ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Appears in Video, Justifies Sri Lanka Bombings
The JV team of Islamist radical group still exists.
For the first time since July 2014, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has shown his face in a new video, in which he justified the bombings in Sri Lanka and praised those who have joined the terrorist group.
Rita Katz, the director of SITE Intelligence, tweeted out the the interpretation of al-Baghdadi’s words.
The numerous bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday killed almost 300 people, including many Christians at Easter Mass. Two days later, ISIS took responsibility and released a video of the supposed six suicide bombers.
Al-Baghdadi said in the video that ISIS bombed Sri Lanka in retaliation for the defeat of the terrorist group in “Baghouz, their last stronghold in Syria, and refers to the recent oustings of leaders in Algeria and Sudan, meaning that the video must have been shot within the last week.”
Al-Baghdadi also said that “[T]he war of Islam and its followers against the crusaders and their followers is a long one.” He then praised the “foreign fighters from who joined the group and calls on supporters to attack the ‘crusaders’ – specifically France.”
2) The video shows Baghdadi in a casual conversational setting with others (their faces blurred). He talks about war against “Crusaders” and about battles in #Baghouz #Syria being over, indicating that this interview was filmed somewhat recently. pic.twitter.com/BPqLP8QWSU
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) April 29, 2019
4) Baghdadi also accepts pledges from #BurkinaFaso and #Mali, directly mentioning Abu Walid al-Sahrawi and praising him and his attacks against French forces and their allies. This marks ISIS’ most significant endorsement/embrace of Sahrawi to date. https://t.co/L0MSUoe2gm
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) April 29, 2019
Katz pointed out that it is not coincidence that al-Baghdadi has shown up now. His ability “to reemerge to his supporters and reaffirm the group’s us-vs-the-world message after all the progress made against the group.”
I didn’t like that President Donald Trump declared the defeat of ISIS in January because you cannot fully eliminate these terrorist groups. Their ideology remains. Sure the coalition against ISIS has weakened the terrorist group, but they still remain out there. Remember Osama bin Laden? We killed him, but al-Qaeda still exists. Weakened, more so than ISIS, but they can still bring in more people.
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“in January because you cannot fully eliminate these terrorist groups. Their ideology [of Islam] remains.”
Islam will never be eliminated, but it can be controlled. The Chinese approach towards the Uighurs is one way.
Never in my life did I ever think that the lessons about Islam and Muslim behavior would be so difficult for the West to grasp and learn.
He is the “leader”? A hiding leader.
Apparently he is barely smart enough to know that there are no virgins.
“Crusaders”? In Sri Lanka?
Portuguese arrived there in the 16th century, and the British kicked them out and established themselves there during the Napoleonic Wars, but, this surely was some centuries after the Crusades.
Perhaps to a fanatic, it’s “Once a Crusader, always a Crusader”? In addition to the conviction that the fanatic’s holy war is, well, different. Because it’s truly holy holy war.
Or something.
He looks a lot like Sean Connery.
I heard he is gay. Lots of gay guys have said they have had affairs with him. He tries to cover it up but everyone knows he is gay.
Saudi Arabia is a great place to visit. Great place.
Step on out and claim your virgins fella.
He’s pretty slow. The BBC already ran a segment in which they promoted a position that the bombings were a moderate response to attacks against Muslims. Of course none of those prior attacks had been committed by Christians, and they were all in response to the Muslim aggressions their religion demands.
Interesting that the BBC has now gotten ahead of Islam, rather than merely behind it.
Where is a good SEAL Team when needed?