Control portfolio, as well. So this was a significant hit this morning. The white house, of course has said that we would not put boots on the ground in syria, it seems like we just did that. Have we established a new precedent . Oh, no. These boots were look lets not call them boots. These are special operators that went after a very highvalue target eliminated the target and were able to come back safely with abu sayyafs wife um sayyaf who is the deputy to her former husband. This was a highrisk, highreward operation executed phenomenally. In other words, youre saying there could be great military significance. Intelligence gathered from the wife. Absolutely correct. The interrogation that will follow ing this is significant. Thats kind of point number one. Point number two, as a result of this raid special operators walked away with a lot of documents. A lot of information. Hard drives, computers, et cetera. We will go through, we, the Intelligence Community will go through that very very quickly to see if there is targetable intelligence proof of life of some other captors and what well be able to do is build a very strong very clear picture of what these Revenue Sources are that have continued to fund isis activities. Its just interesting that given the isis that in this particular case when it comes to terror activities women are afforded an equal playing field. They are put in position of authority . The irony of all of this you wonder what playbook youre looking at. Its not a playback within balanced rules. A level of barbarism behind their activities that we understand. Its difficult for us really to get our hands around it. But the operation that was conducted to go after him was clore ly clearly, you cant second guess the National Security team. Obviously, it worked out very very well. General, how replaceable is he . It seems that isis or isol doesnt have the command struck thar that one would find say in the u. S. Military . A battlefield commander someone who has been in the fight and someone who understands the dynamics of moving men and material across spaces and then engaging in some very specific operations those individuals can be replaced. But this is the cfo. This is the one who has been running all behind the scenes, has been running all the activities that fund what we see as a matter of routine. What isis puts out there. Their activities that we see them routinely conducting. This is the one that creates the revenue so they can conduct these operations and this Marketing Arm that they are able to achieve. This is all now, hopefully, at risk because of this operation. General, please stand by. Cnns chief pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is joining me now by phone. Barbara, whats the latest from the pentagon on this . Well we have been talking, michael, to a number of sources that will say to you are directly familiar with the operation on the ground in syria overnight. Now, while this man, abu sayyaf was in charge of oil and gas operations there may be other reasons they went after him. We need to remember that the u. S. Assessment was he was increasingly involved in isis daytoday operations, command and control. This is the key thing that the u. S. Wanted to get some insight into. Two sources telling me that there is reason to believe he may have been in some level of contact with the isis leader. We dont have details on that. But the fact that two sources familiar with the operation on the ground are able to tell us at cnn that theres reason to believe he may have been in contact with badgdadi begins to shape the picture on why they were willing to risk u. S. Troops to go get him. It wasnt just to get him, but his Communications Equipment going into where he was as we have seen over the years in every one of these raids. Trying to get the laptops, trying to get the cell phones and trying to get any intel material in a site to bring it back and exploit it and see what you can find out. We have a couple of other details to share with you. These u. S. Special Operations Commando os we are told they were led by the u. S. Army. There was a firefight, but i am now also told that there was handtohand combat on the ground when this all erupted. That there were it was such close quarters that some of the isis people on the ground tried to fight back with handtohand combat in the u. S. Army commandos, obviously, dealt with that situation very quickly. We are told about a dozen or so isis personnel on the ground killed by the u. S. Commandos. Abu sayyaf also fighting back against the u. S. Troops and was killed in that. So i think its beginning to take shape very rapidly lyly that we may all not have known about this man, but u. S. Intelligence did. They were looking at him very closely and tracking him and beginning to see a picture emerge that he might have a lot of crucial information about top isis leadership and the command and control of isis and their operational activity and the president citeit was absolutely worth it to go in and get it. Do we know yet, barbara, which of our special forces successfully pulled off this mission . I will tell you that we are told it was Army Special Operation forces and that usually is essentially defined as army delta force. These along with units like s. E. A. L. Team 6 are the best trained, most covert highly trained commandos in the u. S. Military. If you think about it these are the kinds of guys that go in deep into enemy territory. Know that theyre going to get in a firefight or try to. Their goal is to go in quick as heavy and hot with rapid fire as they can. Immediately control their perimeter. Immediately control their situation. Get their objective, capture or kill and get out as fast as they can. It is the type of operation that killed Osama Bin Laden. It is the type of operation that they have quietly done for many many years in places like afghanistan and iraq. In somalia, in yemen, in libya. This is what they do. And their rate of success last night was all of them came home safely. Not to put a light note on it one u. S. Guy had bloody knuckles from that handtohand combat and other than that everybody came back fine. Barbara, please stand by. This is a cnn exclusive. Its a small force. These are the First American boots on the ground in syria. Yerl general marks, if i could go back to you momentarily. Wouldnt you expect an operation such as this would have been accomplished with the support of other nations and, if so which countries . Clearly iraq. The operation was based out of Northern Iraq. Which is the closest point that youd have to stage. So the Iraqi Government clearly was cognizant and provided not only approval i would guarantee that they provided layers of support, as well that would allow the special operators to stage. The special operators have to come into country. If they are in country, theyre totally covert as barbara described. They would be in very very briefly and have to stage and go through some immediate final rehearsals rehearsals. All that would have to be done with the support and the understanding and the support of the host nation. The Iraqi Government got behind this and supported it completely. We did nothing to try to clear the air space or try to clear anything with the government of syria. We took full advantage created a corridor went from iraq into syria and hit the target and came back out as quickly as possible. Cnn military analyst Lieutenant GeneralMark Hertling is standing by id be thrilled to get your take on this breaking development of the significance of the killing of this isis leader. Ill just put it in perspective. When you get a chief financial guy, as spider has already said it is huge. It is one of the lines of operations. There are six, according to the national strategy. The economic piece is one of the more important ones. When youre talking about breaking down that network and finding some things out about not only how the money flows but who it flows to, it is really beneficial to have more information. Special Operation Forces will pull the strings, not only on what they find from the Data Collected on the scene and the interrogations it will soon follow but also allow them to go after other targets. A hit like this will allow for many many more hits and it shows, also truthfully that isis isnt ten feet tall like some of us have been saying. They are being defeated. One of the things that ill just share a combat experience i had when i was commanding Northern Iraq in 2007, we hit a key target that really unraveled the financial elements of the beijing oil refinery and how it was supporting al qaeda. We not only gautgot the guys that were involved in that but we got the flow. When you get the flow and find out who is being connected and who else is involved and how the operational commanders are becoming a part of this, what funds and all through the Money Laundering line it is significant. It was the key thing that happened to me in 18 months in iraq during that particular tour. General hertling any individual within the isis command whose death, whose execution, such as were now discussing in syria could break the back emotionally momentum wise for isis is that just not the way they function . Inthats inthats not the way they function michael. You have to go after networks. Interesting to spider and i when we hear somebody say nobody knew who this guy was. Special Operation Command or in a computer in a fusion cell somewhere not only abu sayyaf who is relatively popular among special operators, this is a good hit and a lot of people knew who he was who are wearing the uniform, but multiple other ones just like him. A target package being basically built on this guy, probably for months. I cant say specifically but i know when youre talking about strategic target there is all kinds of things in this particular target package on abu sayyaf and um sayyaf who will tell you why we want to go after him and put the resources against it. Whenever you put american lives on the line there has to be a high payoff, especially when you go into syria. But, boy, a huge payoff from this. Financial, informational, operational is the way i would flow it. Everybodys focused on the operational as primary. But, to me economic and informational are the two areas we need to go more after. General marks, on a prior mission, we were in syria and we did temporarily have boots on the ground that was a rescue mission. I guess the standard is that in special circumstances, the president is prepared to authorize the use of special forces but that there wont be a sustained campaign involving u. S. Personnel. Absolutely michael. The notion of boots on the ground is really all about trying to establish a presence over the course of time. When you conduct a special operations like this you are in and you are out as quickly as possible to get the job done. And as mark has described, this is a significant, very significant not cereenn serendipitous that we killed the cfo of isis and now well take this intelligence and do a lot with it moving forward in terms of other targets we can go after moving forward. The flow can be dried up. We can really start to pick apart what it is that keeps these guys ticking. Cnn Senior International correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is standing by in beirut. Nick what is the preliminary word from overseas . According to the syrian who have been monitoring syria how this attack appeared to have left 19 isis militants dead. Were talking about one of the most closely guarded strongholds that isis has. A huge oil field, very well defended. So imagine taking the decision to send in to the heart of that dozens of americas special forces troops. Very difficult, indeed. We heard from local witnesses after half past midnight local time a lot of airstrikes softening up the targets and perhaps the insertion of potential forces troops and there is still, despite what were hearing from the pentagon much of a case to be made why why abu saythis level of risk and may have known that isis leadership dont give themselves up necessarily without a fight. The white house or pentagon and his full name abu sayyaf means the father of a child called sayyaf and um means the mother of a child called sayyaf. More details on who this man is and that may shed more light on why they think he is so significant. One thing barbara did mention, that he may have been in contact with the isis leader. That could make complete sense. And you could imagine the white house had this gone terribly wrong seeing that perhaps taking out bagdadi, substantial risk. They were flying right into the vipers nest here and this is not an easy task at all. I think well learn more details why abu sayyaf was so key or potentially what they were really after or what they felt he may lead them on to. Suicide bombing isnt the call of their creed here. Its what they do. The notion, perhaps, this man would allow himself to be taken to firefight like this. A tough one to swallow and you have is to ask yourself why were these men sent in at such high risk when a drone above that area at that time that could have been used instead. More details, i think, still to emerge here michael. Isis has proven to be very sophisticated with regard to the use of social media. Has there yet been confirmation from them for either of these groups as to this successful rate . Well, isis does have media and there is known what as isis tweets following on social media. Some isis tweeters or followers are saying look if thats the target that the u. S. Had, abu sayyaf than their operation failed. Key to it play down its significance. The colleagues are suggesting yes, he may have been a key target that the u. S. Had their eyes fron a long time. Very easy for isis to say, were not so concerned about that. You just have to look at the scale of risk involved here. The volume potentially, sorry, the latitude of things to have gone wrong and entering into well fortified oil field like this. So far into isis territory. Its very messy task indeed, to try to extract people from there if something were to gone wrong. The agonizing the white house went through whether to send soldiers in to kill bin laden or use a bomb. They sent the personnel in to identify it was him. You have it ask yourself maybe someone of a higher value, more recognizable to the u. S. Public perhaps, was there rather than abu sayyaf. Still waiting for his real name to emerge and more details as the pentagon and white house saying the kind of control he had over isis financing. Oil so important to them. They run a massive black market trade. Used to generate millions and air strikes took out part of that infrastructure and damaged it and it may be taking out this man, yet further reduces it. But, then you also have to look at the statements they make about um sayyaf. Isis are not known to bring their wife into the business model. Have a role in the organization but its not common place for you to hear somebodys wife being as deputy. Thats something, certainly, needs more scrutiny and, of course one fortunate shot here it appears a young yazidi woman, one if not hundreds or thousands physical slave by isis has been rescued in this operation. Nick paton walsh please stay with us. When we come back in a moment i want tapursue nicks idea the idea that a drone wasnt used here but special forces were sent in. When we come back well have the very latest developments in this situation. With every holeinone at a pga tour event you could be mortgage free for an entire year. How great would that be . Just ask the growing list of winners who have already had their mortgages paid for one whole year by quicken loans. Win a years worth of mortgage payments from quicken loans. The official mortgage sponsor of the pga tour. 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As the National Security council says that he did so with unanimous recommendation of his national kurt team and they say as soon as there were sufficient intelligence developed that would lead them to have confidence that this mission would be successful. But i should say the National Security council, they called it a complex mission and what we know from cnns Barbara Starr reporting, it certainly does sound like it was, including this raid deep into isis territory, including at times, according to Barbara Starr, some handtohand combat by u. S. Forces. Now, in this statement from nse it note