CNN’s chief international anchor described the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011 as a “nothing burger” compared to Thursday’s killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
The leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force was killed during an airstrike Thursday ordered by President Donald Trump near the Baghdad, Iraq, airport, the Pentagon said in a statement.
“Qasem Soleimani was at the height of his power when he was taken out. Unlike Osama bin Laden, who was a forgotten, you know, nothing burger, sort of hiding in a villa in Pakistan,” CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said Friday.
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Former President Barack Obama ordered the raid on bin Laden’s compound in May 2011, resulting in his death. Bin Laden’s death was one of the highlights of the Obama administration.
“But, it’s not the person you take out, it’s what they leave behind and the tentacles and who comes next,” Amanpour continued. “Al-Qaeda terrorism did not end with the sidelining of Osama bin Laden. ISIS has not ended with the killing of al-Baghdadi.”
“So if you’re trying to end whatever is happening, this is a major escalation, and we need to see what the plan is.” (RELATED: Sen. Chris Murphy: Qasem Soleimani ‘Most Significant Leader The United States Has Ever Assassinated’)
Soleimani was “actively developing plans” to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq, according to the Pentagon.