5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20150516/usspecialforceskilledseniorisleaderabusayyafcarter 1/4

IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.Forces

PresidentBarackObamasorderforU.S.commandostotargetanIslamicStatecommanderinSyriawaspartofanevolvingstrategytodisruptthemilitantgroup,whichhasprovenresilienttoairstrikesintendedtobreakitsgriponpartsoftheMiddleEast.

Theraidseizedonarareopportunitytoactonrealtimeintelligence.AmantheU.S.calledAbuSayyafacommonnomdeguerreintheArabworldwhowasidentifiedasaleaderofthegroupsoil,gasandfinancialoperationswaskilled,alongwithaboutadozenothermilitants,withnoU.S.casualties,administrationofficialssaid.

U.S.officialsandanalystssaidtheraidmayyieldarichbodyofintelligencetohelpunravelthefinancing,communicationsandpersonnelbehindIslamicState.TheassaultsuggestsgreaterrisktakingmodebyanadministrationleeryofprotractedgroundcombatinIraqorSyria,andoffersreassurancestoallieswhohavequestionedObamasresolvetoeliminateoneoftheregionsmostdestabilizingforces.

Itsasignificantshift,saidJuanZarate,aformerdeputynationalsecurityadviserinPresidentGeorgeW.Bushsadministration.Itrepresentsthatairstrikesarentenoughandwerefindingitnecessarytogoaftertheirleadership.Thatbeginstochangethecomplexionofthebattlespace.Weremoreactivelyinvolvedandusingbootsontheground.

byJohnWalcott,AnthonyCapaccioandDavidLerman8:38AMEDTMay16,2015

TheoperationrepresentsanothersignificantblowtoISIL",Cartersaid.Photographer:KazuhiroNogi/AFP/GettyImages

5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20150516/usspecialforceskilledseniorisleaderabusayyafcarter 2/4

OnFriday,hoursbeforetheraid,IslamicStatemilitantsseizedthecenterofRamadi,inwesternIraq.Thegroupalsoreleasedanaudiorecordingthatitsaidwasaspeechbyitsleader,AbuBakralBaghdadi,whowasreportedtohavebeenseverelyinjuredinaMarchairstrike.

BiggerPicture

AtatimewhenISISadvancesinSyriaandIraqshowjusthowresilientandagilethejihadigroupremainsandexposetheseriousflawsoftheU.S.strategyagainstit,thereisadangerinoverstatingthesignificanceofthisraidandmissingthebiggerpicture,saidEmileHokayem,aseniorfellowforMiddleEastsecurityattheInternationalInstituteforStrategicStudies,whoisbasedinBahrain.

ISIScontinuestoconveyasenseofmovementacrossIraqthatmasksitssetbacks,hesaid,usinganalternativeacronymforthegroup.

U.S.officialssaidtheraiddoesntrepresentagreatercommitmenttousinggroundforcesinthefightagainstIslamicState,whichhasprovedadeptatdodgingairstrikes.

BernadetteMeehan,aspokeswomanfortheNationalSecurityCouncil,saidinanemailthattheassaultwaspreciselythesortoflimitedgroundoperationenvisionedinObamasproposedcongressionalauthorizationfortheuseofforceagainstthegroup.

Theadministrationisstillveryworriedaboutoverextending,Zarate,nowasenioradviserattheCenterforStrategicandInternationalStudiesinWashington,saidinaphoneinterview.

GulfAllies

TheraidcomesafterObamasmeetinglastweekwithleadersofsixArabstates,calledtheGulfCooperationCouncil,whoexpressedconcernsaboutthepresidentspoliciesinSyriaandIraq.IslamicStatesetupitsselfstyledcaliphateinJune2014onareasstraddlingthetwocountries,eachrivenbycivilstrife.

AbuSayyafwasthoughttohaveconnectionswithIslamicStateleaderalBaghdadiandsomeknowledgeofthegroupsfinances,makinghimahighvaluetargetforpotentialintelligence,U.S.officialssaid.

TheoperationinaneasternSyriantowncalledalAmrwasintendedtocaptureAbuSayyaf.DefenseSecretaryAshtonCartersaidhewaskilledafterengagingU.S.forces.Hiswife,UmmSayyaf,whoissuspectedofinvolvementinIslamicStateoperations,wascapturedandisbeingdetainedbytheU.S.militaryinIraq,Meehansaid.

UnexpectedBenefits

CapturedmaterialssuchascomputersorphonesmaydetailIslamicStatesfinancingschemes,communicationsmethods,bordercrossingroutesandrecruitingpatterns,allofwhichalBaghdadiwillnowhavetoscrap,saidaU.S.intelligenceofficialwithknowledgeoftheassault.

5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20150516/usspecialforceskilledseniorisleaderabusayyafcarter 3/4

Typically,computersandphonesusedbyterroristleadersareterrificsourcesofintelligence,oftenwithunexpectedbenefits,J.M.Berger,coauthorofabookonIslamicStateandaresearcherattheBrookingsInstitution,saidinanemail.

OpportunisticTarget

ThedecisiontotargetAbuSayyafmayhavebeenbasedmoreonopportunitythanhisparticularimportance,saidPaulPillar,aformerofficerintheCentralIntelligenceAgencywhoisnowavisitingprofessoratGeorgetownUniversityinWashington.

WhileU.S.intelligenceassessmentsexpectthatAbuSayyafsdeathwillcausesignificantoperationaldamagetoIslamicState,Pillarsaidhislossislikelysomethingotherthanamajorblowagainstthegroup.

Idontthinkweactuallyknowwhothisguyisyet,otherthanthisnomdeguerreheuses,saidDouglasOllivant,aformerNationalSecurityCouncilofficialunderObamawhoisnowaresearcheratNewAmerica,apolicyresearchgroupinWashington.

WhileAbuSayyafwasafairlyseniormidlevelfinancier,Ollivantsaid,hisdeathmaynotchangetheIslamicStateorganizationinanyfundamentalway.

Justtakingoutoneguy,someoneisgoingtostepupandtakehisjob,hesaid.

DeltaForce

ThenightraidwaslaunchedfromIraqbyArmycommandoswiththeFirstSpecialForcesOperationalDetachmentDeltaaftertheU.S.obtainednewintelligenceplacingAbuSayyafinacompoundineasternSyria,anofficialbriefedontheoperationsaid.TheU.S.didntadvisetheSyriangovernmentoftheassault,Meehansaid.

TheDeltaForcecommandosflewinUH60BlackHawkhelicoptersandCV22Ospreyaircraft.Twelvemilitantswerekilledinafirefightthatinvolvedhandtohandcombat,theofficialsaid.

U.S.forceswereonthegroundinSyriaforabout20minutes,aseniordefenseofficialsaid.AYezidiwomansuspectedofbeingenslavedbyAbuandUmmSayyafwasfreedandwillbereunitedwithherfamily,Meehansaid.

TheU.S.isadoptingmoretraditionalcounterterrortacticsagainstIslamicState,suchasspecialoperationsmissionsintoitsterritory,asthegroupadaptstoamonthslongbombingcampaign,anAmericanofficialinvolvedincounterterrorismoperationssaid.

Forexample,thegrouphasstoppedmovingforcesinlargemotorizedgroupsacrossopencountryandhaslaunchedterrorattacksinRamadiandotherurbancenterswhereairpowerislesseffective,theofficialsaid.TheofficialaskednottobeidentifiedbecausedetailsoftheAbuSayyafraidareclassified.

5/16/2015 IslamicStateLeaderKilledinSyriaRaidbyU.S.ForcesBloombergBusiness

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20150516/usspecialforceskilledseniorisleaderabusayyafcarter 4/4

IntelligenceCoup

IntelligencecollectedintheraidmayprovemorevaluablethanAbuSayyafselimination.

Araidshortlyafterthe9/11attacksthatsoughtinformationaboutalQaedasfinancesincidentallyuncoveredthousandsofpagesofhistoricaldocumentsaboutthefoundingofalQaedathathadbeendigitizedandstoredonthetargetedcomputer,Bergersaid.

AnyinformationabouthowIslamicStatesellsoilontheblackmarketwouldalsobetremendouslyuseful,hesaid.ANovemberreportbytheUnitedNationsestimatedthatIslamicStateearnsasmuchas$1.65millionadayfromoilsales,andU.S.airstrikeshavetargetedrefineriesandotherinfrastructurecapturedbythegroup.