"A Look At How Jihadi John Was Killed By A Drone Strike" Topic

"* Intelligence sources located Jihadi John six months ago and have been following him around the clock
* A Reaper drone piloted at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada circled Jihadi John on Thursday night in Raqqa
* Once identified getting into his car, the pilot fired a HellFire Missile which completely destroyed the vehicle
* It is understood that special forces operatives may have even infiltrated the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa

For obvious security reasons, neither the Ministry of Defence nor the Pentagon have revealed precisely how Jihadi John was tracked down and killed.
But it is possible to assemble the likely sequence of events by drawing on intelligence sources, the scant details we have been given – and from the experience of previous drone strikes.
After this sinister masked figure first appeared on YouTube in August last year, British and US intelligence services were straight on his trail, crucially helped by voice-tagging technology…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Let's hope the reports are accurate, and he is gone.

I hope they're still hunting for Mullah Omar, and some of the American spokesmen who work for them, but seem to have gone to ground as well, of late.

Yes, I agree with both of you !!!!!

After what happened in Paris yesterday, the building at the lower left corner of the overhead map of Raqqa should be leveled.

Mako 11…..If you are referring to the infamous Taliban leader Mullah Omar he died in Quetta, Pakistan 4 years ago. The Paks just got around to mentioning it this year. The US was forbidden by our allies to put in drone strikes on Quetta. With friends like these who needs enemies. After all they did not know Osama was living within a mile of the Pak Military Academy in a city full of retired Pak officers. Who could imagine a one eyed Afghan Mullah just happened to be living in a declared "No Go Zone" in another military town?

The Paks are not good allies …

Ah, thanks for the reminder.

I forgot about that already, assuming it isn't just a ruse to keep us from looking further for him.

I seem to recall Baghdadi being wounded/killed, several times too, which appears to be mis-info.

I agree about the Pakistanis.

I think with all that has happened in Paris, Lebanon, etc., it begs the question how much longer is the West going to let this go on ?
What if France invokes Art.5 of NATO Charter ?
Will the Turks, the 2 largest military in NATO actually do something more than they are ? Like deploying forces into Syria to help eliminate Daesh.
The US, UK and other NATO members as well others already have troops in Syria and Iraq.

It appears to me the key is capturing Raqqa first. With US/NATO support of the Kurds and locals. Maybe the French will send some FFL into the mix ? Terminate any Daesh with extreme prejudice. But remember, CD is going to occur. If the pace and number of forces is going to increase this is unavoidable.

The Syrians with their Russian, Persian and Hezbollah allies will have to do their part.

But the Turks and many of the locals don't want Assad left in power. Which may be a deal breaker ?

The bottom line again, is the locals have to be pushed to go after Daesh with US/NATO support. Egypt, Jordan, etc., what will they do ? Will others in the region rally around the renewed NATO support ?

The US/NATO sending divisions of troops is not the answer. Playing into Daesh's narrative of the Crusaders returning to kill all moslems. However a couple of Turk Bdes with some FFL and other NATO Spec ops, CAS, etc,. may be a big part of the solution.

And the Peshmerga must be supported with all that can be mustered. The Iraqis, their various faction with Persian support are going to have to pull their own weight in Iraq as well.
Maybe if Raqqa falls, Daesh is eliminated there, the Iraqis can clear up the remaining left overs, with US/NATO help of course ? They seem to be some of the worse soldiers in the region.

No easy answers, but along with other tools. Like cutting down external funding, increased intel gathering, tightening up international borders, may be saying no to refugees, etc. … Plus the proper use of military forces … that is really the only answer, IMO.

And don't shut down Gitmo … There has to be a place to keep all the Daesh survivors. Male and female, before they go on trial at the Hague for crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc. … And of course, the death sentence should be available. Maybe the French can dust off some of their guillotines. IIRC, they last used some in '65 ?
It seems appropriate with Daesh's predilection for beheadings, yes ? This type of barbarity can't go unpunished. And should be punished severely. This is the 21st Century not the 15th or earlier.

I think that any nation that captures terrorists should treat them per the laws of war -- a quick hearing by a duly constituted tribunal to determine if they are unlawful combatants (which terrorists always are). If found to be unlawful combatants, immediate summary execution and anonymous burial.

That would cut down on recidivism at least.

I would hang them, since as unlawful combatants they shouldn't get the dignity of a firing squad.

The unofficial American policy is not to take prisoners because of the findings of the 9/11 commission report which included a scathing indictment of both the CIA and the Pentagon for their inhumane treatment and torture of prisoners, specifically waterboarding.

It's much more expedient to just target them with drone strikes.

Roast in pieces.

Hopefully … most Daesh will go along with their narrative of wanting to be martyred and go to paradise. With the help of drones, air strikes, Kurds, etc. … As we saw in Paris, many blew themselves up. That works too. But it would be much more satisfying, to kill them before they can kill themselves, IMO …

I will be very surprised if France does NOT invoke Article 5.

If France does invoke Article 5, the sewage has well and truly hit the fan.

Paris is sacred ground to the French. You DO. NOT. with Paris. The French surrendered in WW2 to prevent Paris from being overrun, looted and burned. Then the Resistance spent the next 4 years trying to kick the Krauts out of Paris.

DAESH is about to discover what happens when western nations actually go to a declared war. I can only hope and pray that nobody in France is mad enough to use nukes.

Don't worry, France. The US has got your back and will stand with you.

And of course, the death sentence should be available. Maybe the French can dust off some of their guillotines. IIRC, they last used some in '65 ?

Both the Charter of Fundamental Rights (which is an integral part of EU membership) and the 13th Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, require member states to abolish the death penalty in all forms, and permanently renounce any and every form of re-introduction whilst they remain parties to the ECHR. In other words, a nation would have to first withdraw as a party to the ECHR – and almost certainly also leave the EU – in order to re-instate the death penalty. [Note that the ECHR is linked to the European Court of Human Rights, and is separate from the EU and its laws.]

The UK completely abolished all residual death penalty laws (which related solely to treason or military offences) in 1998, and renounced any future re-introduction in 2004. In theory, our (unwritten) constitution makes it illegal for any Parliament to permanently bind or fetter its successors, so there cannot be any non-reversible renunciation, but the last Labour government made it as difficult as humanly possible to do so……for good or bad.

The French abolished the death penalty in 1981 (the last execution was in 1977), and it is now forbidden by both the French constitution, and the same international human rights legislation by which the UK is bound.

Armed drones are the obvious solution. They allow the US to conduct extra-judicial killings and decapitate AQ leadership without breaking the long-standing presidential ban on assassinations.

Good to know Supercilius Maximus … my comment was not meant to be 100% serious, regardless …

But that information, only makes me think taking of Daesh prisoners would be very limited. Especially with their predilection for martyrdom.

And as a former Infantry Cdr, I'd make sure to instill in my soldiers. Shoot first, ask questions later. Don't die because it looked like they are playing wounded or surrendering. Like we saw with the IJFs in WWII. I know this would be a tricky ROE, but I'd care more about the lives of my soldiers and allies. Than murdering butchers like Daesh, male or female …

A sad fact to what this type of warfare has devolved to. But that rests with Daesh barbarity and the hatred they have instilled into the troops of the West.

Do you have his body?

No so until them he is not dead.