The Pentagon announced in March that it believed it killed Omar al-Shishani, also known as “Omar the Chechen,” in an airstrike in Syria. It was pretty sure.
But now the U.S. believes it killed him for real this time, but is hedging its statements.
The Pentagon is not confirming Shishani’s death, even though the Islamic State says Omar, its putative minister of war, “was martyred” near Mosul a few days ago.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook chose his words carefully briefing reporters Thursday.
“On July 10th, the coalition conducted a strike on an ISIL leadership meeting near Mosul,” Cook said. “We believe that Omar Shishani was present, along with 16 other ISIL leaders. We are still working to confirm the outcome of that airstrike. But again, we do have indications that he was present.”
Shishani was reputed to be the Islamic State’s chief military strategist, and Cook said his removal from the battlefield, if confirmed, would be “a significant blow to ISIL.”
Cook said the fact that Shishani was leading a meeting near Mosul, where Iraqi forces are slowly encircling the Islamic State stronghold, shows “the importance that ISIL is now placing on this particular area of Iraq.”
There is a growing sense among senior Pentagon officials that the Islamic State is resigned to losings its de facto capital in Iraq, and is planning its next moves.
FBI Director James Comey warned a congressional committee Thursday that the territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria could result in a “terrorist diaspora,” in which the defeated fighters would use false travel documents to move to Europe and the West to carry out attacks.
