President Donald Trump announced Sunday that ISIS founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died as the result of a raid conducted by United States special forces.
“He died like a dog, he died like a coward,” Trump said on Sunday. “The world is now a much safer place.”
The president announced the news in a statement to the nation from the White House.
“Last night, the United States brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice,” Trump said. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. He was the founder and leader of ISIS, the most ruthless and violent terror organization anywhere in the world.”
Trump said that al-Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest as he was trapped in a tunnel with his three children as American forces approached.
“He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way,” Trump said.
He said that the tunnel caved in on al-Baghdadi’s mutilated body but that test results proved that it was him.
Trump said that American special forces landed with eight helicopters and blew holes into the side of the terrorist compound.
He described that raid as “absolutely perfect, as though you were watching a movie.”
Trump said that no American troops were wounded in the operation, but that “a beautiful dog, a talented dog” that was part of the canine units was wounded but brought back for treatment.
“They did a lot of shooting, and they did a lot of blasting,” Trump said, praising the Special Forces.
The president also singled out American intelligence agencies for praise.
“Thank you, as well, to the great intelligence professionals who helped make this very successful journey possible,” he said.
Trump used the occasion to send a message to all radical Islamic terrorists in the world.
“These savage monsters will not escape their fate, and they will not escape the final judgment of God,” he said.
The military operation was conducted by American Special Forces Delta Force after it was approved by Trump, according to reports, after Al-Baghdadi was discovered by American intelligence in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.
Al-Baghdadi first appeared in 2014 establishing the ISIS caliphate with him as the caliph. For five years, ISIS and al-Baghdadi inspired terrorist attacks around the world against Western forces.
The world has spent years trying to capture or kill al-Baghdadi, a major step in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State and radical Islamic terrorism.
Trump said that he was adamant about finding al-Baghdadi as soon as he took office as president.
“Capturing or killing Baghdadi has been the top national security priority of my administration,” he said.
The president thanked also thanked several foreign countries for their assistance, singling out Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq for their cooperation and the Syrian Kurds for their support.
Trump said that he did not inform Democrat Congressional leaders about the Saturday raid, for fear of leaks that would endanger the troops in the operation.
“We were going to notify them last night but we decided not to do that because Washington leaks like I’ve never seen before,” Trump said. “There is no country in the world that leaks like we do and Washington is a leaking machine.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted to the news of the death of the terrorist by calling for the House to be, “briefed on this raid, which the Russians but not top Congressional Leadership were notified of in advance.”
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