Posted on Aug 21, 2015
ISIS Second in command killed in airstrike: Does it matter?
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The second-in-command of the Islamic State militant group was killed during a U.S. air strike in Iraq on Tuesday, the White House said on Friday, dealing a blow to the group that has sought to form a caliphate in the Middle East.
"Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, also known as Hajji Mutazz ... was killed in a U.S. military air strike on August 18 while traveling in a vehicle near Mosul, Iraq, along with an ISIL media operative known as Abu Abdullah," White House spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
"Al-Hayali's death will adversely impact ISIL's operations given that his influence spanned ISIL's finance, media, operations, and logistics," Price said, referring to the group by an acronym.
The White House said the dead leader was a "primary coordinator" for moving weapons, explosives, vehicles, and people between Iraq and Syria. He was in charge of operations in Iraq and helped plan the group's offensive in Mosul in June of last year.
The United States and its allies stage daily air strikes on Islamic State targets in the group's self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. A drone strike last month killed a senior Islamic State leader in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.
One counter-terrorism specialist cautioned that the impact of the killing on Islamic State could be short-lived.
"My experience in looking at the Islamic State suggests they have demonstrated … an ability to move people up into positions" when high-ranking operatives are killed, said Seth Jones, a former Pentagon official now at the RAND Corporation.
Jones said how much territory Islamic State controls was more important in determining the group's power. "The key issue is territorial control," he said.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason in Edgartown, Mass., and Warren Strobel in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/21/us-mideast-crisis-islamicstate-idUSKCN0QQ22O20150821
What I will say is although they seem to have a lot of willing recruits, their leadership pool can be depleted. Most of their "talent" was trained in regimes that no longer exist.
"Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, also known as Hajji Mutazz ... was killed in a U.S. military air strike on August 18 while traveling in a vehicle near Mosul, Iraq, along with an ISIL media operative known as Abu Abdullah," White House spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
"Al-Hayali's death will adversely impact ISIL's operations given that his influence spanned ISIL's finance, media, operations, and logistics," Price said, referring to the group by an acronym.
The White House said the dead leader was a "primary coordinator" for moving weapons, explosives, vehicles, and people between Iraq and Syria. He was in charge of operations in Iraq and helped plan the group's offensive in Mosul in June of last year.
The United States and its allies stage daily air strikes on Islamic State targets in the group's self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. A drone strike last month killed a senior Islamic State leader in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.
One counter-terrorism specialist cautioned that the impact of the killing on Islamic State could be short-lived.
"My experience in looking at the Islamic State suggests they have demonstrated … an ability to move people up into positions" when high-ranking operatives are killed, said Seth Jones, a former Pentagon official now at the RAND Corporation.
Jones said how much territory Islamic State controls was more important in determining the group's power. "The key issue is territorial control," he said.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason in Edgartown, Mass., and Warren Strobel in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/21/us-mideast-crisis-islamicstate-idUSKCN0QQ22O20150821
What I will say is although they seem to have a lot of willing recruits, their leadership pool can be depleted. Most of their "talent" was trained in regimes that no longer exist.
ISIS
Warfare
War on Terror
Posted >1 y ago
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We do not win by cutting off the head of the snake. The snake goes on and grows two more heads. It must be exterminated.
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The only counter I'll say to that is that ISIS has been getting its leadership from regimes that no longer exist (Iraq Republican Guard). They don't have an endless supply of good organizers/managers.
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Maybe it does matter.. in the article it said most of it’s talent was gotten from territories that no longer exist.. reads as a plus for the U.S. if that’s. Where he came from..
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