Indian Shiite Muslim demonstrators burn an effigy of the Islamic State group (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a protest in New Delhi on June 9, 2017.聽US President Donald Trump blasted the New York Times on Saturday, July 22, 2017, for thwarting a bid to kill al-Baghdadi.聽AFP
WASHINGTON, United States 鈥� President Donald Trump on Saturday attacked The New York Times and its 鈥渟ick agenda,鈥� alleging that one of the paper鈥檚 reports thwarted a US bid to take out Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) chief.
鈥淭he Failing New York Times foiled US attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, Al-Baghdadi. Their sick agenda over National Security,鈥� Trump wrote in one of a barrage of early morning tweets.
Trump did not expand on his charge against The Times, or explain what revelation by the daily is supposed to have hampered Baghdadi鈥檚 capture.
The New York Times told the Politico news site in a statement: 鈥淲e have asked the White House to clarify the tweet.鈥�
US media suggested that Trump may have been referring to a Fox 黑料社 report about comments made by a top general at a security conference on Friday in Aspen, Colorado.
At that gathering, General Tony Thomas 鈥� head of the US military鈥檚 Special Operations Command 鈥� reportedly said that American forces at one point came 鈥減articularly close鈥� to Baghdadi after a 2015 raid recovered information about ISIS.
Fox 黑料社 reported that Thomas said US troops had 鈥渁 very good lead,鈥� on the ISIS leader鈥檚 whereabouts.
鈥淯nfortunately, it was leaked in a prominent national newspaper about a week later and that lead went dead,鈥� Thomas reportedly said at the forum.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Friday that he believes Baghdadi is still alive, following various claims in recent months that he has been killed.
鈥淲e are going after him, but we assume he is alive,鈥� the Pentagon chief said.
There have been persistent rumors that Baghdadi has died in recent months.
With a $25 million US bounty on his head, Baghdadi has kept a low profile but is rumored to move regularly throughout ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria.
The Iraqi 鈥� nicknamed 鈥淭he Ghost鈥� 鈥� has not been seen since making his only known public appearance as 鈥渃aliph鈥� in 2014 at the Grand Mosque of Al-Nuri in Mosul, which was destroyed in the battle for Iraq鈥檚 second city.
The Times has become a favorite Trump target despite his penchant for reaching out to the daily, including this week, when he gave its reporters a major interview in which he criticized his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
In Saturday鈥檚 tweetstorm, Trump railed against The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, for its 鈥渋llegal leaks.鈥�
鈥淎 new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post, this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions,鈥� he wrote on Twitter, adding 鈥淭hese illegal leaks鈥� must stop!鈥�
He also groused about some of his favorite targets: the failure of US lawmakers to repeal 鈥渄ead鈥� Obamacare, Democratic 鈥渙bstructionists鈥� and alleged 鈥渢ies to Russia鈥� by Hillary Clinton, his defeated opponent in last year鈥檚 presidential election. CBB