Is al-Baghdadi dead?
There has been speculation lately that the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed recently. That’s been reported before, but rumors are swirling that region of the world now, according to Reuters which reports that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has “confirmed information” in that regard;
Russia’s Defence Ministry said in June that it might have killed Baghdadi when one of its air strikes hit a gathering of Islamic State commanders on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Raqqa. But Washington said it could not corroborate the death and Western and Iraqi officials have been skeptical.
Reuters could not independently verify Baghdadi’s death.
“(We have) confirmed information from leaders, including one of the first rank who is Syrian, in the Islamic State in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zor,” said Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the British-based war monitoring group.
In Iraq, U.S. Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State, said he could not confirm the news.
From New York Magazine;
The U.S. military and other analysts made clear their skepticism. The U.S. confirmed that Russia did conduct a strike in that area on that date, but as to al-Baghdadi’s fate, a Pentagon spokesman said: “We have no information to corroborate those reports.” The circumstances surrounding his alleged death were also questionable. It struck experts as unlikely that so many high-level ISIS leaders would all meet together in the middle of a military hot zone, making themselves vulnerable to a targeted strike. And, of course, al-Baghdadi has a reputation for getting “killed” or critically injured, over and over again.
Politico reports;
Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend didn’t go so far as to say that he believes Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, but he did acknowledge in a briefing with Pentagon reporters that he has not seen evidence that he is still around.
“I really don’t know. … I don’t have reason to believe that he’s alive. I don’t have proof of life,” Townsend said….
Well, alive or dead, at least he’s keeping journalists busy with something other than Russian connections to President Trump.
Category: Terror War
“Well, alive or dead, at least he’s keeping journalists busy with something other than Russian connections to President Trump.”
Point! 😀
No, he’s dead because Trump told the Russians to do it! It’s collusion at the highest level, I tell you!
He’s had a hell of a career, even so. After Zarqawi (a Jordanian) was snuffed…this dude eventually emerged as AQ in Iraq leader…in 2008 we figured he might be another foreigner, but had taken an Iraqi name to give AQ a local face…I and many others weren’t even sure he existed…I hope that is so now…worst of the worst
Despite New York Magazine’s claims to the contrary, the Syrian Observatory is not an objective and reliable source. A more accurate description is that the Syrian Observatory is either being told what it wants to hear, or is being fed information to push an agenda.
During the past few weeks, al-Baghdadi has been reported killed near Raqqa in Syria, or in Syria’s Deir al-Zor Province, or in Nineveh Province in Iraq. Or he just escaped from Mosul.
Only two things have been confirmed: The last time the news media specifically heard from al-Baghdadi was when he recorded a speech last November. And the $25 million reward still stands.
New York Magazine also doubles down on its support for the weak source of the Syrian Observatory with a logical fallacy:
“…it appears the Pentagon is giving more respect to this (Syrian Observatory) report. ‘I really don’t know,’ Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, who commands the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, said. ‘I don’t have reason to believe that he’s alive.'”
The logical fallacy is that something is not necessarily true just because it can’t be proved false.
He’s not dead yet.