we cut off Saudi funding.

They caused all of this in the first place.

[Devil Child]

53. I strongly agree.

Too bad both parties are too addicted to Saudi dollars to let the House of Saud collapse.

[Devil Child]

49. Another one bites the dust

The likely successor to the now-dead Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is also dead, President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. According to the president, the unidentified "number one replacement has been terminated by American troops."

"Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!" the president tweeted.

The White House did not immediately clarify which ISIS leader the president was referencing. But a State Department official confirmed Monday that a strike did kill ISIS spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir in a strike on Sunday, CBS News Pentagon correspondent David Martin reports.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-abu-bakr-al-baghdadis-likely-isis-successor-has-been-terminated-today-2019-10-29/