The killing of the IS leader is a valuable demonstration of strength for Biden

A U.S. strike in Syria that killed the leader of the Islamic State is a victory that U.S. President Joe Biden desperately needed after a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and as he tries to show strength in the crisis with Russia over Ukraine, analysts say.

IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi detonated explosives as US forces approached. The operation against the jihadist leader took place after months of planning, with Biden giving the go-ahead earlier last week.

In addition to dealing a significant blow to IS, the action comes at a good time for Biden, who is waging a tense strategic battle with Russia over Ukraine. John Bolton, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, said that the success of this operation can show the strength of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Analysts believe that the killing of Quraishi cannot repair the damage caused to America's credibility by withdrawing from Afghanistan, but the most important thing right now is how the situation with the Russians will be resolved.

"It can't hurt in the sense that it's a clear victory," he said. "A lot of people need to register it," Bolton told Reuters.

America's reputation took a severe hit with its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last August after 20 years of war. Although his predecessor, Trump, also advocated for withdrawal and made a deal with the Taliban, Biden's popularity fell drastically after the withdrawal.

David Gergen, a former aide to Democratic and Republican presidents, said the Afghan chaos continues to cast a shadow over Biden's foreign policy performance despite success against the Islamic State.

"I think the problems he is facing on the international stage are doing him more harm than it looks. It will be difficult to change public opinion," said Gergen.

Bolton, one of the leading foreign policy hawks in the administration of George W. Bush, said that the action against Quraysh in northwestern Syria "was the right move." However, the legacy of Afghanistan still looms over Biden despite that, he said.

"I don't think this can repair the damage done to his credibility and America's credibility by withdrawing from Afghanistan."

Another serious test for Biden is the crisis with Russia over Ukraine. The US and other Western countries claim that Russia has amassed around 100 troops along the border with Ukraine and that this could be a prelude to an invasion.

"I think the main question is how they will solve this with the Russians," Gergen said. "He is being tested for strength, but also for competence."

At home, Biden has faced a months-long decline in popularity, reflecting Americans' frustration with the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation. That worries Democrats ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Although there is still a lot of time before those elections, and foreign policy is not the main priority for voters, demonstrating command in the operation against Quraysh and opposing Putin can help Biden position himself among American voters, said David Axelrod, former adviser to President Barack Obama.

"One of his problems at the moment is that it seems like the world is out of control - the day-to-day events of people's lives. They want Biden to take command, and every opportunity for that is precious," Axelrod told Reuters. “These things are precious from a political point of view. A show of strength is precious”.

Biden visited New York last Thursday where he met with Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, and called for greater investment in local police and social services departments. Republicans claim that Biden is weak on crime and have tried to link him to calls by some Democrats to "cut funding" for the police. Biden rejected such calls.

Gergen argues that the Democratic president is making efforts to demonstrate strength. "I think Biden wants the public to perceive him as tougher," he said.

Biden defeated Trump in 2020 by claiming that he would bring competence to the position, and during his first few months in office his popularity was close to 60 percent. That number has fallen, and according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from last week, about 41 percent of American adults approve of his performance, while 56 percent think he is not doing a good job.

The combination of the operation in Syria and the visit to New York could deflect some of the criticism from Republicans, said Mo Eliti, executive director of the Institute for Policy and Public Service at Georgetown University.

"It is difficult to claim that someone is weak in the fight against terrorism... after eliminating one of the world's biggest terrorists," Eliti said. "He was able to show results - important results - in the area of ​​national security, and I think he's looking more and more up to the fight against crime." NB