A top former commander of Australian forces in Iraq has called the death of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi a “really good achievement”.
Former major general Jim Molan, who now serves as a Liberal Party senator, said the incident was a reminder that ISIS had not disappeared.
US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday the head of ISIS blew himself up along with 12 others as American ground forces closed in on his apartment block in northwest Syria.
“It’s a tremendous achievement,” Major General Molan said.
“Although we might be concentrating on Taiwan or Ukraine … ISIS did not go away, it’s still there.”
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne also welcomed news of the ISIS leader’s death.
“Da’esh (ISIS) terrorism and atrocities against innocent people cannot be tolerated. We must remain vigilant against terrorism around the world,” she said.
Senator Molan served as Chief of Operations for coalition forces in Iraq and said the decision to attack the ISIS leader from the ground rather than by air xjmtzywstrike likely saved lives.
US intelligence agents had been watching the compound since December.
“They would have gone through a very involved decision making process – and I was part of that process in Iraq for a solid year where we did it almost every night – as to the best way of doing this without imposing collateral damage on those that live very close to al-Qurayshi,” he said.
He said the operation showed the US still had a number of troops in northern Syria, likely operating out of Iraq.
“There are still troops there who are supporting the Kurds – very small numbers, but it gives you the base to mount an attack like this,” Senator Molan said.
“A base like this is critical and we don’t have such a base in Afghanistan which is a real problem for us.”
In regards to the situation in Ukraine, the senator said Russian President Vladimir Putin would likely not rain on the parade of China’s Xi Jinping by invading during this week’s Winter Olympics.
However he said the possibility of a partial or absolute invasion remained very real.
“It won’t be a walkover. I suspect Russia in the end will win because of their aviation capability,” he said.
“But it would be ugly.”
He said it may not be the case Russia will aim to take control of the entire Ukraine, and may invade only sections, such as the Donbas where pro-Russian troops have been fighting for some time.
President Putin may seek to link that area with Crimea which Russia invaded and annexed in 2014, he said.
“It’s a strange way to invade another country which is why I don’t think it will be the worst situation.
“He (Putin) is advertising the fact that he’s got those troops around the country. Normally you would sneak up to the border and dash across as a surprise attack. That would seem to me to be much more logical.
“This may have other aims and those other aims might be political, to force NATO back from Russian borders.”
