ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.

[aceplace57]

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi won’t be reviving ISIS in Syria.

It took six years but he’s finally dead. The intelligence materials found at the scene will be a big boost in the continuing fight.

Inside the secret U.S. mission that took al-Baghdadi out

The world’s most-wanted terrorist had taunted the Americans in a September audio message proving he was still at large, six years after the U.S. began hunting him. But now, thanks in part to information from the same Syrian Kurdish allies Trump is accused of abandoning, U.S. analysts believed they had found him.

The CIA had been honing the intelligence for weeks. The man believed to be Baghdadi was under U.S. surveillance, and his movements were being tracked.
The American commandos who conducted the operation had been staging in the region since last month. Some of them launched from the Iraqi Kurdish city or Irbil, liberated

[aceplace57]

BBC news has detailed analysis of ISIS in Syria.

Excellent read. The BBC has the best international news that I’ve found.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: What his death means for IS in Syria

IS is likely to use the death of Baghdadi to rally its supporters in the name of revenge. However, the days of its militants fighting till the last breath appear to be over. Its leader in Syria, Abu Ayman al-Iraqi, had to deploy to the front lines accompanied by only six fighters during his final battle. They abandoned him, leaving him to be killed by the SDF. In its heyday, IS would not have needed commanders of this seniority on the front lines.

IS is likely to choose a successor to Baghdadi, but what is more significant for its operations is the situation in the north-west and the north-east of Syria. President Trump said Baghdadi was in Idlib - where he was killed - because he was trying to rebuild IS there.

The Hurras al-Din jihadist group in Idlib, which splintered from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to stay loyal to al-Qaeda, is likely to have hosted Baghdadi. Although HTS is trying to build its own administration in the area, and although HTS collaborated with Hurras al-Din against the Syrian army in the battlefield, there is widespread popular resistance to the IS brand in Idlib, which makes it unlikely that the province will become the new capital of an IS caliphate.

[DCnDC]

Again?

[Inigo_Montoya]

I thought ISIS was totally annihilated a while ago. Now it’s not? Whatever. Good riddance to Baghdadi. And we’ll still impeach Trump.

[aceplace57]

Trump’s lurid description of al-Baghdad’s final moments was distasteful and unnecessary. Imho it will recruit more ISIS fighters.

Special Forces deserves a lot of credit for planning & executing a difficult mission without any US casualties. A important job well done. Especially with the current Turkish invasion and disruption of SDF forces. ISIS will try and make a comeback. I’m glad their leader is gone.

“He was screaming, crying and whimpering,” Trump said. “He was scared out of his mind.”

[QuickSilver]

@Inigo_Montoya

Good riddance to Baghdadi. And we’ll still impeach Trump.

Say what you will about Baghdadi. At least all his troubles are behind him.

[QuickSilver]

@DCnDC

Again?

Still.

[bobot]

It’s nice to see that the previous administration’s policy of taking out terrorist leaders is being carried on by this most recent administration. This goes a long way toward mitigating the disaster that was the release of ISIS prisoners that this most recent administration was integral in negotiating.

[Northern_Piper]

@aceplace57

Trump’s lurid description of al-Baghdad’s final moments was distasteful and unnecessary. Imho it will recruit more ISIS fighters.

Especially since it’s likely a complete Trumpian fabrication.

[HurricaneDitka]

WaPo is struggling to decide how to break the news to its readers. “Terrorist-in-chief” or “austere religious scholar”? We report, you decide.

[Siam_Sam]

@Inigo_Montoya

I thought ISIS was totally annihilated a while ago. Now it’s not? Whatever. Good riddance to Baghdadi. And we’ll still impeach Trump.

Amen to that. Although you can count on President Bone Spurs to milk this for as much personal gain as he can.

[Velocity]

Any chance the 8 helicopters used were the same type of stealth Blackhawks used in the bin Laden raid? They had to fly in a region with various national military forces nearby, so stealth would be highly desirable.

[KarlGauss]

@HurricaneDitka

WaPo is struggling to decide how to break the news to its readers. “Terrorist-in-chief” or “austere religious scholar”? We report, you decide.

WaPo may have struggled with the headline for a while but President Trump had no problem compromising Special Ops details.

A partial list of the specifics that he trumpeted includes information of the helicopter flight plan, aspects of signals intelligence, and ability to acquire subsurface geologic details.

It’s reported, you decide.

[Shodan]

I suppose it will have the same effect as when Obama did it.

Presidents report, you decide.

Regards,
Shodan

[Smapti]

@Northern_Piper

Especially since it’s likely a complete Trumpian fabrication.

Loser Donald was simply imagining what he’d do in that situation.

[SOJA]

@Inigo_Montoya

I thought ISIS was totally annihilated a while ago. Now it’s not? Whatever. Good riddance to Baghdadi. And we’ll still impeach Trump.

This is the 10th times he’s been confirmed to have been killed. 10th times the charm.

[KarlGauss]

@Shodan

I suppose it will have the same effect as when Obama did it.

Correct me if I am wrong, but operationally speaking, it seems Obama’s report on the action was far less informative than Trump’s. Do you think describing the specifics of the tunnel structure, i.e. the US capability to determine and detail it, was a wise move?

[sps49sd]

@KarlGauss

Correct me if I am wrong, but operationally speaking, it seems Obama’s report on the action was far less informative than Trump’s. Do you think describing the specifics of the tunnel structure, i.e. the US capability to determine and detail it, was a wise move?

The Politico article to which you linked appeared to state the two administrations were more similar than you are telling us.

[Inigo_Montoya]

@SOJA

This is the 10th times he’s been confirmed to have been killed. 10th times the charm.

alB.: If I show up back home, I am a messiah. Very good for me, very bad for you I think, Mr. Trump.
DT: How may I serve you?

[Velocity]

@KarlGauss

WaPo may have struggled with the headline for a while but President Trump had no problem compromising Special Ops details.

A partial list of the specifics that he trumpeted includes information of the helicopter flight plan, aspects of signals intelligence, and ability to acquire subsurface geologic details.

It’s reported, you decide.

I think it would be best, for the military, from now on, to get Trump’s approval for a raid, tell him nothing about how it will be done, just tell him “It’s done” when done, and give him no subsequent details on how it was done. Let a Pentagon spokesman talk to the media.