Spencer Ackerman writes:

After U.S. special operations forces dealt a violent end to the leader of the premier jihadist group in Iraq, the president hailed the importance of the moment.

The man was a monster, the president declared, responsible for a regional campaign of devastation, even the beheadings of American hostages. True, the killing would not mean the end of the broader war, the president noted, but the U.S. had dealt “a severe blow” to the jihadists.

George W. Bush said this in 2006, following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

After U.S. special operations forces dealt a violent end to the leader of the global jihadist movement, the president hailed the importance of the moment. The man was a monster, the president declared, responsible for a global campaign of devastation, and particularly the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. True, the killing would not mean the end of the broader war, the president noted, but the U.S. had reaped “the most significant achievement to date” against the jihadists.

Barack Obama said this in 2011, following the killing of Osama bin Laden.

After U.S. special operations forces ensured a violent end for the leader of a new global jihadist movement, the president hailed the importance of the moment. The man was a monster, the president declared, responsible for a global campaign of devastation, even the beheadings of American hostages. True, the killing would not mean the end of the broader war, the president noted, but it showed that “these savage monsters will never escape their fate.”

These three fatal milestones all point to the strategic incoherence within a global war that has now lasted an entire generation. No one, not the Trump administration nor its critics, believes that the so-called Islamic State is finished because Baghdadi is dead. [Continue reading…]