5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20150516/usspecialforceskilledseniorisleaderabusayyafcarter 1/4
IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.Forces
PresidentBarackObamasorderforU.S.commandostotargetanIslamicStatecommanderinSyriawaspartofanevolvingstrategytodisruptthemilitantgroup,whichhasprovenresilienttoairstrikesintendedtobreakitsgriponpartsoftheMiddleEast.
Theraidseizedonarareopportunitytoactonrealtimeintelligence.AmantheU.S.calledAbuSayyafacommonnomdeguerreintheArabworldwhowasidentifiedasaleaderofthegroupsoil,gasandfinancialoperationswaskilled,alongwithaboutadozenothermilitants,withnoU.S.casualties,administrationofficialssaid.
U.S.officialsandanalystssaidtheraidmayyieldarichbodyofintelligencetohelpunravelthefinancing,communicationsandpersonnelbehindIslamicState.TheassaultsuggestsgreaterrisktakingmodebyanadministrationleeryofprotractedgroundcombatinIraqorSyria,andoffersreassurancestoallieswhohavequestionedObamasresolvetoeliminateoneoftheregionsmostdestabilizingforces.
Itsasignificantshift,saidJuanZarate,aformerdeputynationalsecurityadviserinPresidentGeorgeW.Bushsadministration.Itrepresentsthatairstrikesarentenoughandwerefindingitnecessarytogoaftertheirleadership.Thatbeginstochangethecomplexionofthebattlespace.Weremoreactivelyinvolvedandusingbootsontheground.
byJohnWalcott,AnthonyCapaccioandDavidLerman8:38AMEDTMay16,2015
TheoperationrepresentsanothersignificantblowtoISIL",Cartersaid.Photographer:KazuhiroNogi/AFP/GettyImages
5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness
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OnFriday,hoursbeforetheraid,IslamicStatemilitantsseizedthecenterofRamadi,inwesternIraq.Thegroupalsoreleasedanaudiorecordingthatitsaidwasaspeechbyitsleader,AbuBakralBaghdadi,whowasreportedtohavebeenseverelyinjuredinaMarchairstrike.
BiggerPicture
AtatimewhenISISadvancesinSyriaandIraqshowjusthowresilientandagilethejihadigroupremainsandexposetheseriousflawsoftheU.S.strategyagainstit,thereisadangerinoverstatingthesignificanceofthisraidandmissingthebiggerpicture,saidEmileHokayem,aseniorfellowforMiddleEastsecurityattheInternationalInstituteforStrategicStudies,whoisbasedinBahrain.
ISIScontinuestoconveyasenseofmovementacrossIraqthatmasksitssetbacks,hesaid,usinganalternativeacronymforthegroup.
U.S.officialssaidtheraiddoesntrepresentagreatercommitmenttousinggroundforcesinthefightagainstIslamicState,whichhasprovedadeptatdodgingairstrikes.
BernadetteMeehan,aspokeswomanfortheNationalSecurityCouncil,saidinanemailthattheassaultwaspreciselythesortoflimitedgroundoperationenvisionedinObamasproposedcongressionalauthorizationfortheuseofforceagainstthegroup.
Theadministrationisstillveryworriedaboutoverextending,Zarate,nowasenioradviserattheCenterforStrategicandInternationalStudiesinWashington,saidinaphoneinterview.
GulfAllies
TheraidcomesafterObamasmeetinglastweekwithleadersofsixArabstates,calledtheGulfCooperationCouncil,whoexpressedconcernsaboutthepresidentspoliciesinSyriaandIraq.IslamicStatesetupitsselfstyledcaliphateinJune2014onareasstraddlingthetwocountries,eachrivenbycivilstrife.
AbuSayyafwasthoughttohaveconnectionswithIslamicStateleaderalBaghdadiandsomeknowledgeofthegroupsfinances,makinghimahighvaluetargetforpotentialintelligence,U.S.officialssaid.
TheoperationinaneasternSyriantowncalledalAmrwasintendedtocaptureAbuSayyaf.DefenseSecretaryAshtonCartersaidhewaskilledafterengagingU.S.forces.Hiswife,UmmSayyaf,whoissuspectedofinvolvementinIslamicStateoperations,wascapturedandisbeingdetainedbytheU.S.militaryinIraq,Meehansaid.
UnexpectedBenefits
CapturedmaterialssuchascomputersorphonesmaydetailIslamicStatesfinancingschemes,communicationsmethods,bordercrossingroutesandrecruitingpatterns,allofwhichalBaghdadiwillnowhavetoscrap,saidaU.S.intelligenceofficialwithknowledgeoftheassault.
5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness
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Typically,computersandphonesusedbyterroristleadersareterrificsourcesofintelligence,oftenwithunexpectedbenefits,J.M.Berger,coauthorofabookonIslamicStateandaresearcherattheBrookingsInstitution,saidinanemail.
OpportunisticTarget
ThedecisiontotargetAbuSayyafmayhavebeenbasedmoreonopportunitythanhisparticularimportance,saidPaulPillar,aformerofficerintheCentralIntelligenceAgencywhoisnowavisitingprofessoratGeorgetownUniversityinWashington.
WhileU.S.intelligenceassessmentsexpectthatAbuSayyafsdeathwillcausesignificantoperationaldamagetoIslamicState,Pillarsaidhislossislikelysomethingotherthanamajorblowagainstthegroup.
Idontthinkweactuallyknowwhothisguyisyet,otherthanthisnomdeguerreheuses,saidDouglasOllivant,aformerNationalSecurityCouncilofficialunderObamawhoisnowaresearcheratNewAmerica,apolicyresearchgroupinWashington.
WhileAbuSayyafwasafairlyseniormidlevelfinancier,Ollivantsaid,hisdeathmaynotchangetheIslamicStateorganizationinanyfundamentalway.
Justtakingoutoneguy,someoneisgoingtostepupandtakehisjob,hesaid.
DeltaForce
ThenightraidwaslaunchedfromIraqbyArmycommandoswiththeFirstSpecialForcesOperationalDetachmentDeltaaftertheU.S.obtainednewintelligenceplacingAbuSayyafinacompoundineasternSyria,anofficialbriefedontheoperationsaid.TheU.S.didntadvisetheSyriangovernmentoftheassault,Meehansaid.
TheDeltaForcecommandosflewinUH60BlackHawkhelicoptersandCV22Ospreyaircraft.Twelvemilitantswerekilledinafirefightthatinvolvedhandtohandcombat,theofficialsaid.
U.S.forceswereonthegroundinSyriaforabout20minutes,aseniordefenseofficialsaid.AYezidiwomansuspectedofbeingenslavedbyAbuandUmmSayyafwasfreedandwillbereunitedwithherfamily,Meehansaid.
TheU.S.isadoptingmoretraditionalcounterterrortacticsagainstIslamicState,suchasspecialoperationsmissionsintoitsterritory,asthegroupadaptstoamonthslongbombingcampaign,anAmericanofficialinvolvedincounterterrorismoperationssaid.
Forexample,thegrouphasstoppedmovingforcesinlargemotorizedgroupsacrossopencountryandhaslaunchedterrorattacksinRamadiandotherurbancenterswhereairpowerislesseffective,theofficialsaid.TheofficialaskednottobeidentifiedbecausedetailsoftheAbuSayyafraidareclassified.
5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20150516/usspecialforceskilledseniorisleaderabusayyafcarter 4/4
IntelligenceCoup
IntelligencecollectedintheraidmayprovemorevaluablethanAbuSayyafselimination.
Araidshortlyafterthe9/11attacksthatsoughtinformationaboutalQaedasfinancesincidentallyuncoveredthousandsofpagesofhistoricaldocumentsaboutthefoundingofalQaedathathadbeendigitizedandstoredonthetargetedcomputer,Bergersaid.
AnyinformationabouthowIslamicStatesellsoilontheblackmarketwouldalsobetremendouslyuseful,hesaid.ANovemberreportbytheUnitedNationsestimatedthatIslamicStateearnsasmuchas$1.65millionadayfromoilsales,andU.S.airstrikeshavetargetedrefineriesandotherinfrastructurecapturedbythegroup.
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