TRUMP MAKES A DRAMA OUT OF ISIS
It should be a positive, but the US president’s over-wrought, bloodthirsty recounting of terror chief’s death highlights his many flaws
NO MATTER how serious or severe an occasion may be, you can rely on Donald Trump to turn it into a ridiculous exhibition. Following the killing of Islamic State warlord Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by US Special Forces at the weekend, he took the opportunity to do precisely that.
In the wake of the heroism of the men and women who worked tirelessly to track down the bloodthirsty ISIS leader, Trump couldn’t help but grandstand about the success... his success.
Al-Baghdadi’s death came despite the US leader’s abrupt decision, earlier this month, to withdraw US troops from Syria.
That decision, taken without consultation with his military commanders, almost scuppered the years-long mission to find the terror chief.
Al-Baghdadi’s death, Trump said, was bigger – “the biggest there is,” he claimed – than Osama bin Laden’s, as he sought to throw whatever shade he could on his predecessor Barack Obama’s achievements.
The president described the warlord as “the worst ever.”
“Osama bin Laden was very big,” Trump blustered, but “this is a man who built a whole, as he would like to call it, a country, a caliphate, and was trying to do it again.”
In announcing al-Baghdadi’s death, he treated the world to his usual mix of braggadocio and boastfulness. It was dishonest and distasteful in equal measure.
Trump, who has never heard a shot fired in anger, revelled in al-Baghdadi’s last moments.
“He died like a dog… whimpering and crying and screaming all the way,” the US leader said after watching the operation live-streamed – without audio – to the White House’s secure Situation Room.
Trump showed he was completely out of touch with the essential facts of the mission as he appeared to take credit for its success while parroting the propaganda of the dictators he appears so enamoured by.
The president had notified Russia of the operation before telling
America’s own politicians. He congratulated Moscow repeatedly – “Russia treated us great,” he said – even though Vladimir Putin had nothing to do with the raid and despite his administration casting doubt on US claims to have killed al-Baghdadi.
Trump went so far as to claim, without foundation, the Russians despise ISIS as much as Americans, although history shows Putin has never made defeating the group a priority. In reality, the US leader had little choice but to contact Russia having ceded American influence in the region to Putin.
The death of al-Baghdadi is, of course, a moment worth celebrating.
The self-styled emir built ISIS into a global organisation bringing death and destruction to anyone who refused to share their warped view of the world.
But his legacy lives on. Despite Trump’s boasts that ISIS has been defeated, it still has thousands ready to take up arms in Syria and Iraq.
There are thought to be many more in sleeper cells across the world, including in Britain.
Islamic State is not going away. The group and similar terrorist organisations represent ideological movements that survive – and sometimes thrive – in moments of a devastating loss, making martyrs out of fallen figureheads.
America now has a small window to keep up the pressure.
What it does next could define the shape of terrorism around the globe for decades.
Nothing should be taken away from the men and women of the US military in their achievement of bringing the world’s number one warlord to justice. But Trump taunting ISIS, saying their leader was a pathetic coward before he blew himself up, will only serve to embolden al-Baghdadi’s followers and increase the risk of retaliation as payment for his showmanship.
Trump’s news conference should have been a shining moment in his shambolic presidency.
Instead, it showed yet again why he is completely ill-equipped to be commander in chief.
He died like a dog…whimpering and crying and screaming all the way
Trump after watching a silent video feed of the raid that killed Al-Baghdadi