WASHINGTON — Echoing the words of President Donald Trump, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) on Sunday called today “a great day for our country” and the world following news of the successful raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
“Baghdadi was the epitome of inhumanity, and his death sends a strong message that the U.S. will always seek justice against those who inflict evil on the world,” the Georgia Republican said.
Trump announced Baghdadi’s death in a televised address from the White House on Sunday morning. He said Baghdadi “blew himself up” when cornered by US forces who conducted a daring, two-hour nighttime raid on his compound in northern Syria.
“Last night was a great night for the United States and for the world. A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated,” Trump said.
“I want to thank the nations of Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, and I also want to thank the Syrian Kurds for certain support they were able to give us,” Trump said in his remarks. “Thank you as well to the great intelligence professionals who helped make this very successful journey possible.”
Collins called it a “major victory in the war on terror” and said every American should celebrate.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the brave special forces who conducted the raid and to President Trump for his strong leadership in dismantling the ISIS caliphate,” he said. “When our intelligence community and military have the tools to succeed, they can take on any threat to our nation.”
Baghdadi became one of the most wanted terrorists in the world after declaring an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in 2014. His death marks the end of a years-long search to find him.
Its the first major announcement of a terror leader’s death since May 2011 when President Barack Obama revealed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals.
