The new head of ISIS that replaced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead after a US raid last night in Syria.
Here’s the official report via Newsmax:
The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed during an overnight raid carried out by U.S. special forces in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, President Joe Biden said Thursday.
The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area.
Biden said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached.
“As our troops approached to capture the terrorist, in a final act of desperate cowardice, with no regard to the lives of his own family or others the building, he chose to blow himself up,” Biden said.
“Last night’s operation took a major terrorist threat off the battlefield and has sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: we will come after you and find you,” Biden added. “Once again today, we continue our unceasing effort to keep the American people safe and strengthen the security of our allies and partners around the world.”
First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. U.S. officials said they did not have a sure sense of how many family members were with al-Qurayshi when the explosive detonated.
I’ve seen people questioning this online since six children were among the dead, with some suggesting this raid was reckless and irresponsible.
I don’t know the right answer to this, however there were reporters asking White House spox Jen Psaki about this as well. But here answer was bizarre, suggesting that reporters should just believe the official record and not question it.
From Felicia Sonmez with Wapo:
At today's WH and State Dept press briefings, reporters pressed for evidence to back up U.S. gov't statements about recent events in Syria and Russia, respectively. In response, officials suggested those reporters might be more inclined to believe ISIS/the Kremlin. Yikes. 1/x
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) February 3, 2022
Aboard AF1, a reporter asked WH press secretary Jen Psaki for evidence to back up the claim that Qurayshi denotated a suicide bomb.
Psaki asked whether skeptics think the U.S. military is "not providing accurate information and ISIS is providing accurate information." 2/x
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) February 3, 2022
The reporter did not back down:
"But I mean, the U.S. has not always been straightforward about what happens with civilians," she said. "And I mean, that is a fact." 3/x
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) February 3, 2022
All the reporter asked for was evidence, but Psaki essentially accused the reporter of pushing ISIS propaganda, as if the Biden administration is above reproach and question.
A similar thing happened today at the State Department, where Ned Price was asked for evidence of the Biden admin’s claim that Russia was creating a false flag propaganda video to create a pretext for invading Ukraine:
Then, at the State Department, spokesman Ned Price was repeatedly asked for evidence of the U.S. government's claim that Russia plans to create a "false flag" propaganda video as a pretext for invading Ukraine. 4/x
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) February 3, 2022
Price accused reporters of finding ‘solace’ in Russian disinformation, suggesting they not question the credibility of the US government:
Price responded: "If you doubt the credibility of the U.S. government, of the British government, of other governments and want to, you know, find solace in information that the Russians are putting out, that is for you to do." 5/x
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) February 3, 2022
Once again it’s the ‘don’t question us’ garbage. But even leftist reporters and pundits aren’t happy about these answers, with several of them decrying it on Twitter:
It's the job of reporters to ask for proof to back up government statements. Doing so does not mean one believes propaganda put out by U.S. adversaries. I imagine these officials know that. Are they simply throwing out these accusations in an effort to deter further Qs? 6/6
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) February 3, 2022
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NY Times reporter:
This is really something as an answer. Questioning the US government does not = supporting what Russia is saying. https://t.co/zuxgszfGEw
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 3, 2022
MSNBC host:
Both of these responses from Psaki and Price are completely dumb and gross and only make them, and the case they are making, look worse. https://t.co/SlrnXtwrep
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 3, 2022
Sorry but no US administration has earned a "trust us" on matters of foreign intelligence with regards to war and peace.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 3, 2022
Wow, you’d think it’s the Trump administration the way they are speaking out about this. But don’t worry, they’ll all quickly forgive and forget and won’t dare try to scandalize Biden in an election year over this.