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How could Turkey not have known that al-Baghdadi was just a few miles from the Turkish border?

Nov 4, 2019 3:00 pm By Robert Spencer

Clueless or complicit? The abundant evidence of Turkey aiding Islamic State jihadis points to the latter.

“Why did Turkish intelligence fail at finding Baghdadi?,” by Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, November 3, 2019:

…How did Turkish intelligence not know what was going on within shouting distance of its border? How did a NATO ally as sophisticated as Turkey – with UAVs, signals intelligence and observation posts throughout Idlib where Baghdadi was living – not know he was there? Turkish media, which is almost all pro-government and often rabidly nationalist, has claimed that Baghdadi was only able to get to Idlib by crossing areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Daily Sabah headline on October 29 claimed that “Al-Baghdadi’s death exposes YPG-Daesh [ISIS] ties.”

But Turkish intelligence monitors YPG’s presence because Turkey claims that it is linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Ankara demanded to take over part of eastern Syria to remove the YPG from the border. Turkey says this is a serious security concern.

Turkey says it is also fighting ISIS, invading Afrin, another Kurdish area, in January 2018, also under the pretense of “security concerns.” Yet, its intelligence agencies could not find Baghdadi, even though Turkey asserts that he had “YPG-Daesh ties.” Turkey claims that its intelligence “played a key role in the death of Daesh terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” because it detained and extradited a local aid to Iraq. This man was named Ismael al-Ethawi; “he provided US authorities with critical information.”

Turkey claims it found him in Sakarya province on February 8, 2018. It says that he “entered Turkey through a PKK-linked controlled area.” But wait: He entered Turkey – so shouldn’t Turkey have stopped him when he entered? If his passage through a PKK controlled area is evidence of PKK not being vigilant, then his ability to enter a NATO country would also reveal the same evidence of an intelligence failure….

According to Martin Chulov in an October 27 piece in The Guardian, the break in the Baghdadi case was helped along by a Syrian man, “who had been used to smuggle the wives of two of Baghdadi’s brothers, Ahmad and Jumah, to Idlib province via Turkey.” They had also brought Baghdadi’s children from Iraq. Turkish intelligence didn’t notice the smuggling of Baghdadi’s relatives apparently….

Others are wondering what Turkey knew and why it hasn’t gotten more information from the more than 1,000 ISIS fighters it holds in prison….

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Filed Under: Featured, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), Turkey Tagged With: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi


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Comments

  1. mortimer says

    Nov 4, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Talk about a close, intimate relationship!

    Erdogan’s son ran and sold the oil pumped by ISIS. Is that ‘collusion’? Any fair-minded person would say it is more than collusion: it is a solid business relationship flowing from the top. How do Turkish voters feel about their leader profiteering out of terrorism and facilitating it? How does NATO feel about that?

  2. mortimer says

    Nov 4, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    Baghdadi hid close to Turkey so he could escape their if necessary and be hidden by his friends.

    And Bin Laden was hiding in the shadow of the Pak military academy in plain site and in a similarly-designed, large walled compound with perimeters of defense.

    Anyone surprised? He was betrayed by his closest associates … but so was Mohammed.

  3. gravenimage says

    Nov 4, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    How could Turkey not have known that al-Baghdadi was just a few miles from the Turkish border?
    ………………………

    How could Pakistan not know that Osama bin Laden was living steps from the gates of their most prestigious military academy?

    Same question, likely same answer…

    • Ray Jarman says

      Nov 4, 2019 at 7:19 pm

      Precisely. In Turkey’s case you know when Erdogan is lying because his lips are moving.

    • Infidel says

      Nov 4, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      Gravenimage, you beat me to it. No wonder Turkey is now warming up to Pakistan, and has decided to pick their side over India

      Erdogan should acknowledge Pakistan as a Turkic country being a successor state to the Mughal Empire and the Delhi sultanates (even if Delhi and Agra are in India)

    • gravenimage says

      Nov 4, 2019 at 7:45 pm

      Agreed, Ray and Infidel.

      • mortimer says

        Nov 5, 2019 at 10:30 am

        They knew all along. And the Pak army intelligence built the safe house for OBL.

        • gravenimage says

          Nov 7, 2019 at 12:57 am

          Seems likely, Mortimer.

  4. Heidi says

    Nov 5, 2019 at 3:33 am

    Gravenimage, is he really worth to lose time answering his comments? The best one can do is to ignore those individuals because with their comments they’re aiming at getting an answer and if they do they reach their goal in upsetting people. Idiots aren’t worth a second of your time.

    • gravenimage says

      Nov 5, 2019 at 8:36 pm

      Heidi, this creep has been banned again for his racism and support for genocide.

      As tedious as it is to reply to trolls, I think it is important to make clear that most people at Jihad Watch *do not* agree with this kind of thing.

  5. underbed cat says

    Nov 5, 2019 at 11:27 am

    Islamic Republic of Turkey, knows Islamic Republic of Syria, knows Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, knows Islamic Republic of Iraq, knows Islamic Republic of Iran, knows Islamic Republic of Kazakstan , knows Islamic Republic of Qatar, knows Islamic Republic of Saudi Arabia and other countries collectively the ummah….so gee beats me how they knew. But our President should understand this woman who knew Bagdagi will no doubt be beaten by Turkey….and intelligence may not be so good.since they have the same goal to take down America….while it is good this scholar al Bagdadi is gone another Islamic operative terrorist departed it is foolhardy to trust much from the Islamic world. But why Turkey allowed the U.S. passage is concerning and the soldiers are at risk who remain, Muslim terrrorist betray each other but always for claiming power in the Islamic world fighting to control the Islamic caliphate. Not having the awareness of Islamic doctrine is our weakness, building mosques that teach our demise in the United States is the result. Acting peaceful and as victims is the plan….to push back on reality which is a clever,deceptive and dangerous doctrine. Every “know” is communication.

  6. Angemon says

    Nov 5, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    “Others are wondering what Turkey knew and why it hasn’t gotten more information from the more than 1,000 ISIS fighters it holds in prison”

    Perhaps they’re not interrogating them but briefing them before letting them go to their countries of origin…

    • underbed cat says

      Nov 5, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      Sounds very likely…..will the U.S. continue with this see no evil with the CVE….which is the O/B/P/D/I/MB’s blindfold. Meanwhile the drug cartels and Islamic fighters are forming realtionships on our borders north and south. National security should persuade Pelosi to border up, release the funds and stop this charade that we can be tolerant and change the pages of the book that seeds warfare terrorism that is immensely supported financially and with plans from the allies of the middle east…. ?? and maybe China. And we think it is all progress as they watch us with satellites from above.

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