The Iraq ministry of defense says Abu Alaa al-Afari was killed while at a mosque. The U.S. denies having struck a mosque. And “there have been many previous announcements from Baghdad during its long struggle against the Islamist militants which have not been subsequently borne out.” Also, the Iraqis say that the top man, the caliph, was seriously injured. The U.S. denies that as well. Why U.S. officials would deny striking a mosque is immediately clear. But the rest of this is a muddle.
“Islamic State deputy leader ‘killed in Iraq air strike,'” BBC, May 13, 2015:
The second-in-command of Islamic State (IS) has been killed in a US-led coalition air strike in northern Iraq, the Iraqi ministry of defence says.
Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, also known as Abu Alaa al-Afari, was at a mosque near Tal Afar that was targeted, spokesman Brig-Gen Tahsin Ibrahim said.
However, the US military later denied coalition planes had attacked a mosque.
In recent weeks, there were unconfirmed reports that Afari had taken temporary charge of IS operations.
Iraqi sources claimed IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been incapacitated as a result of an air strike in Iraq in March.
‘Video’Gen Ibrahim told the BBC that Afari was killed alongside dozens of militants who he had been meeting at the al-Shuhada (Martyrs) mosque in the village of al-Iyadhiya, near Tal Afar, where he was reportedly a well-known preacher.
Tal Afar, in the northern province of Nineveh, was seized by IS in June 2014.
The general did not specify which country had carried out the air strike, but the US has been responsible for the vast majority since the coalition campaign began last August.
The ministry of defence separately published video purportedly showing the strike. It did not say when it took place, but one official told the Associated Press it was on Tuesday.
The Governor of Nineveh, Atheel al-Nujaifi, told the BBC in Washington that his contacts had confirmed Afari’s death.
The US-led coalition said on Wednesday it had carried out a strike in the Tal Afar area against “an Isil (IS) fighting position and an Isil heavy machine gun”, adding: “We can confirm that coalition aircraft did not strike a mosque.”
Adding to the confusion, the Iraqi interior ministry was quoted as saying that although Afari was present at the scene of the air strike, it wasn’t clear what had happened to him.
The Iraqi government has previously announced the deaths of IS leaders only for them to resurface alive.
But the BBC’s Ahmed Maher in Baghdad says that if Afari’s death is confirmed, it would represent another blow to IS, which has suffered a series of losses on the battlefield in recent months.
Analysis – Jim Muir, BBC News, BeirutThe man known as Abu Alaa al-Afari is believed to rank number two to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and commensurately has the highest US bounty on his head ($7m) apart from Baghdadi himself ($10m).
There are conflicting reports about the fate of Abu Bakr al-BaghdadiThe Iraqi authorities continue to insist that Baghdadi himself was incapacitated and had handed operational control to Afari after being badly wounded in an earlier strike – something the Pentagon has denied.
There have been many previous announcements from Baghdad during its long struggle against the Islamist militants which have not been subsequently borne out. So many observers will be sceptical of this latest claim until it is bolstered by independent confirmation….
Loretta Pienaar says
If that be true… HALLELUJAH!!
mortimer says
Muslims love rumors. The whole of the Islamic literature is built on third- and fourth-hand rumors, because there are no eyewitness accounts…absolutely none…not a single one of the original stories of Islam. The Koran, Sira and hadiths date from 100 to 250 years after Mohammed. Verifying them is impossible without more archeological finds. So far, archeology has not confirmed little of the original story and actually discredited large chunks of the story. We may never know what really happened.
For that reason, RUMORS are firmly established as part of the Islamic mindset. They believe rumors without evidence until they become accepted as common knowledge. Muslims have a pre-Enlightenment worldview.
JamesonRocks says
Excellent point, Mortimer… So, let’s facilitate a rumor… He was actually killed at a different location, participating in a day-long homosexual orgy while drinking Scotch, smoking cigars, eating pulled-pork sandwiches, and drawing cartoons of the big Mo…
Angemon says
JamesonRocks posted:
“Excellent point, Mortimer… So, let’s facilitate a rumor… He was actually killed at a different location, participating in a day-long homosexual orgy while drinking Scotch, smoking cigars, eating pulled-pork sandwiches, and drawing cartoons of the big Mo…”
Scotch, pork sandwiches and cartoons aside, sounds like a standard “Thursday Night in Afghanistan”.
Oliver says
Angemoan,
What do you have against a Muslim drinking Scotch?
Helping to provide tax money to Britain, to support the welfare of Muslims, by increasing Scotch consumption
Angemon says
Nah, I have nothing against a muslim drinking Scotch, or any other alcoholic beverage of their preference 🙂 . The part about the homosexual orgy reminded me of a story circulating years ago about the “Thursday Nights” in Afghanistan, minus the “offending” bits.
The story was something like this: a fatwa said that during Thursdays night allah wasn’t keeping his eyes on muslims and, as such, muslim men got together to, *ahem* go Brokeback Mountain on each other – apparently, allah has issues with two men loving one another, not with two men using one another for sexual gratification.
So, yeah, the (aptly named) “number 2” was killed in an “Afghani Thursday Night” with booze, pork sandwiches and Mad Mo cartoons. And not by a drone, I might add, but by a jealous lover 😉
Angemon says
If this is true, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Except to that other guy to which it allegedly happened to. And if he’s paralyzed and suffering and unable to lead even his bowel movements, then I say “let him be” and reiterate that this couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
One down, 300.000 to go.
Pork Rind Addict says
You are supposed to kill the enemy where you find them so what is wrong with targeting a mosque?
john spielman says
exactly, esp when the mosque is the LAIR of the fascist beast of islam They should ALL be monitored 24/7 with listening devices and any that teach that violence against unbelievers is acceptable must be destroyed!
The Doctor says
It is generally considered uncivilised to attack religious buildings/sites, hospitals, or schools with children.
Granted, we all know that Muslims are, for the most part, uncivilised and would readily bomb a church, a hospital, or a school with children (all of which they have done repeatedly), but we in the civilised world are trying very hard not to stoop to their level. This has been our undoing, however.
A civlised opponent would recognise our actions as civilised. Muslims view our civlised actions as a sign of weakness. We do not rape female captives, so we must be weak. We do not destroy mosques because Allah is powerful and prevents us from destroying mosques.
I believe that what we should do is intentionally level some mosques. Wait until they are unoccupied or only contain combatants, but level a few of them. That will not happen, of course.
mortimer says
What’s wrong with targeting a mosque is that it’s ineffective. We believe taking the high road will be better in the long term.
Everything America does must be seen to be ethical or it will not be effective.
Harvey Nextman says
This is being denied because Obama is so compromised by the Muslim Brotherhood and all the pandering and truth denial that he has to come up with a narrative that sounds valid enough to not get assassinated.