When rumblings of the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi were first heard overnight before President Trump confirmed the news Sunday morning, it inevitably drew comparisons to the death of former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. But experts have warned the two events might not be so similar.
It mostly has to do with the differences in how ISIS and Al Qaeda are structured. The latter was heavily reliant on bin Laden's singular leadership and charisma, so while the terrorist organization still exists, it has weakened somewhat. Experts don't think that will necessarily happen with ISIS, which has placed a greater emphasis on organizational structure.
That is not to say Baghdadi's death is irrelevant; he was an important figure within ISIS and his absence will surely negatively affect his followers and could hinder international recruitment which has already slowed in recent years, but analysts expect ISIS will be able to withstand the loss in some capacity, meaning the U.S. and its allies will likely have to continue to prevent the group's resurgence. Tim O'Donnell
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