The Qasem Soleimani assassination / Iraq / Iran (merged threads)

Regular Member Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29

It was Irans own money
Obama released it back to Iran..
your propaganda is becoming quite dangerous for weaker minds.

Regular Member Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29

Why Obama, Bush, and Bibi All Passed on Killing Soleimani

The Iranian general was in American crosshairs before. But nobody could begin to be sure what would come next if Soleimani were killed, and no scenario looked good.

Conscious decisions were taken under the George W. Bush administration, even when Soleimani was in the crosshairs, not to pull the trigger. Gen. Stanley McChrystal wrote last year, he had a shot in 2007 but let Soleimani go: “The decision not to act is often the hardest one to make—and it isn’t always right.”

According to Patricia Ravalgi, who served as a civilian analyst at U.S. Central Command from 2008 to 2019, concerns at the operational level went beyond declined opportunities to terminate Soleimani.
There was often the worry among military planners and Washington policymakers that with Iranian-backed militias and American troops operating in close proximity in Iraq, especially during the campaigns against the so-called Islamic State, Soleimani would be in the wrong place at the wrong time, get killed by accident, “and all hell would break loose.”

“There was even wishful thinking that Soleimani would stay out of Iraq more, to keep such an accident from occurring,” says Ravalgi.

The officer, who spoke without attribution because he was not authorized to speak with the media, said there had been previous efforts to eliminate Soleimani, though it wasn’t clear to what extent the plans had advanced.

The Obama administration “asked us not to proceed,” he said. “It was clear the implications could be much greater than a localized war, the repercussions could affect the whole world.”

In Trump’s remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday, he claimed, “We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.”

But as his predecessors understood well, the decision to assassinate Soleimani has opened the door into the unknown and the unknowable.

“We need de-escalation,” one anxious Iraqi official told The Daily Beast, “and this is the mother of all escalations.”

Who's Russia's Agent Now? Moscow Sides With Democrats in Condemning Soleimani Hit
BY MICHAEL VAN DER GALIEN JANUARY 3, 2020

The Kremlin has officially condemned the American airstrike (by drone) that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the chief of his country's feared Quds Force and a known terrorist mastermind. It's rather interesting that Moscow has the same interpretation as Democrats. If you didn't know any better, you'd almost think that leading Democrats are all on Putin's payroll.

The condemnation was made by President Putin himself in a phone call earlier today with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, the Epoch Times reports. A readout of the phone call has been released. It won't come as a surprise to anyone that Putin warned/told (you can choose the option you think best describes the meaning behind Putin's words) Macron that "this action can seriously aggravate the situation in the region."

Putin's words were backed up by an official statement from Russia's Foreign Ministry. "We consider the killing of Soleimani as the result of an American missile strike in the vicinity of Baghdad to be a bold step that will lead to increased tension throughout the region. Soleimani was devoted to protecting Iran’s national interests," the laughable Russians proclaim in the statement. "Such actions do not create ... solutions to complex problems in the Middle East. On the contrary, it will lead to a new round of escalation of tensions in the region."

In other words, if the United States had only let General Soleimani kill more Americans, Sunni Syrians, and Sunni Iraqis, tensions would somehow be less than what we can now expect. Funny how evil actors always think that threatening to do what they're already doing will somehow scare the rest of the world.

Of course, some in the rest of the world are scared or pretend to be. As PJ Media's own Tyler O'Neil reported earlier today, Democrat candidates for president have all condemned the assault on Soleimani, arguing that it would — wait for it — create more tensions in the region.

Funny how that's exactly what Russia says. You'd almost think that if there are any Russian agents active in American politics, we have to look at the donkey's party to find them.

Regular Member Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29

The United States' main allies are abandoning Trump over his 'dangerous escalation' with Iran

US allies on Friday warned against any further escalation of the conflict with Iran following President Donald Trump's decision to authorize the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani late Thursday.

The airstrike, which was reportedly launched without consulting US allies, led to warnings from several European nations, with only Israel speaking out strongly in favor of Trump's decision.

The global reaction to the attack has revealed the US as increasingly isolated on the world stage.

UK warns that a war with Iran 'is in none of our interests'
boris trump 2
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Trump. Getty
Among the first to react was the United Kingdom, historically the closest ally of the United States.

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said in a statement on Friday that conflict with Iran "is in none of our interests" and urged "all parties to de-escalate."

The attack risks damaging relations between the two countries.

Tom Tugendhat, Raab's Conservative Party colleague and the chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC that "the purpose of having allies is that we can surprise our enemies and not each other."

He added that "it's been a pattern, sadly, which has been a bit of a shame, that the US administration of late has not shared with us and that is a matter of concern."

"I would urge the US administration to share much more closely with allies, particularly those who are fighting alongside in the region, including us."

One complicating factor for the UK is the imprisonment in Iran of the UK citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on allegations of espionage.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's actions have been blamed for her ongoing detention, and he has promised to intervene in the case to end it.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told ITV's "Good Morning Britain" on Friday that he feared Trump's action could worsen her chance of being freed.

"I sit here partly worried for what that means for Nazanin, partly worried what that means for my in-laws, sat in their ordinary living room in Tehran, where they're all really worried," he said.

France warns of the danger of unilateral action
Trump Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump meet in London on December 3. Ludovic Marin/Reuters
France, alongside the UK and other European countries, was instrumental in attempts to forge and maintain a new relationship with Iran through the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

It has strongly criticized Trump's decision in May 2018 to withdraw from that deal, and the French government on Friday also called on the Trump administration to step back from any further conflict.

The secretary of state for European affairs, Amélie de Montchalin, told a French radio station that any unilateral action by the US was dangerous.

"What is happening is what we feared: Tensions between the United States and Iran are increasing," Montchalin told RTL, according to Reuters.

She added, according to The Guardian, that "at European level, we have to work in collective multilateral frameworks and prevent the powers, one against the other, from playing their game in an unpredictable manner."

"The American action was a reaction to a series of military provocations for which Iran is responsible," a spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer, said on Friday, according to Reuters.

However, she warned against any further conflict, telling reporters, "We stand before a dangerous escalation."

Israel stands alone in praising Trump
Trump Netanyahu
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in March. Carlos Barria/Reuters
Among the leading US allies, Israel was alone in offering its full backing of Trump's action.

In a statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "just as Israel has the right of self-defense, the United States has exactly the same right."

Soleimani "is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people," Netanyahu said. "He was planning more such attacks."

He added: "President Trump deserves all the credit for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively. Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense."

Read more:
Iran's 'forceful revenge' against the US is likely to include cyber warfare, and experts warn the attacks could be devastating
World leaders largely condemn the deadly US drone strike on an Iranian general as a 'dangerous escalation,' while the UN says the move is likely unlawful

Trump has no clear strategy if Iran makes good on its vow to avenge the killing of a top general, experts say.

One hour ago:

Several rockets hit Baghdad's green zone

US 'targeting' 52 Iranian sites if Tehran attacks
49 minutes ago
REUTERS

President Trump has warned the US is "targeting" 52 Iranian sites and will strike "very fast and very hard" if Tehran hits Americans or US assets.

His comments followed the US assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in a drone strike.

Iran has vowed to avenge his killing.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that Iran "is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets" in response to the general's death.

He said the US has identified 52 Iranian sites, some "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD" if Tehran strikes the US.

"The USA wants no more threats!" Trump added.

The president said the 52 targets represented the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for more than a year from late 1979, after they were seized at the US embassy in Tehran.

Mr Trump's tweets came hours after a huge funeral procession for Soleimani was held in Baghdad, where he was killed.

Several rocket attacks shook the area shortly after the procession, including one in the Green Zone near the US embassy. Several were fired north of the Iraqi capital at Balad air base, which houses US forces.

The Iraqi military said nobody had been hurt in the attacks.

No group has yet said it was behind the development. Pro-Iranian militants have been blamed for other recent attacks.

Regular Member Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29

US assassination of Suleimani was a ‘violation of human rights law

An attorney who sued George W. Bush over the 2003 invasion of Iraq said Saturday that the U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani on orders from President Donald Trump constitutes an “act of aggression” and a violation of international law.

Comar argued the U.S. assassination of Soleimani fits two distinct International Criminal Court (ICC) definitions of “aggression.”

There are two important ICC definitions of aggression that are relevant here. First, an act of aggression can be, “an attack by the armed forces of a State on the land, sea or air forces, or marine and air fleets of another State”—in other words, attacking another state’s military.
The killing of Soleimani would fall under this definition, as he was a high-ranking military official in Iran…

The second important definition from the ICC identifies aggression as, “the use of armed forces of one State which are within the territory of another State with the agreement of the receiving State, in contravention of the conditions provided for in the agreement or any extension of their presence in such territory beyond the termination of the agreement.
” In other words, armed forces lawfully in a third party’s country suddenly acting unlawfully and in breach of the agreement may constitute aggression.

“Under two separate International Criminal Court (ICC) definitions of ‘aggression,'” Comar noted,
“the U.S. likely committed an act of aggression against Iran in assassinating Soleimani.”

In response to the Trump administration’s claim of “anticipatory self-defense”
“this international legal standard is extremely difficult to meet.”

“Under Article 2(4) of the United Nations (U.N.) Charter, a breach of international peace is only permitted when authorized by the U.N.
Security Council or conducted in an act of self-defense.
Self-defense means fending off an armed attack,” Comar noted. “Absent evidence of such an extraordinary attack against the United States, ‘anticipatory’ self-defense, e.g., Pompeo’s stance that the killing was a ‘defensive action,’ likely cannot be legally justified.”

Comar wrote that Soleimani’s assassination “marks the most dangerous escalation between the United States and Iran in recent history, from which Iran and Iran’s neighboring countries will suffer the most.”

“Under the U.N. Charter, Iran and the United States have a legal obligation to settle their disputes peacefully,” Comar added. “As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the United States has the ability at any time to discuss threats against it. It has chosen not to do this, instead using almost-certainly illegal force against another U.N. member country. The consequences will be grave.”

Comar is far from the only legal expert to conclude that the U.S. assassination of Soleimani was illegal under international law.

-- Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extra-judicial executions, tweeted late Thursday that the killing of Soleimani “is most likely unlawful and violate[s] international human rights law.”

-- Yale law professor Oona Hathaway agreed, writing in a series of tweets Friday that “based on what we currently know, the U.S. strike on Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani is legally tenuous under both domestic and international law.”

“Congress should begin hearings and demand answers about the legal basis and the plan for handling the inevitable fallout,” Hathaway said.

Regular Member Posts : 190 Join date : 2014-07-29

The Wise And Powerful wrote:: You'd almost think that if there are any Russian agents active in American politics, we have to look at the donkey's party to find them.

Well, people have been saying that about Gabbard for quite a while now!

Here's something that concerns me: If, as we're being told, attacks were planned and imminent, might they not go forward without him? If Osama Bin Laden had been killed in early Sept. 2001, would the hijackers have proceeded? The plans were made, and maybe they'd be even MORE determined, with revenge on their minds in addition to the original mission. These leaders are the planners, not the executors. The ones with the guns/bombs/whatever are still out there.

Oh, the irony. Soleimani's remains went to his grave in a Chevy!!!

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The Qasem Soleimani assassination / Iraq / Iran (merged threads) - Page 2 58234_fb5a4rfecibyamk_full

N.Y. Times front page - 20 years ago:

The Qasem Soleimani assassination / Iraq / Iran (merged threads) - Page 2 58234_9s1ooycprn52p63_full

Regular Member Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29

NEWS | JAN 6, 2020 AT 1:45 PM.

Soleimani Was in Iraq on Peace Mission When US Assassinated Him,
Trump Lied About “Imminent Attacks”
The revelation is leading some to accuse Trump of setting a trap for Soleimani that resulted in his assassination.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi revealed on January 5 that the late General Qassem Soleimani was in Baghdad on request from Iraq in order to respond to Saudi Arabia regarding de-escalation proposals, in what can be considered a peace mission rather than one aimed at planning attacks on Americans, as U.S. media and government sources have continued to repeat.

Abdul-Mahdi was scheduled to meet with Soleimani on Friday, the same day he and six others were killed at the Baghdad airport.

According to the Iraqi Prime Minister, U.S. President Donald Trump was aware of and supported the idea of Iraq facilitating the transfer of information—with the goal of easing tensions in the region—between the Saudis and Iran in Iraq during a phone conversation with Abdul-Mahdi days prior to Soleimani’s assassination.

During that conversation, Trump asked Abdul-Mahdi to “play the mediator’s role.”

Temple wrote:: It was Irans own money
Obama released it back to Iran..
your propaganda is becoming quite dangerous for weaker minds.

The Qasem Soleimani assassination / Iraq / Iran (merged threads) - Page 2 31966_elnaa9pg8rjbmbo_full

35 killed in stampede at funeral for slain general, Iran state TV says

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/07/35-killed-in-stampede-at-funeral-for-slain-general-state-tv-says.html

Posts : 2495 Join date : 2017-09-09

Regular Member Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29

January 12, 2020

The intelligence community believes Iran will attack the US ‘in secret’:

NBC News correspondent Ken Dilanian that the intelligence community believes the attacks against the United States by Iran aren’t over.

Dilanian said that Republicans attacking Democrats as “terrorists” may score points for them with their base, but if the attacks from Iran aren’t over, it won’t work out well for the GOP.

“Nobody that we talked to in the intelligence community thinks that’s the end of Iran’s reaction to this.
The way they operate is they will do something in secret without attaching their name to it. It will be an assassination, terrorist attack, they have proxies.''

They will hurt us all over the world.
So, if Americans are killed and intelligence points back to this attack, that could change the political calculus.”

Last week, things seemed to stabilize and Iran appeared to want to deescalate the tensions with the U.S. It’s unknown if that will continue.

» The Wall Street Journal Accidentally Reports the Plain Truth about Soleimani's Assassination
» Iran fires missiles near U.S. consulate in Iraq
» ISIS—Not Iran—Likely Behind Rocket Attack Trump Used To Justify Suleimani Assassination.
» 30 US Soldiers Killed -- in Iraq ballistic missile attacks: Iran state media
» Inside The Assassination Attempts Against Donald Trump