Trump announces death of ISIS leader in Syrian raid

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump says the shadowy leader of the Islamic State group is dead after being targeted by a U.S. military raid in Syria.  

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi presided over its global jihad and became arguably the world’s most wanted man.  

Trump says at the White House that the U.S. had “brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice.”  

Back in April 2012, Trump tweeted multiple times how then-President Barack Obama had little to with killing Osama bin Laden, including sharing a Breitbart story and tweeting, “Admiral McRaven had full operational control of the Bin Laden mission, (and Obama) gave vague directions.

Days later, Trump went on CNBC and railed against Rupert Murdoch, the White House correspondents’ dinner, Trump’s disdain for wind farms, and Obama’s “use” of bin Laden’s death in his reelection campaign.

Trump, who is currently embroiled in an impeachment controversy, said Obama had to “use whatever he can use,” adding that he “can’t use the economy.”

Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the White House for failing to notify congressional leaders before the raid in Syria.  

Pelosi noted the U.S. let Russia know the raid was in the works.  

Trump said military helicopters flew over territory controlled by Russian and Syrian forces before landing at al-Baghdadi’s compound.  

Trump added that he kept lawmakers out of the loop because he feared leaks. 

Trump said that as U.S. forces bore down on him, al-Baghdadi fled into a tunnel with three of his children and detonated a suicide vest.

The Islamic State leader sought to establish a “caliphate” stretching across Syria and Iraq, but al-Baghdadi may be remembered more as a ruthlessly calculating militant leader.