A hero of the Left has passed away. My latest in FrontPage:
Just in time for Halloween, one of the most famous undead people in the world, the Islamic State (ISIS) caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been reported dead yet again, and this time it actually appears to be true. President Trump announced the news in an address on Sunday morning, and predictably, the Left is now furious. Any enemy of Trump is a friend of theirs, and suddenly Leftists are deeply concerned about Trump’s affronts to the dignity of the fallen leader.
Trump said of al-Baghdadi that the United States had “brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice.” Al-Baghdadi, according to Trump, fled his pursuers and finally blew himself up in a jihad suicide bombing. Said Trump: “He was a sick and depraved man, and now he’s gone. He died like a dog, he died like a coward.” He died “crying, whimpering and screaming.”
Barack Obama’s former Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, was furious – not at the man who had committed mass murder of innumerable innocent civilians, and had sanctioned the seizure of non-Muslim women and their use at sex slaves, but at the man who oversaw his killing. She tweeted: “This gruesome, vivid and probably exaggerated description of dogs chasing down Baghdadi will endanger our personnel in the region. When bin Laden was killed, we were careful to be clear that he had been given a proper Muslim burial. Not because we gave a damn about him but because it was important for our relationships in the region and safety of our military and diplomats.”
In reality, that was totally incoherent. On the one hand, Obama was insisting that jihad terrorists had nothing whatsoever to do with the peaceful religion of Islam, and then he turned around and gave one of the world’s leading Islamic jihadists a respectful Muslim burial. This didn’t gain the US any respect or save any lives; it just made us look ridiculous.
Does Dana Shell Smith actually think that some of the jihadis in the Middle East will think, “Well, I was going to go easy on the Americans, but now that they have shown al-Baghdadi disrespect, I will crush them”? They were already trying to kill Americans, and will keep trying. In reality, it is the exaggerated respect shown to those who have vowed to destroy us that makes jihadis see us as weak and ripe for the taking. The only thing they respect is strength, and the only thing Obama and Dana Shell Smith projected was weakness.
The establishment media reaction was even worse. The Washington Post headlined its story about the killing as if Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was one of their favored anti-Trump intellectuals, dead at a tragically young age: “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48.” Bloomberg wrote that “Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi transformed himself from a little-known teacher of Koranic recitation into the self-proclaimed ruler of an entity that covered swaths of Syria and Iraq.”
The respect! The deference! The admiration! Imagine what the Washington Post and Bloomberg will say when Trump dies. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the headlines will be scathing, not remotely as adulatory as they are for the caliph. And imagine if a prominent foe of jihad terror died, and the Washington Post was writing about his death. Imagine that this individual had never called for or condoned any violence, much less terrorism, and had stood all his life for the freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, and the equality of rights of all people before the law. And he wrote about how Islamic jihadis used the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and oppression. Do you think the Washington Post would headline his obituary in such a respectful manner?
Of course they wouldn’t. They would headline their story, “Far-Right Islamophobic Extremist Dies” or some such. If such a person were murdered, they would suggest in their story that he brought it on himself with his “extremist” rhetoric.
But al-Baghdadi, a mass murderer, enslaver of Infidel women, villain of history? An “austere religious scholar.” That’s where we are today.
Also, it’s likely that the Post’s propaganda masters were unhappy with this headline for implying a negative view of Islam. Al-Baghdadi, a twister and hijacker of the true, peaceful Islam, a “religious scholar”? Actually, it was accurate: he had a PhD in Islamic theology. But that fact doesn’t fit the narrative, and so must be deep-sixed.
Anyway, the reaction on the Left to al-Baghdadi’s death is telling, but it is more for their having to deal with yet another success of a President they’re determined to destroy than for any actual love for al-Baghdadi. Then again, the “austere religious scholar” did hate America as much as they do. Maybe behind all the self-righteous indignation over Trump’s rhetoric, there is some real grief.
Angemon says
According to Trump, Baghdadi was given the same privilege, so I don’t understand why this bint is harumphing and clutching her pearls…
Trick_or_Treat says
I hope Donald Trump sent her a tweet that said something like:
The evil bastard was a mass-murdering piece of islamic dog shit, and a loud-mouthed spokesperson for a disgusting fake religion and doctrine that is an offence to the living God. Guess what position my middle finger is in right now, precious petal?!
Wondering also if President Trump has yet received any official congratulation messages from the offices of those two fellow ‘hand on heart’ American patriots, Ilan Omar, or Rashid Tlaib? Hmmn? Oh, I bet they are over the moon, some people did something!
Mack Truslow says
It appears that Ikan Omar tweeter in effect ‘good riddance to a mass murderer’. First thing she has written or said I agree with.
gravenimage says
Note that Rashida Tlaib has been completely silent.
FYI says
Interesting.
And yet,her beloved “prophet” muhammed..was a mass-murderer of Jews{ABU DAWUD 4390}beheading 800+ men and boys apparently
So will ilhan omar I wonder be condemning muhammed?
I doubt it….
muslims never get Irony.
mortimer says
Response to Mack T.- Ilhan Omar forgets that Mohammed was a mass murderer, Mohammed’s favorite general, Khalid ibn Walid was a mass murder. Most of the caliphs of Islam have been mass murderers including several of the last sultans (caliphs) of Constantinople who mass murder their own Christian subjects.
Ilhan Omar obviously knows practically NOTHING about Islamic history. She is a know-nothing BLOW HARD.
Reliance of the Traveller, Book O, Chapter 9, Section 8. explains the caliph is a mass murderer BY LAW.
O9.8: The Objectives of Jihad
The caliph (o25) makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians (N: provided he has first invited them to enter Islam in faith and practice, and if they will not, then invited them to enter the social order of Islam by paying the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya, def: o11.4) -which is the significance of their paying it, not the money itself-while remaining in their ancestral religions) (O: and the war continues) until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax (O: in accordance with the word of Allah Most High,
Trick_or_Treat says
“Adolf Hitler, passionate community planner, dynamic public speaker, and social visionary, dies aged 56.”
mccode says
Gengis Khan, accomplished horseman, intrepid world traveler, charismatic leader……..
FYI says
Joseph Stalin,Outstanding Community Social Welfare innovator and Economics Guru has passed away peacefully aged 74
mortimer says
The insanity of the Washington Post headline truly invites LAMPOONS like the above … and deservedly so. Whoever wrote that headline should be demoted to traffic accident reporting and dog catcher reporting.
tgusa says
Jeffery Dahmer, acclaimed restaurateur, connoisseur and food critic…
gravenimage says
Al-Baghdadi Dead, Leftists Crestfallen
…………………..
Brian Williams of MSNBC last night was also castigating President Trump for saying anything negative about Al Baghdadi, and wondering if Trump was “making up details” about the raid.
Wellington says
Well, gravenimage, who could doubt a proven liar like Brian Williams? Let me see here. Yes, all those with proper knowledge, common sense, moral intelligence and wisdom. Other than these reprobates, per Leftthink, everyone else will surely think Williams is eminently correct. In other words, all the rubes who will vote for the Democratic candidate for President in 2020 no matter what (better I think than “who”) it is.
gravenimage says
Yeah–he’s a nasty piece of work.
mccode says
I have yet to read a word of explanation anywhere concerning Baghdadi’s reddened beard, which we the informed know was in tribute to his long dead mentor and inspiration.
The truth should be shouted out so the deniers and ostriches might, maybe at last, realize the link.
gravenimage says
Yep. Using henna in the beard is intended to make old Jihadists look younger, and therefore scarier. (I think it just makes them look like idiots, myself).
Yohanan says
I’ve heard or read that the fashion may have something to do they’re imitating orange beard of their prophet. Henna is ceremonial dye…
gravenimage says
That’s it. The “Prophet” was trying to look younger to terrorize the Infidels.
Kepha says
Do the terrorist organizations worry about people like Muhammad Atta and his crew or others who blow themselves to smithereens getting a proper burial? I doubt it.
Salome says
Apparently Atta’s will contained instructions about how to prepare his body for burial if it was sufficiently intact and recognisable. He was particularly concerned that he didn’t want infidels touching his winkie.
CogitoErgoSum says
Did the Ambassador volunteer to go and pick up all the pieces of Baghdadi in order to bury him? What about the three children? Be sure to sort all the pieces out and put each one in the proper box, Ambassador, if it makes you feel better. Yeah, and then you can carve on Baghdadi’s tombstone, “Loving Father.”
By the way, how old were his children when he blew them to hell?
mortimer says
CES… you miss the point, my friend. It is because of WHO WE ARE, rather than how much we deplore the evil-doer that we behave properly with respect to human remains. We observe the Golden Rule. Even if my brother was a mass murderer, I would still grieve for his loss and pray for his soul to an Omniscient Supreme Being. I would be deeply grateful to government that buried his remains in a proper way.
When someone is punished for his crimes and punished for his sins, CIVILZED PEOPLE give the remains of what is left of him a proper, dignified burial.
Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri al-Samarrai (1971-2019) has been stopped in his evil crimes. He is no more. His family surely joins us in deploring his crimes.
Baghdadi’s burial place should be away from anywhere that might become a shrine and it should be a proper ceremony …. because that’s what WE do.
We do these things with care because WE are civilized. Obviously, you have not thought this matter through. I ask you to purify your heart.
gravenimage says
Mortimer, you think that CogitoErgoSum needs to “purify his heart” for pointing out what Baghdadi did to his own children? Why?
mortimer says
No, GI. That is an intentional distortion of what I wrote and you realize that. A burial is for the living family members. It is not an honor to the evil-doer. A proper burial honors us who live up to high standards of conduct. You apparently did not serve.
gravenimage says
My father, mother, and aunt all severed in the military, in the US and Britain. Would these nations have mandated that Nazis be given proper Fascist funerals? I think not.
Westman says
I agree with CES and GI. This upholding of that false image is not worth the cost because it’s absolutely false. The painting of what was done in order to win WWII into virtue is a false image. Civilians were fire-bombed and nuclear devices dropped on paper-wood cities. Nations act in their own interest and when it comes to wars of survival there are no rules observed. If you think we’re civilized, just wait for the next war in which our existence is threatened – and human nature being what it is, it will come.
The real virtue of the US was helping to rebuid a war-torn Europe and Japan.
Please cut the crap about the “moral conduct” of war. There is no such thing, only a facade. Even the Christian God killed entire civilizations. It took a Harry Truman to make the tough decisions and the Left is terrified that we have a President with the same toughness.
And by the way, I did serve in the military.
CogitoErgoSum says
The man blew himself to pieces and he took his three children with him. He had no respect for his own body and no regard for what a bomb would do to the bodies of his own children. If he had surrendered peacefully his children, whatever their ages, would have been treated well. He would have been given a fair trial and, if sentenced to death, I’m sure he would have have been executed in as humane a manner as possible and his corpse given a decent burial. He, and only he, is responsible for turning himself into nothing more than garbage (which actually happened long before the explosion). It’s a shame about the children but the blame for that belongs to him too. His life was a waste and the world is a better place without him. Any memory of him should evoke nothing but revulsion and nausea. I am for treating a dead man’s body with respect when the life he lived was one of showing respect for the lives of others. Baghdadi gave no respect to others and showed not the least bit of remorse about it before he died and, therefore, he gets no respect from me.
Joe says
Everyone, regardless of their deeds, deserves respect. That is for the living and the dead.
Baghdadi taught us a lesson: Those who study Islam and understand what it says, rob, rape, kill, and so forth. Baghdadi knew Islam, and is a true witness of what Islam is.
CogitoErgoSum says
I do not give everyone respect regardless of their deeds. Some deeds are so terrible that I can not respect the person who commits them. If Baghdadi had showed some remorse for his deeds and offered an apology I would have respected him for that but he did no such thing. I believe that God Himself sends to Hell the unrepentant and it is right and just. Baghdadi disrespected himself, other human beings and worst of all, God. The man was garbage and the religion he followed is garbage — in every sense of the word. The only reason to have given Baghdadi a burial was to keep his rotting body parts from spreading disease.
Salome says
I read that his (and presumably the children’s) remains were disposed of in accordance with military protocols, which is likely that they were buried at sea.
Infidel says
Why just the Left? You have Max Boot who thinks that ABaB died a hero, not a coward b’cos he killed himself, rather than be captured by the enemy
That’s Boot’s way of refuting POTUS
gravenimage says
I think he’s more of a former conservative, Infidel. Boot wrote, “The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right”, and endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.
Infidel says
Quite a few republicans, including the Bushes, voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. As many observed, it wasn’t so much Republican vs Democrat as much as Establishment vs Grassroots populism
Wellington says
Beginning as a “never Trumper” does terrible things to the mind, Infidel. Max Boot could serve as Exhibit #1 here.
Infidel says
There were a lot of erstwhile never-Trumpers who changed their minds on him once they saw how he governed.
The reason people like Max Boot, Bill Krystol, Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg… didn’t is that Trump’s foreign policy is nothing like traditional Republican foreign policy, which harks back to Reagan but is really a Cold War relic. Like thinking that NATO is important
Wellington says
Well, Infidel, don’t forget that Reagan revolutionized thinking about how to handle the USSR. He went from a containment policy, first implemented by Truman and every President thereafter, till Reagan saw that containment wasn’t good enough, that the time was ripe for victory and that MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) was immoral. No one thought he could do it but he did (e.g., attaining the “double-zero” option in 1987). As Alexander Bessmertnykh, Gorbachev’s Foreign Minister said, “Ronald Reagan’s defense build-up and Strategic Defense Initiative accelerated the demise of the Soviet Union.”
Reagan thought outside the box and was actually contra-Cold War. This forms part of his impressive legacy, though, like others at the time, examples being Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II, he came just a bit too early to realize the menace of Islam while dealing with the menace du jour, Communism.
Infidel says
Wellington, true! What Reagan did was the correct approach against Communism, and saw the apparent end to it, at least in Russia (although the new largest communist party in the world is the Democrat Party). However, after 9/11 at least, Islam replaced Communism as the leading ideological enemy of the West, but to this day, no policy has been laid out to confront it. And the Boots and Krystols still think that Communism, rather than Islam, is still our #1 enemy.
gravenimage says
Here’s what the left seems to be really worried about:
“Tammy Bruce: Media upset al-Baghdadi death may overshadow impeachment”
https://www.foxnews.com/media/impeachment-isis-al-baghdadi-media
Westman says
That’s the Left, crestfallen over a murdering rapist. Have they forgotten Kayla Meuller? Which of the leftist feminists would have traded places with Kayla and then called for respect for this murdering rapist? Talk about a #MeToo fubar. Damn hipocrites, lying to their own souls. Have they no shame?
Wellington says
“Have they no shame?”
No, none, Westman. That’s part of, but only part, why they’re Lefties in the first place.
yohanan says
I don’t agree. You can be happy that the ruthless criminal ISIS caliph is killed but still be revolted by Trump’s style, format, content of his announcement, choice of words — . E.g. “whimpering”. Where did he take that from? Trump saw something in his movie watching, inferred it, words straight out of comic books, “whimpering coward”.. Trump’s self-aggrandizement has no filter. “I chased Baghdadi for 3 years”, etc… Trump reportedly gave away classified details. The successful strike belongs to all non-partisan military. Yes the twitter-in-chief can tend to a good, rational, cautious view of the dangers of jihad and Muslim immigration – but still not qualify for his job. There are limits to corruption. Public corruption from the top becomes betrayal. America’s enemies value power of US, but unlikely that Trump’s tough blowhard talk moves them.
Wellington says
Gee, yohanan, has Trump done anything right? How about moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? What about pulling out of the worst deal ever made by an American President, i.e., the putrid Iranian nuclear deal done by Obama with Iran, the #1 state sponsor of terrorism throughout the world? What about the lowest black American unemployment in history? How about getting NATO members to finally pay their fair share? Trump’s tough blowhard talk unlikely moves America’s enemies? Huh-uh. Is this why Kim Jong Un met with Trump? Because he doesn’t value American power?
Trump is the single most powerful force for freedom in the world and you complain about him talking about a Muslim barbarian as a “whimpering coward?” Right. Oh brother. How pathetic.
Yohanan says
Complain? I’m happy, relieved, grateful, proud that the US special forces finally got rid of the evil, genocidal warlord, that Moslem fanatic would-be world ruler, the arch-terrorist ISIS caliph. This is of course a big feather in Trump’s cap. But the announcement of the successful strike would be better delivered by spokespeople — the president’s spokespersons and the military’s spokespeople. Yes Pres. Trump has made some good moves including raising the hazards in Muslim mass immigration. But also bad decisions and a low style.
Here is a good link for any Jewish liberal who is not happy about Baghdadi’s death:
https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/293295/yes-it-is-good-to-hate-al-baghdadi
gravenimage says
You think that taking out the worst Jihad terrorist of our time is somehow negated because you don’t like Trump’s choice of words in announcing it?
mortimer says
Agree with GI. The greatness of this capture is not negated in any way by the “TONE” of the president’s remarks.
mortimer says
Response to yohanan: President Trump saw the capture on camera as it happened and he heard what transpired at the front … but YOU did not see the live transmission and nor did I. The president may have heard things that sounded like screams and whimpers. I would love to see that transmission, but it is probably top secret.
GUESSING is not the same as KNOWING from first-hand witness. The president saw this and heard it AS IT HAPPENED.
Demsci says
Al Baghdadi deserved all the contempt pres. Trump gave him and much more. Pres. Trump was highly complimenting and respectful about the US military. Pres. Trump very often is very positive about people who help him and entire categories or crowds of people, including foreign peoples. He is much more positive than negative I notice when he gives speeches. He often gives respectful solemn speeches, like on the beaches of Normandy or in Poland to the Polish people.
When he is negative about some one or some group it is mostly because of counterpunching those persons/ groups. In volume he gets much more abuse than he gives. Perhaps in contents also. Remember that approx. 80 % of the MSM are Dem.Party inclined and 91 % of their reporting on the pres. Is negative.
Judging pres. Trump positively is not like proclaiming Him a perfect man but it is like weighing him and find his advantages and qualities outweighing his disadvantages, flaws, mistakes.
And he IS qualified by virtue of him being chosen by the American people IMO. And by remaining in many American’s Favor. He is not unfit for office because of all. Sorts of standards critics put on being president of the US.
But granted that he, like any president, can get a disease, or show an unknown characteristic. And Yohanan, your judgements may have some merit, but in a greater context they could be seen as small disadvantages in a context of greater advantages.
livingengine says
Missouri’s KTVI uses the death of Baghdadi was the pretext for broadcasting a commercial for CAIR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUG101LQC88
Terry Gain says
The latest news from Martha McCallum is that America’s Kurdish allies infiltrated ISIS headquarters. The Kurds remain faithful allies despite being betrayed by President Trump.
Wellington says
I disagree that Trump betrayed the Kurds. Even the Kurds don’t think so. What? Pulling 50 American military personnel out of Syria adds up to betraying the Kurds? C’mon.
Besides, I have Robert Spencer on my side here. Also about Islam being a religion. Just for the record.
James C. says
If today’s WaPo had covered events in 1945:
Austrian painter & man of letters Adolf Hitler dead of lead poisoning at 56.
tgusa says
For anyone who was in doubt it is now beyond obvious that the leftist media, pundits, etc, do have sympathy for the devil.
“Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste”
Dapto says
Democrats are all Nazis thats why they support Terrorists and the likes of Ukraine that Nazi state.
WPM says
“Ukraine Nazi state”?? Democratic support anything anti-Trump , any rumor ,hearsay ,from anywhere in the world. Calling the present or past government of the Ukraine a “Nazi” state without stating what makes it a “Nazi state”. I do not put the Ukraine government on the same level as ISIS or the government of Iran or much of all the Islamic world. Ukraine government as far as I known does not support ,hid or directly aid terror groups or call for over throwing western civilization(as much as the Islamic governments world wide do Iran ,Turkey ,Pakistan, Saudi Arabia hide, aid or export “refugees” ,build support racist lead mosques in the west ) The democrats ran the Russians conspiracy for 24 months till it was proven to be nonsense ,now they are running with the Ukraine government conspiracy theory. Ukraine does not want to rule the world or expand its territory into western Europe. It is not encouraging it people to mass migrant into far off land under the banner of “refugees” to under mine the culture of those lands. Is the Ukraine government total honest ,free of graft ,on the level with everything when dealing with foreign leaders of the western world no they are not ,but they are not Nazis or have Nazi like motives for their dealing with America or other western nations. If you can point to any Nazi like motives in their dealing with America ,or American government past or present ?
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Confession: when I learned that Abu al-Baghdadi was dead, I got a little misty. War hero, family man, religious scholar. The comes the news that he died like a dog (Prez DJT) and took his children down with him, screaming for mercy no less.
It’s hard to find heroes, real ones, in whom to believe. When one recognizes the best of the hairy people, and he lets you down, it stings. Ouch. First the Caliphate goes to hell in a handbasket and now this. Ignominy.
Giacomo Latta says
Bloomberg: ”al-Baghdadi transformed himself from a little-known teacher of Koranic recitation into the self-proclaimed ruler of an entity that contained swaths of Syria and Iraq”
Quite the display of admiration and respect by Bloomberg! So did he make a breakthrough in recitations to gain all this respect? No, he built an army of formerly non-Muslim lowbrows of the West together with Muslims worldwide to control a section of land almost useful to no one and kill, decapitate, enslave, etc. people who were just not Islamic enough. So if you want Bloomberg to praise you once your time has come you know what you need to do, and it won’t involve recitations.
Dan says
“Al-Baghdadi Dead, Leftists Crestfallen”
Heck that’s just a “Pot of Gold” at end of a rainbow.