THE NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
IN CALIFORNIA.
BREAKING TONIGHT, WE'RE GETTING
THE FIRST IMAGES OF THE
OPERATION TO KILL ABU
AL-BAGHDADI.
PENTAGON OFFICIALS BRIEFING
REPORTERS.
THIS DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWS VARIOUS
PARTS OF THE RAID AND THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE AFTER
THE ACTION WAS OVER.
SIX ISIS MEMBERS WERE KILLED.
FOUR WOMEN, TWO MEN.
THE HEAD OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND
SAYS HE EXPECTS ISIS TO TRY TO
RETALIATE FOR THIS MISSION.
NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT
JENNIFER GRIFFIN IS AT THE
PENTAGON WITH THE IMAGES AND THE
BRIEFING.
GOOD EVENING.
>> GOOD EVENING.
WE JUST RECEIVED THE IMAGES.
THE PENTAGON RELEASED VIDEO
SHOWING THE MOMENT THE COMPOUND
WAS BLOWN UP BY WAR PLANES USING
MUNITIONS.
>> YOU CAN THE WAY IT LOOKED
BEFORE AND AFTERWARDS.
IT'S CLEAR THE SUCCESS OF THE
STAND-OFF MUNITIONS THAT WE I'M
EMPLOYED ENSURED IT WOULDN'T BE
A SHINE OR MEMORABLE IN SOME
OTHER WAY.
IT'S A PIECE OF GROUND.
>> THIS SHOWS THE ARMY SPECIAL
OPERATORS APPROACHING ON FOOT
FROM TWO SIDES.
THE 11 CHILDREN INSIDE THE
COMPOUND WERE HANDED OVER TO A
TRUSTED SOURCE AND NOT FLOWN OUT
OF SYRIA.
BAGHDADI GRABBED TWO, NOT THREE
CHILDREN WHEN HE HIT IN THE
TUNNEL.
THE U.S. HELICOPTERS WERE FIRED
AT FROM THE GROUND.
YOU CAN SEE THE ATTACK
HELICOPTERS SUPPRESS THE GUN
FIRE FROM THE AIR.
THE COMMANDERS PUSHED BACK ON
REPORTS THE RAID HAD BEEN MOVED
FORWARD OR RUSHED DUE TO THE
PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW
TROOPS.
>> SIR, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU
STAGED FROM WITHIN SYRIA.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THE
CHANGES ON THE GROUND IN THE
LAST TWO TO THREE WEEKS WITH THE
U.S. FULLING BACK FORCES WITH
TURKEY COMING ACROSS THAT CAUSED
YOU TO ACCELERATE OR CHANGE THE
TIMING OF THE OPERATION?
>> JENNIFER, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WE CHOSE THE TIME BASED ON
WEATHER, CERTAINTY, LUNAR DATA A
VARIETY OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHILE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
CONVENIENCE TO USE BASES THERE,
THE U.S. MILITARY CAN GO
ANYWHERE AND SUPPORT OURSELVES.
>> GENERAL MacKENZIE IS A THE
U.S. HELICOPTERS STAGED INSIDE
SYRIA BEFORE THE RAID.
SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN