The Islamic State’s caliph has been reported dead. But he has been dead before:
Islamic State’s caliph al-Baghdadi said to be severely injured, flees to Syria July 5, 2014
Several months later, after widespread reports that he had been killed in an airstrike: Islamic State caliph undead, calls for “volcanoes of jihad” November 13, 2014
Islamic State’s caliph Ibrahim, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, again reported seriously wounded April 21, 2015
Bin Laden protege reportedly leading Islamic State after injury to caliph al-Baghdadi that Pentagon denies happened April 23, 2015
UK’s Guardian: Islamic State’s caliph still alive, but paralyzed from spinal injury in airstrike Pentagon denies hit him April 27, 2015
Radio Iran: Islamic State’s caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead of injuries from airstrike Pentagon denies hit him April 27, 2015
Is the Islamic State’s caliph al-Baghdadi dead (again)? June 17, 2016
Is he really dead this time? Maybe. This time the information seems more precise and the likelihood greater.
Al-Baghdadi’s situation is odd in any case, whatever his condition: he claims to be the caliph, the source and summit of the appeal that the Islamic State has among young Muslims, and yet aside from his inaugural appearance when the Islamic State declared itself the caliphate on June 29, 2014, he has scarcely been in evidence, with the only signs of his existence being a couple of audiotapes. Also, he is or was a caliph without a caliphate: the Islamic State is still very much a presence around the world, but doesn’t control any significant expanse of territory, as it did when Obama was President.
This caliph without a caliphate’s elusiveness was a function of his having a large bounty on his head, but it also may have been chosen as a strategy for other reasons: the Islamic State leadership may have decided that his power was enhanced by his being more mythical than real — an omnipresent but gnomic presence a la Big Brother in Orwell’s 1984.
From a practical standpoint, since he has been so rarely seen or heard from in recent years, it hardly matters whether he is dead or alive: obviously the Islamic State has soldiered on without his having become a familiar media figure. And it likely will continue to do so.
“Isil leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly killed in US forces raid,” by Josie Ensor, Telegraph, October 27, 2019:
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, is reported to have died following a US military raid in north-west Syria.
Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai, is thought to have killed himself with a suicide vest as US special operations forces descended, according to media citing multiple government sources.
He was with two wives, who are also thought to have blown themselves up, and children which are believed to still be alive.
The raid, which began after midnight, targeted a compound Baghdadi and his family were thought to have been living in in Barisha village in Idlib province near the Turkish border….
Intelligence was recovered by US special forces soldiers before the compound was then hit by an air strike to prevent the building from becoming a shrine to the terror leader….
President Donald Trump gave an indication that something was afoot earlier on Saturday night when he tweeted without explanation: “Something very big has just happened!”
The White House announced Mr Trump would make a “major statement” on Sunday at 1pm GMT, without elaborating.
A Pentagon official said he was “dead” pending verification. It is understood that the US was currently carrying out biometric work to formally identify those killed in the raid.
Iraq said it had helped provide intelligence that lead to the raid, and broadcast footage of what appeared to be a crater in the ground and torn blood-stained clothes nearby….
His presence in Idlib, the last-remaining anti-Assad opposition stronghold, will come as a surprise to some as the province is under the control of rebel groups hostile to Isil….
Terry Gain says
Only one of the articles linked by Mr. Spencer claims that al-Baghdadi is dead and that is from Iran Radio. President Trump has tweeted that something big has happened. He is issuing a statement at 9am. The scepticism may not be warranted.
Jule Bacal says
Are they sure the tunnel was a dead end? I hope they are sure.
Mario Alexis Portella says
This would be good news!! The problem here, just as when Osama bin Landen was killed, someone else took his place since there are hundreds of bin Ladens out there just as with Baghdadi… someone else will take his spot. Need to get behind the Islamic ideology that’s sponsoring jihad.
Roland says
Whether Elvis is dead or alive, it makes little practical difference. The Islamic menace is on the move.
Terry Gain says
Yes, Islam is on the move, but It does make a difference. Useless Obama predicted that it would take decades to defeat ISIS, which for some reason he called ISIL, thus making it seem larger than it was. President Trump has compressed the time needed to defeat these evil bastards.
I am now watching CNN ignore President Trump’s glorious achievement and instead immediately criticize his speech.
Trick_or_Treat says
Really, and truly, all these people like the CNN dregs and your Dems, etc, really need a long and strenuous ROOTING up the arse with a SQUARE bastard file (I stress a SQUARE one, because using a round one would be being far too lenient), they really are a pack of nasty hateful ingnoramuses, where their all consuming hatred for Trump is concerned.
All in just ONE DAY, we first get the news of the demise of one the most nastiest serial killers in modern history, Ivan Milat (Charles Manson and Ted Bundy didn’t hold a candle to this scumbag), and then on top of that, we get the news that this long-elusive piece of pigshit, al-Baghdadi, has finally been splashed – all in one day (and you couldn’t wish to hear better news in month of Sundays), and all these sad shits can do is be sour-faced and critical.
What a bunch of total losers!
Terry Gain says
My Dems? Surely you meant their Dems. I watched CNN for the first time since Kavanaugh was confirmed to see what how they would spin this.
Rarely says
T or T.
There are people in this World that hate their fellow human beings and I HATE people like that.
Westman says
The development of instantaneous communications has made the majority of Islam aware of both its declining respect in the West and its failures. It makes a difference to Islamic radicals that “Allah” is and has not been “willing” (inshullah, not) for years. The end of Baghdadi is another demoralizing factor for would-be promoters of another spontaneous “Caliphate”(Erdogan excepted). Perhaps this is the only method of “reform” that is effective for Islam.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
So the New Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. I call him Al, simpler. This is a time when we should honor him for his sacrifice; it’s symbolic that he passed in the heart of the action along the Turk-Syrian border. Al had it rough in his last days, first losing control of the new caliphate to his worst enemy, America, led by Trump, no less, who even the Deeps at State and the Pentagon detest. The man loved his religion, even got a post hole digger credential in the stuff.
Al, we’re gonna miss ya. It’d be nice to say you can’t be replaced, but you will.
commonsense says
Our late friend Al B., along with dearly departed bin Ladin, reportedly begged for their lives upon being discovered by our military, despite their assertions that they loved death and hungered for martyrdom. Their behavior when they realized their deaths were certain revealed them to be not only cowards, but hypocrites – i.e. munafiqun, condemned by Allah and sent to the Fire for their loss of faith in Allah’s promise to reward those who fight in his cause. No houris and pearly-eyed serving boys for those two, and others like them. And Allah knows best!
Infidel says
Congratulations on the Special Forces. A welcome victory in the midst of the policy to pull out of the region
That said, ISIS is now an international Jihadist organization. Not just in Iraq/Syria, but also Libya, Nigeria (w/ Boko Haram), Afghanistan/Pakistan, Uzbekistan (w/ Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan), Bangladesh (which is the center of their ops against India), Philippines (w/ Abu Sayyaf). Even Jihad has embraced the globalists – they share the philosophy of Trump haters ?
As APF noted in his tribute above, even though ABaB couldn’t exactly establish the caliphate (one needs to have jurisdiction over Mecca and Medina in order to qualify, as every caliphate before them did), he did manage to make ISIS into the gold standard for Jihad, and make al Qaeda totally irrelevant. An amazing feat, given the latter’s clout gained from 9/11
As you people say in islam, alhamdullilah – or praise be to allah! ? ? ? ?
Mario Alexis Portella says
+1 Very well said! It’s no longer a caliphate but an international terrorist organization. https://thegreatarchitect.blog/2019/04/30/isis-defeated-think-again/
By all means, doesn’t take away the valor of our troops! God bless your courage and efforts!
Infidel says
It was never a caliphate: any entity has to have control over Mecca and Medina in order to term itself one.
Actually, the closest thing to a caliphate that exists today is the OIC – Organization of Islamic ‘Cooperation’
gravenimage says
Hear, hear, Infidel!
underbed cat says
I guess I see the pull out annoucement now as a “got cha “slight of hand, well crafted. Congrats. Stay Safe.
commonsense says
Infidel:
Very insightful comment. Yes, indeed.
rubiconcrest says
Thank you Mr. President for making the finding an killing of this man a high priority and thanks of course to the many brave men who made this action possible. I am saddened, however, after watching much of the news conference that you did not take advantage of the opportunity to denounce the ideology behind ISIS and direct and indirect support across the middle east for ISIS. The famous Al-Azhar University still has not condemned this organization and their atrocities. Murdering people, taking slaves, robbing and plundering, destroying historic sites etc.. is the sad legacy of the ‘Islamic State or the caliphate’. Young and old alike should denounce such depravity and understand that such ideas will only lead to misery for their families and loved ones.
FYI says
Well ,if he is dead,he is no doubt in the warm,loving embrace of al lah’s TWO RIGHT HANDS,prostrate before allah’s ONE shin,in front of allah’s ROUND throne…
For allah loves his muslims, as long as they “pray” 5 times a day to him,don’t discover the errors in his “perfect” koran{or as i call it,”The Book of Much Incongruity Therein”:see koran 4:82}and avoid thinking too much about Irony{islam is the religion of peace,muhammed who failed the poison test was a prophet,the error-filled koran has no errors in it etc}
Especially this in regards to suicide bombers:Given that allah gets his OWN anatomy so seriously wrong,how do muslims know allah will resurrect them with the correct body parts necessary to enjoy the endless carnal pleasures of allah’s “paradise”{a male arab adolescent fantasy where women serve only one purpose}?
you don’t know!
Angemon says
Like OBL, hiding a few miles away from a military complex in a supposedly US-allied nation?…
Angemon says
Oh, and sunni al-qaeda members being sheltered by shia Iran – the same shia Iran that helped the sunni perpetrators of 9/11?…
Infidel says
While Iran is an evil country, that part about them sheltering al Qaeda is bunk. Al Qaeda had everything it needed in Pakistan – and I don’t just mean their ‘wild west’ areas like Waziristan, but their mainstream cities like Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Multan….
Angemon says
“that part about them sheltering al Qaeda is bunk”
Nah – it’s documented well enough.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-allows-al-qaeda-operation-within-its-borders-says-report
gravenimage says
Good points, Angemon.
Infidel says
More than the ‘rebel’ groups, I suspect Turkey here. The ‘rebels’ couldn’t have kept him alive, but the Turks sure could have
Trick_or_Treat says
I’m guessing that your staunchly, ‘Hand on Heart’ patriotic fellow American compatriots, Omar and Tlaib, will be so overjoyed and flushed with pride this morning, about this achievement, that I bet they are both popping corks and having a Champaign Breakfast, …no?
gravenimage says
Omar gave a generic “he was bad” Tweet; so far as I can see, Tlaib has stayed completely silent.
Kesselman says
Disarming Iran and destroying ISIS isn’t enough. It’s just a matter of time before another devout Muslim group under a different name figures out how to build, buy, or steal nukes. Whether it’s 1 month, 1 year, 10 years, or 100 years, it will happen. Islam in its entirety must be destroyed.
Mario Alexis Portella says
Exactly!! That’s why Ataturk got rid of the caliphate! Islam is immoral!!
https://thegreatarchitect.blog/2019/10/26/2437/
gravenimage says
The Caliphate had already pretty much fallen apart–but Ataturk *did* try to marginalize Islam in Turkey and modernize. Too bad that did not extend to immediately ending the Armenian Genocide.
Savvy Kafir says
Agreed. Ataturk was an amazing guy who did all he could to secularize Turkey and drag his people out of the Dark Ages — which caused him to be hated by devout Muslims, both then and now.
gravenimage says
I largely agree–but his allowing the continuation of the horrifying Armenian Genocide–including the destruction of Smyrna–is a great black mark on his legacy.
Avenger says
Ataturk was “an amazing guy”. Savvy Kafir must really be head over heels for Stalin and Hitler too. Those two also murdered millions of innocent humans.
gravenimage says
Ataturk was the best Turkey was ever apt to get.
Savvy Kafir says
Avenger — Ataturk was not in the same class as Hitler or Stalin. And he accomplished some truly amazing things, for a political leader in a Muslim country in the early 20th Century. He did all he could to secularize Turkey and reduce the political & social power of the Islamists. He promoted Western-style secular education — for girls & women, as well as boys & men. He promoted women’s rights, and other progressive/liberal values of the West. He was an atheist who admired the European Enlightenment, and drug his country, kicking & screaming, out of the Dark Ages.
I wasn’t aware that the Armenian genocide continued after Ataturk came to power. That is unforgivable. And very surprising, based on his overall character.
gravenimage says
Savvy Kafir, you are right that Ataturk sidelined Islam as much as he could–this was definitely a good thing.
But it is grimly true that the Armenian Genocide began during the Ottoman Empire, continued during the Young Turks, and on into the Ataturk era.
gravenimage says
Islamic State’s caliph al-Baghdadi reported dead yet again
……………………
This time it seems its for real.
Rarely says
He committed suicide because someone had intolerably let dogs into his cave. The only honourable thing to do.
Please donate to “Suicide Dogs for Islam” at sd4i@bacon4all.ca
Infidel says
Unlike Osama, they ain’t gonna sink his remains in an undisclosed location in the sea? I fear that the Turks and others will make a shrine to this austere Islamic scholar
gravenimage says
I’m afraid they did, Infidel. Baghdadi got the same postmortem treatment as bin Laden–burial at sea and a “respectful” Muslim service.