The failed policies of the Obama Administration gave rise the ISIS and inspired the radical Muslim insurgents to seize and control vast lands and establish a caliphate. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, American-led coalition forces annihilated the insurgents, retook the land, and a daring raid nighttime raid has finally killed the terrorist organization’s founder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
“He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering, crying, and screaming all the way. The compound had been cleared by this time with people either surrendering or being shot and killed,” President Trump said. “The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, and total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him. We were in the compound for approximately two hours, and after the mission was accomplished, we took highly sensitive material and information from the raid. Much having to do with ISIS origins, future plans, things that we very much want.”
Since winning the historic 2016 election, President Trump and U.S. allies in the Middle East have been tasked with cleaning up the mess former President Barack Obama created in the region. In his zeal to gain political credibility, Obama pulled U.S. forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq claiming, “mission accomplished.” Nothing could have been further from the truth.
Top military advisors urged against a quick withdrawal, citing insurgent militias prepared to take control. Obama infamously called ISIS the al-Qaeda “JV team” right before a variety of terrorist groups formed a massive army and seized control of more than 45,000 squares miles of territory. During ISIS’ reign of terror, Islamic extremists slaughtered Christians, Jews, and especially moderate Muslims. Insurgents burned people alive, orchestrated public beheadings, and created institutional rape that forced women to bear ISIS children. Despite these horrors, Obama allowed its fighters to retreat unscathed as coalition forces began to retake the land. Images of large caravans of ISIS fighters leaving cities under Obama’s protection will forever haunt the civilians and brave soldiers that would be forced to deal with them after Obama left office.
In stark contrast, President Trump enlisted Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis to implement a tactic the military rarely uses — “annihilation.” The U.S. forces surrounded ISIS strongholds and gave them two choices — surrender or die. Retreat was off the table. In under 18 months, the ISIS caliphate was defeated, with more than 90 percent of the fighters killed or captured. Those who managed to escape were in hiding. The once bold-talking founder, al-Baghdadi, had been cowering underground when U.S. intelligence discovered his whereabouts.
“When we landed with eight helicopters, a large crew of brilliant fighters ran out of those helicopters and blew holes into the side of the building, not wanting to go through the main door because that was booby-trapped,” Trump said. “They blasted their way through the house in a very heavy wall. It took them literally seconds. By the time those things went off they had a beautiful big hole, and they got everyone by surprise. He died like a dog. He died like a coward. He was whimpering, screaming, and crying.”
The ISIS leader was the highest-ranking enemy fighter killed since Osama bin Laden. He was responsible for more savagery, murders, and rapes than the mastermind of the 911 attacks. The leader of ISIS had been in hiding in northern Syria, and President Trump kept the covert operation on a need-to-know basis. Only his inner-circle of military and intelligence advisors were involved in the raid. The Trump Administration reportedly only alerted foreign military leaders as U.S. forces were airborne.
In a departure from protocol, President Trump elected to not bring congressional Democrats into the loop fearing leaks that could endanger the mission and American soldiers.
“The only thing is they were talking about why didn’t I give the information to Adam Schiff and his committee. And the answer is because I think Adam Schiff is the biggest leaker in Washington,” Trump said. “You know that. I know that. We all know that. I’ve watched Adam Schiff leak. He’s a corrupt politician. He’s a leaker like nobody has ever seen before.”
If results are any indication that President Trump is smartly cleaning up the ISIS and Middle East mess Obama left behind, consider that no American soldiers were killed or wounded during the brilliant raid. ISIS has been defeated on the battlefield and terrorist organizations are on the run. Such was not the case during the previous administration.
