US official: IS leader believed dead in US military assault

WASHINGTON — Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of the Islamic State group who presided over its global jihad and became arguably the world’s most wanted man, is believed dead after being targeted by a U.S. military raid in Syria.

A U.S. official told The Associated Press late Saturday that al-Baghdadi was targeted in Syria’s Idlib province. The official said confirmation that the IS chief was killed in an explosion is pending. No other details were available. The official was not authorized to discuss the strike and spoke on condition of anonymity.


President Donald Trump teased a major announcement, tweeting Saturday night that “Something very big has just happened!” A White House spokesman, Hogan Gidley, would say only that the president would be making a “major statement” at 9 a.m. EDT Sunday.

The strike came amid concerns that a recent American pullback from northeastern Syria could infuse new strength into the militant group, which had lost vast stretches of territory it had once controlled.

Al-Baghdadi led IS for the last five years, presiding over its ascendancy as it cultivated a reputation for beheadings and attracted hundreds of thousands of followers to a sprawling and self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria. He remained among the few IS commanders still at large despite multiple claims in recent years about his death and even as his so-called caliphate dramatically shrank, with many supporters who joined the cause either imprisoned or jailed.

His exhortations were instrumental in inspiring terrorist attacks in the heart of Europe and in the United States. Shifting away from the airline hijackings and other mass-casualty attacks that came to define al-Qaida, al-Baghdadi and other IS leaders supported smaller-scale acts of violence that would be harder for law enforcement to prepare for and prevent.

They encouraged jihadists who could not travel to the caliphate to kill where they were, with whatever weapon they had at their disposal. In the U.S., multiple extremists have pledged their allegiance to al-Baghdadi on social media, including a woman who along with her husband committed a 2015 massacre at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California.


With a $25 million U.S. bounty on his head, al-Baghdadi had been far less visible in recent years, releasing only sporadic audio recordings, including one just last month in which he called on members of the extremist group to do all they could to free IS detainees and women held in jails and camps.

The purported audio was his first public statement since last April, when he appeared in a video for the first time in five years.

In 2014, he was a black-robed figure delivering a sermon from the pulpit of Mosul’s Great Mosque of al-Nuri, his only known public appearance. He urged Muslims around the world to swear allegiance to the caliphate and obey him as its leader.

“It is a burden to accept this responsibility to be in charge of you,” he said in the video. “I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God.”


Though at minimum a symbolic victory for Western counterterrorism efforts, his death would have unknown practical impact on possible future attacks. He had been largely regarded as a symbolic figurehead of the global terror network, and was described as “irrelevant for a long time” by a coalition spokesman in 2017.

Al-Baghdadi was born Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai in 1971 in Samarra, Iraq, and adopted his nom de guerre early on. Because of anti-U.S. militant activity, he was detained by U.S. forces in Iraq and sent to Bucca prison in February 2004, according to IS-affiliated websites.



He was released 10 months later, after which he joined the al-Qaida branch in Iraq of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He later assumed control of the group, known at the time as the Islamic State of Iraq.

After Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011, al-Baghdadi set about pursuing a plan for a medieval Islamic State, or caliphate. He merged a group known as the Nusra Front, which initially welcomed moderate Sunni rebels who were part of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad, with a new one known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Al-Qaida’s central leadership refused to accept the takeover and broke with al-Baghdadi.

Al-Baghdadi’s fighters captured a contiguous stretch of territory across Iraq and Syria, including key cities, and in June 2014, it announced its own state — or caliphate. Al-Baghdadi became the declared caliph of the newly renamed Islamic State group. Under his leadership, the group became known for macabre massacres and beheadings —often posted online on militant websites — and a strict adherence to an extreme interpretation of Islamic law.

Over the years, he has been reported multiple times to have been killed, but none has been confirmed. In 2017, Russian officials said there was a “high probability” he had been killed in a Russian airstrike on the outskirts of Raqqa, but U.S. officials later said they believed he was still alive.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

US says no proof for IS claim American killed in airstrike

WASHINGTON–The US on Friday (US time) said it had no proof to support a claim from the Islamic State group that a coalition air strike killed an American woman it was holding hostage in Syria.

The jihadists named the woman as Kayla Jean Mueller, saying she had been buried under rubble after a raid by a Jordanian warplane in the Syrian city of Raqa, the militant group’s self-proclaimed “capital”.

But Washington refused to confirm her death while Jordan, still reeling from the brutal murder of one of its pilots by the jihadist group, rejected the claim as an “old and sick trick” to deter coalition strikes.

“The plane from the crusader coalition bombed a position outside the city of Raqa after Friday prayers,” IS said in a statement posted on jihadist websites.

“No fighter was wounded but we can confirm that an American hostage was killed in the strikes.”

The claim came as Amman said dozens of its jet fighters had struck IS, widening their campaign from Syria to include targets in neighboring Iraq.

Jordan is part of the international coalition battling the Sunni extremist group, which has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq and imposed an extreme interpretation of Islam on the areas under its control.

Jordan had vowed an “earth-shattering” response after the jihadists burned one of its fighter pilots alive and released a video of the gruesome execution.

Washington stressed it had not seen any proof that Mueller, a 26-year-old aid worker from Arizona, had been killed. IS did not post any pictures of a body with its claim.

“We are obviously deeply concerned by these reports. We have not at this time seen any evidence that corroborates ISIL’s claim,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan, using another acronym for IS.

Mueller’s family described her as “extremely devoted to the people of Syria,” adding that she had “devoted her career to helping those in need in countries around the world”. She was captured in August 2013 in Aleppo, they added in a statement.

‘Old and sick trick’

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh denounced the IS claim on Twitter as “an old and sick trick used by terrorists and despots for decades: claiming that hostages human shields held captive are killed by air raids”.

In Jordan thousands of people, including the nation’s Queen Rania, marched on Friday to demand retribution against IS for the horrifying murder of pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh.

“We are all Maaz… We are all Jordan,” they chanted. Some held placards aloft that read: “Yes to punishment. Yes to the eradication of terrorism.”

Queen Rania joined the marchers after weekly prayers at the Al-Husseini mosque, holding a portrait of the pilot with the words “Maaz the martyr of righteousness.”

She told the BBC that the battle against IS “is absolutely Jordan’s war”, but that “to win it we need help from the international community”.

Foreign Minister Judeh told CNN Jordan would hit the militants with all its might.

“We’re going to go after them and we will eradicate them… We are at the forefront. This is our fight,” he said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said more than 30 IS fighters were killed in coalition raids Friday around Raqa, where it claims Mueller died.

US authorities have never given figures on the number of Americans kidnapped in Syria, sticking to a State Department policy of complete silence on any citizens held hostage abroad.

‘Criminal propaganda’

Amman’s government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani dismissed the jihadists’ claim as “criminal propaganda”.

“They have lied that our pilot is alive and tried to negotiate claiming he is alive while they had killed him weeks before,” Momani told Agence France-Presse.

IS offered to spare Kassasbeh’s life and free Japanese journalist Kenji Goto — who was later beheaded — in exchange for an Iraqi woman, Sajida al-Rishawi.

The failed suicide bomber was on death row in Jordan for her role in triple hotel blasts in Amman in 2005 that killed 60 people.

But Jordanian television suggested Kassasbeh was killed on January 3, before IS offered to spare him and free Goto in return for Rishawi’s release.

Jordan hanged Rishawi after IS released the video showing the murder of the pilot, who was taken prisoner in December after his F-16 crashed in Syria.

Jordan has conducted regular air raids across the border in Syria as part of the US-led campaign against IS.

American F-16 and F-22 jets have provided cover for recent Jordanian strikes, with additional support from refuelling tankers and surveillance aircraft, according to US officials.

Following Kassasbeh’s capture, the United Arab Emirates withdrew from the coalition’s strike missions over fears for the safety of its pilots, but a US official said on Friday that UAE flights were likely to resume “in a couple of days”.

Jihadists have flocked to Syria since anti-government protests broke out in 2011 and escalated into a multi-sided civil war in which more than 200,000 people have died.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

US stocks rise at hint of Syria deal

NEW YORK CITY—US stocks Monday rose helped by optimism that a military strike on Syria might be avoided.

At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 138.85 (0.93 percent) to 15,061.35.

The broad-based S&P 500 increased 16.39 (0.99 percent) to 1,671.56., while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index put on 46.17 (1.26) at 3,706.18.

Stocks opened higher Monday morning after strong Chinese export data suggested better times for the world’s second-biggest economy.

The rally was given further strength by a Russian proposal to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control.

The US reacted cautiously to the plan, which comes as President Obama faces a skeptical reception in Congress to plans to launch a military strike on Syria. Stocks moved higher at mid-day and stayed fairly high through the close.

“The market seems to be anticipating that a strike can be avoided and a deal can be worked out,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital.

source: business.inquirer.net

US plans for 3 days of attacks on Syria—report

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is readying more intense and longer attacks on Syria than originally planned, set to last three days, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

War planners now aim to unleash a heavy barrage of missile strikes to be followed swiftly by additional attacks on targets that may have been missed or remain standing after the initial launch, the Times cited officials as saying.

Two US officers told the newspaper that the White House has asked for an expanded target list to include “many more” than the initial list of around 50 targets.

The move is part of an effort to obtain additional firepower to damage Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s dispersed forces.

Pentagon planners are now considering using Air Force bombers, as well as five US missile destroyers currently patrolling the eastern Mediterranean Sea, to launch cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles from far out of range of Syrian air defenses, according to the report.

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group with one cruiser and three destroyers positioned in the Read Sea can also fire cruise missiles at Syria.

“There will be several volleys and an assessment after each volley, but all within 72 hours and a clear indication when we are done,” an officer familiar with the planning told the Times.

The intensified military planning comes as President Barack Obama prepares to personally make his case to the American people and further press reluctant lawmakers on the need for action after Assad allegedly used chemical weapons on his own people last month.

Obama is scheduled to tape interviews Monday with anchors of the three major broadcast networks, as well as with PBS, CNN and Fox News.

The interviews, to air that night, will precede Obama’s address to the nation Tuesday ahead of an expected full Senate vote.

The president favors a limited attack with only a reduced number of warplanes to drop bombs over Syria, according to the Times.

Amid doubts that a limited US offensive would sufficiently hamper Assad’s military capabilities, one officer told the newspaper that the planned operation would amount to a “show of force” over several days that would not fundamentally change the situation on the ground.

The planned US strike “will not strategically impact the current situation in the war, which the Syrians have well in hand, though fighting could go on for another two years,” another US officer said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Oil prices mixed in Asian trade

SINGAPORE—Oil prices were mixed in Asian trade Wednesday after climbing in New York as concerns over a US-led military strike on Syria returned.

New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in October, eased 26 cents to $108.28 in mid-morning trade, while Brent North Sea crude for October gained 12 cents to $115.80.

Market jitters over Syria resurfaced after Republican House Speaker John Boehner and his right hand man Eric Cantor said they would support a strike against the Assad regime over its alleged use of chemical weapons.

The move was a rare gesture of unity in a divided Congress and left US President Barack Obama hopeful of securing a vote for action from lawmakers next week.

Investors fear US intervention could lead to a wider conflict in the politically volatile Middle East, a key source of the world’s crude oil supplies.

Oil prices have tumbled from multi-month highs after Obama said he would seek approval from Congress for military action. They had soared on speculation of imminent US strikes.

source: business.inquirer.net

Dollar sags in Asia on Syrian tension

TOKYO—The dollar edged down against the safe-haven yen in Asia on Tuesday due to concerns over a possible US military action against Syria.

The dollar was at 98.29 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, down from 98.51 yen in New York Monday afternoon.

The euro bought $1.3373 and 131.45 yen compared with $1.3369 and 131.68 yen.

The greenback lost ground in the wake of a decline in Tokyo stocks and due to concerns over a possible US military strike against Syria, said a dealer at a Japanese bank.

“The possibility of the US military attacks could make investors risk averse, weighing on the dollar,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

US Secretary of State John Kerry gave the most explicit warning yet to Damascus that the US would take action over the chemical weapons attack, which he labelled a “moral obscenity”.

Speaking amid reports that Washington and its allies are preparing to launch a punitive cruise missile strike on Syrian targets, Kerry accused Bashar al-Assad’s regime of engaging in a cover-up.

“Let me be clear. The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity,” he declared in a televised statement.

“By any standard it is inexcusable, and despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable.”

Emerging Asia currencies were mostly lower, with the Indian rupee trading at 65.32 to the dollar, down from 64.23 Monday afternoon and close to a record low of 65.56 last week.

Expectations of an end to the US stimulus programme have seen investors in recent months repatriate some of the vast sums that have poured into emerging economies, hitting currencies and equities.

“Coming on the heels of Friday’s soft US new home sales report, the market has become even more alert to the (US) economy’s readings into the September 18 FOMC,” National Australia Bank said.

Some speculate the US central bank would announce its start of tapering the bond-buying programme at the next September 17-18 meeting of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee.

The dollar rose to 10,925 Indonesian rupiah from 10,770 on Monday.

It went up to 44.43 Philippine pesos from 44.20 pesos, to 1,115.85 South Korean won from 1,113.20 won, and to Sg$1.2824 from Sg$1.2791, and to Tw$29.97 from Tw$29.89.

The Thai baht was flat at 32.16 baht.

The Australian dollar fell to 89.81 US cents from rose to 90.39 cents. The Chinese yuan fetched 16.03 yen against 16.07 yen.

source: business.inquirer.net