Events continue to escalate since a US airstrike in Baghdad killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. It is hard to sort fact from fiction at the moment in the fast and furious debate swirling through Washington, Iraq, Iran and the mainstream media, but let’s give it a try.
In an interview with Chris Wallace on his Sunday Fox News program, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo provided some clarity on the president’s strategy going forward. In a nutshell, it’s to show Iran that there will be consequences if they harm Americans.
Why the urgency to take out Soleimani now?
Iran has been provoking the US for a while now, attacking our drones and attacking ships, but this time President Trump drew a line in the sand, saying that the US would not tolerate the death of another American. An American contractor was killed just a little over a week ago in Iraq in an Iranian-backed Shi’ite militia attack. Then the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked by Iranian-backed Shi’ite militia. As a result the US took out the mastermind, Soleimani, that was behind those attacks.
Many on the left are accusing the president of using the Soleimani killing to distract from impeachment. Wallace asked Pompeo why the US needed to take out Soleimani now. Pompeo responded that the risks associated with inaction on the part of the US were greater than the risks of acting.
Wallace also asked if the American people should have access to all the information in the briefings, but Pompeo pointed out that some intelligence cannot be shared publicly as it would jeopardize further intelligence gathering which will be needed going forward.
Democrats argue that Trump had no authority
Nancy Pelosi has accused the Trump administration of acting without authority, but the administration maintains that their authority derives from the AUMF (authorization to use military force) Congress approved back in 2002. They also delivered a formal notification about the airstrike on Soleimani on Saturday, January 4th, as required by the War Powers Act. That act states that notification has to be delivered within 48 hours of the action.
Democrats accuse Trump of starting a war with Iran
Pelosi also accuses the president of starting a war with Iran, but Soleimani was killed in Iraq, where he had been banned by the UN. The killing of Soleimani was not an act of war, it was the death of a terrorist, one who had killed many Americans, Iraqis, and others. Senator Marco Rubio addressed this argument.
1. Soleimani wasn’t “assasinated”,he was killed on the battlefield during active operations.
2. He was in #Iraq in violation of a 2007 UN Security Council travel ban
3. He spent the last few days coordinating imminent attacks against American citizens,allies & interests 1/2— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 3, 2020
General David Petraeus: Soleimani killing more significant that Bin Laden and Baghdadi
General David Petraeus, commanding general of the MNF (multi-national forces) in Iraq from 2007-2008, said the death of Soleimani was more important than Bin Laden or Baghdadi. In an interview with Foreign Affairs, Petraeus said that the killing of Soleimani is a strong message that the US will respond to the aggressive tactics of Iran and the killing of Americans.
David Petraeus: It is impossible to overstate the importance of this particular action. It is more significant than the killing of Osama bin Laden or even the death of [Islamic State leader Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi. Suleimani was the architect and operational commander of the Iranian effort to solidify control of the so-called Shia crescent, stretching from Iran to Iraq through Syria into southern Lebanon. He is responsible for providing explosives, projectiles, and arms and other munitions that killed well over 600 American soldiers and many more of our coalition and Iraqi partners just in Iraq, as well as in many other countries such as Syria. So his death is of enormous significance.
Iran is divided
In November, Iranians protested their government. International sanctions and military spending have kept the Iranian people poor and they rose up to protest. The government responded with a brutal crackdown, killing many, and imprisoning thousands. They shut down the internet for days to try to prevent news from getting out and made sharing video of the unrest a criminal offense. Nonetheless, video has trickled out.
According to the BBC, “The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has spent billions of dollars arming, training and paying militias in the region, saying that if the force does not fight Iran’s enemies beyond its borders then it will have to face them on the streets of Tehran.”
In Mariwan, a small Kurdish border town in Iran at least ten people killed in anti-Government protests. The city looks like war zone. #iranprotest #kurdistan #bbcpersian #bbcnews pic.twitter.com/V7L3jZ5zt3
— Jiyar Gol (@jiyargol) November 20, 2019
Iraq is divided along religious lines
What is happening in Iraq and in the Middle East is basically a religious war of Shi’ites against Sunnis. The Shi’ites are in charge of Iran and almost control Iraq now. But Sunnis may by fighting back.
There is evidence Iraq is anything but united and that many Iraqis want Iranian influence out of their country. In October and November 2019, Iraqis attacked the Iran consulate twice in Karbala and set it on fire. They also tore down the Iranian flag and replaced it with the Iraqi flag. Iran sent Qasem Soleimani to advise on how to handle the protests in Iraq, and 250 people were killed during the protests.
Part of Iraqi Parliament votes to remove all foreign troops from Iraq
On Sunday, the Iraqi Parliament voted to remove foreign troops from Iraq. The vote was one-sided, all Shi’ite lawmakers. The Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the vote. They are concerned that an Iran-led insurgency is the likely alternative in the absence of coalition forces.
According to the Jerusalem Post, “One Sunni member of parliament told Reuters that both groups feared that kicking out U.S.-led coalition forces would leave Iraq vulnerable to an insurgency, undermine security and heighten the power of Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias.
Indeed, knowing the power and influence that Iran wields in the region, Iraq could easily become a vassal state in a growing Iranian empire.
Pompeo placed the blame for Iranian aggression and endless war squarely on Obama
President Trump has talked a lot about getting the US military out of the Middle East and has said someone else needs to fight over it.
Wallace asked Pompeo if we were getting out of the Middle East or stepping back in? Pompeo stated, “Endless wars are the direct result of weakness.”
“The Obama administration created enormous risk to the American people in Iran, this administration is working to reduce that risk.”
Wallace asked Pompeo if impeachment has emboldened our enemies, to which Pompeo responded, “You should ask Mr. Soleimani.”
616 Responses
Hi, I do think this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to revisit once again since I book-marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
Great information. Lucky me I recently found your site by accident (stumbleupon). I have saved as a favorite for later!
Hello there, I believe your web site might be having web browser compatibility issues. When I take a look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Aside from that, fantastic site!
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read through content from other authors and practice something from other sites.
I cling on to listening to the newscast lecture about getting free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the most excellent site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i get some?
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article! It’s the little changes that will make the most significant changes. Thanks for sharing!
Can I simply say what a relief to discover an individual who really knows what they are talking about over the internet. You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular since you certainly possess the gift.
Hi there, I do think your web site might be having internet browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however, if opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, great blog!
You’ve made some decent points there. I looked on the web to find out more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this web site.
Wonderful paintings! This is the kind of info that are meant to be shared around the internet. Disgrace on the seek engines for not positioning this submit higher! Come on over and discuss with my web site . Thanks =)
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Many thanks for providing this info.
I love it when individuals get together and share opinions. Great site, continue the good work!
Right here is the perfect site for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic that’s been written about for many years. Excellent stuff, just great!
It’s hard to come by knowledgeable people on this subject, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Good post! We will be linking to this great content on our website. Keep up the great writing.
This page truly has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
I could not resist commenting. Well written!
Everyone loves it when folks come together and share thoughts. Great website, stick with it!
After exploring a number of the blog posts on your web page, I seriously appreciate your technique of blogging. I book marked it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my website too and tell me your opinion.
Howdy! I just would like to give you a big thumbs up for the excellent info you have right here on this post. I am coming back to your blog for more soon.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to look at new things you post…
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you need to write more on this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t discuss these subjects. To the next! Cheers!!
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after looking at some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m certainly happy I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!
You should take part in a contest for one of the finest websites on the internet. I will recommend this blog!
Usually I do not read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, very nice article.
This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Thanks a lot!
I was able to find good advice from your content.
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through many of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!
Good write-up, I’m normal visitor of one’s site, maintain up the excellent operate, and It’s going to be a regular visitor for a long time.
great post, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector do not notice this. You should continue your writing. I am sure, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!
Thanks for your submission. I also think that laptop computers have grown to be more and more popular right now, and now tend to be the only kind of computer utilised in a household. The reason is that at the same time that they’re becoming more and more cost-effective, their computing power is growing to the point where they are as strong as desktop computers coming from just a few years back.
Great info. Lucky me I discovered your site by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later!
Great post. I will be facing many of these issues as well..
I truly appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thx again!
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no back up. Do you have any solutions to protect against hackers?
Hello there! I simply wish to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent information you have right here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your web site for more soon.
hello!,I like your writing so much! share we communicate more about your article on AOL? I require an expert on this area to solve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking forward to see you.
Excellent site you have here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
That is a great tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Short but very precise info… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read post!
Everything is very open with a clear explanation of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your website is useful. Thank you for sharing!