Finish licking your wounds, Conan, because it’s time to get back to work.
ISIS has picked a new leader, according to the Guardian. He is reportedly Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi.
The position became available Oct. 27 when its previous holder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, blew himself up in with a suicide vest while being chased down a Syrian tunnel by special forces operatives including a Belgian Malinois named Conan. The four-legged trooper was injured during the pursuit, but rewarded with a trip to the White House.
Salbi was tapped to fill the vacancy in the terror group’s top spot almost immediately, but his identity wasn’t immediately known because he was appointed under a pseudonym unfamiliar to allied intelligence agents, the report said. That nom de guerre was Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.
Trump tweeted two days after Baghdadi’s death that his “number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot.”
CNN said that reference was to ISIS spokesperson Abu Hasan al-Muhajir.
Like Baghdadi, Salbi is viewed as a militant hardliner with deep ties to the Islamic State. He is a native of Tal Afar, Iraq, who reportedly has a degree in Sharia law from the University of Mosul. He also has a son.
According to the Guardian, Salbi met Baghdadi while there were both prisoners being held by U.S. forces in southern Iraq in 2004. He was seen as a likely successor for Baghdadi and had a $5 million price on his head.
U.S. forces reportedly don’t know his whereabouts, but have included Turkey in their search since Salbi has a brother there who is politically active.
Baghdadi is believed to have led ISIS for more than five years prior to his death.
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