Trump Credits 'Great Military' for Taking Out Major Terrorist Threat
President Donald Trump on Sunday praised America’s military for a U.S. airstrike that killed a terrorist who helped mastermind the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, which killed 17 Americans.
Suicide bombers attacked the Cole on Oct. 12, 2000, while it was in port in Aden, Yemen. The terrorists who conducted the attack used a small boat laden with explosives to approach the Cole. The blast, which blew a hole in the side of the ship, injured 39 sailors
The attack was blamed on al-Qaida.
Last week, reports surfaced that Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi had been killed in Yemen after an airstrike coordinated by U.S. intelligence and military officials working in tandem, CNN reported.
Trump made that news official Sunday.
“Our GREAT MILITARY has delivered justice for the heroes lost and wounded in the cowardly attack on the USS Cole. We have just killed the leader of that attack, Jamal al-Badawi. Our work against al Qaeda continues. We will never stop in our fight against Radical Islamic Terrorism!” Trump tweeted.
Our GREAT MILITARY has delivered justice for the heroes lost and wounded in the cowardly attack on the USS Cole. We have just killed the leader of that attack, Jamal al-Badawi. Our work against al Qaeda continues. We will never stop in our fight against Radical Islamic Terrorism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2019
U.S. Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, also issued a statement Sunday.
“U.S. CENTCOM has confirmed that Jamal al-Badawi was killed in a precision strike in Marib governate, Jan. 1,” said Navy Capt. William Urban, a Central Command spokesman, according to The Washington Post. “Jamal al-Badawi was a legacy al Qaeda operative in Yemen involved in the USS Cole bombing. U.S. forces confirmed the results of the strike following a deliberate assessment process.”
U.S. CENTCOM has confirmed that Jamal al-Badawi was killed in a precision strike in Marib governate, Jan. 1.
Jamal al-Badawi was an al Qaeda operative involved in the USS Cole bombing. U.S. forces confirmed the results of the strike following a deliberate assessment process.— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 6, 2019
Previous reports indicated al-Badawi was struck while driving alone in a vehicle and that the U.S. assessed there was not any collateral damage.
Al-Badawi had been arrested twice in Yemen and had been sentenced to death but escaped both times.
“Al-Badawi was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2003, charged with 50 counts of various terrorism offenses, including murder of US nationals and murder of US military personnel,” Urban has said.
The State Department had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information that would lead to al-Badawi’s arrest.
Amazing @realDonaldTrump Our U.S. military after all these years finally brings justice and resolution to the 17 Sailors and more than 39 wounded in the USS Cole attack in Yemen in 2000. It’s been a long time coming…airstrike kills al-Badawi. Read here: https://t.co/tKoQoY9sHY
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) January 6, 2019
We told the Islamists after 9/11 we would hold them accountable all their attacks, no matter how long it takes. Proud to see our superb forces are still keeping that promise. Are you proud of them and our country for this success @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib? #USSCole https://t.co/ZRxzIpXKf5
— Col. Rob Maness ret. (@RobManess) January 6, 2019
“Now, I think justice has been served,” said former FBI agent Ali Soufan. “Unfortunately it took a long time to do it, but let’s put it this way: the Yemeni judge’s order has been executed … The world is a better place without him.”
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