Shock after bombshell memoir reveals Melania ADVISED Donald Trump during top secret Baghdadi hit
WASHINGTON, DC: Melania Trump played a leading role in the White House Situation Room during the October 2019 raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. She also advised her husband, former president Donald Trump, to talk about the role hero military dog Conan played in the action.
The eyebrow-raising role assumed by the former first lady is outlined in former Defense Secretary Christopher Miller's memoir, 'Soldier Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America’s Most Dangerous Enemies'. Miller served on the National Security Council when Al Baghdadi was the world's most wanted terrorist and was Trump's senior adviser for counterterrorism before he went on to lead the Pentagon.
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Miller was in the Situation Room during the historic raid and remembered how other military officials were taken aback when Melania joined them to watch the action play out in real-time. "Secretary of Defense Mark Esper quickly gave up his seat and she sat down next to the President, who introduced her to us as if we didn’t know who she was. Her presence was unexpected, to say the least," Miller wrote in his book, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily Caller. "I wondered how it would play in the press if word got out that the First Lady had popped in to watch a major military operation," Miller continued, adding, "Not my problem, I figured. And after all, it was her house." It's worth noting that Melania's presence in the Situation Room during the 2019 operation had never been reported on before.
According to Miller, Trumo asked Brig Gen Marcus Evans, then-deputy director for special operations on the Joint Staff, to bring the First Lady "up to speed." After a brief discussion on what was happening at the time, Evans reportedly told the group that the "US assault force had unleashed their combat dog” into the building with al-Baghdadi with “our commandos close behind." Miller recalled the moment Abu Bakr was cornered and detonated a suicide vest, killing himself, his two children and two of his wives in the process.
Miller also remembered the former POTUS asking military officials what would happen to their bodies, to which he replied that al-Baghdadi would be buried at sea while the bodies of the two women killed would remain in the building itself. “Don’t you think ISIS will parade their bodies around and make it look like they were innocent?” Trump allegedly asked Miller. Evans then told Miller to share with the room that a “barrage of missiles would pulverize the building” where the operation took place.
'You should talk about the dog'
Trump also sought advice on how he should address the American people about the successful operation, which is when his wife chimed in with advice. “You should talk about the dog,” Miller quoted Melania as saying, noting how she "took over" the conversation at that point. “Everyone loves dogs," she added. Conan, a Belgian Malinois, played an instrumental role in aiding the US military special forces track down al-Baghdadi through a tunnel during the sensational raid in Syria. The brave canine was injured in the attack but recovered shortly after.
That said, Trumo heeded his wife's advice and highlighted the dog's pivotal role while speaking of the operation in a public address. "Our 'K-9,' as they call it," he said of Conan, adding, "I call it a dog. A beautiful dog — a talented dog — was injured and brought back." The former president later hosted the hero dog in the Rose Garden of the White House and honored him with an award and plaque for his service to the nation. "Conan did a fantastic job and we're very honored to have Conan here and to have given Conan a certificate and an award," Trump remarked at the ceremony.
'Soldier Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America’s Most Dangerous Enemies' is expected to hit shelves on Tuesday, February 7, Radar Online reported.