Donald Trump in full flow over the killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

President Donald Trump was positively imperious when he announced the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a raid on his compound in Syria by US special operations troops. When Barak Obama announced the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, he did it in a quiet, albeit dramatic, way, with a statement about the historically important moment and the American military's brave involvement. For Trump, the death of al-Baghdadi provided him with a unique political opportunity to show that he was the US commander-in-chief and gave him a chance to boast of the brilliance of the US special operations team that chased al-Baghdadi down a tunnel under his compound until he blew himself up and three of his children he had dragged with him rather than be captured. Trump gave amazing detail and kept on repeating that the Isis leader had run down the tunnel screaming and crying and whimpering before he detonated his suicide belt which apparently he always wore at night. It was an incredibly riveting performance, superb television and a sort of impeach-me-if-you-dare address. All the credit of course should go to the Delta Force commandos who executed the mission, the CIA and other intelligence agencies who contributed vital clues to al-Baghdadi's whereabouts and the special operations helicopter crews who flew the troops to the Idlib compound in northwest Syria. But this was a political blast from the White House pulpit like nothing else in living memory. Trump had got rid of the most wanted terrorist on the planet. Obama had done pretty much the same thing with Osama bin Laden and he definitely benefited politically as a result. But Obama didn't swagger like Trump did. Trump positively swaggered, and, for good measure, to prove his infinite diplomatic skills, he thanked Russia and Syria and Turkey for their assistance. Amazing!! They were not involved in the operation in any way, but Trump and co had tipped off the Russians and Turks and Syrians that they were going to be engaging in an operation that would involve US aircraft flying low over where they had troops on the ground. Trump even said the Russians were told they would like whatever the US was about to do. Trump said Russia hated Isis as much as the US. Clearly the Russians who now have hundreds of troops in northern Syria had to be forewarned of the approach of eight Black Hawk helicopters and an escorting ground-attack aircraft and three surveillance drones. Otherwise the whole lot could have been shot down. But it was a high-risk move. The one thing Trump hates more than anything is leaks and there must have been a danger that this extraordinary tidbit of intelligence might be leaked by Moscow. But Putin is a cunning guy. As soon as he was told, he would have kept it a secret although, I suspect, with a quid pro quo, that well known phrase or saying!!! "When you announce whatever you are doing, make sure you thank Russia for its cooperation". Trump was totally triumphant in his address and sbsequent Q and A session and had no compunction about thanking the Russians. The Democrats with their impeachment hopes have just lost their cause. Trump killed al-Baghdadi and he made sure every voter in the land knows it.