DL Open Thread: Sat., Jan. 4, 2020
A ‘Just The Facts’ Version Of The Killing Of Soleimani From The Washington Post:
What happened: President Trump ordered a drone strike near the Baghdad airport, killing Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military figures and leader of its special-operations forces abroad.
Who Soleimani was: As the leader of the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, Soleimani was key in training Iran’s allies across the region, especially in Iraq. Soleimani’s influence was imprinted on various Shiite militias that fought U.S. troops.
How we got here: Tensions had been escalating between Iran and the United States since Trump pulled out of an Obama-era nuclear deal and spiked shortly before the airstrike. On Tuesday, supporters of an Iranian-backed militia, Kataib Hezbollah, breached the gates of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, demanding that U.S. troops and diplomats leave the country. The militia supporters were protesting the killing of 25 fighters in U.S. airstrikes. The strikes were carried out in response to the death of a U.S. contractor in a rocket attack against a military base in Kirkuk that the United States blamed on Kataib Hezbollah.
What happens next: Soleimani’s killing could be a catalyst for greater violence, experts warned. Iran vowed “severe revenge” in response, while U.S. outposts braced for retaliatory attacks and oil prices rose. The U.S. Embassy in Iraq warned U.S. citizens to leave “immediately.”
Department Of Homeland Security Sees ‘No Specific, Credible Threat’ From Iran. As opposed to the presumably specific credible threat posed by immigrants fleeing violence in their home countries.
Trump’s Accomplices In Seeking Regime Change In Iran. Blackwater, Israel, Bolton, Don Junior. You know, all the cooler heads in foreign policy.
2003 Just Called. They Want Their War Propagandists On Every Media Platform. Again. Here’s the roll call of the liars, in case you have forgotten. Bolton, of course, is already on board.
The ‘Target-Rich Environments’ Just Ripe For Retaliation. This could get real bad real fast.
I didn’t plan on this being an All-Iran post, but that’s just how it ended up. Sometimes you write the stories, sometimes the stories write themselves.
What do you want to talk about?
https://m.facebook.com/events/616593382446099/
Just putting this link to the rally here.
4pm Haynes Park. Beers at WBW afterwards?
I fully expect at some point all who urge that we not get into a war with Iran will be labeled as Traitors, it is the inevitable response from Trump and the Republicans and harks back to all wars I remember going back to Viet Nam. The Iranians will let us twist in the wind awhile before striking back, but strike back they will, as noted there are many potential targets just a missile attack away. As ever the military industrial complex will sense profit potential and the war pigs will drool at the prospect of yet another protracted war. This will not end well for us, and perhaps the world.
I’m already a proud class traitor!
on smerconish this morning 76% opposed a war with iran. labeling all 76% as traitors will only leave 24% voting for trump. good…
@bam: I agree totally with “Iran will let us twist in the wind a while.”
If there’s one thing the impeachment has shown the world, it’s that Trump does not handle himself well when the ball is in someone else’s court.
This would be funny potentially had this fucking half-wit not gone and assassinated a person he didn’t even know.
https://youtu.be/thN5XuPdhNQ
There is a reason that we do not overtly assassinate other world leaders. RIP JFK. Live by the sword, Die by the sword….hope it works out for the Donald and his Trump organization.