Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after being briefed on the U.S. raid that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi:
“It is always a better day when there is one less terrorist. I thank our heroic special operations forces for their bravery, and I’m glad they returned home safely.
“However, this single operation is not a substitute for an effective, comprehensive counterterrorism plan or for holding ISIS-K accountable for the Abbey Gate attack. In fact, it raises questions about the Biden administration’s counterterrorism strategy.
“First, for many months, the administration has insisted that it can effectively counter terrorists through ‘over-the-horizon’ operations. Last night demonstrated the importance of U.S. partnerships and presence for successful counterterrorism operations — something we no longer have in Afghanistan, where there have been zero strikes against ISIS-K since August. This is why the terrorists responsible for killing 13 U.S. service members on August 26 are still at large.
“Second, it has been suggested that the intent of this operation was to capture al-Qurayshi, rather than kill him. If so, I have many questions about whether there were law enforcement elements in this operation, and what the administration intended to do with him, or what they’ll do with other dangerous terrorists that are captured on the battlefield. I have submitted these questions to the Pentagon.”