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Trump meets with Army unit that conducted Al-Baghdadi raid, awards citation
By Sam Dorman
Published October 29, 2020
President Trump has awarded a citation to the Army special operations unit that conducted the 2019 raid resulting in the death of notorious Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
"It was a really special moment," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said of the meeting, which took place in Fort Bragg, N.C. "Meant a lot to the president. He was with our heroes for about an hour just having casual conversations, answering questions.”
First lady Melania Trump attended the meeting as well.
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Presidential citations are offered to units that act with exceptional heroism.
"The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign," according to the U.S. Army.
The ISIS leader's death came roughly a year ago, in a successful U.S. military operation in northwest Syria. The Islamic State leader detonated an explosive vest as U.S. Special Operations Forces stormed his compound in the Idrib Province.
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Al-Baghdadi's death represented a major blow to the transnational terrorist organization that had brutally murdered so many in the region.
Dubbed Operation Kayla Mueller, the strike was named after a humanitarian aid worker who was reportedly forced into marriage and raped by the Islamic State leader.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-bragg-unit-citation-army-unit-baghdadi