In a video aired on CNN this week tells Mahmoud Dawoud about his brutal realization when in July 2014 so IS’ leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in Mosul in Iraq.
– At that moment I knew that Iraq would be crushed, ” says Dawoud.
He is one of the few outside the ICE’ inner circles who have seen terrororganisasjonens mythical leader in live live.
Evil omen
In CNNs news report, the Newspaper now shows an excerpt of, tells Dawoud about his experience in July 2014. The month before had Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, has been conquered by ICE.
He realized that something sinister was about to happen, when he discovered the masked men on the rooftops. Cars with tinted windows began to appear, and soon he was surrounded by about 200 men from the ICE.
DECLARED CALIPHATE: In the mosque of al-Nuri in the iraqi city of Mosul, the 4. July 2014, declared it IS’ leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Caliphate with himself as caliph and the supreme leader (picture). Since then, an intense hunting continued on terroristlederen. Photo: NTB Scanpix (still from video) Show more
Dawoud did not know then that he was witness to a historic event:
the Same day, in the famous mosque of al-Nuri, declared al-Baghdadi that the “Caliphate” was created – with himself as caliph.
Five years later, al-Baghdadis appearance of al-Nuri is still the last secure observation of him.
It has not been something after that which in my opinion is certainly verifiable, ” says researcher Morten Bøås at the Norwegian foreign policy institute (NUPI) to Dagbladet.
al-Nuri destroyed
Mahmoud Dawoud would get right in his evil premonition: In the next few years was tens of thousands of people killed in Iraq.
Millions were driven on the run, in the fighting between the ICE and a patchwork of forces and coalitions – often with interest and a mutual, latent hostility.
AL-NURI JULY 2014: Such as the entrance out on the famous the mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, in July 2014. Photo: NTB Scanpix/AP Show more
Between 2014 and 2017, when the majority of the ICE eventually was defeated, was around 67 000 civilians killed, according to the united nations. al-Nuri, the mosque where al-Baghdadi appeared, was also not spared.
During the sluttkampene of Mosul in June 2017 was it blasted in the air.
“All of the” hunts al-Baghdadi
the Whole time it has been easy for al-Baghdadi. He is still among the world’s most wanted men.
– “All” have an interest in getting their hands on him, says the Bøås, and lists: the Iraqis, especially the shia-militias. The kurdish Peshmerga forces. Syria and its dictator Bashar al-Assad. The Turkish ruler Erdogan. And of course: the united STATES.
I can hardly understand that not Trump would like to bask in the glory of being the one who takes him, ” says Bøås.
Not because al-Baghdadi is some brilliant military strategist – where has the other according to Bøås been more important. As a religious and political leading fi he has, however, been very important.
IN the RUINS: To see the mosque of al-Nuri out in the day, two years after it was destroyed during the fighting between the ICE and the international forces that fight them. Photo: NTB Scanpix/Zaid Al-Obeidi/AFP Show more
And still Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who shall come from a very religious family in the city of Samarra, the person who most strongly symbolizes the ICE.
Unfortunately for all those who chase him, he has an amazing ability to disappear into shadows and reappear – and then be gone.
Fled to the desert
the Latest in this month reported the british “the Guardian” that a group of ICE warriors in september last year, should have turned against al-Baghdadi and tried to kill him.
According to the Guardians sources raging battles in two days, in the village of Keshma by the town of Baghouz in eastern Syria. Many will have been killed.
– “ALL” WILL TAKE HIM: – “All” have an interest in getting their hands on him, “says NUPI researcher Morten Bøås about IS’ leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Photo: NUPI Show more
“I saw him with my own eyes”, is quoted Jumah Hamdi Hamdan in the Guardian. “He was in Keshma, and in september tried Khawarij (the gentiles) to catch him.”
When the opponents were defeated and executed, to al-Baghdadi have fled into the desert. There goes the tracks after him yet again.
– It is not inconceivable, ” says Bøås about the information contained in the Guardians article. – But at the same time, it is based on information from people who have surrendered. It can vote, but it can also be a constructed story.
– How do we know that al-Baghdadi is alive?
It knows we’re actually not, says Morten Bøås.
– Plays on uncertainty
NUPI-researcher mentions yet more reasons to believe al-Baghadi is alive. One of them is that none of the rumors that he is dead, has been standing.
the Agents got a hold of the IS manager’s telephone. So they leave a cunning plan
– Therefore, it is assumed that he is alive, but sure one can’t be. There is something of the strength of the movements that IS, to play on the uncertainty, “he says, and gives us a new reason to believe that ICE’ head live:
ICE has a habit of honoring its martyrs.
Thus, one might expect that the organization also would have honored al-Baghdadi, by marking his death both internally and externally.
So put Bøås to a little doubt there, too:
– But you may have IS reasons not to do it, too, for it was known that he was dead, would the the most well-known of the IS-leaders will be gone.
Disappeared in the shadows
According to CNNs sources in videoreportasjen from Mosul this week, it should through the years have been several attacks, both in Iraq and Syria, which almost succeeded in killing al-Baghdadi.
From the Hamrin mountains, which previously shall have been a hiding place for al-Baghdadi, shows CNN until video footage of the tunnels and camouflaged tent that IS to be used.
Reject the messages that the IS leader is killed: “We are 99 percent sure that he is alive
Reporter Arwa Damon says that IS-people still moving around in the gorges in this mountain area, and that they come down to kill, bomb and steal.
the Iraqis believe that they are in the process of circling into al-Baghdadi. But he has escaped them before, and have disappeared into the shadows in these lawless areas, ” says Damon at the very end of CNNs news report.
the Gallows in Baghdad
Morten Bøås agree that it is not easy to take al-Baghdadi. According to him, it is much harder to hunt down al-Baghdadi, than it was to hunt down al-Qaedas leader Osama bin Laden in the early 2000’s.
Bin Laden was killed by u.s. special soldiers in Pakistan in 2011.
– There is a much more difficult track to follow al-Baghdadi. Bin Laden had Afghanistan as a place to start looking. With al-Baghdadi knows not where to begin, and it makes it much worse.
Bøås way for me to give any forecast for when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will be taken. He believes, however, that sooner or later will get a message that it is possible to secure the trust, that IS-the leader is dead.
That al-Baghdadi will be taken captive, don’t think Morten Bøås is particularly likely.
But if he is in court, it is not in the Hague. Then it becomes the gallows in Baghdad.
Doubles the bounty of the hunt on the ICE-leader
