PRESIDENT AND HIS NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM AS THEY MONITORED
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
LET ME HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE.
PLEASE. HERE, WE SEE THE OBJECT OF THE
ASSAULT, THE COMPOUND WHERE
BAGHDADI WAS HIDING.
THIS ISOLATED PROVINCE WAS IN
SYRIA PRESIDENTIAL FOUR MILES
FROM THE TURKISH BORDER, AN AREA
WE HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY
OPERATED IN.
OPERATED IN. U.S. FORCES WERE KILLED BY TWO
AIRSTRIKES FROM SUPPORTING
HELICOPTERS.
HELICOPTERS. LET’S RUN THE NEXT VIDEO,
PLEASE.
>> THESE FIGHTERS OPEN I HAD FEAR ON OUR AIRCRAFT AND WHAT
YOU SEE IN THE VIDEO IS THE
ACTUAL RESPONSE.
ACTUAL RESPONSE. WITH THE ASSAULT FORCE
SURROUNDING THE COMPOUND, WE
REPEATEDLY URGED THOSE INSIDE TO
COME OUT PEACEFULLY.
LET’S GO TO THE NEXT VIDEO,
PLEASE.
>> THIS IS A VIDEO OF THE ASSAULT FORCE ACTUALLY CLOSING
UP TO THE COMPOUND.
THOSE WHO CAME OUT OF THE
BUILDING WERE CHECK FOR WEAPONS
AND EXPLOSIVES AND MOVED AWAY
FROM THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
U.S. FORCES DETAINED AND LATER
RELEASED THE NONCOMBATANTS.
THE GROUP WAS TREATED HUMANELY
AT ALL TIMES AND INCLUDED 11
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
DESPITE THE VIOLENT NATURE OF
THE RAID AND THE HI-PROFILE
NATURE OF THIS ASSAULT, EVERY
EFFORT WAS MADE TO AVOID
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND TO
PROTECT THE CHILDREN WE
SUSPECTED WOULD BE AT THE
COMPOUND.
COMPOUND. FIVE ISIS MEMBERS INSIDE THE
COMPOUND PRESENTED A THREAT TO
THE FORCE.
THE FORCE. THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO COMMANDS
IN ARABINGC TO SURRENDERED AND
THEY CONTINUED TO THREATEN THE
RAID FORCE AND THEY WERE ENGAGED
AND KILLED, FOUR MEN AND ONE
WOMAN.
WOMAN. U.S. FORCES DISCOVERED BAGHDADI
HIDING IN A TUNNEL.
WHEN CAPTURE AT THE HANDS OF
U.S. FORCES WAS IMMINENT,
BAGHDADI DETONATED A BOMB HE
WORE, KILLING HIMSELF AND TWO
YOUNG CHILDREN THAT WERE WITH
HIM.
HIM. THE NUMBER TWO IS A CHANGE.
WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THERE WERE
THREE CHILDREN WITH THEM AND
THIS WAS THE NUMBER WE
ORIGINALLY REPORTED UP THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND.
OF COMMAND. WE KNOW THE NUMBER TO BE TWO.
A TOTAL OF SIX ISIS MEMBERS DIED
ON THE OBJECTIVE.
FOUR WERE WOMEN AND THERE WERE
TWO MEN INCLUDING BAGHDADI.
THIS IS AN ADDITION -- IN
ADDITION TO THE TWO CHILDREN
KILLED BY BAGHDADI AS HE BLEW
HIMSELF UP.
HIMSELF UP. LET ME EMPHASIZE AGAIN THAT 11
CHILDREN WERE PROTECTED BY THE
ASSAULT FORCE AND TWO MEN ON THE
OBJECTIVE WERE DETAINED BY THE
ASSAULT FORCE AND THEY WERE
EXTRACTED WITH THE FORCE.
AFTER BAGHDADI’S MURDER/SUICIDE,
OUR ASSAULT FORCE CLEARED
SIGNIFICANT DEBRIS FROM THE
TUNNEL AND SECURED BAGHDADI’S
REMAIN FOR IDENTITY CONFIRMATION
WHICH WERE FLOWN WITH THE
ASSAULT FORCE BACK TO THE
STAGING BASE.
STAGING BASE. FOLLOWING COLLECTION OF SAMPLES
FOR FORMAL DNA ANALYSIS, HIS
REMAINS WERE BURIED AT SEA IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF ARMED
CONFLICT WITHIN 24 HOURS OF HIS
DEATH.
DEATH. WHILE THE ASSAULT WAS SECURING
THE REMAINS THEY SECURED
WHATEVER DOCUMENTATION AND
ELECTRONICS WE COULD FIND WHICH
WERE SUBSTANTIAL.
WERE SUBSTANTIAL. THEY THEN LEFT THE COMPOUND AND
RETURNED TO THE HELICOPTERS WITH
THE TWO DETAINEES I HAVE ALREADY
MENTIONED.
MENTIONED. AFTER OUR FORCES WERE SAFELY OFF
THE OBJECTIVE, U.S. FORCES
EMPLOYED PRECISION STANDOFF
MUNITIONS TO DESTROY THE
COMPOUND AND ITS CONTENTS.
LET’S GO TO THE NEXT VIDEO,
PLEASE.
PLEASE. >> WHICH VIDEO?
>> WHAT?
>> WHAT YOU WILL OBSERVE ARE U.S. STANDOFF MUNITIONS STRIKING
THE COMPOUND.
THE COMPOUND. THOSE THAT MAY HAVE SEEN BEFORE
AND AFTER PICTURES OF THE
COMPOUND, IT LOOKS PRETTY MUCH
LIKE A PARKING LOT WITH LARGE
POTHOLES RIGHT NOW.
THE OPERATION WAS EXQUISITELY
PLANNED AND EXECUTED.
IT DEMONSTRATES THE UNITED