Trump shares photo of hero dog that helped corner Al-Baghdadi after top US general refuses to reveal the canine's identity
President Donald Trump mocked the death of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi during an operation by American forces in Barisha on Saturday (October 26) night by saying “he died like a dog”. But there were some real dogs that were part of the mission that nailed Al-Baghdadi and the president did not forget to mention the four-legged heroes, especially the one that got injured while chasing the terrorist in a dead-end tunnel where he blew himself up along with his human shields.
The president, who was elated by the elimination of Al-Baghdadi in a season when he is facing attacks both on the domestic and foreign affairs fronts, declassified the photo of the canine on Monday, October 28, on Twitter and called it “wonderful”. Though he said that the name of the dog was not revealed, his own military had spoken even against releasing any photograph of the dog.
The dog is believed to have been sent in the tunnel where Al-Baghdadi had taken refuge along with three children who he took as hostages. The terrorist was wearing a suicide vest and detonated it as a last-ditch effort to avoid being caught. The children, too, were killed. The tunnel also crumbled as a result of the explosion and the glorified canine is believed to have been injured by an electric shock. It is recovering, CNN cited a US official as saying. Trump said earlier that there was more than one dog that was chasing al-Baghdadi but zeroed in on the one animal that stole the limelight.
"It's a Delta operation, we can't tell you the name of the dog," one defense official told CNN, explaining why the name of the dog was not revealed. Even its handler’s identity was not declassified though after Trump’s tweet revealing the dog’s image, one would certainly know its breed. The American military mainly relies on German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said the dog was still “in theater” and returned to duty with its handler. "We're not releasing the name of the dog right now. The dog is still in theater. The dog, the K9, the military working dog performed a tremendous service as they all do in a variety of situations. [It's] slightly wounded and fully recovering, but the dog is still in theater, returned to duty, with its handler. So, we're not going to release just yet photos or names of dogs or anything else,” Milley told reporters during a Pentagon press conference on Monday.
In 2011, when the Navy SEALs got rid of Al Qaeda chief and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden in Pakistan’s Abbottabad, a dog named Cairo had played a key role by securing the zone around the terrorist’s compound while the personnel moved in. Cairo was a Belgian Malinois and from the picture that Trump shared on Twitter, the unnamed dog that went after al-Baghdadi also looks to be of the same breed. This breed is popular in the military for its compact size, agility and strength. The Belgian Malinois are also referred to as “Maligators” or “hair missiles” because of their fast-moving ability and strong jaw.