Trump says IS’ Al-Baghdadi killed in US military raid

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead after a US military raid in northwest Syria that left the IS leader “in utter fear, in total panic and dread” in his final moments. The president said other countries should now fight IS.
“The United States brought the world’s number one terrorist to justice,” Trump said on Sunday in an announcement in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House. Answering questions from reporters, Trump said the US has in its sights the likely successors to al-Baghdadi.
No US personnel were lost in the operation, while “many” of al-Baghdadi’s fighters or companions were killed with him, the president said.
Al-Baghdadi’s body was mutilated after he detonated a suicide vest while fleeing into a dead-end tunnel, also killing three of his children, but DNA test results provided a positive identification, Trump said.
The president watched the operation in the White House Situation Room from about 5 pm EDT with Cabinet members and top military and intelligence officials.
Al-Baghdadi was the highest-ranking terrorist leader killed or captured since Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011 during the Obama administration. The operations by US Special Forces focussed on the northwestern province of Idlib, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing the matter.
“Our reach is very long,” Trump said. “Baghdadi has been on the run for many years, long before I took office. But at my direction, as commander in chief of the United States, we obliterated his caliphate 100% in March of this year. The events are another reminder that we will continue to pursue the remaining IS terrorists to their brutal end.”
Trump said didn’t tell House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ahead of time or others in the Congressional “Gang of Eight,” suggesting word of the operation could have leaked out.
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t do that,” Trump said when asked about informing Pelosi. “I wanted to make sure this kept secret. I don’t want to have men lost and women. I don’t want to have people lost.”
Representative Adam Schiff of California said it was a wrong of Trump not to notify key lawmakers.
“I think that was a mistake, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that it was a success and a ruthless killer has been taken off the battlefield,” Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on ABC’s “This Week.”
The Syrian operation was built on CIA planning, a person familiar with the matter said, denying a report from Iraq that intelligence from that country’s government played a role.