OnPolitics: ISIS leader killed in overnight US military raid in Syria
Good afternoon, OnPolitics readers!
There’s a lot of news happening around the world today, so let’s dive in!
International terrorism charges against women are extremely rare, according to experts, because men tend to dominate the misogynistic groups such as al-Qaida, the lslamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and related groups in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world.
But a dozen cases over the last decade of U.S. citizens or permanent residents revealed women shedding traditional caretaker roles to recruit fellow warriors, train others to use rifles and explosives, and even kill.
The latest incident involves Allison Elizabeth Fluke-Ekren, 42, a former teacher and resident of Kansas. She was charged May 15, 2019, with plotting bomb attacks in the U.S. and training an all-female battalion to fight for the Islamic State. The case remained sealed until she was caught and transferred to federal authorities in Virginia this past weekend.
while Fluke-Ekren’s case is unusual in terms of the senior operational rank she allegedly achieved in ISIS, women have played important roles in the international Islamic jihad movement.
It’s Amy and Chelsey with today’s top stories out of Washington.
ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi dies in U.S. military raid in Syria
Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed in an overnight U.S. military raid in Syria, President Joe Biden announced Thursday.
a bomb that killed himself and several other people, including his wife and children, as U.S. special operations forces approached with the intention of capturing him, Biden said.
First responders reported that 13 people were killed, including six children and four women. Senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said those numbers don’t match their assessment of casualties.
Biden said all U.S. forces involved in the operation returned. There were no U.S. casualties, officials said.
Real quick: stories you’ll want to read
- “Havana Syndrome” weaponized against U.S. spies: Intelligence officials said a high-tech device shooting pulsed electromagnetic energy or ultrasound waves could be causing the debilitating condition seen in spies and diplomats working overseas.
- AZ GOP Chair Kelli Ward sues Jan. 6 committee: Ward and spouse Michael, both loyalists to former President Donald Trump, sued to block their subpoenaed phone records from the panel.
- Lawmakers press for aid to Afghan refugees: A bipartisan group of politicians urged Biden to speed the evacuations of Afghans who helped U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war.
- The president visits NYC over combating gun crime: New York Mayor Eric Adams and other officials asked for federal assistance to stop the flow of guns into New York state.
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Russia deep-fakes Ukraine assault?
Russia may use a doctored video depicting an attack on its forces stationed at the Ukrainian border as pretense to invade the vulnerable Eastern European country, U.S. intelligence officials said Thursday.
deployed more troops and military equipment to Russia’s neighbor Belarus than at any time in the past 30 years ahead of the impending threat against Ukraine.
That’s all for now, OnPolitics readers. The Beijing Olympics begin tomorrow. Could the Olympic games help improve relations between the U.S. and China? — Amy and Chelsey