The top U.S. general overseeing the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria says he has no idea if ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead or alive.
“Quite honestly, don’t know,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend said. “I hope he’s deader than a doornail. If he’s not, as soon as we find out where he is, he will be.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters on Tuesday that it has “confirmed information” from ISIS sources in the eastern Syrian town of Deir al-Zor that Baghdadi has died, but did not specify when he died.
But speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from via video link, Townsend noted that this is not the first time Baghdadi’s death had been reported.
“The Russians some weeks ago claim to have killed him in an airstrike,” Townsend said. “I’ve received some reporting since then that suggested he was not killed there by the Russians, but I don’t know. Since then, we’ve heard all kinds of reporting that he’s alive, that he’s dead.”
At one point Townsend seemed to equivocate saying, “I don’t have a reason to believe that he’s alive. I don’t have proof of life, you know,” which prompted one reporter to press him about whether if it was his “assessment” that the ISIS leader had indeed died.
A frustrated Townsend leaned into the camera and said, “I. Don’t. Have. A. Clue.”
While the death of Baghdadi would be another blow to the terror group, Townsend said he’s not sure it makes all that much difference in the larger war.
“I suppose it probably doesn’t really matter if no one knows if he’s alive or dead,” Townsend said.
“Someone is guiding ISIS, the organization. And what we have seen with all these paramount leaders is you take them out, and someone else steps up.” But he added, “It’d make me feel better to know that he was dead.”
