KILLED THE LEADER OF ISIS WITH GENERAL FRANK McKENZIE.
>> BEGAN FIRING ON U.S. AIRCRAFT
PARTICIPATING IN THE ASSAULT.
THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO WE DON’T
ASSESS WERE AFFILIATED WITH
BAGHDADI BUT NONETHELESS
DEMONSTRATED HOSTILE INTENT
TOWARD U.S. FORCES.
LET’S RUN THE NEXT VIDEO,
PLEASE.
THESE FIGHTERS OPENED FIRE ON OUR AIRCRAFT AND WHAT YOU SEE IN
THE VIDEO IS THE ACTUAL
RESPONSE.
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.
SO THIS IS A VIDEO OF THE ASSAULT FORCE ACTUALLY CLOSING
UP TO THE COMPOUND.
THOSE WHO CAME OUT OF THE
BUILDING WERE CHECKED FOR
WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES AND MOVED
AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
U.S. FORCES DETAINED AND LATER
RELEASED THE NON-COMBATANTS.
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 -- AND THE
HIGH-PROFILE NATURE OF THIS
ASSAULT, EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE
TO AVOID CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND
TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN THAT 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 ARABIC TO SURRENDER AND THEY
CONTINUED TO THREATEN THE FORCE.
THEY WERE THEN ENGAGED BY THE
RAID FORCE AND KILLED.
THERE WERE FOUR WOMEN AND ONE
MAN.
MAN. AFTER THIS ENGAGEMENT AND ONCE
ESTABLISHED INSIDE THE COMPOUND,
U.S. FORCES DISCOVERED BAGHDADI
HIDING IN A TUNNEL.
WHEN CAPTURED 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 HIM AND THIS
IS THE NUMBER WE ORIGINALLY
REPORTED UP THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND.
COMMAND. WE NOW KNOW THE NUMBER TO BE TWO
BASED ON SUBSEQUENT DEBRIEFING.
A TOTAL OF SIX ISIS MEMBERS DIED
ON THE OBJECTIVE.
FOUR WERE WOMEN AND THERE WERE
TWO MEN, INCLUDING BAGHDADI.
THIS IS IN 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
REMAINS FOR DNA IDENTITY
CONFIRMATION WHICH WERE FLOWN
WITH THE ASSAULT FORCE BACK TO
THE STAGING BASE.
FOLLOWING COLLECTION OF SAMPLES
FOR FORMAL DNA ANALYSIS,
BAGHDADI’S REMAINS WERE BURIED
AT SEA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT WITHIN 24
HOURS OF HIS DEATH.
WHILE THE ASSAULT FORCE WAS
SECURING REMAINS, THEY ALSO
SECURED WHATEVER DOCUMENTATION
AND ELECTRONICS WE COULD FIND,
WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIAL.
THE ASSAULT FORCE THEN LEFT THE
COMPOUND AND RETURNED TO THEIR
HELICOPTERS WITH THE TWO
DETAINEES THAT I’VE ALREADY
MENTIONED.
MENTIONED. AFTER OUR FORCES WERE SAFELY OFF
THE OBJECTIVE, U.S. FORCES
EMPLOYED PRECISION STANDOFF
MUNITIONS TO DESTROY THE
COMPOUND AND ITS COMMENTS -- AND
ITS CONTENTS.
ITS CONTENTS. PARDON ME.
PARDON ME. LET’S GO TO THE NEXT VIDEO,
PLEASE.
SO WHAT YOU’LL OBSERVE ARE U.S. STANDOFF MUNITIONS STRIKING THE
COMPOUND.
COMPOUND. FOR THOSE OF YOU 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
STATES’ GLOBAL REACH AND OUR
UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO DESTROY
ISIS, BRING ITS LEADERS TO
JUSTICE, AND TO PROTECT AMERICA
AND OTHERS FROM PEOPLE LIKE
BAGHDADI.
BAGHDADI. THE MISSION WAS A DIFFICULT,
COMPLEX, AND PRECISE RAID THAT
WAS EXECUTED WITH THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM AND IN
THE FINEST TRADITION OF THE U.S.
MILITARY.
MILITARY. SINCE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT
INTEREST IN MILITARY WORKING
DOGS, I WANTED TO PROVIDE A
LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON
THIS FINE CANINE.
NEXT PHOTO, PLEASE.
AND ACTUALLY, LET’S GO BACK A
MOMENT.
MOMENT. BEFORE I ACTUALLY GO TO THE DOG,
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHOW YOU
THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES OF
THE RAID COMPOUND.
YOU CAN SEE THE WAY IT LOOKED
BEFORE.
BEFORE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE WAY IT
LOOKS -- THE WAY IT LOOKED
AFTER.
AFTER. SO IT’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE
SUCCESS OF THE STANDOFF
MUNITIONS THAT WE EMPLOYED
ENSURED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A
SHRINE OR OTHERWISE MEMORABLE IN
ANY WAY.
ANY WAY. IT’S JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF
GROUND.
GROUND. SO LET’S GO TO THE DOG PICTURE.
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATION COMMAND
MILITARY WORKING DOGS ARE
CRITICAL MEMBERS OF OUR FORCES.
THESE ANIMALS PROTECT U.S.
FORCES, SAVE CIVILIAN LIVES,
SEPARATE COMBATANTS FROM
NONCOMBATANTS AND IMMOBILIZE
INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPRESS HOSTILE
INTENT.
INTENT. THIS DOG IS A FOUR-YEAR VETERAN
OF THE SOCON CANINE PROGRAM AND
HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF
APPROXIMATELY 50 COMBAT
MISSIONS.
MISSIONS. HE WAS INJURED BY EXPOSED LIVE
ELECTRICAL CABLES IN THE TUNNEL
AFTER BAGHDADI DETONATED HIS
VEST.
VEST. I WILL ALSO NOTE HE HAS BEEN
RETURNED TO DUTY.
FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS
THE DNA ANALYSIS THAT WAS
CONDUCTED TO CONFIRM BAGHDADI’S
IDENTITY.
IDENTITY. THE FINAL SLIDE, PLEASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DEFENSE
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CONDUCTED
THE ANALYSIS AND COMPARED DNA
FROM THE REMAINS TAKEN FROM THE
COMPOUND WITH AN ON-FILE SAMPLE
TAKEN WHEN BAGHDADI WAS AT CAMP
BUCA PRISON IN IRAQ IN 2004.
THE ANALYSIS SHOWED A DIRECT
MATCH BETWEEN THE SAMPLES AND
PRODUCED A LEVEL OF CERTAINTY
THAT REMAINS BELONG TO BAGHDADI
OF 1 IN 104 SEP TILL YON, WHICH
IS CERTAINLY BEYOND A SHADOW OF
A DOUBT.
A DOUBT. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DESPITE
BAGHDADI’S DEATH, WE WILL NOT
FORGET THE VICTIMS OF THE
ATROCITIES HE DIRECTED AND
INSPIRED SINCE 2014.
U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND REMAINS
FOCUSED ON THE ENDURING DEFEAT
OF ISIS AND WILL REMAIN VIGILANT
AGAINST ALL TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE REGION WHO
THREATEN THE UNITED STATES, OUR
PARTNERS, AND OUR ALLIES.
I’D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE
APPRECIATION FOR THE
PROFESSIONALISM OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO MADE THIS OPERATION A
SUCCESS.
SUCCESS. THIS WAS A TRUE INTERAGENCY
EFFORT SO I COMMEND OUR PARTNERS
ACROSS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PLANNED AND
CONDUCT THIS MISSION ARE QUITE
PROFESSIONALS.
PROFESSIONALS. FOCUSED ON THEIR MISSION ABOVE
GLORY OR RECOGNITION.
COMMITTED PEOPLE DID HARD, RISKY
WORK AND THEY DID IT WELL.
I HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> GENERAL McKENZIE, WITH THE
DEATH OF BAGHDADI, CAN YOU JUST
GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE U.S.
COUNTER-ISIS FIGHT IS GOING TO
LOOK LIKE?
LOOK LIKE? SEEING LEADERS START TO EMERGE
AND JUST RELATED, THE TROOPS ARE
NOW MOVING INTO DARAZOR, CAN YOU
TELL US HOW THEY ARE GOING TO
SUPPLEMENT THAT COUNTER-ISIS
MISSION AND EXPLAIN ABOUT HOW
THEY’RE GOING TO BE PROTECTING
THE OIL?
THE OIL? >> SURE.
>> SURE. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. LET’S -- LET’S START WITH --
WITH ISIS.
WITH ISIS. ISIS IS FIRST AND LAST IN
IDEOLOGY.
IDEOLOGY. SO WE’RE UNDER NO ILLUSIONS THAT
IT’S GOING TO GO AWAY JUST
BECAUSE WE KILLED BAGHDADI.
IT WILL REMAIN.
SUSPECTED THE HIGHEST LEVELS,
WILL BE A LITTLE DISRUPTED.
IT WILL TAKE THEM SOME TIME TO
REESTABLISH SOMEONE TO LEAD THE
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. AND DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME,
THEIR ACTIONS MAY BE A LITTLE
BIT DISJOINTED.
BIT DISJOINTED. THEY WILL BE DANGEROUS.
WE SUSPECT THEY WILL TRY SOME
FORM OF RETRIBUTION ATTACK AND
WILL -- AND WE ARE POSTURED AND
PREPARED TO -- AND WE’RE
POSTURED AND PREPARED FOR THAT.
BUT -- BUT WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE
THAT, AGAIN, SINCE IT’S AN
IDEOLOGY, YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO
BE ABLE TO COMPLETELY STAMP IT
OUT.
OUT. AND, IN FACT, OUR DEFINITION OF
LONG-TERM SUCCESS AGAINST ISIS
AND ANOTHER ENTITIES LIKE ISIS
IS NOT THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF
THAT IDEOLOGY BUT RATHER ITS
EXISTENCE AT A LEVEL WHERE LOCAL
SECURITY FORCES, WHEREVER IN THE
WORLD IT EXISTS, CAN DEAL WITH
IT.
IT. THERE’S NO INTERNATIONAL
CONNECTIVE TISSUE.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE. THERE’S NO ABILITY TO ATTACK OUR
HOMELAND AND LOCAL FORCES
PERHAPS WITH TRAINING AND SOME
ASSISTANCE, PERHAPS WITHOUT
THOSE THINGS, IS GOING TO BE
ABLE TO SUPPRESS THOSE ENTITIES
AS THEY GO FORWARD.
WE DON’T SEE A BLOODLESS FUTURE
BECAUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS
IDEOLOGY IS GOING TO BE OUT
THERE.
THERE. BUT WE THINK THERE’S A WAY TO
GET TO A POINT WHERE IT’S GOING
TO BE LESS AND LESS EFFECTIVE
OVER TIME.
OVER TIME. SO THE SECOND PART OF YOUR
QUESTION WAS ABOUT DARAZAR.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ENSURE
THAT ISIS IS NOT ABLE TO REGAIN
POSSESSION OF ANY OF THE OIL
FIELDS THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO
GAIN INCOME GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT’S -- WE’VE GOT FORCES AT
DARAZAR.
DARAZAR. WE HAVE BROUGHT IN SOME
REINFORCEMENTS THERE.
REINFORCEMENTS THERE. WE’LL AWAIT FURTHER DECISIONS BY
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ABOUT HOW
THAT PLAN IS GOING TO LOOK IN
THE LONG-TERM.
THE LONG-TERM. AND I WOULDN’T WANT TO GET AHEAD
OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IN
DESCRIBING THAT.
DESCRIBING THAT. BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE
SECURED THE OIL FIELDS GENERALLY
EAST OF THE YOUEUPHRATES RIVER.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT FOLLOW THE
DETAILS ON THE GROUND.
>> GENERAL, COULD YOU CONFIRM
THAT BAGHDADI, HIS FINAL
MOMENTS, THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT
HE WAS WHIMPERING AND CRYING IN
HIS FINAL MOMENTS.
AND ALSO, COULD YOU GIVE US ANY
BETTER SENSE, YOU TALKED ABOUT
SUBSTANTIAL ELECTRONICS
SUBSTANTIAL ELECTRONICS RECOVERED FROM THE SITE.
>> LET ME START WITH THE SECOND
PART.
PART. NO, I CAN’T TELL YOU ANYTHING
ABOUT WHAT WE TOOK OFF THE SITE.
YOU’LL APPRECIATE THAT.
WE’RE GOING TO EXPLORE THAT AND
EXPECT IT TO HELP USES AS WE GO
FORWARD.
FORWARD. ABOUT BAGHDADI’S LAST MOMENTS, I
CAN TELL YOU THIS.
HE CRAWLED INTO A HOLE WITH TWO
SMALL CHILDREN AND BLEW HIMSELF
UP WHILE HIS PEOPLE STAYED ON
THE GROUND.
THE GROUND. THAT WOULD BE JUST MY EMPIRICAL
OBSERVATION OF WHAT HE DID.
I’M NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM ANYTHING
ELSE ABOUT HIS LAST SECONDS.
I JUST CAN’T CONFIRM THAT ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> SIR, WERE THERE
REINFORCEMENTS?
REINFORCEMENTS? DID ANY OTHER ISIS PERSONNEL TRY
TO APPROACH THAT POSITION AND
WAS THERE FIRE THAT WAS
EXCHANGED?
EXCHANGED? THERE’S FOOTAGE OF A WHITE VAN
THAT WAS RIDDLED WITH BULLETS
THAT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE
SCENE.
SCENE. >> SURE.
>> SURE. SO THERE WERE NO OTHER ISIS
FORCES IN THE AREA.
WE ARE COMPLETELY CONFIDENT OF
THAT.
THAT. HE HAD BEEN UP THERE FOR AN
EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME HIDING.
THERE WERE OTHER MILITANT GROUPS
IN THE AREA THAT PROBABLY DID
NOT KNOW HE WAS THERE.
ONCE THEY SAW THE HELICOPTERS
LAND AND BEGIN TO OPERATE, THEY
BEGAN TO FLOW TOWARD IT.
SO -- BUT THEY WERE NOT FLOWING
TO REINFORCE HIM.
THEY WERE FLOWING TOWARD WHAT
THEY THOUGHT WAS PERHAPS A
TURRET MILITARY OPERATION,
PERHAPS A RUSSIAN MILITARY
OPERATION, PERHAPS AN AMERICAN
MILITARY OPERATION.
MILITARY OPERATION. THEY DIDN’T KNOW.
SO THE WHITE VAN YOU TALK ABOUT
WAS ONE OF THE VEHICLES THAT
DISPLAYED HOSTILE INTENT AND WAS
DESTROYED.
DESTROYED. IN ADDITION TO THE VIDEO I JUST
SHARED WITH YOU.
>> DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY
CASUALTY?
CASUALTY? >> YOU KNOW, WE DON’T.
OUT THERE, IT’S GOING TO BE HARD
TO KNOW.
TO KNOW. WE USE THE FIGURE OF ABOUT 10 TO
15 BUT WE REALLY DON’T KNOW FOR
SURE AND I DON’T KNOW THAT WE’RE
EVER GOING TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE
WE’RE NOT GOING TO GO BACK OUT
THERE AND COUNT.
>> SIR, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU
STAGED FROM WITHIN SYRIA.
WAS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THE
CHANGES ON THE GROUND IN THE
LAST TWO TO THREE WEEKS WITH THE
U.S. PULLING BACK FORCES WITH
TURKEY
TURKEY TURKEY COMING ACROSS THAT CAUSED
YOU TO CHANGE THE TIMING OF THIS
OPERATION?
OPERATION? >> JENNIFER, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WE -- WE CHOSE THE TIME BASED ON
A VARIETY OF FACTORS.
WEATHER CERTAINTY.
WEATHER CERTAINTY. LUNAR DATA.
LUNAR DATA. A VARIETY OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WHILE IT MIGHT’VE BEEN
CONVENIENT TO USE BASES THERE,
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY HAS
THE CAPABILITY TO GO ALMOST
ANYWHERE AND SUPPORT OURSELVES
EVEN AT GREAT DISTANCES.
SO THAT WAS NOT A LIMITING
FACTOR.
FACTOR. WE -- WE STRUCK BECAUSE THE TIME
WAS ABOUT RIGHT TO DO IT THEN
GIVEN THE TOTALITY OF THE
INTELLIGENCE AND THE OTHER
SITUATION.
SITUATION. AND THE OTHER FACTORS THAT WOULD
AFFECT THE RAID FORCE GOING IN
AND COMING OUT.
>> JUST A GENERAL.
JUST A COUPLE QUICK
CLARIFICATIONS.
CLARIFICATIONS. SO YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE I
THINK SIX INDIVIDUALS KILLED ON
SITE.
SITE. FOUR WOMEN AND TWO MEN, IS THAT
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> THAT’S CORRECT.
>> DID ANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS
FIRE AT THE AMERICAN FORCES AS
THEY WERE ENTERING THE COMPOUND?
AND ALSO, IS THERE ANY OTHER
INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE US
ABOUT HOW THE TUNNEL WAS
DETECTED?
DETECTED? HOW FAR UNDERGROUND BAGHDADI
WAS?
WAS? AND DO YOU KNOW THE ROUGH AGES
OF THE CHILDREN THAT HE TOOK
DOWN THERE WITH HIM?
>> SO I WOULD TELL YOU WE
BELIEVE THAT THE AGES OF BOTH
CHILDREN HE TOOK DOWN THERE WITH
HIM ARE UNDER 12 YEARS OLD.
BUT THAT’S ABOUT ALL I CAN TELL
YOU ABOUT THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT -- THAT WE
BELIEVE BAGHDADI ACTUALLY MAY
HAVE FIRED FROM HIS HOLE IN HIS
LAST MOMENTS-LET.
LAST MOMENTS-LET. THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE
ENGAGED ON THE OBJECTIVE WERE
BEHAVING IN A THREATENING MANNER
WITH SUICIDE VESTS.
THAT CAUSES YOU TO MAKE
DECISIONS PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY
DON’T RESPOND TO ARABIC
LANGUAGE, COMMANDS TO STOP,
WARNING SHOTS.
WARNING SHOTS. YOU KNOW, OUR SPECIAL OPERATORS
ARE SO VERY GOOD AT.
MISSY.
MISSY. >> AND HOW WAS THE TUNNEL
DETECTED?
DETECTED? WAS IT OPEN?
>> SO WE -- SO AS WE LOOKED AT
IT IN -- IN -- YOU KNOW, AS YOU
WOULD EXPECT, WE HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY THIS PRETTY
CAREFULLY.
CAREFULLY. WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION WE
SHOULD EXPECT POSSIBLY A TUNNEL
FEATURE THERE.
FEATURE THERE. SO THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT
WE TOOK A LOOK AT.
AND THEN THE INTERROGATION OF
PEOPLE ON THE OBJECTIVE ALLOWED
US TO GAIN A BETTER APPRECIATION
OF WHERE IT MIGHT BE.
AND THEN AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST
HAVE A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT I
CAN’T GO INTO.
ONE OF THEM BEING THE WORKING
DOGS THAT ARE VERY GOOD AT
SCENTING HUMANS AND GOING AFTER
THEM WHEN THEY’RE NOT
IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS.
IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS. SO THAT’S SORT OF HOW WE CAME TO
THAT CONCLUSION.
THAT CONCLUSION. THE KEY THING IS WE ACTUALLY
ESTABLISHED PHYSICAL SECURITY
AROUND THE COMPOUND, GOT THE
NON-COMBATANTS OFF, AND THAT
GAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO
WORK THE PROBLEM.
PARDON ME.
PARDON ME. YOU’RE ALWAYS WORRIED IN A
SITUATION LIKE THAT, THAT THE
HOUSE MIGHT BE RIGGED.
SO YOU GOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO
THAT.
THAT. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF THINGS
THAT THE RAID FORCE COMMANDER
HAS TO BALANCE ON THE GROUND.
AND I THINK THEY DID A
REMARKABLE JOB OF DOING THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO I’VE JUST BEEN GIVEN NOTICE
THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS GOING TO
START IN SHORTLY.
SO WE’RE GOING TO DO A COUPLE
MORE QUESTIONS AND OUT OF
RESPECT FOR -- WE’RE GOING TO
CUT IT SHORT.
RYAN.
RYAN. >> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ANY
SUPPORT THAT SDF PROVIDED TO
THIS OPERATION?
THIS OPERATION? >> SO, YES, I CAN.
AND SO AS YOU KNOW, WE MAINTAIN
AND CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN
LINKAGES TO THE SDF.
SOME OF THEIR EARLY INTELLIGENCE
WAS VERY HELPFUL TO US IN
BEGINNING TO SHAPE THIS PROBLEM.
SO I WOULD SAY THEY WERE PART OF
IT.
IT. THEY DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS
RAID.
RAID. THIS WAS A U.S.-ONLY OPERATION.
THERE WERE NO OTHER NATIONALITY
THAT PARTICIPATED IN IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> IN THE CASE OF OSAMA BIN
LADEN, U.S. FORCES FOUND THAT
THE HOUSE IN AL BADABAD HAD NO
INTERNET, NO CELL SERVICE.
YOU MENTIONED RECOVERING
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT FROM
AL-BAGHDADI’S PLACE.
AL-BAGHDADI’S PLACE. WAS HE USING THE INTERNET?
HAD THEY BEEN -- HAD THEY BEEN
ON LOCKDOWN?
ON LOCKDOWN? OR WAS THERE --
>> SURE.
>> SURE. GOOD QUESTION.
GOOD QUESTION. I THINK AND WE’RE STILL WORKING
THIS OUT -- I THINK YOU WOULD
FIND THERE’S PROBABLY A
MESSENGER SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS YOU
TO PUT SOMETHING ON A FLOPPY OR
ON A BIT OF ELECTRONICS AND HAVE
SOMEONE PHYSICALLY MOVE IT
SOMEWHERE.
SOMEWHERE. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CUTOUT THAT
MOST OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS SEEM
TO PREFER.
TO PREFER. BUT I DEFER.
I’M NOT GOING TO GO INTO MUCH
MORE DETAIL ON IT THAN THAT.
>> TOM AND THEN LAST QUESTION.
>> GENERAL, YOU SAID TWO MEN
WERE EXTRACTED WITH THE SPECIAL
OPERATIONS FORCES.
OPERATIONS FORCES. WERE THEY BOTH ISIS MEMBERS?
WAS ONE A SUPPOSED INFORMANT?
>> SO BOTH MEMBERS WERE
EXTRACTED.
EXTRACTED. BOTH TURNED THEMSELVES OVER.
BOTH ARE UNDER DETENTION NOW AND
I WOULDN’T GO ANY FURTHER THAN
THAT.
THAT. >> WHAT ABOUT THE REWARD MONEY?
THE 25 MILLION?
WHO’S GOING TO GET THAT?
>> I HAVE NO VISIBILITY ON THAT.
SORRY.
SORRY. >> THAT’S GOING TO GO TO THE
DOG.
DOG. ALL RIGHT, GUYS.