ISIS second-in-command killed in U.S. airstrike with Iraqi aid
AxiosMAR 15
Joint Iraqi-US Operation Kills IS No. 2 Leader
Above: A screen capture from a video shows the US-Iraqi precision airstrike that killed the Global IS second leader, Emir Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias "Abu Khadija," in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar on March 13, 2025. Image copyright: CENTCOM/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The fact that a top IS leader has been neutralized in a joint US-Iraqi airstrike stresses that America can rely exclusively on such operations to fight the remnants of the IS in Iraq and Syria. US troops have spent more than a decade with boots on the ground in Syria, now it's time for them to withdraw.
Pro-establishment narrative
While this operation has dealt a huge blow to IS, the group is far from being destroyed for good — and US pressure on the ground is key to protect hard-earned gains and prevent IS from reconstituting. If US troops leave Syria, the group would be left unchecked and could resurge.