1 Biden Cheers Counterterrorism Op That Killed ISIS Leader
We’re learning more about the operation that apparently took out ISIS leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. At a Pentagon briefing, Pentagon's spokesman John Kirby says the death deals a significant blow to the terrorist group as he was a "very hands-on leader." Kirby says al-Qurayshi was given an opportunity to surrender, but blew himself up instead – taking his wife and two children with him. There were no U.S. casualties. And the method of the raid was designed to minimize civilian casualties. In fact, 10 people - including children - were rescued from the compound. For his part, President Biden is cheering the success of the operation. In an address, the President said the raid sends a message to terrorists that the U.S. "will come after you, and we will find you." Biden said he did everything possible to minimize civilian casualties. He did not take follow-up questions from reporters.
2 Winter Storm Continues To Blanket Much Of Eastern U.S.
Millions remains in the icy grip of major winter storm that spans from the Canadian border almost all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The storm system has also led to a rare tornado in Alabama, that left one dead and three critically injured. Thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed – a situation that’s not expected to improve much today. But it’s not just air travel that’s affected – in Austin, officials confirm that a 14-car pileup happened last night. As the massive storm system moves east, nearly 300-thousand people are without power – from Texas to Pennsylvania. As the storm heads into New England today, it’s producing snow, freezing rain, sleet – and ice.
3 Pentagon: Moscow May Stage Fake Attack To Gain Support For Attacking Ukraine
The Pentagon is taking the rare step of sharing intel related to Russia – and says Moscow may be on the verge of staging a fake attack against Russians to justify an invasion of Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the plan could include release of a graphic video of a fake attack including corpses and actors to play mourners. He stressed that it could be designed to prompt outrage, gain support and serve as a pretext for an actual invasion. Kirby cited U.S. intelligence sources and argued that such propaganda is right out of the Russian playbook. So why is the Pentagon telling us? “We are making it available to you for a couple reasons,” he explained. “One, is to attempt to deter the Russians from going ahead with this activity. Two, in the event we're not able to do that, in the event the Russians do go ahead with this, to make it clear as day.”