Menendez Statement on Death of ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

NEWARK – Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a military raid in Syria led by the United States:

“Today, we come together to congratulate our men and women in uniform who successfully executed the attack on a brutal murderer who mercilessly killed Americans, terrorized populations across the Middle East, and threatened regional peace and security. Last night’s operation is a testament to the courage of our military who put their lives at risk every day to protect our nation, and a sobering reminder of the importance of sustained American leadership with reliable and capable partners on the ground, including the Syrian Democratic Forces and Iraqi military.

“As we begin to understand what a post-Baghdadi Islamic State will look like, we must be clear that the threat of ISIS remains as urgent and grave as ever. As we have unfortunately seen with other terrorist organizations across the world facing significant loss of leadership, the end of Baghdadi will not mean the end of ISIS.

“Today, more than ever, let us remember and honor the memories of the Americans ISIS has killed, including American troops earlier this year and Americans Steven Sotloff, James Foley, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller.”

###