President
Trump's wipeout of the world's most dangerous and vile terrorist. Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, prompted just the right reaction from President Trump:
Celebration.
Here's Politico's "Victorian Gent" (pax Tom Wolfe) take:
In
his speech, Trump left no doubt of his contempt and utter hatred for
America's worst enemy. He didn't just get the monster killed and then
announce some sort of clinical operation the way President Obama did
with the rubout of al-Qaida chieftain Osama bin Laden, Trump stomped on
his grave, mocking and exuding in the beast's demise.
"Utter fear" -- "Total dread" -- "will not escape the final Judgment of God" -- "in our sites" -- "losers, and losers they were" -- "a coward, running and crying" -- "a brutal killer" -- "he died like a dog" -- "he died like a coward" -- "whimpering, screaming and crying" -- "scared out of his mind."
In addition, Trump twisted the knife by naming the entire kill "Operation Kayla Mueller" after a young aid worker who was kidnapped, raped, tortured, enslaved and killed by al-Baghdadi himself. It was fitting. And it heartened the young woman's parents out in Arizona. Justice is sweet.
This isn't Obamaspeak - this is celebration, this is the dancing on the grave of a vile enemy who needs it, needs to understand that the game here is victory, not chess moves. Wiping out and eradicating an enemy, not making a stinking peace treaty.
When U.S. troops wiped out Osama bin Laden, President Obama was careful to not allow any dead body pictures to get out for Americans to celebrate over, and he made sure that terrorist got a good and proper Islamic burial, implicitly suggesting that he was a good Muslim and of course, they needed to help him make his way to Heaven, which frankly was an insult to actual good Muslims. No celebrations, just political haymaking for Obama himself were all that followed.
Trump did it different - he sent al-Baghdadi to hell and spat on his grave for anyone still sympathetic.
It was far gutsier and unlike Obama, he was willing to share credit, too. Trump also went out his way to unapologetically and unfearfully thank the otherwise adversarial nations that helped out - Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, the Kurds - not caring about the inevitable yelling from the left that would be sure to follow. "Russia treated us great..." he said in the question-and-answer session, pointing out that the Russians and the other helpful entities hated ISIS, too.
Then he praised U.S. service members to the high heavens with descriptions on the danger they faces, offering massive thanks and gratitude.
The performance was celebratory, natural, believable, victorious and All Trump.
The tut-tutting flowed from Democrats, complaining about the tone. Instaundit has some choice tweets like this one from a top Obama advisor, David Axelrod:
But Trump's celebration of victory is exactly what has been missing from the entire twenty-year war on terror. Remember how President Trump's idea of a victory parade was derided by the left and swamp establishment? That ought to have been a warning to terrorists, actually, who along with the left confused that message with vainglory.
Aside from the casualties, this absence of victory dances a very good reason why public support has evaporated for the war on terror, leaving just endless war and no celebration, no proper end.
Trump gets it. And stomping on terrorist graves is exactly the right response.
Here's Politico's "Victorian Gent" (pax Tom Wolfe) take:
President Donald Trump’s announcement on Sunday that the Islamic State mastermind Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “died like a dog” in an overnight U.S. military operation proved that even the most consequential moments of his presidency can be swept up in his unpolished governing style.
From the moment Trump lit up his Twitter feed Saturday night to warn that “Something very big has just happened!,” the unveiling of Baghdadi’s death bore the hallmarks of his presidency. The suspenseful tweet ensured that all eyes were on Trump when he outlined the major national security accomplishment in grisly detail — repeatedly invoking the same phrases he’s used to humiliate political opponents at campaign rallies to recount the final moments of the world’s most notorious terrorist.
“He died like a coward. He was whimpering, screaming and crying,” Trump said from the White House Diplomatic Room on Sunday, adding that “Baghdadi and the losers who worked for him … were very frightened puppies.”
"Utter fear" -- "Total dread" -- "will not escape the final Judgment of God" -- "in our sites" -- "losers, and losers they were" -- "a coward, running and crying" -- "a brutal killer" -- "he died like a dog" -- "he died like a coward" -- "whimpering, screaming and crying" -- "scared out of his mind."
In addition, Trump twisted the knife by naming the entire kill "Operation Kayla Mueller" after a young aid worker who was kidnapped, raped, tortured, enslaved and killed by al-Baghdadi himself. It was fitting. And it heartened the young woman's parents out in Arizona. Justice is sweet.
This isn't Obamaspeak - this is celebration, this is the dancing on the grave of a vile enemy who needs it, needs to understand that the game here is victory, not chess moves. Wiping out and eradicating an enemy, not making a stinking peace treaty.
When U.S. troops wiped out Osama bin Laden, President Obama was careful to not allow any dead body pictures to get out for Americans to celebrate over, and he made sure that terrorist got a good and proper Islamic burial, implicitly suggesting that he was a good Muslim and of course, they needed to help him make his way to Heaven, which frankly was an insult to actual good Muslims. No celebrations, just political haymaking for Obama himself were all that followed.
Trump did it different - he sent al-Baghdadi to hell and spat on his grave for anyone still sympathetic.
It was far gutsier and unlike Obama, he was willing to share credit, too. Trump also went out his way to unapologetically and unfearfully thank the otherwise adversarial nations that helped out - Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, the Kurds - not caring about the inevitable yelling from the left that would be sure to follow. "Russia treated us great..." he said in the question-and-answer session, pointing out that the Russians and the other helpful entities hated ISIS, too.
Then he praised U.S. service members to the high heavens with descriptions on the danger they faces, offering massive thanks and gratitude.
The performance was celebratory, natural, believable, victorious and All Trump.
The tut-tutting flowed from Democrats, complaining about the tone. Instaundit has some choice tweets like this one from a top Obama advisor, David Axelrod:
“The elimination of Al-Baghdadi is great news. [Trump] would have been better served by allowing the announcement to speak for itself rather than engaging in a lengthy victory lap. Less is more is never his thing.”The Dems, it seems are struggling with their main priority, blasting President Trump and trying to convey to the American people that they aren't total terrorist-symps. Tough dilemma.
But Trump's celebration of victory is exactly what has been missing from the entire twenty-year war on terror. Remember how President Trump's idea of a victory parade was derided by the left and swamp establishment? That ought to have been a warning to terrorists, actually, who along with the left confused that message with vainglory.
Aside from the casualties, this absence of victory dances a very good reason why public support has evaporated for the war on terror, leaving just endless war and no celebration, no proper end.
Trump gets it. And stomping on terrorist graves is exactly the right response.
