# Something very big has just happened **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 27, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534 "2019-10-27T02:27:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/1 "2019-10-27T02:27:18Z")
According to our beloved President, [“Something very big has just happened!”](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1188264965930700801) Like all good storytellers, he’s not giving too much away. Is it a natural disaster? Are we at war? Are the elder gods so disgusted that they’ve taken this moment to attack? A lesser politician (like Obama!) would provide hints or clues, but not Trump. That man knows how to maintain the suspense. Any thoughts on what he’s talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/2 "2019-10-27T02:31:34Z")
[Josh Rogin](https://twitter.com/joshrogin/status/1188265980977385472), _WP_: > [@](#): > > This seems to relate to the raid in northern Idlib, Syria where U.S. led coalition forces were pursuing a high value terrorist target. No confirmation yet, some chatter it could be Baghdadi. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/3 "2019-10-27T02:40:07Z")
If that is what Trump’s tweet is about, then here’s a few more details, from a few hours ago. [Charles Lister](https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1188242464416714752), Middle East expert: > [@](#): > > BREAKING - reports of a (US?) helicopter-borne raid on a convoy of Huras al-Din (#AlQaeda in #Syria) leaders traveling near Barisha in #Idlib. > > Locals say as many as 6 choppers involved - gave chase to convoy, 2 landed & assaulted vehicles. Possibly took bodies or evidence away. > … > #pt: Barisha is ~3-4km from the #Turkey border. It’s in long-time #AlQaeda territory, spanning between Al-Dana-Sarmada-Salqin. > > As I recall, a helicopter-borne raid on AQ in NW #Syria has never happened - this would suggest a very high-level target. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/4 "2019-10-27T02:43:13Z")
I’m glad the Ex-Lax worked. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/5 "2019-10-27T02:55:42Z")
[Fin Gomez](https://twitter.com/finnygo/status/1188285866214612992), _CBS News_: > [@](#): > > Per @hogangidley45 _[Deputy Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy Press Secretary]_: The President of the United States will be making a major statement tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock from the White House. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/6 "2019-10-27T02:57:56Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > [Fin Gomez](https://twitter.com/finnygo/status/1188285866214612992), _CBS News_: It was the biggest, and it was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/7 "2019-10-27T03:32:45Z")
_Newsweek_: [TRUMP APPROVES SPECIAL OPS RAID TARGETING ISIS LEADER BAGHDADI, MILITARY SAYS HE’S DEAD](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-approves-special-ops-raid-targeting-isis-leader-baghdadi-1467982) > [@](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/8 "2019-10-27T03:38:59Z")
Well this is good news ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/9 "2019-10-27T04:15:51Z")
It is good news. I was afraid we had invaded Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/10 "2019-10-27T04:58:10Z")
Yanno, when Obama did it, it was … pretty ok and I wasn’t particularly fond of him. With Trump I just feel this overwhelming sense of, “who cares, shut up and get off my tv” (tv is stand in for whatever device/platform you care to put there) ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/11 "2019-10-27T05:18:41Z")
I am sure that all the important events in the future will only be announced on Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/12 "2019-10-27T06:45:27Z")
Al-Baghdadi killed. Curious if the reaction is going to be akin to the bin Laden raid. Likely won’t even get to half that, since Baghdadi is a considerably lesser known figure. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/13 "2019-10-27T07:12:18Z")
> [@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. I’m impressed (graded on the curve) that he managed to keep his Tweeting finger off the button for a whole week between approval and completion. Maybe he didn’t know who Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was either. In any case, kudos to the people who did the actual planning and work. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/14 "2019-10-27T07:35:27Z")
We can’t impeach Trump now after he went over there and killed Al-Baghdadi himself. The only reason we didn’t impeach Obama for being Kenyan is because our brave military killed Bin Laden while Obama just coincidentally was president. You won’t see that part of the story covered by the fake news though. And what about Biden’s son, and Hillary Clinton’s emails? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/15 "2019-10-27T07:58:49Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > I’m impressed (graded on the curve) that he managed to keep his Tweeting finger off the button for a whole week between approval and completion. He was far too busy taking calls from big men who were in tears saying “Sir, Mr. President Trump sir, thank you for saving our Country, we never thought two years and nine months ago that a president could ever do so much for us as you have”. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/16 "2019-10-27T08:54:57Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Al-Baghdadi killed. Curious if the reaction is going to be akin to the bin Laden raid. Likely won’t even get to half that, since Baghdadi is a considerably lesser known figure. It should be interesting to compare Fox News coverage of this, Trump’s Very Big Thing, with their own coverage of Bin Laden’s killing, under Obama. Anybody got links to the Fox archives? ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/17 "2019-10-27T12:10:25Z")
Dispatching that monster to hell is pristine good news. I heartily congratulate everyone involved in dispatching this scum - the armed forces, CIA, the humint people on the ground, the team that serviced those choppers, the cooks who prepared their meals… and yes the President for actually authorizing it. Too much political bickering going on here. _\_ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/18 "2019-10-27T13:15:38Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > Dispatching that monster to hell is pristine good news. I heartily congratulate everyone involved in dispatching this scum - the armed forces, CIA, the humint people on the ground, the team that serviced those choppers, the cooks who prepared their meals… **. and yes the President for actually authorizing it.** Too much political bickering going on here. > > _\_ Unlike Obama, he had no understanding of the planning, the logistics, the risk to others the mission entailed. He only understood it would bring him adulation. And if it failed, it wasn’t _his_ fault. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/19 "2019-10-27T13:32:02Z")
I’m listening to Trump’s announcement on NPR right now. Even when Trump does something positive, it’s hard for me to appreciate it because he sounds like an idiot reading at a third grade level, and of course he has to get his digs and insults in. So presidential! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534/20 "2019-10-27T14:00:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m glad the Ex-Lax worked. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-very-big-has-just-happened/842534.md?page=2)