Puppet MastersS


Attention

In an act of cowardice, Soleimani assassination puts US-Israeli fear of Iran on full display

Miko Peled
MintPress News
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00 UTC
Trump
© Evan Vucci/APPresident Donald Trump walks off after delivering remarks on Iran, at his Mar-a-Lago property, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, in Palm Beach, Fla.
In what can only be described as one in a long series of reckless, thoughtless and short-sighted acts that serve only the narrowest interests, the Trump administration assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. This assassination, which was an act of cowardice, one may safely assume was concocted by Benjamin Netanyahu, another corrupt, reckless coward who is fighting for his political life. This, like the rest of the Trump administration's Mideast and Iran policy, had to have been prescribed by the Prime Minister of Israel.

Both Israel and the United States are terrified of an all-out war with Iran. Neither country has faced a well-organized, well-armed, well-trained and motivated military force in many decades. There can be no doubt that the military leaders of both countries know this and appreciate that a war with Iran will be tantamount to suicide.

While both the US and the Israeli armies are well equipped and the hardware at their disposal includes vast quantities of the most cutting edge weapons on earth, both are large and cumbersome, and while they can bomb and destroy almost any country from the air and sea, neither has fought a long ground war and neither is capable of sustaining such a war. In addition, neither the Israeli soldiers or US forces can possibly be expected to be as motivated as the Iranian military would be in the event of an attack.
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Star of David

Former Obama aide: Killing Soleimani was in Israel's interest, 'not in the American interest'

Philip Weiss
Mondoweiss
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 19:49 UTC
Trump, bibi netanyahu
© AP / Evan VucciNetanyahu and Trump meet at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue.
The media consensus is that Trump ordered the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani because the U.S. president was angered by the attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad last week and because he felt a need to intimidate Iran. CNN and MSNBC are also offering the view that Trump is seeking to pump his popularity in the face of impeachment, or starting a war so he will be reelected.

Israel's interest in the assassination continues to be my focus. Israel appears to have been a factor in Trump's decision, beginning with the fact that his largest donor has called for a strike on Iran. As former White House negotiator Aaron David Miller tweeted:
If the Israelis weren't somehow involved in this, I'd be stunned. Sulrimani's been on their list for a long time
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Nuke

Financial N-option? Trump's oil war of 'divide and rule' may be over

Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00 UTC
IranianLeaders
© AFPIranian leaders attended the funeral of Qasem Soleimani: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L), Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Center), and Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani (R) pay their respects at Soleimani’s coffin.
On foreign soil, as a guest nation, US has assassinated a diplomatic envoy whose mission the US had requested. The bombshell facts were delivered by caretaker Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, during an extraordinary, historic parliamentary session in Baghdad on Sunday.

Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani had flown into Baghdad on a normal carrier flight, carrying a diplomatic passport. He had been sent by Tehran to deliver, in person, a reply to a message from Riyadh on de-escalation across the Middle East. Those negotiations had been requested by the Trump administration.

So Baghdad was officially mediating between Tehran and Riyadh, at the behest of Trump. And Soleimani was a messenger. Adil Abdul-Mahdi was supposed to meet Soleimani at 8:30 am, Baghdad time, last Friday. But a few hours before the appointed time, Soleimani died as the object of a targeted assassination at Baghdad airport.

Let that sink in - for the annals of 21st century diplomacy. Once again: it does not matter whether the assassination order was issued by President Trump, the US Deep State or the usual suspects - or when. After all, the Pentagon had Soleimani on its sights for a long time, but always refused to go for the final hit, fearing devastating consequences.

Now, the fact is that the United States government - on foreign soil, as a guest nation - has assassinated a diplomatic envoy who was on an official mission that had been requested by the United States government itself.

Baghdad will formally denounce this behavior to the United Nations. However, it would be idle to expect UN outrage about the US killing of a diplomatic envoy. International law was dead even before 2003's Shock and Awe.

Comment: As Escobar points out: Grim and effective payback from Iran is only a matter of choice and timing. If there are no attempts at reconciliation, what comes next may be devastating. Tighten your financial seat belts. This could be a very bumpy ride.

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Target

Flashback Iran's military mastermind leads battle to recapture Tikrit from ISIS

Jack Moore
Newsweek
Thu, 05 Mar 2020 10:26 UTC
GroupSoleimani
© TWITTERMajor General Qasem Soleimani, the former leader of the special operations arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, pictured in a white scarf with Kurdish forces in Iraq last year.
A notorious Iranian commander is spearheading the Iraqi offensive on the ISIS-held city of Tikrit, providing tactical expertise and a key link to Tehran for supplies to the Iraqi militias advancing on the terror group's territory.

This week, a combination of 30,000 Iraqi security forces, Sunni and Shia militiamen launched a campaign to retake the Sunni-majority city, the hometown of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, from the terror group after it swept through northern Iraq last summer. Iraqi security forces, backed by the majority-Shia Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU), are advancing on the city from three directions, north, east and south, where the main entry points into and out of the city lie.

Major General Qasem Soleimani, the shadowy former leader of the elite Quds Force, the special operations arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC), is directly overseeing the eastern offensive on Tikrit. The Iranian general has been pictured on the outskirts of the city in photos shared widely on social media.
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Magnify

Devin Nunes: 'Republicans have active investigation into (IG Michael) Atkinson' for his whistleblower complaint

Sara Carter
saraacarter.com
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00 UTC
WhistleblowerCap
© Popular Resistance.org
Ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes told The Sara Carter Show that Republicans have an active investigation into Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who alerted lawmakers to the so-called whistleblower complaint that has led to President Donald Trump's partisan impeachment in the House.

Nunes, R-CA, spoke to this reporter for Monday's podcast. He revealed that transcripts of Atkinson's secret testimony will expose that the Inspector General either lied or he needs to make corrections to his statements to lawmakers. The transcripts has been kept from the public by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-CA, because it is damaging to their "impeachment scam," Nunes said.

The whistleblower, who has not been formally named by lawmakers, met with Schiff's staff members prior to submitting their complaint to Atkinson. Schiff was chided by Republican lawmakers and many members of the media for falsely claiming that his committee had no contact with the whistleblower. Rep. Nunes:
"(Atkinson) is under active investigation. I'm not gonna go any farther than that because you know obviously he has a chance to come in and prove his innocence, but my guess is Schiff, Atkinson they don't want that transcript out because it's very damaging."

Comment:



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Mail

Draft letter, sent by mistake, falsely announced US forces prepping to leave Iraq


Sputnik
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 23:30 UTC
US Military
© AP/Baderkhan Ahmad
A Monday letter sent to Iraqi military leaders, the US-led coalition in Iraq announced it was preparing to "move out" of the country out of respect for Iraqi sovereignty. However, Pentagon leaders later clarified it was an unsigned draft sent by "mistake."

'That's Not What's Happening'

"Poorly worded, implies withdrawal. That's not what's happening." That's how US Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation's top general, described a letter sent by mistake from US Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William H. Seely III to Iraqi Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah on Monday, that announced the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

Milley said Monday the letter was "genuine," but had been sent by "mistake," noting it was an unsigned draft meant to underscore increased levels of troop movements.

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Monday afternoon, "there's been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq. Period."

While a Pentagon spokesperson could not confirm the authenticity of the letter to Reuters, an Iraqi commander did, and copies circulated across the media.

Comment:


RT, 6/1/2020: 'We are trying to prevent open war' says Iraqi PM
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has told US ambassador Matthew Tueller that Baghdad is doing all it can to prevent "descent into open war" as tensions flare over the US killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.

Speaking at a meeting with Tueller in the Iraqi capital on Monday, Abdul-Mahdi said his government's policy has "always been to have relations with all sides." He said Iraq wants to build its relations with other countries on "cooperation, mutual respect, and protection of foreign sovereignty," adding that a strong Iraqi government is in "everyone's interest" in the region.

The PM also "stressed the importance of mutual cooperation" on implementing foreign troop withdrawal, according to a statement released by his office.

The meeting comes after US President Donald Trump warned Iraq that it should brace for "very big" sanctions "like they've never seen before."

That warning followed the passing of a non-binding resolution in the Iraqi parliament on Sunday asking the government to expel foreign troops by canceling a request for military assistance from the US-led coalition. On Monday, Abdul-Mahdi said the US and Iraq must also work together to implement the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.

Trump has claimed the US will not leave Iraq unless Baghdad "pays it back" for the "extraordinarily expensive" air base which it built there.

Asked about Trump's threat to impose sanctions on Iraq, Al-Muttalibi said Iraqis "have to be worried" and can't trust Trump's "good intentions." If the US does impose sanctions, Iraq will need to look for "more suitable partners" than those who "come to Iraq, kill Iraqi citizens, use Iraqi airspace and Iraq ground to kill Iraqi officials," he said.

Speaking about the Iraqi parliament's resolution asking the government to expel foreign forces, he warned that it's "very important for the Americans to pull out [of Iraq]" because "we don't want to be drawn into a war between Iran and America on Iraqi soil."


Chairman JCS Milley
© The SakerIs the Chairman of the JCS freaking out? Answer? He should and he is!
See also:
Trump threatens Iraq with 'very big sanctions' unless it pays back $billions for airbase if US troops are forced to withdraw

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Colosseum

Trump backtracks threat to Iran's cultural sites as international outrage necessitates damage control


RT
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 17:19 UTC
Persepolis
© AFP/Behrouz MehriThe ancient Persian city of Persepolis in southern Iran
US administration officials are scrambling to walk back Donald Trump's suggestion that he would target Iranian cultural sites by denying that he ever made the threat, even after he doubled down.

Trump provoked widespread outrage with a tweet Saturday claiming that Washington had 52 Iranian sites in its crosshairs, some of which were "very important" to "Iranian culture." Those targets, he added, would be hit "very fast and very hard" if Tehran retaliated for the killing of top general Qassem Soleimani.
Asked about the threat on Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that Trump "didn't say he'd go after cultural sites."

Comment: Update: Sputnik, 7/1/2020: Trump, regarding striking cultural sites
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US is prepared for any retaliation on the side of Iran and that Washington is ready to retaliate in return. He added that he wants to obey international law when it comes to striking cultural sites.

"If that's what the law is, I like to obey the law. But think of it. They kill our people. They blow up our people and then we have to be very gentle with their cultural institutions. But I'm OK with it. It's OK with me."


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Brain

Even CNN is fed up with Joe Biden's lies claiming he was against the Iraq War


RT
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:50 UTC
BIden
© Reuters/Brenna NormanFormer Vice President and presidential candidate Joe Biden
CNN has blasted Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for claiming once again that he opposed the Iraq War from the beginning, when in fact he was an advocate of the war, speaking in favor of it many times.

In a piece published on CNN's 'Facts First' blog Biden was scolded for "dishonestly" claiming he opposed the invasion of Iraq. The fact-check came after Biden told a voter in Iowa at the weekend that he was against the war "from the very moment" George W. Bush launched it. In reality, Biden "repeatedly spoke in favor of the war both before and after it began," CNN wrote.

The network called Biden's comment "highly misleading even under the most generous interpretation," given that the former VP was "actually a vocal supporter" of military action and voted to authorize Bush's use of force.

Comment: Joe Biden is tripping over his own shadow. At this point, not even the MSM can support his fantasies.

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Bad Guys

Evidence? What evidence? Pompeo shows no proof of 'imminent' Soleimani attacks - because he's lying


RT
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 19:08 UTC
netanyahu pompeo meeting
Zionist buddies Pompeo and Netanyahu
The US says that Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was plotting "imminent and sinister" attacks against its diplomats and military personnel. But when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was pressed for evidence of this, he gave none.

Soleimani, commander of the Iranian military's Quds Force, was assassinated in a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday. Before the strike, President Donald Trump implicated Iran in a fatal rocket attack on an American base in Iraq in December, and in the storming of the American embassy in Baghdad by protesters last week. Afterwards, he said that Soleimani was killed to prevent "imminent and sinister" attacks against American officials and troops in the Middle East.


Comment: If Pompeo is speaking, chances are that he's lying:

With Washington and Tehran throwing escalatory threats at each other following the strike, Pompeo spoke to reporters on Tuesday. Asked for evidence of the threat posed by Soleimani, the US secretary of state provided little in the way of information.


Instead, he claimed that America's intelligence agencies gave Trump "multiple pieces of information" proving Soleimani's nefarious intentions, but declined to say what this information detailed.


Comment: Because it is WMD-level "intelligence":

Comment: Meanwhile, Iran is still calling for vengeance:
Iran has a baker's dozen potential "revenge scenarios" that it is considering against the US, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council, said Tuesday.

"The Americans should know that until now, 13 revenge scenarios have been discussed in the Council and even if there is a consensus on the weakest scenario, carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans," Iran's Fars News Agency cited Shamkhani as saying, according to Reuters.


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Star of David

Yeah right: Netanyahu backs away from Soleimani assassination, warns ministers to 'stay out' of purely 'American event'

Helen Buyniski
RT
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 18:51 UTC
netanyahu pompeo meeting
Zionist buddies Pompeo and Netanyahu
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly warned his cabinet not to get too involved in the US murder of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, lest Tel Aviv gets dragged into the escalating conflict between Washington and Tehran.


Comment: How bloody convenient, and how very typical. That's how Israel likes to work, getting the U.S. to do its dirty work, then sitting on the sidelines and pretending to play innocent.


"The assassination of Soleimani isn't an Israeli event but an American event. We were not involved and should not be dragged into it," Netanyahu reportedly told his security cabinet during a meeting on Monday, as cited by Israel's Channel 13. He advised ministers to avoid speaking to the media about Thursday's targeted assassination beyond supporting the US' right to defend itself, so as not to give the impression that Israel had played any role in it.


Comment: In other words, it is primarily an Israeli event.


The directors of Mossad and military intelligence reassured the ministers that the likelihood of a retaliatory attack is low, since "Israel stayed at a distance from the incident," and that Iran will begin planning its reciprocal move on Tuesday following the conclusion of the national mourning period for Soleimani, according to the same sources.

Netanyahu's sudden reticence is particularly notable because he has been advocating a US-Iran conflict for much of his political career. For over 20 years, he has insisted that the Islamic Republic was just steps away from producing nuclear weapons, even when Israeli intelligence publicly argued otherwise.

Comment: It comes at a convenient time for Netanyahu personally:
While the Knesset speaker is about to rule on the fate of the immunity request, Israeli publicist and political analyst Avigdor Eskin argues that the investigation and the indictment against Netanyahu were biased from the start.

He refers to legal opinion by Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and a number of high profile American lawyers who earlier called upon Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to drop charges against Netanyahu; denouncing them as "the weaponisation of criminal justice for political purposes".

According to the publicist, the Israeli prime minister remains a successful political heavyweight who deserves to receive immunity.

"The removal of Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani is perceived in Israel as the victory of Netanyahu, among other points", Eskin says. "His policy towards Iran is prevailing internationally. And his international experience is indispensable. Netanyahu is the best choice for secret talks to Arab leaders. He has improved the relations with the Arab world like no other Israeli leader. And his special relations both with President Trump and President Putin are vital for Israel now. He is leading Israel towards peace and prosperity".


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