Pres. Trump announces the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S. special operations raid in Syria: “Baghdadi’s demise demonstrates American’s relentless pursuit of terrorist leaders… the world is now a much safer place.”
"A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated," Trump said in an address to the nation from the White House."He will never again harm another innocent man, woman or child. He died like a dog. He died like a coward. The world is now a much safer place."
Defense Secretary Mark Esper appeared on ABC's"This Week" following the president's remarks and described more details of the military operation, saying the stars aligned a few of weeks ago. He said troops rehearsed the mission and then on Thursday and Friday chose the option they would proceed with on Saturday.
Al-Baghdadi grabbed three of his children and ran into an escape tunnel, where he was eventually cornered by a U.S. military dog, Trump said. The president described al-Baghdadi as,"whimpering, crying and screaming the whole time." The president said al-Baghdadi's body was significantly damaged by the blast, but there were enough remains to positively identify him through a visual identification and an on-site DNA test.
Following the president's remarks and press conference, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters that al-Baghdadi's death was a"game changer.""This is where Trump's worst critics should say well-done," Graham added. "Americans salute the heroism, dedication and skill of our military and our intelligence professionals and acknowledge the work of our partners in the region. We are relieved that no U.S. personnel died in this daring raid," she said in the statement."The death of al-Baghdadi is significant, but the death of this ISIS leader does not mean the death of ISIS.
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