Trump Releases Photo of Hero Dog Who Chased al-Baghdadi
by Kristina Wong
BREITBART
President Trump tweeted a photo of the hero dog who chased Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi into a tunnel, forcing him to blow himself up.
“We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi!” Trump tweeted.
ABC News reported that the dog’s breed is a Belgian Malinois — the same breed as the dog that was involved in the raid to get Osama bin Laden.
We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2019
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley gave an update on the dog’s health during a press conference Monday.
NEW detail. A US official confirms that the dog used in the Baghdadi raid is a Belgian Malinois. FYI: Same breed as Cairo, the dog used in the Bin Laden raid.
— luis martinez (@LMartinezABC) October 28, 2019
“The dog is still in theater. The dog, the K-9, the military working dog performed a tremendous service as they all do in a variety of situations. Slightly wounded, and fully recovering, but the dog is still in theater, returned to duty with its handler,” Milley said.
Pentagon officials are also looking at whether the dog is eligible for a Purple Heart, but indicated it could depend on the extent of the injuries.
Trump praised the dog during a press conference on Monday.
“Our K-9, as they call — I call it a dog, a beautiful dog, a talented dog — was injured and brought back. But we had no soldier injured,” he said.
Trump indicated that the dog chased al-Baghdadi into a tunnel and helped prevent U.S. forces from being hurt.
“It’s incredible that nobody was killed — or hurt. We had nobody even hurt. And that’s why the dog was so great,” Trump said.
Trump also said the U.S. forces involved in the operation will be invited to the White House.
“They’ll be invited. I don’t know if they’ll want to have their faces shown, to be honest with you. You know, they want to — they’re incredible for the country. They’re not looking for public relations,” he said.
“But they love doing what they’re doing. I’ve seen it. The first lady was out there recently looking at what they do. She came back; she said, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that.’ The training — you know, all of the training — and the power of the people,” Trump continued. “The men and women, the strength, the physical strength, the mental strength. These are incredible people. These are very unique individuals.”