The death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a victory for American special forces and the Trump administration. It also is an example of the complexities of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Al-Baghdadi, often described as the world’s most wanted terrorist, died over the weekend during a raid on his compound by American forces deep in Syria. That ends a reign during which he led the Islamic State — commonly called ISIS in the United States — to establish a caliphate in Iraq and Syria that has sponsored and promoted terrorism across the globe. Known for distributing videos of beheadings and other executions, the proto-state organization has been decried by civilized nations for its brutality and civil rights abuses.
As Brett McGurk, formerly a special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS during the Obama and Trump administrations, explained in an opinion piece for The Washington Post: “Baghdadi is not an easily replaceable leader. He claimed unique religious credentials as a Muslim caliph, and his declaration of an Islamic State ‘caliphate’ galvanized tens of thousands of foreign fighters to flood into Syria.”
In recent years, American forces with international assistance — particularly ethnic Kurds in Syria — have eliminated the Islamic State’s control over vast areas of the Middle East. Al-Baghdadi’s death further weakens the organization, but it would be folly to suggest that it represents the Islamic State’s elimination.
Three weeks ago, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, told “Fox and Friends”: “ISIS is not defeated, my friend. The biggest lie being told by the administration is that ISIS is defeated. The caliphate is destroyed, but there’s thousands of fighters” still there.
That will continue to be the case, and it calls for prudent U.S. policy. It also calls into question President Trump’s unilateral decision last month to withdraw American troops from Syria. U.S. officials uncovered actionable intelligence about al-Baghdadi’s location, but future action is less likely with a weakened American presence in the area. As McGurk wrote: “These areas are now controlled by Russia and the Bashar al-Assad regime, foreclosing our ability to act on targetable information.”
Trump confirmed that the information that led to al-Baghdadi came from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, an organization the U.S. has abandoned despite its years of assistance in the region. In fact, Trump revealed a number of details about the raid during a Sunday press conference announcing al-Baghdadi’s death, including operational details and information about U.S. intelligence sources in the region.
Some preening on the part of the president is understandable; al-Baghdadi’s death is a victory for American interests in the region. But while supporters might consider Trump’s bombast to be a feature and not a bug, some dignity on the part of the president would better serve the American public. In addition, some secrecy regarding military operations would better serve anti-terrorism operations throughout the Middle East.
Those operations will continue; as the United States has learned, ignoring the threat of Islamic militants on the other side of the world can deliver devastating consequences here at home. The death of al-Baghdadi does not eliminate that threat, but experts say the threat has been diminished.
We hope that is the case and that U.S. policy abroad can continue to protect the homeland.
