America’s ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan gave the U.S. armed forces more than two decades of vital counterterrorism experience—and they continue to put this training to good use.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has dramatically expanded the scope of its counterterrorism operations since mid-February. In a few short weeks, the combatant command responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East and North Africa has taken several high-ranking terrorists out of the picture.
CENTCOM Is Striking ISIS—Directly and Through Allies
In around 40 days, U.S. forces have killed or enabled the capture of four high-ranking terrorists in Syria and Iraq. The target deck has included a senior leadership facilitator of a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, the senior military leader of the same terrorism organization, an Islamic State (ISIS) cell leader, and the second-in-command of ISIS.
On February 21, CENTCOM forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, killing Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar. He was a senior leadership facilitator in Hurras al-Din (HaD), a terrorist organization and al-Qaeda affiliate.
“We will relentlessly pursue and destroy terrorist threats, no matter their location, in order to protect our homeland and our allies and partners,” U.S. Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of CENTCOM, said in a press release.
Only a few days later, on February 23, CENTCOM forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, targeting and killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay. He was the senior military leader of Hurras al-Din (HaD) and a terrorist menace in the region.
Then, on March 6, CENTCOM provided Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with intelligence and support that led to a raid and capture of Salah Mohammad Al-Abdullah, an ISIS cell leader in the vicinity of Shahil, Syria. A statement described this operation as “part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to degrade ISIS networks and prevent the resurgence of the terrorist group in the region.”
Finally, on March 13, CENTCOM forces, alongside Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as “Abu Khadijah.” Abu Khadijah served as the chief of operations and the Delegated Committee Emir of ISIS.
“Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region and beyond,” Gen. Kurilla added.
America Remains Vigilant Against Terrorism
With the U.S. military’s attention mostly fixated on Ukraine, China, and the Red Sea, it is important that terrorist threats in the Middle East do not gain momentum. Although counterterrorism operations are very much on the back burner for the U.S. military, conventional and special operations forces remain active in tracking, detecting, and taking out terrorist threats in the Middle East and Africa.
Critics have attacked America’s focus on the Middle East from 2003 until recently, credibly claiming that Washington’s distraction from great-power competition facilitated the rise of China and the re-emergence of Russia as a major threat.
However, the ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had one silver lining: they gave the U.S. armed forces more than two decades of counterterrorism experience, creating an effective and lethal machine that can eliminate emerging and active threats almost anywhere in the world. Indeed, during the Iraq War, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which contains the U.S. military’s tier one special missions units (Army’s Delta Force, Navy’s SEAL Team Six, et cetera), institutionalized counterterrorism operations to a level never seen before in modern warfare.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / unlu.
