Three Things for February 3
1. US raid kills Islamic State leader, leaves 13 dead
Early this morning, a U.S. special forces raid in northwestern Syria killed the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
First responders at the scene reported 13 people were killed, including six children and four women.
“Residents said helicopters flew overhead and U.S. forces clashed with gunmen for more than two hours around a two-story house surrounded by olive trees. They described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the sleepy village of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war,” reports AP News.
President Joe Biden and Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said updates on the raid will be provided later today.
“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS,” said Biden in a statement.
Biden said all Americans involved in the operation returned safely.
2. Former Chattanooga Mayor named special representative in Biden administration
On Feb. 1, the U.S. Department of Commerce appointed former Chattanooga mayor Andy Berke to a position involving the distribution of infrastructure funds from the federal government for broadband internet, reports the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Berke served as the mayor of Chattanooga from 2013 to 2021.
According to a news release from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Berke established several digital equity programs in Chattanooga.
“At the end of his term, Berke led a partnership to provide high speed broadband at no cost to every family with a child on free or reduced lunch, making Chattanooga the first community in the country with such a benefit. A native of Chattanooga, Berke served in the Tennessee Senate for five years prior to his mayoralty,” said NTIA.
On Twitter, Berke said he is proud to be working to make high-speed broadband affordable and available everywhere.
3. US to deploy troops to Eastern Europe
As tensions continue between Russia and Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed on Wednesday the U.S. will soon move approximately 2,000 troops from Fort Bragg in North Carolina to Poland and Germany this week.
The deployments to Eastern Europe, first reported by CNN, are a show of support to NATO allies who feel threatened by Russia's military moves near Ukraine and who fear the possibility of invasion, US officials said.
Roughly 1,000 Germany-based soldiers will also head to Romania. This deployment occurs a day after diplomatic efforts between Ukraine, Russia and international leaders took place.
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the US and its allies are “using Ukraine as a tool to contain Russia.”
Kirby said the moves are not permanent and emphasized, "These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine."
For more information, read the full article here.
