The identity of the next ISIS leader may be kept secret, experts say
Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi died during a U.S. special forces raid on Thursday, dealing a setback to the terrorist group at the same time it's been trying to stage a comeback.
"This is a major blow to ISIS and an important psychological victory for the U.S. team,"James Franklin Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, told NBC News.
President Biden told reporters that al-Qurayshi detonated a suicide bomb when cornered by U.S. special forces in his Syrian hideout. The bomb killed al-Qurayshi and several other people near him, including children. This was "a desperate act of cowardice," Biden said, and similar to the way his predecessor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in 2019.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Al-Qurayshi's successor has not been identified, and it might stay that way, with ISIS keeping the name secret to protect him. "A lot of the leadership has been killed in the last few years," Seth G. Jones, a counterterrorism expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told NBC News. "Because of that, they're being very careful."
Al-Qurayshi was from a region of Iraq where ethnic Turkmen make up the majority, and experts told NBC News they believe ISIS's next leader will also be Iraqi. Dr. Daniel Milton, director of research at the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point, told NBC News he thinks this person will be familiar with "Islamic jurisprudence" and have experience in the battlefield. ISIS has been planning for this moment, Jeffrey said, adding, "The shelf-life of an ISIS leader of late is about three years, and so they are prepared for that eventuality."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published