There are still UNconfirmed reports that another 6 Shia leaders were killed in yet another US strike.
One example is here: https://www.rt.com/news/477433-iraq-strike-shia-militia-killed/
I am waiting for updates from friends.
If I get any, I will post them here and add “UPDATED” to the title.
One thing is certain, IF the US conducted yet another strike, then that means that the US truly declared war on not one, but TWO countries: Iran and, no less importantly, also Iraq.
This is also clearly part of the Empire’s anti-Shia strategy.
I am absolutely amazed at the sheer stupidity of US decision makers.
I will try to keep you posted.
The Saker
UPDATE1: al-Jazeera confirms: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/air-raid-targets-hashd-commander-iraq-state-tv-200103233605393.html
https://twitter.com/FerasKilaniBBC/status/1213244185349885953?s=19
https://twitter.com/WithinSyriaBlog/status/1213234672790114304?s=19
https://twitter.com/Dannymakkisyria/status/1213229074920988673?s=19
https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/update-us-airstrike-targeted-hashd-al-shaabi-convoy-north-of-baghdad-iraq-tv/
thank you, Aram!
The Saker
PMU allegedly denies any leaders were killed:
https://twitter.com/FerasKilaniBBC/status/1213248119519023104?s=19
If you look at the replies to this tweet, they almost all pro-US.
I noticed this a few days ago on other twitter feeds. e.g Syrian girl. Also on South Front. I wonder if a social media campaign is being unrolled to accompany the military campaign..?
Regarding this second strike, so much for Pompeo’s assurances of de-escalation…
“I wonder if a social media campaign is being unrolled to accompany the military campaign.”
The zionazi-gays always accompany their war crimes with a social media blitz. Always.
I noticed it yesterday also in the comment section of several Zero Hedge articles. I think the Hasbara was on overtime.
I agree – also today
I have never seen so many trolls on Zero Hedge before
ZH loves Hasbara, and dislikes any comments that are anti Jewish policy.
It is perfectly visible on twitter with an abundance of memes, repetition of themes, emotionally charged, mostly making fun of:
– the looming conflict
– drafting of the alienated
– long busted US wars myths
– current US wars myths
– perverse schadenfreude
Bot accounts in total sado/maso overdrive.
I’ve always been appalled at my fellow citizens gullibility, guile, & use of violence at the drop of a hat but Twitter last night was hell on earth. I didn’t consider war bots until someone brought it up at the time. Then he was deluged in hate speech. Then it clicked. Until a few hours ago no one knew who the victim was and suddenly thousands were crying for blood. At second look, until a few hours ago, thousand of these tweet accounts didn’t exist. Nary a sane voice in the house. I had to wait for the saker to come up just to restore a sense of sanity in the world…..and of course all of you.
it was like that on Zero Hedge the night they killed him
Then the next morning the tone and quality of the comments completely changed to the worst possible, dumb, warmongering and repetitive.
Punishment for the Iraqi Shia Militias for destroying the US-owned ISIS and AQ terrorists.
Study the battle for Mosul and you will understand who did the ground fighting that broke the rings of defenses in pitched battles (no air support) that then led to the air war that killed tens of thousands of civilians and crushed Mosul (somehow permitting ISIS to escape to fight in Syria, Afghanistan and Libya.)
The Iraqi Shia did the most difficult and costly fighting. The US did the bombing. Didn’t get a scratch.
Same in Syria. Shia Militia often took the front lines against ISIS and somehow found themselves bombed or artillery-bombarded by US.
Now there are no confusing facts. The US intends to destroy the Shia Militias because they are connected to Iran.
6 killed in airstrike north of Baghdad targeting convoy carrying Shia militia leaders
RT
As of 5:37 PST, per Sputniknews:
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001041077936776-two-car-convoy-north-of-baghdad-under-aerial-attack—reports/
Not the leaders. They correct and say it was medics. So far, not accurate and authoritative for certain.
But the US is clearly at war with the PMUs in Iraq. That is for certain.
There are only 5-6,000 US troops in Iraq and far more soldiers in the PMU’s. That’s a pretty dangerous position for the US and I hope they pay for their stupidity.
I don’t want either Iraqi or American troops to die.
I want the Iraqi legislature to tell the US to get out.
So do I, but I still wonder about how’s the draftees/mercenaries ratio down on Iraq these days?
well said!! a lot of american soldiers are good people, and so are Iraqi soldiers.
Let’s get the USA OUT of the Middle East!!! let’s drop the empire and become a normal nation again.
Our zionist overlords are calling the shots, and I fear this will NOT end well.
Good people doing bad things makes them bad people.
500,000 US body bags to prevent another million middle eastern deaths would be totally worth it.
In the Iraq war the kill rate was about 100 dead Iraqi to one US soldier. So your looking at a insurmountable US force there stationed in Iraq.
Insurmountable? Really? I hope you are right for the sake of the US mothers’ sons and daughters. Otherwise it looks like Trump is sacrificing them to try to escape impeachment and win re-election.
Yes, the AngloZionist Empire (Western imperialism) invaded Iraq in 2003 in order to [break it up,] establish an Israel aligned Kurdistan (PKK & Co.) and another Israel aligned [Wahhabi terrorist] state in the Sunni parts of Iraq (ISIS & Co.).
The Israel 2.0 (Kurdistan) project has now largely failed and the ISIS project was completely defeated thanks to the Shia Resistance [organized by the martyr Soleimani].
It seems the losing West is now [based on false flags] desperately and brutally attacking the Shia Militias in order to at least keep the AngloZionist occupation of Iraq going.
But they’re merely shooting themselves in the foot in their desperation. Their brutal attack on the Shias is a sure-fire way to make an any longer ongoing AngloZionist occupation of Iraq and Syria impossible.
100%, unless an “exit” was the plan and the assasination was Trump’s gift to Netanyahu.
Your article is 100% correct except for the ;ast part. “The US intends to destroy the Shia Militias because they are connected to Iran.” – It is Israel that most wants the Shia militias out of the way since it is they that constitute an invasionary force that will defeat Israel in any upcoming battle.
There is a high possibility that Netanyahu did the Soleimani deed, handed it to Trump to 1. take the heat off an immediate Hezbollah/PMU retaliation or prolonged battle againsty Israel for which it is clearly not ready for on its own, and 2. as a present to Trump as a massive impeachment diversionary shenanigan.
Israel supplied the intel for the assassination then Bibi ‘graciously’ laid the blame on Trump. Cowards, thieves and murderers. Trump can’t even see how he is being played by his own side. Fool. Big error on his part one that will prevent his re-election.
Trump is the commander in chief who has killed another countries commander outside of a war.
Pathetic beyond all possible beliefs. The US is really going on the war path. Iraq and Iran will not forgive this at all.
An hour ago, this early picture was posted of an airstrike at Baghdad-Mosul road. Apparently, Hamid al-Jazairi, deputy commander general of the Saraya al-Khorassani Brigades (Shia PMU militia), and his brother have been killed.
https://twitter.com/YousifHashimi/status/1213240528705409025
And this scumbag former intelligence agent, Michael Pregent called for Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis to be targeted…
https://twitter.com/MPPregent/status/1212021422266208256
Is there a coup designed to resemble the Baathist coup and the bloody suppression of Iraqi Shiite forces? I can’t say but it could be.
Recent events in Iraq contain signs that may indicate a plan to launch a civil war in Iraq aimed at widespread and bloody suppression of pro-Iranian Shiites, a war that could greatly affect and engage Iran.
I wondered whether this might happen, earlier I watched (re-watched) South Front’s excellent 20min report about the PMU’s & while I watched it I was thinking – I wonder if the US military has targeting data on all these different units & their command? Basically, speculating to myself if they are going to picked off, one by one. It seems that this may well be the US strategy. Insane doesn’t quite define this adequately.
Though US President Donald Trump insisted the decision was taken “to stop a war,” stressing that he didn’t seek “regime change” in Tehran, that interpretation was clearly not shared by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who warned “revenge awaits the criminals who have stained their hands in [Soleimani’s] blood.” – RT
…
You gotta love a faux-goy clown who say’s he’s there to stop the killing by murdering.
This reminds me of the old Vietnam war cliche by USA, “In order to save a village, you must kill it”.
…
You want to stop a war, try targeting BIBI, and see how long Israel sit’s on their ass.
Israel is the peace maker here, and will come out of this smelling like a rose, even though they called the strikes, and probably launched in the first place, as it was their Mossad who knew exactly where all the targets would be. You have to hand it to the ANZ, giving the Trump Goy-Faux clown the credit, and of course making the USA people the target of Muslim retribution.
Israel is the boss in the US.
RT is now reporting it.
https://www.rt.com/news/477433-iraq-strike-shia-militia-killed/
I’m sorry, I can’t do links, but Sputnik International has reported that 6 PMU medics were killed in the airstrike. They have denied that any of their leaders were killed.
What the hell? Things are spiralling into the abyss.
After all Pompeo’s tweets about how the United States ‘is committed to de-escalation’.
And now these airstrikes against this convoy within hours of this garbage.
The lunatics are in charge of the asylum.
They are gagging for war.
They are awfully paranoid about not only losing troops, but losing control of Iraq. This would leave a political and military void from Turkey to right at the Afganistan border where the U.S. has no more influence. Its something the military would kill for to prevent from occurring and is precisely what is happening.
This is clearly an attempt by the United States to kill any Iraqi leader perceived as pro-Iranian. It is a strategic decision designed to use brute force to end Iranian partnership with Iraq. The intent is to frighten Iraqi leaders into running to the us side and asking to play ball with the Americans. It will continue until either the US gets it’s way or an effective resistance is formed.
Any Iraqi leader talking about voting the IS out had better take note of what will happen to him.
What Iran’s response should be, I’m afraid I’m not smart to enough to answer. But everyone should understand that the US plan was far beyond the murder of Qassem Suleimani and is proceeded to retaking full control of Iraq without sharing influence with Iran. The murder was just the first step.
I disagree. They also killed an Iraqi PMU leader who happened to be a member of the Iraqi government. If Parliament does NOT vote (already a stalled vote since March 2019) in their next sitting – possibly 4th Jan 2020, on removing US troops, All PMUs will remove the US and Iraq and the region will sink into the abyss. Even the powerful Muqtada al Sadr with with million man Mahdi army and arch rival to the PMUs will enter the fray.
It seems the attack happened. Confirmation pending on the victims identities. One more attack and it is open war…
https://twitter.com/BaxtiyarGoran/status/1213226663397511168
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/update-us-airstrike-targeted-hashd-al-shaabi-convoy-north-of-baghdad-iraq-tv/
https://twitter.com/IntelCrab/status/1213235458957807617
https://twitter.com/eha_news/status/1213229890000031745
The PMU have now stated that the victims of tonight’s terror attack were medics and that no leaders have been killed. Rumours have it that Iraqi Army chiefs with ties to the US are the ones leaking information about the whereabouts of the PMU convoys.
Nothing is so far fully confirmed
I have impression this possibility passed through the mind of every one here. Indeed, they seem to have access to short notice accurate info in the movements of the leaders. Nothing that the guys can’t deal with… hopefully!
US media is reporting that it’s almost certain that the Iraqi parliament will vote on Saturday to demand the USA leave Iraq (I’ll believe it when it actually happens). Then it’s going to get very interesting. Will Trump use that to pull out? Or will he use the excuse that ‘we need to stay to steal the oil’ to stay?
Bombing purely Iraqi targets in these latest airstrikes almost appears to be an attempt to goad the Iraqis to do it (vote for expulsion) and the killings (of Soleimani and al-mohandis the engineer) were a last kick at the can.
If the US were to announce a pull out, that would force the Iranian to bite their tongues on the Soleimani assassination and withhold retaliation for the bigger goal. This is just pure speculation of a potential ideal outcome.
You really think at this point the US is capable of a rational decision, like pulling out? Based on what we’ve seen, Trump will just ignore the vote. When does the three days of mourning end, Monday? At that point Iran must fight back and the target has to be the Global Economy. Bring economic collapse upon every western country and hope there’s enough pain to spark a civil war in the US. Whether it’s closing the strait of Hormuz or the Houthis shutting down the Saudi oil production or Hizbollah raining rockets down on Israel, something must be done. (Removed language,please do not call for killing.MOD) No matter what Iran does – whether it’s a single response or a massive one – the west and it’s media will freak out. Might as well go for maximum results.
This is war now. Iran will get no prize for joining the fight late. The longer they hesitate the more assets they lose. I’m afraid this ends with a nuclear attack. Which is why I am hoping for an economic collapse in the West. Might be the only chance of avoiding this fight leading to Israel/US nukes.
I believe in this assessment, also, Iran has no way out of its dire economic predicament except 1. Total Capitulation to the US OR All out regional war that Iran must initiate – either way, even if Ira does not lash out first, there is no guarantee the US will not escalate and just bomb Iran anyway at some future date – given Trump’s double Speak, there is EVERY likelihood that he might start an Iran war anyway – Pompeo’s “we don’t seek escalation” after essentially commiting a declaration of war is just too suspicious. This represents a legitimate opportunity for Iran to retaliate and get it over and done with. Destroy all the Gulf state oil terminals, attack Israel with Nukes, attack all US bases in the region. Shutdown the global economy. The world will blame Trump.
My view is that the Iraqi parliament vote will mean anything depends largely on Iran’s and PMU’s retaliation or lack of. If Iran and the Iraqi PMU does not in the next few days conduct large scale retaliation, that vote, even if successful, will fizzle out. Iraqi patriots will see the impotence of their struggle and their allies, while Iraqi sell-outs will get more bribes and handouts to expand their influence. Iraqis on the fence will not be motivated to stick their heads out to demand the exit of US troops.
However, if the response by Iran and allies are huge and a show of strength against US military targets in Iraq and beyond, that will increase the popular momentum for the vote and mobilize the Iraqi people into the streets. Millions of Iraqi marching towards the US embassy and bases will mean the end of the occupation and ensure that the vote will succeed and the US actually leave. Blood will certainly be spilled.
I personally think there will not be any immediate retaliation and the vote will actually fail, even if “passed”. And the bombings and assassinations will continue of course. Note: i’m of the opinion that this is the best time for Iraq, Iran, Russia, China, Syria and Lebanon to strike and give the empire a humiliating and deadly political and military defeat.
Does anybody see the coincidence between Trump’s impeachment, and Trump ordering airstrikes on Middle East countries? I, for one, no longer believe in coincidences; it is the same playbook Bill Clinton used against Yemen when he was impeached!
If I recall correctly, the turning point for Obama turning full neocon was during the Bowe Bergdahl fiasco. There was talk of impeaching Obama over that incident, then he went full necon, and we never heard of possible impeachment again.
Yes, and then there is NutandYaho who is also up for crime charges in Israhell. A good little war will get him off too. A double wamie for the price of only one war. What a deal!
Centcom intends to break open the cauldron which is situated in eastern Syria along the Iraqi border. The strikes on the pmu bases were an immediate response to a security sweep which was announced by the Iraqi military. The murder of Soleimani and his comrades were an attempt to decapitate the leadership of the resistance in the region and drive a wedge between Iran and Iraq. They are hoping (almost certainly) to eliminate enough of the leadership of the Iraqi pmu and patriotic Iraqi military to prevent the Iraqi government from telling the US military to leave Iraq. It is almost a certainty that centcom will continue the escalation until Iran or Iraq (or both) respond with force. If they do not, centcom will certainly continue the escalation in Iraq, and will almost certainly try to strike Iran directly.
General Soleimani’s murder and criticism to my westernized vision of peace
by Cilene Victor
“Teacher, where is the peace? Who has the authority to justify peace? ”
Undoubtedly, both questions are disconcerting and unanswered.
These were the first lines of an early conversation today with one of my Iranian teachers. As soon as I heard about General Qasem Soleimani’s death from an air raid on Baghdad, Iraq, authorized by President Donald Trump, I began calling and writing to friends I made in Iran and Iraq.
I often tell my students, from undergraduate to doctoral degree, that it makes a lot of difference when we know the faces, the longings, the struggles, the dreams, the tenderness and bravery of a people who are now only remembered in moments like this that scared and reverberated around the world.
I would like to talk more about General Soleimani, his role in combating ISIS, and his role during the US invasion of Iraq, but the GGN has already published excellent reviews from Middle East and international policy experts.
In this text, I want to address the issue of peace, or rather our Westernized view of peace that coincides with the reductionist view of peace as the absence of conflict.
When Donald Trump threatened to invade Iran on June 20, 2019, me and journalist Lilian Sanches, a young terrorism researcher and scholar, at the time my master’s advisor, were on a flight to the Republic. Islamic
It was at Tehran airport that we learned of the threat via tweet. And that was not because there was some security scheme beyond what was expected on international arrivals. We learned when we connected to the airport’s Wi-Fi network and were impressed by the amount of messages that kept coming through WhatsApp and Telegram.
Friends from Brazil and abroad warned us: “There will be a war between Iran and Iraq, you need to come back.”
It was my fifth trip to the Middle East [I had been twice in Turkey and twice in Lebanon], but the first time in Iran. As I am aware that we know little, because we study and read little about the geopolitics of that region, do not disdain the alert of friends and family, but we continue to find our hosts.
Inside the car, the hostess and the driver were quiet, as were the people on the streets and in the hotel, where we left our bags and went out to feel if there was any tension.
The next day, a Friday, a holy day for Muslims, we found only families picnicking in the parks and streets of Tehran and enjoying the day with their children and friends. No explicit tension.
What we saw on the first day was repeated throughout our stay in the Middle East, between Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, in stark contrast to what the Western press and social media were broadcasting.
As journalists, we keep asking about the threat from the United States. The answer always reiterated Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s speech, simplified in an interview with CNN last July: “Iran will never start a war, but will defend itself against any act of aggression.”
In Iraq, it was no different. We interviewed teachers and researchers in Najaf and Karbala, one of the country’s holy cities, who also warned us about the gulf between the facts and the coverage of these facts by the western media.
In Lebanon, we are talking about peace, not conflict anymore. Then the first warning came from a source in Tripoli who worked with refugees: “If the agenda is about peace, I’m sorry, but I can’t afford an interview. Our vision of peace is very different from yours. ” She was right!
We convinced her to give the interview, but we did not address the issue of peace. From there we went to the Beqaa Valley on the Syrian border, where we interviewed a mother in the refugee camp. We took a risk and asked what peace meant to her: “To live with dignity in my country without taking refuge,” he replied. Was she talking about peace or justice?
From Lebanon, I returned to Iran alone to take a course at Al Mustafa University in the holy city of Qom.
With classes from Monday to Sunday, except Friday only, and evening cultural activities, such as visits to libraries, museums, religious sites, and research centers, the course was designed entirely for my demand: Islam, religion, and culture. peacebuilding media.
The university invited faculty, great references in the field, just to teach me. All the time, at university and research centers, I was treated as a teacher, researcher, and journalist who would later share that knowledge.
I had class with peace experts. Scholars and media critics, scholars of international relations and Islam. There were 84 hours of course.
Last week, the university director would like to say goodbye to me. So I went to his class accompanied by two of my teachers.
At the rectory, the director and two international relations advisers were waiting for me.
During the conversation, the principal asked me if the course was meeting my expectations. I said it couldn’t have been better, but I said I still needed to study more about peace.
With much respect and lucidity, he looked my way and calmly corrected me: “Professor, your vision of peace is very westernized. When you start studying and researching justice, you will [also] get more answers about peace. ”
This was not the first time anyone had told me that. Similarly, I had also studied that peace should not be reduced to the absence of conflict and that we should not talk about it [only] when conflicts emerge.
And it’s not being any different about the repercussions of General Soleimani’s death.
The word peace begins to appear in the speeches and appeals of world leaders and opinion makers, inside and outside Brazil.
We ignore the Middle East, we ignore what happened before, during and after the US occupation of Iraq. We ignore the Yazidi genocide by the Islamic State, the suffering of millions of Syrians and Kurds, women and children in Yemen and Palestine, but now we want to raise the flag of peace.
“If there is no justice, how can there be peace?” Asks a young artist asked me while we were having coffee in the mountain region, two hours from Tehran.
Machine traslated from: https://jornalggn.com.br/ira-x-eua/o-assassinato-do-general-soleimani-e-a-critica-a-minha-visao-ocidentalizada-de-paz-por-cilene-victor/
“They are hoping (almost certainly) to eliminate enough of the leadership of the Iraqi pmu and patriotic Iraqi military to prevent the Iraqi government from telling the US military to leave Iraq.”
Really? – unlikely that this will be the effect, If the Iraqi parliament does not vote to eject US forces, then the PMUs will take matters into their own hands, if not to avenge Soleimani, then to avenge one of their own.
We are not dealing with rational human beings here. The aggressors are, in fact, international war criminals who are very nearly out of moves.
Good God, Saker could be right that the possibility of war is higher than I thought.
It does seem that the US is warring on Iraq as well.
I cannot see Iraq allowing the US to remain.
Pray that the US war directly on Iran doesn’t start and that the US is ejected from both Iraq and Syria but in my gut I cannot see the US allowing being pushed out.
Two links with good analysis of the facts for Brazilian audience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr4VtpF9c8k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiFSOEcTCFs
Sorry, friends. There is no subtitles on the videos yet.
Unfortunatelly, Bolsonaro, this “crápula”, against advise from all military seconded Trump’s actions. Bolsonaro can’t avoid being a “capacho” of Trump. Let it be, his potato is cooking… faster them he thinks.
Iranian diplomat Amir al-Musawi said in an interview (in Farsi) that Trump has sent an emissary to Iran to pledge to lift all sanctions and provide them with aid if they agree not to seek revenge for the assassination of Soleimani.
[Video embedded in this tweet below]
https://twitter.com/40_Ronda/status/1213253810728165376?s=20
Dear Saker,
In my second post in almost a decade I will share a reflection I had, in my cups:
If the combined mind of freedom results in the expulsion of the imperialists from Iraq et. al. then perhaps the blood of the martyred leaders will also be responsible for freeing the USA peoples from themselves (their ruling class) as well. Who knows?, maybe in future USAsians will erect a statue of the Major General in remembrance of one who bought them freedom with his sacrifice?
I will return to my cups in the meantime…
Hi Timothy – I’m not the Saker, but I like your idea – I hope it comes to pass.
Me as well.
Mere provocations. This is the same as the various Russian losses over the years, remember those?
The Russians had lost more but they kept their cool.
If Iran was to retaliate, it would have to be under similar conditions i.e. tit-for-tat incidents befalling US/Israel interests but not full scale war. Even then, they have to be very careful not to play into a trap where they lose their moral ground in the eyes of the world. The death of Soleimani is not significant enough to justify declaring full scale war. Iran cannot afford to undertake a suicidal act without clear support from other major powers. That would just be stupid, I think even Soleimani would agree if he was alive.
To get that support, only a full scale unwarranted attack on Iran would qualify – US/Israel knows this. That’s why US/Israel will keep on provoking Iran until it breaks and lashes out. They need a Pearl Harbor to justify war to the American and world population. It’s all up to Iran if they want to fall into this trap willingly.
Im amazed that Iran has done sweet F all nothing about it yet.
Except there’s rumor that an envoy of US diplomats is heading to Iran to negotiate. How could Iran possibly talk ? If they do , shame on them.
Iran has announced 3 days of mourning for Soleimani. So mourning through Sunday. Don’t expect anything until Monday at least.
The US, knowing this, may try to use that window for some self-serving diplomatic move. Given this latest attack, however, I doubt it.
They’d be disappointingly stupid to accept Trumps obvious Carrot and Stick – carrot to be revoked at any time just like JCPOA
Speculation on my part but I’m not sure Trump is not lying on the pulpit that he ordered the strikes, maybe he’s been out maneuvered by his Neocon “compatriots” leaving him no choice but to claim it was his initiative or appear he’d lost control.
It might seem like a mute point but if true then its possible his allies will be trying to work the back channels to repair the damage, unfortunately I think his enemies, our enemies have the initiative and in this I agree with the balance of your analysis that Trump is the expendable president.
This will not have a happy ending ie with US leaving the ME, certainly not in an permanent way, its not what the war hawks want or for that matter what they have expended considerable effort in corralling and conditioning people into accepting for more than a century, a “Century of Enslavement”.
I predicted/estimated a couple weeks ago it might take till 2021 for all out war but with several attacks since then perhaps it will be sooner rather than later.
I’ve said it before but Its looking more and more like Muhammad’s (PBUH) ~1400 year old end-time prophecy should be given the credence it deserves. In fact it may be Trumps last chance to out Neocon the Neocons and throw the empire on its sword and “Drain the Global Swamp”
That is If the USA won’t attack Iran directly then lead the Neocon’s where they will go. The belief that victory can be obtained by luring a sufficiently provoked Resistance Axis into a major conflict in Northern Syria/Southern Turkey.
A.
So these PMU commanders see what’s happening on front of their noses, and then they just proceed to eat/sleep/whatever same as every other day? It’s all nice and well to call the Americans “stupid”, but competence seems in short supply on the other side as well. Right or wrong, the Dark Throne just doesn’t seem to fear the Iraqis–one of the reasons that things got this far.
https://sputniknews.com/world/202001041077938235-us-led-coalition-did-not-carry-out-air-strikes-north-of-baghdad-in-recent-days—spokesman-/
“[…] The coalition did not conduct airstrikes near Camp Taji (north of Baghdad) in recent days”, Army Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR), said on his Twitter page.
So who did? You know the usual psychopathic suspects. …
Oh, it’s some Israeli criminals pouring petrol on the fire? Disgusting…
“Army’s long-awaited Iraq war study finds Iran was the only winner in a conflict that holds many lessons for future wars”
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/01/18/armys-long-awaited-iraq-war-study-finds-iran-was-the-only-winner-in-a-conflict-that-holds-many-lessons-for-future-wars/
Statement on PressTV: “The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani,” said Ahmed al-Assadi, a PMU spokesman. Whether hyperbole or stating the obvious, the assassination of Qasem Soleimani smacks of Mossad M.O. in targeting Hamas, Palestinian and other leadership figures, and the role of Israeli intelligence hasn’t been delved into much yet. With that I just read a US representative denied responsibility for the breaking strikes against the medical convoy north of Baghdad. On another note, reports on the Baghdad Airport attack mention a drone (or drones) and Katyusha rockets involved.
US going full retard now. Excuse the phrase.
Pompeo’s words shown to mean nothing.
So they trying to draw Iran into a fight on Iraqi soil? I don’t think Iraq wants to be everyone’s battleground and will most certainly vote to kick US out.
But the US will say the vote is illegitimate and stay. The US will plunge Iraq into a civil war unless Iraqis stand in unity to force them out. But if you can’t control your own airspace you can’t truly be a sovereign nation. Iraq cannot control their airspace without help from others.
Iran cannot protect Iraqi airspace.
Russia could but could you see that happening? I don’t think so. Russia won’t even fully defend Syrian airspace.
Maybe this is the US plan, to draw bigger fish into Iraq, a war zone the US has prepared, is used to and has the advantage in.
“”
The Iranian-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have dropped their claims that a medical convoy was destroyed in a US air raid along Taji road, north of Baghdad.
In a new press release cited by several news agencies, the PMF leadership retracted their statement in which the group said their medics were hit by a US airstrike.
“”
What the hell is going on guys ? A lot of conflicting info in social media…
https://www.rt.com/news/477444-iraq-militia-us-strike/
https://sputniknews.com/world/202001041077938235-us-mission-iraq-air-strikes/
https://twitter.com/OIRSpox
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iraq-airstrike-iran-backed-militia-official
https://t.co/vYxKjL4QPe
Traduction with DeepL.com de : https://strategika51.org/2020/01/03/teheran-face-a-un-dilemme-strategique-digne-dune-tragedie-de-shakespeare-riposter-et-faire-totalement-le-jeu-disrael-ou-ne-pas-riposter-et-paraitre-comme-faible-et-donc-condamne/
Is it more noble of soul to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to arm ourselves against a sea of sorrows and face them to put an end to them?
To die… to sleep, nothing more… and to say that by that sleep we put an end to the evils of the heart and the thousand natural tortures which are the lot of the flesh: this is an end that we must fervently wish for. »
Dying… sleeping; sleeping, maybe dreaming.
Yes, that’s the obstacle. »
William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1
A few hours after the air attack that killed ten people including the commander of the Qods Force of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and a deputy commander of the Iraqi popular mobilization, Iranian decision-makers are currently facing a dilemma:
A retaliatory response would play into the hands of Israel, the main sponsor of the raid and the main instigator of a possible major global confrontation.
Failure to retaliate would be a clear sign of weakness that could encourage all enemies of Tehran to pursue a hybrid war coupled with possible attempts at regime change.
In the two cases mentioned above, Iranian strategists appear to be trapped in an incapacitating movement reminiscent of certain figures of the chess game.
The targeting in Iraq of Major General Qassem Sulaimani very shortly after his return from Lebanon on board a civilian aircraft thus resembles a masterstroke in terms of short-term strategy but a fiasco in the making in the long term.
For the moment the Israelis seem to have all the possible gains but everything will depend on the strategic capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to manoeuvre tightly and extremely tightly because a direct war between the United States and Iran will be the gift so dreamed of by Tel Aviv.
The modus operandi of the operation leaves no room for doubt. Major General Sulaimani was killed according to a well-established, well-oiled and well-known Israeli method. The senior Iranian officer was the host of Iraq and the government in Baghdad, which is strongly contested internally, will have all the trouble in the world to survive in the next few weeks if a large-scale war does not set fire to the Middle East within this short period.
Donald Trump wanted to escape impeachment by giving in to one of AIPAC’s strongest desires, the very powerful pro-Israeli lobby holding both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the bicameralist legislative system under their direct influence, but Trump’s crazy gamble is already fatal: the Israelis have not only just buried him alive without resorting to a second shooting in Dallas.
The Iranian response will be very interesting in more ways than one. After all, it is the country from which chess games have been broadcast to the world. The interest of this response will be decisive in gauging the depth of Iranian strategic thinking.
Unless the Iranians reserve a surprise both strategically and tactically because everything will be played out in Iraq, which is definitely the weak link of the so-called axis of resistance if it really exists. This suspense is extremely exciting for any enthusiast on the subject because the games that were zero-sum are beginning to change. The stakes are immense because any miscalculation on either side would invariably lead to a hot world war with no possibility of going back.
At the moment crude oil prices are soaring and they could take off if there is a conflict in the Gulf. Speculators are rubbing their hands in it without realizing the extreme seriousness of the moment. We do not know what war we are involved in but we do know that it will take us all out this time there will be no winners and no losers.
Once again, the Iranian response to one of the greatest existential threats against the Islamic Republic since 1979 will determine the real nature of the Great Game at hand.
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
“Donald Trump wanted to escape impeachment by giving in to one of AIPAC’s strongest desires, the very powerful pro-Israeli lobby holding both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the bicameralist legislative system under their direct influence, but Trump’s crazy gamble is already fatal: the Israelis have not only just buried him alive without resorting to a second shooting in Dallas.”
Has Trump grasped this?
If so, could it make him change his relationship to the Zionists?
we are on a knife-edge held by crazy men.
Katherine
@Laika von old Monkshusen on January 03, 2020 · at 10:11 pm EST/EDT
It seems the losing West is now [based on false flags] desperately and brutally attacking the Shia Militias in order to at least keep the AngloZionist occupation of Iraq going.
But they’re merely shooting themselves in the foot in their desperation. Their brutal attack on the Shias is a sure-fire way to make an any longer ongoing AngloZionist occupation of Iraq and Syria impossible.
Indeed. If Iraq flares up (very likely), the US will have long supply lines that can be attacked.
For the Anglo Zionist Empire, the S will really HTF when Saudi Arabia’s Shia rise up.
To my mind, to state the obvious, this hit was at or for Israel’s direction , 100%, specificaklly at the direction of nitenyaahoo as part of his political survival and stay out of jail campaign.
Of course, it was cheered massively by the zionists in admin and congress and press.
Not much more to add to that but I do commend the linked article, already posted on Non MSM News (excellent summary of the psychopathic thug nitenyaahoo and his constant manipulation of trump, kushner, et al)
Linked here again for emphasis:
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/01/03/vips-memo-doubling-down-into-yet-another-march-of-folly-this-time-on-iran/
Taras you are right.
Israel will continue to fight… down to the last American soldier.
I think this is just the beginning
https://www.rt.com/news/477479-iraqi-air-base-us-rocket-fire/
We as Americans are fighting the wrong enemy,.,.our enemy is within….has been since 1913 when we turned over our money and freedom to them…..Like us they are also Americans…but they do not respect nor honor the constitution nor the country nor its citizens who are not part of their tribe….they control banks, media, and pull all the strings in both congress and the senate….they rule over the pentagon..and manipulate the CIA and NSA to work for their interest first and foremost. They don’t die in war..but profit from them and grow richer and more powerful while the masses of American citizens wallow in their own self inflicted ignorance. It’s our own fault, Trump is our fault, Obama was our fault, Bush was our fault….we are too blame for being intellectually lazy, politically ignorant, and focused on materialism instead of life, liberty, and freedom….Lookin the mirror America and lay blame on what you see…..
From the link:
.
*** The Iraqi military and the US-led coalition have denied that a US air strike had taken place on a medical convoy in Taji, north of Baghdad, afrer reports emerged that an attack killed at least six people. ***
.
Consider the outside chance the “US-led coalition” is telling the truth for a change. Who does that leave as the attackers?
The Apartheid state.
Smashing Iran using US money and blood of US soldiers is a dream. One which the Orange POTUS is on the verge of making real.
I’d like to know the Saker’s thoughts on this piece: https://www.globalresearch.ca/russian-eulogies-soleimani-ariel-sharon-shimon-peres-bush-sr/5699615