US Captured Intel, Combatants During Baghdadi Raid: Warning to Terrorists: It’s Not Over Yet
U.S. Arrested Combatants, Intel: “Another successful raid targeting & arresting senior ISIS members,” SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali tweeted, using an acronym for the terror group which is also known as IS or by its Arabic acronym, Daesh. ….Officials are hopeful the treasure trove of data collected from the compound will aid American forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces they are partnering with.…Carla Babb of VOA reporting from the Pentagon
SecDef Official Releases: Esper: Baghdadi Death Provides Warning to Terrorists| BY JIM GARAMONE
The death of ISIS founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will not end terrorism, but it will “send a message to those who would question America’s resolve and provide a warning to terrorists who think they can hide,” Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.
“The United States — more than any nation in the world — possesses the power and the will to hunt to the ends of the Earth those who wish to bring harm to the American people,” Esper said at a Pentagon news conference today. “Saturday’s operation is just one example of the determination and great skill of the U.S. military.”
Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest rather than be captured by the American special operations forces. The raid was the culmination of a multiyear interagency effort to find the terror leader and then capture or kill him.
“His death marks a devastating blow to ISIS, who are now deprived of their inspirational leader following the destruction of their physical caliphate earlier this year,” the secretary said. “I’d like to thank our brave service members who took part in this daring raid, along with our interagency partners who supported the mission. There is no guarantee of success in an operation of this level of difficulty.”
Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. special operations force hit Baghdadi’s compound, located in Idlib province in northwestern Syria. “The assault force was engaged by small arms fire, and the threats were quickly eliminated,” he said. “Our forces isolated the compound and protected all of the noncombatants.
“While clearing the objective, U.S. forces discovered al-Baghdadi hiding in a tunnel,” he continued. “The assault force closed in on Baghdadi, and that ended when he detonated a suicide vest.”
Milley said officials tested the remains to ensure it was the ISIS leader and disposed of the remains appropriately. The chairman also said two men were detained from the compound and are in U.S. custody.
Esper praised the professionalism of the joint-service force that conducted the raid. “They executed the raid in all its facets brilliantly,” he said: “Not a single United States service member was killed in this high-risk operation.”
Despite Baghdadi’s death, the security situation in Syria remains complex, the secretary said, noting that state and non-state actors continue to vie for control of territory and resources. “As we have learned from our recent history in the Middle East, it is very easy to get drawn into continued conflict if our objectives are not clear,” the secretary said. “Acting as a police force out to solve every dispute is not our mission. Our mission in Syria today remains the same as when we began operations in 2014: to enable the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
As part of that mission, the U.S. repositioning of forces within the country will allow U.S. forces to continue the defeat-ISIS mission and give the president options, the secretary said. The rest of the forces will return to the United States.
“Those [troops] that remain will continue to execute counterterrorism operations while staying in close contact with the Syrian Democratic Forces who have fought alongside us,” Esper said. “Additionally, the United States will retain control of oil fields in northeast Syria.”
The oil fields are important because at the height of Baghdadi’s reign, those oil fields provided ISIS with the money needed to fund its terror campaign. “U.S. troops will remain in this strategic area to deny ISIS access to those vital resources,” the secretary said. “We will respond with overwhelming force against any group that threatens the safety of our forces there.”
The Syrian Democratic Forces can use the revenues from those fields to secure ISIS prison camps and conduct operations against ISIS, he noted.
Esper said that the situation in Syria was a major topic of discussion at the NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels last week. A number of allies expressed their desire to help with the establishment of a safe zone along the Syria/Turkish border. “Turkey bears full responsibility for the consequences of their unwarranted incursion, which has brought further instability to the region,” he said.
Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary Esper and General Milley in the Pentagon Briefing Room
OCT. 28, 2019 Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper; Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MARK T. ESPER:
As President Trump announced yesterday, the United States’ joint Special Operations Forces conducted a successful raid on Saturday night, resulting in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder and leader of ISIS. This operation was the culmination of a multi-year interagency effort to find him, and then capture or kill him.
Baghdadi and the thugs who follow him were responsible for some of the most brutal atrocities of our time. His death marks a devastating blow for the remnants of ISIS, who are now deprived of their inspirational leader, following the destruction of their physical caliphate, earlier this year.
I want to thank our brave service members who took part in this daring raid, along with our interagency partners who supported the mission.
There is no guarantee of success in an operation with this level of difficulty. And President Trump knew this when he made the bold decision to order the raid, confident in the expertise of our forces.
Our service members conducted themselves with incredible skill and professionalism, and they executed the raid, in all of its facets, brilliantly. Not a single United States service member was killed in this high-risk operation.
Despite Baghdadi’s death, the security situation in Syria remains complex. Multiple state and non-state actors continue to vie for control of territory and resources within the country.
As we have learned from our recent history in the Middle East, it is very easy to get drawn into continued conflict if our objectives are not clear. Acting as a police force out to solve every dispute is not our mission. Our mission in Syria today remains the same as it was when we first began operations in 2014: to enable the enduring defeat of ISIS.
Our recent repositioning of forces within the country is intended to posture us to continue this mission and give the president options, while returning the balance back home to the United States. Those who remain will continue to execute counterterrorism operations, while staying in close contact with the Syrian Democratic Forces who have fought alongside us.
Additionally, the United States will retain control of oil fields in northeast Syria. At the height of Baghdadi’s reign, these oil fields provided ISIS with the bulk of financial resources used to fund its terror. U.S. troops will remain positioned in this strategic area to deny ISIS access to those vital resources, and we will respond with overwhelming military force against any group that threatens the safety of our forces there.
These oil fields also provide a critical source of funding for the SDF, which enables their ability to secure ISIS’ prison camps and conduct operations against ISIS, among other things.
Last week, I was in Brussels for the NATO defense ministerial, and I spoke with our allies about the situation in Syria. I reiterated our commitment to the defeat of ISIS, and called on other nations, who have much at stake, to offer their support to help mitigate the ongoing security crisis.
Turkey continues to bear responsibility for the consequences of their unwarranted incursion, which has brought further instability to the region. A number of allies have expressed their desire to help with the implementation of a safe zone along the Syria-Turkey border. The United States remains focused on our core mission and continues to work closely with the defeat ISIS coalition as we implement the next phase of the campaign.
Baghdadi’s death will not rid the world of terrorism, or end the ongoing conflict in Syria, but it will certainly send a message to those who would question America’s resolve, and provide a warning to terrorists who think they can hide.
The United States, more than any other nation in the world, possesses the power and the will to hunt to the ends of the Earth those who wish to bring harm upon the American people. Saturday’s operation is just one example of the incredible determination and great skill of the United States military.
I’ll now ask Gen. Milley to provide you with some additional details on the operation. Thank you.
GENERAL MARK MILLEY: As Secretary Esper stated, the United States Special Operations Forces, under the command and control of United States Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie, conducted a counter-terrorism operation, which resulted in the death of the founder and the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Intelligence from numerous organizations throughout the Department of Defense, and across the entire interagency, identified the target location approximately four miles from the Turkish border in Idlib Province of Syria.
In order to reduce the risk to U.S. forces and prevent miscalculation and escalation, an action consistent with operations in the past, we coordinated with appropriate militaries and other organizations in the region through established de-confliction mechanisms.
During the mission, U.S. forces were infiltrated by helicopter, and once on the objective, secured the target compound. The assault force was engaged in small arms fire and the threats were quickly eliminated. Our forces isolated the compound and protected all of the non-combatants.
While clearing the objective, U.S. forces discovered al-Baghdadi hiding in a tunnel. The assault force closed in on Baghdadi and ended when he detonated a suicide vest. Baghdadi’s remains were then transported to a secure facility to confirm his identity with forensic DNA testing, and the disposal of his remains has been done, and is complete and was handled appropriately.
The success of this complex operation is an incredible testament to the professionalism of the men and women of the joint force and our interagency partners in their courage and their bravery. They put themselves in harm’s way time and time again to protect our great country.
US Captured Prisoner Combatants During Baghdadi Raid