Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Will The Death Of The Islamic State Leader Cripple The Movement?

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Pamela Engel, Business Insider: Why the death of Islamic State's 'caliph' wouldn't cripple the terror army

The leader of the Islamic State has reportedly been seriously wounded in an air strike, but even his death would be unlikely to fatally cripple the dangerous terror group.

Martin Chulov at The Guardian reported the news of the air strike on Tuesday. He notes that "while [Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi] invokes authority as a religious leader, the constant threat from the skies has led to some of its command and strategic decisions being made by other member of the leadership."

Baghdadi, who declared himself the "caliph" of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, and Daesh) in July, reportedly handed over day-to-day control of the Sunni militant group after the March air strike and still has not resumed his place at the helm.

WNU Editor: Short answer .... no. The Islamic State is more than just one man right now, and just like Al Qaeda after the death of its leader Osama Bin Laden, it will find a way to re-organize itself.

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