In this photo provided by the White House, President Donald Trump is joined by from left, national security adviser Robert O’Brien, Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary mark Esper, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and Brig. Gen. Marcus Evans, Deputy Director for Special Operations on the Joint Staff, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington. (Shealah Craighead/The White House via AP)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 1:55 PM PT — Friday, November 1, 2019
U.S. counterterrorism officials are saying they’re working to get more information on the supposed new leader of ISIS. During a Friday news conference, U.S. Counterterrorism Coordinator Nathan Sales said authorities are looking into the leader, as well as his role in the organization and where he came from.“ISIS remains a top national security priority,” stated Sales. “We’re aware of the fact that it has selected a new leader.”The coordinator said there’s nothing to announce publicly yet, but emphasized the critical nature of these transitions of power. He went on to say officials want to make sure they have the latest information to confront the threat effectively.“We will continue to subject that organization to unrelenting counterterrorism pressure, using all the tools of national power,” stated Sales. “We will dismantle the group, regardless of who its leadership cadre is.”This comes after ISIS named Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi as the new Caliph on Thursday. Al-Qurayshi has since praised deceased leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a martyr.Related: White House Confirms ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Is Dead
