Big Bad Baghdadi is dead, and congratulations are in order for all those who made the mission possible—possibly not including President Trump.

Bagging Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A walk through the Parc Monceau always lifts my spirits, and the sight of this little boy playing with his red balloon brought back memories of my own childhood watching the marvelous short film "Le Ballon Rouge" by Albert Lamorisse when I was more or less the same age as little boy in the picture. But soon enough, I had to plunge back into breaking news from the Middle East. On Saturday morning I appeared on MSNBC to talk about Trump and the Kurds and also about Trump and oil, a subject I expect to revisit in coming days: http://us.wildmoka.com/c/clip/7BKZvg Early Sunday morning brought news of U.S. Special Operation Forces hitting the compound where the loathsome "caliph" of the so-called Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was hiding out. We ran several revealing stories at The Daily Beast, and I was asked to write a column about Trump's press conference as soon as it was over. His melodramatic cinematic descriptions were gruesome and vivid as he tried to tear down the mystique of Baghdadi and of ISIS—a worthy goal, but not one that many jihadists or their sympathizers will find convincing. And then there was the matter of Baghdadi's severed head. The column: OPINION 'HE DIED A COWARD' Trump Turns Baghdadi's Killing Into a Reality Show The president knows great television when he sees it, and he was enthusiastic about the images he was watching from the White House situation room Saturday night.   **** Some of our other Daily Beast stories on Baghdadi's demise:   NO RELIABLE INFORMATION' Russia: Trump Baghdadi Victory Lap Nothing But 'Propaganda' The Russian Defense Ministry also disputed claims that Russia provided access to U.S. air units entering airspace it controls. JULIA DAVIS   'IT WAS HIM' 'Whimpering' ISIS Boss Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Killed: Trump Trump said the elusive leader of the terrorist group detonated his suicide vest once forces closed in, killing himself and three of his young children. SPENCER ACKERMAN, ALLISON QUINN, BARBIE LATZA NADEAU   RED DEAD REDEMPTION The Kurds Spotted Baghdadi. The U.S. Abandoned Them Anyway. ADAM RAWNSLEY Copyright © 2019 Christopher Dickey, All rights reserved. You are receiving this because you were on my personal mailing list, and this is in fact a personal account. But please do feel free to "unsubscribe." Our mailing address is: Christopher Dickey 555 W 18 Street The Daily Beast New York, New York 10011 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Deep Into Africa’s Tragedies - Great Original Reporting @TheDailyBeast

Christina Goldbaum’s investigations of U.S. Special Force Operations in Somalia:


Out of Control: Strong Evidence that U.S. Special Operations Forces Massacred Civilians in Somalia


Night Vision: Inside the Secret Mission That Got a Navy SEAL Killed in Africa





Philip Obaji Jr.’s onscene coverage of Boko Haram, ISIS in Africa, and the migrant exodus:


Survivors: When the Way Out of Boko Haram is an Ancient Slave Route


Hearts and Minds: Here’s How ISIS Won Over the Villagers Where the Green Berets Were Ambushed




Barbie Latza Nadeau on the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean:


Italy’s Ugly Deals to Stop (and Sometimes Kill) Migrants


Migrants Rescued at Sea Between Death and Hope

Some of the rescued people are emotional at the sight of land.

A post shared by Barbie Latza Nadeau (@blnadeau) on Nov 2, 2017 at 9:38am PDT