Chairman
JCS and Defense Secretary Surprised
by Trump Statement
While announcing
the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Trump described the
terrorist’s death during the U.S. raid in unusually graphic detail — repeatedly
claiming that al-Baghdadi died “whimpering,
screaming and crying.”
But the top U.S. military official
who watched the raid with Trump in the White House Situation Room said he’s not
sure where the president got that information, Gen. Mark Milley, JCS Chairman, told reporters: “I don’t know what the source of that was.”
Trump went on to say after announcing
al-Baghdadi’s death that it was important to describe his last moments in vivid
terms so as to deter would-be ISIS fighters.
Trump’s televised statement was from the White House Sunday
morning (October 27) one day after U.S. forces carried out the operation in
Syria, saying in part: “He died like a dog, he died like a coward. He
died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming
all the way. The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last
moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread. It was something really
amazing to see,” the president said, adding that it was as though you were
watching a movie. Frankly, I think it’s something that should be brought out so
that his followers and all of these young kids that want to leave various
countries, including the United States, they should see how he died. He didn’t
die a hero. He died a coward — crying, whimpering, screaming.”
Actually a dog (K-9 used by the
military) used in the raid was slightly wounded, but Gen. Milley said the
animal is recovering and will return to
duty with its handler.
Trump told reporters he
watched the raid from the Situation Room as it was carried out in real time
with Milley, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and VP Pence, among others. The
White House later released
an official photo of the president and the top defense officials taken
in the Situation Room.
According to the New York Times, the Situation Room had
live overhead surveillance footage of the operation. But the feeds did not have
audio, nor did they show what was happening in the underground tunnel where
al-Baghdadi was killed.
Later while appearing on ABC “This Week” Secretary Esper
also said he wasn’t sure where Trump got whimpering and crying story from,
adding: “I don’t have those details, but
the president probably had the opportunity to talk to the commanders on the
ground.”
My 2 cents: Again we see Trump in true fashion: bragging, boasting and
fluffing himself and spinning the facts to suit his own ego. Sad, sad man.
Other key things Trump said that I note:
1. Claims al-Baghdahi was “bigger
than bin-Laden, much bigger.” Not True: bin-Laden
planned and ordered 9/11 that murdered 3,000 Americans – that is many, many
times larger than al-Baghdahi.
2. Claims lots critical intelligence
documents taken – that signals to
other ISIS cells to work up or off of new documents. Thus, potentially a big intelligence leak. Trump
bragged as usual when he should have been brief by simply thanking Delta Forces,
the operation planners, and operators and implementers. Thank goodness we lost
no personnel or equipment.
Trump’s victory
lap is a small part but he made it 100%, e.g.:
(1) The Syrian and Iraqi
Kurds, one U.S. official said, provided more intelligence for the raid than any
single country. Yet, Trump profusely thanked Russia in his announcement first,
even though they did not participate militarily, and (2) Trump gushed and
fawned all over Russia and heaped praise on Putin’ and his army, even before
once mentioning the US troops who conducted the raid.
Thanks for stopping by.
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