WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces killed a senior Islamic State leader, among several key members of the militant group eliminated this week, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Friday.
Carter identified the senior IS leader as Haji Imam and described him as the group’s finance minister. He said he was a “well-known terrorist” who had a hand in terrorist plots outside of Iraq and Syria.
“Leaders can be replaced. However, these leaders have been around for a long time. They are senior, they are experienced,” Carter told a Pentagon news conference.
Carter did not say whether the IS finance leader was killed in Syria or Iraq.
Appearing at the news conference with Carter, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there has been no fundamental shift in the U.S. approach in Iraq, and he said efforts are under way to accelerate the campaign.
The U.S. military has killed numerous Islamic State leaders in recent months. Earlier this month the Pentagon said it killed Omar al-Shishani, described as the Islamic State’s “minister of war,” in an airstrike in Syria. In November, the Pentagon said an airstrike in Libya killed Abu Nabil, another top IS leader.
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Remember, in right wing world, any successful military operation has nothing to do with President Obama but any unsuccessful one is totally his fault.
Good news.
In addition, this recent Washington Post piece details some major progress against ISIS being made by the coalition forces – no offensive gains made by ISIS in nine months, ISIS recruits deserting, coalition forces regaining ground, etc…
The article suggests that these terrorist attacks in Europe might be a way to recruit new members to offset the losses they’ve sustained…
This obviously happened as the result of having the Republican Party in control of both houses of congress and supply side economics.
This is a success, but it would be an even greater success if the president were a white Republican with a northwestern European surname. Then we could give him all the credit.
We coming for you El Baghdadi…we are getting closer and closer! You murderous rapist pervert!
“Finance minister”. Sounds about like number…three in the hierarchy.