A photo of U.S. President Joe Biden monitoring the operation targeting ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has brought to mind similar images of previous American presidents during significant operations aimed at combating terrorism. The picture, released by the White House on Thursday, features Biden, Vice President Harris, and members of the national security team inside the operations room, observing the mission dubbed "Removing Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of ISIS, from the battlefield." The operation was successful, with Biden announcing the death of the ISIS leader in Idlib province, northwestern Syria.
Images of former U.S. presidents have circulated during past phases, most notably those of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The first image captures Obama and his team tracking the assassination of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. On May 2, 2011, U.S. special forces raided a residential complex in Abbottabad, Pakistan, killing bin Laden. Obama was present in the operations room alongside Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and members of the national security team.
In October 2019, President Donald Trump announced the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Idlib province, northwestern Syria. A similar image emerged at that time of Trump observing the military operation with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, along with joint chiefs of staff and others.
The operations room is located in the basement of the West Wing of the White House and is managed by national security council staff for use by the President of the United States and his advisers to monitor and respond to crises.
