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.

Notes and Commentary on the Kurdish Crisis

Trump's betrayal of the Kurds who fought ISIS was long anticipated but finally came in a murderous moment of presidential caprice. 

Notes and Commentary on the Betrayal of the Kurds Greetings from rainy Paris where every so often one of the classic Citroen "Traction Avant" sedans from the 1930s and '40s comes racing down the street, a flash from the past that trails the scent of Gauloises and pastis like this one a couple of days ago on the Rue Royale... On a more serious note: The U.S. betrayal of the Kurds who led the fight on the ground that destroyed the "Caliphate" of the so-called Islamic State was long anticipated, and not really a surprise. But U.S. President Donald Trump's final/not-final decision to green-light a massive Turkish incursion and open the way to ethnic cleansing was a stunning picture of "statecraft" born straight out of his gut. His bluffing and bullying could not compensate for his ignorance addressing an extremely delicate situation, which is why he reversed course so many times, and continues to do so. I should mention that I was greatly helped in my reporting over the last couple of weeks by the many very well informed friends and contacts I saw at the Beirut Institute Summit in Abu Dhabi, the spectacular project of Raghida Dergham and Prince Turki al-Faisal which has become, to my mind, the best conference of its kind in the region. These appearances and columns are listed in reverse chronological order: My commentary in a conversation with Brian Williams on his MSNBC show The 11th Hour — Dickey: Syria Crisis only worsens Europe's frustration with Trump. These are some of the articles for The Daily Beast that I wrote or edited about events in Syria:   'THE SUM OF THINGS' The Kurds Died Defeating ISIS. Trump P*ssed on Their Graves. He blames those he betrayed as if they were servants who failed him. CHRISTOPHER DICKEY ****   BLIND U.S. Surveillance Turns Away From ISIS—and to Its Own Troops With the remaining American forces retreating under fire, their eyes in Syrian skies are focused on protecting themselves. SPENCER ACKERMAN, CHRISTOPHER DICKEY ****   ROTTEN The U.S. Spoiled a Deal That Might Have Saved the Kurds Forsaken by the U.S. and under attack by Turkish troops, the Kurds are turning to Russia for help. The last time they tried to do so, the Americans worked to talk them out of it. CHRISTOPHER DICKEY, SPENCER ACKERMAN I would also recommend this from early in the crisis: KILLING FIELDS Kurds Prepared for Trump's Syria Betrayal—With a Vengeance The Kurds are not entirely defenseless. They've been preparing for what they had long anticipated—a possible betrayal by their closest ally, the United States. ANNE SPECKHARD Published 10.07.19 And this from my colleague Spencer Ackerman today:   MISSION CREPT Last U.S. Base in Syria: 'Everything Wrong With Trump's War' As the Pentagon scrambles to keep pace with Trump's Syria tweets, its final outpost in the Syrian desert is a base in search of a purpose. But the crisis in Syria was not the only event we covered. These stories by some of my colleagues also are well worth reading:   SEE NO EVIL U.S. Laws Let White Supremacists Operate Like ISIS What allows far-right terrorist groups to thrive in the U.S. is a legal double standard that binds the hands of even the most proactive members of law enforcement. RITA KATZ **** COLOR-CODED REVOLUTION Hong Kong Protesters Rate Which Businesses Are Friend or Foe Hongkongers are adopting small-scale actions to keep the protest movement from stalling, among them a rating system for business for or against the uprising. BRENDON HONG **** CARTEL WATCH The Murderous New Super Cartel Winning Post El Chapo Mexico The old guard is threatened, a new force is ascendant, and citizens increasingly are caught up in the violence. JEREMY KRYT And then there was this story of outrageous insensitivity in the Oval Office:   HEARTLESS Grieving Parents 'Ambushed' by Trump at the White House The president had hoped to surprise the family of dead British teen Harry Dunn with a meeting with the woman who killed him. "And they weren't ready for it," he admitted. BARBIE LATZA NADEAU A REMINDER: If you want these emails shared with friends, you can suggest they sign up on this landing page. It's as simple as plugging in an email. 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.

Recent Columns - From Richard Francis Burton in Boy Brothels to an American ambassador's parting shots

A Spy In the Brothels of Karachi 

Dec 17, 2016 12:13 AM EST

Before he was a world-famous spy and translator, Richard Fr.... MORE

—An expanded version of my earlier post on Burton's appendix to "The Thousand Nights and a Night"



Iran's Selective Crackdown on Christians

Dec 27, 2016 12:00 AM EST

Iran tolerates some Christians but not others—and converting from Islam can cost you your life. MORE

—It's the converts who are in the greatest danger



John Kerry's Last Warning to Israel

Dec 28, 2016 2:54 PM EST

With just 23 days remaining in office, President Obama's secretary of State tries to deliver 'hard... MORE

—Almost certainly a futile gesture.

Inside Turkey’s Terror ‘Santa’ Attack

Jan 1, 2017 8:43 AM EST

As video emerges of terrorists mowing down least 39 people at a popular Istanbul nightclub, a... MORE

—Apparently he wasn't a Santa at all ... and as far as I know he is still on the run, although the Turks are rounding up Uighurs. 
—On Jan 16 the Turks announced they had arrested (and apparently beat the shit out of) an Uzbek named Abdulkadir Masharipov.

Wary of Trump, Le Pen Embraces Putin

Jan 6, 2017 2:15 PM EST

While cautious about fully embracing Donald Trump, France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen is... MORE

—And apparently Trump is wary of her, declining to receive her on her trip to New York last week. We reported she was on her way there after our sources texted us from the American Airlines plane she was on out of Paris. But it seems Trump's buddy Nigel Farage may have nixed a meeting.



Obama, Terror, and Trump: Parting Shots

Jan 13, 2017 3:12 PM EST

U.S. Amb. Jane Hartley leaves France on Jan. 19, the day before Inauguration Day.... MORE

—She was guarded in her remarks, and then she wasn't.

Recent Speaking and Writing about Refugees and Migrants in Europe

My appearances on CNN talking about migrants and refugees in Europe:

 http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/09/04/exp-dickey-syrian-refugees.cnn

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/04/outrage-isn-t-enough-to-end-syrian-refugee-crisis.html

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Cheap Outrage Won't Save Refugee Kids

Sep 2, 2015 2:43 PM EDT
Much more could be done to end the horror stories in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and along the... MORE

article

Fact: Immigrants Make Cities Safer

Aug 6, 2015 9:00 AM EDT
Politicians would rather talk about horrifying anecdotes and conventional wisdom than look at the... MORE

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Migrants' Desperate Chunnel Blitz

Jul 29, 2015 9:05 PM EDT
The danger of making their journeys, and possibility of death, doesn't deter the thousands of... MORE