An image grab from a July 5, 2014 propaganda video allegedly shows the leader of the Islamic State jihadist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, addressing Muslim worshipers at a mosque in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Photo: AFP / Al-Furqan Media
Asia Times: ISIS prepped Baghdadi escape years before defeat
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his top leadership are likely in the impenetrable Syrian desert, long prepped for territorial setbacks
Long before the fall of his physical empire, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, was hunkered down with his top command and most loyal fighters, most likely in the impenetrable Syrian desert region known as the Badia.
“Certainly he is still alive, he did not participate in any battle and was not close to any battlefield,” said Hisham al-Hashemi, a Baghdad-based terrorism expert.
“The ISIS security detail that guards Baghdadi knows that keeping the Caliph alive is more important than maintaining the Caliphate,” he told Asia Times.
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WNU Editor: My gut tells me that he is hiding in western Iraq.
