The Enigmatic Leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and ISIS Operations

After a five-year international manhunt, the leader of the Islamic State, who at one point controlled a caliphate the size of Britain, was killed in a raid by elite United States forces in Syria over the weekend.

Today, we explore the life and death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — and the legacy he leaves behind. Guest: Rukmini Callimachi, who covers terrorism and the Islamic State for The Times, in conversation with Natalie Kitroeff. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

• Kurdish forces were essential in the mission to track and identify Mr. al-Baghdadi. President Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria threw the operation into turmoil.
• Some survivors of Islamic State brutality said Mr. al-Baghdadi’s death came too late. “He deserves a worse and more abhorrent death,” one added.

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