BREAKING: ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Killed in Raid

I don't claim anything, as I wasn't there. But I cited reports (even from US government sources) before Trump's account of the operation, citing people on the ground, which mentioned the US first bombed the area and then landed special forces who engaged the forces that remained. And that actually makes sense and fits all the evidence that I have seen (excepting Trump's account).

Trump's version of what happened, even when I was listening to it and before subsequent reports casting doubts about some of his details, seemed incredulous and more a case of Trump trying to engage in propaganda (mixed in with the usual self-congratulatory narratives which also aimed at his domestic opponents) than present facts about the operation.

I understand why Trump would want to present the operation the way he did, but I don't accept that version as representing what actually happened. Trump's version would make the operation a lot riskier, a lot more prone to end up with US forces suffering casualties, while also lacking any reasonable explanation for how Trump could have been listening and watching some of the things he claimed he saw and heard.

In the larger scheme of things, it doesn't matter as this isn't one of those 'lies' by Trump or the US that bothers me much. But I do find it interesting that there are apparently people who still take anything Trump says on face value.

 

Barack and his handlers appeared to be watching TV. What they were watching you don't know. You know ONLY what they tell you.

They are liars. Osama died a natural death in December 2001. You and the rest of the country were played.

 

This is stunning.

Yes, he died a "natural" death. I mean, Hell, when your chest gets aerated by a Seal team, "naturally" you're going to bleed to death.

LOL!!

It's fun watching you tap dance to avoid looking silly...

 

Well then why did you use the term "declared war?" If you are going to use vague terms while at the same time trying to cut fine distinctions, your "message" is just going to come out garbled and stupid. And as far as I can tell, you are wrong. I suspect that instead of ISIS you are referring to a predecessor organization, Al-Qaida in Iraq, which was an Al-Qaida subsidiary. I think this entire thread is about ISIS, not Al-Qaida in Iraq, or Al-Qaida Inc.

Thanks for playing.

 

It would be very odd to strike the compound first, which would make intelligence gathering and ID more difficult.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barisha_raid#Raid

 

Osama Bin Laden was 6'5" and NEVER had Marfan's disease or kidney disease... I'm afraid YOU were played.

He was living in a compound in Pakistan with 24 people including several wives and children when he was killed in 2011.

 

Footage of the raid has been released!

 

Unhinged Arizona Democrat Party Chair Says President Trump ‘Has Aligned Himself With ISIS’

 

I think Iranian Monitor is VERY astute in this matter.

 

Oh Trump is much worse. He's lived in a bubble all his life..

 

Disgusting. SNL had the same "talking points" at the same time that Trump is taking out Baghdaddi.

 

He lived in the media capital of the world most of his life and in the public spotlight

 

Yes, but he's never listens to anyone.. He is truly isolated.

 

He seems to be around people all the time. He listened to his old friend Bill Clinton when he told him to run against his wife.

 

No I believe everyone on the right celebrated Osama's death as they should. The death of the ugly Baghdadi should be something similar all American's should unite in celebrating but the partisanship just won't let that happen, many playing down the significance of this great victory.

 

We literally broke out cheering at our CP when we got the news. I remember thinking "finally, Obama did something right." OF course, credit ultimately goes to those SEALS and those who did the intel work, but at least Obama eventually made the right call.

 

Obama would have been blamed for a failure. He deserves praise for the success of that very risky operation carried out under the nose of the hostile Pakistani spy base.

 

pakistan is a third world regime with nuclear weapons that can only be delivered to itself and its very similar neighbor, but it was a sovereign state.

it sets bad precedent when a military power breaches sovereignty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty#Definition_and_types

 

Yes, the decision to order the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound was a very aggressive gutsy move.

 

if you're going to set bad precedent at least make money for your people, like President Trumps foreign policy.

obama's foreign policy was similar to that of a kenyan war lord.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09592318.2015.1072318

 

Iranian Monitor is clueless. He's arguing that the US military isn't able to do what a teen with a $200 smartphone can.

And of course you agree with him since you're just as clueless and have yet to be right on any subject on this board. It must really hurt to be an impotent muslim passing himself as an elderly christian woman.

 

What?

You aren't making any sense. I don't think Iranian Monitor is female.

 

How has Trump made money for the US with his foreign policy?

 

I'm unsure how you made any sense here Margot2. Are you sure you read Badaboom's post at all?

 

Despite the footage not showing much, I give high credibility to what is actually said and described in this military briefing. Even the parts I am not convinced about, do not involve me questioning the 'literal language" used. (Unlike Trump, most military members giving such public briefings do not want to engage in blatant lies and fantasy generally avoid doing so).

Here is what the briefing indicated with the footage showing only #1 and #11 on this list.

1- US special forces land, close in and surround the compound. (Aerial footage of special forces approaching the compound is shown).

2- US special forces "repeatedly urge people in the compound to surrender."

3- Certain people described as civilians in the briefing, come out of the compound and surrender, including 11 children.

4- The US military made every effort to avoid civilian casualties and protect the "children suspected at being at the compound", despite the "violent nature of the raid" and the "high profile" nature of the target.

5- 5 ISIS members (4 women and 1 man) inside the compound do not respond to the commands to surrender and present a "threat" to the special forces.

6- The 5 ISIS members "are engaged and killed". (The description doesn't explain the nature of the engagement, e.g., whether aerial munitions were used etc, and there is no footage of the engagement either).

7- "After the engagement and once established inside the compound", the US forces discover Baghdadi hiding in a tunnel.

8- When capture by US forces was "imminent", Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest killing himself and two young children with him.

9- A total of "6 ISIS members were killed" as a result of the operation (4 women, 2 men including Baghdadi) in addition to the 2 children killed as Baghdadi blew himself up. (8 people died as a result of the raid itself, not counting anyone killed from the earlier suppression of fire as these forces were being flown to the compound). 2 men "on the objective" were detained and taken by US forces.

10- Evidence is collected from the compound, while Baghdadi's body parts are also taken for DNA verification and burial at sea.

11- After the US forces had evacuated the compound, and boarded their helicopters, precision bombs were dropped on the compound to destroy it. (Please look carefully at this last portion of the video. A picture of a compound which already looks leveled is then shown to be further bombed and destroyed).

For now, in my book, this version described above is the most credible and accurate account we have so far of what happened. Each of us may be tempted to fill out the blanks in what isn't described or shown and I have my own ideas about it as well. From my vantage point, while Trump used some of these facts to build his narrative, he filled most of the blanks with his fantasies.