Trump actively tried to derail the 3 biggest things that helped take out ISIS leader al-Baghdadi

Associated Press

• President Donald Trump congratulated US special forces, and himself, this weekend for carrying out a military strike in Syria that killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
• But a more detailed look at the operation reveals that it was a success in spite of — and not because of — Trump.
• The strike wouldn't have been possible without three key factors, all of which Trump has tried to derail: a US troop presence in Syria; the Kurdish allies who were abandoned when Trump withdrew US troops; and the US intelligence community that Trump has spent three years attacking.
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This weekend brought the biggest victory in America's fight against terrorism in more than five years. A number of media reports said, and President Donald Trump later confirmed, that US special forces carried out a military strike in Syria that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The president and lawmakers lauded the soldiers and military leaders who participated in the operation and praised their bravery. Trump also thanked US adversaries like Russia and Turkey, who he said cleared airspace for US helicopters to go through as they made their way into an area near the Idlib province of Syria, where al-Baghdadi was holed up.

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See Also:

• The CIA got key information for the raid on al-Baghdadi ISIS compound after the leader's wife and courier were arrested
• Trump thanks Russia and other nations for helping with the US mission to kill ISIS leader al-Baghdadi
• Trump tries to spin his disastrous Syria retreat into a big success, says he showed 'vision' and 'courage'

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