U.S. Disposed of Islamic State Leader’s Remains, Pentagon Says
A forensic test on the remains of Baghdadi confirmed his identity, Milley said.
(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. has disposed of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s remains, which had been transported to a secure facility for testing after the Saturday raid on a compound in northern Syria that led to the death of the Islamic State leader, the Pentagon’s top officials said.
American special operations forces also captured two adult males during the raid and have them in custody, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and General Mark A. Milley told reporters Monday. They didn’t say where the men were being held or how they would handle the sensitive question of where and whether to prosecute them.
Esper and Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, offered few additional details on the mission in Syria that President Donald Trump announced in vivid terms on Sunday. The defense officials said that video of the helicopter assault will be released later.
A forensic test on the remains of Baghdadi confirmed his identity, Milley said. The disposal of his remains “is complete and was handled appropriately,” Milley said without providing details.
Baghdadi was the highest-ranking terrorist leader targeted by U.S. forces since al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011 in a raid in Pakistan during the Obama administration. The military held a Muslim ceremony before disposing of his body at sea “in a weighted bag,” the Pentagon announced at the time.
In opening remarks, Esper went out of his way to praise Trump, saluting his “bold decision to order” the risky raid that the president said ended with Baghdadi committing suicide to avoid capture.
Asked about a military dog that Trump said was wounded in the attack, Milley said the animal is “fully recovering” but “we’re not going to release just yet photos or names of dogs.” He didn’t explain why the name would be sensitive.
Later, Trump tweeted a declassified a photo of “the wonderful dog (name not declassified).”
While Trump has vowed to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria, he has tempered that directive with a pledge to protect oil fields from being reclaimed by Islamic State.
The U.S. has started deploying forces in the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor in Syria to make sure Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have access to resources, Esper said. He said with that goal requires keeping Russian and Syrian forces away from the fields as well.
To contact the reporter on this story: Glen Carey in Washington at gcarey8@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert
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