RTSat, 04 Jan 2020 18:02 UTC
© Sabah Arar / AFP
Massive crowds have gathered in Baghdad for a funeral procession for Iran's elite Quds Force leader, Qassem Soleimani, Iraqi militia chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and others people killed in a US drone strike on Friday.
Mourners and supporters of Major General Soleimani and al-Muhandis, who was the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), are holding photos of both men along with Iraqi flags and flags of the Shia group Hezbollah.
Many are dressed in black and are heard chanting "death to America."Iraq's prime minister, Adel Abdel Mahdi, is also attending the ceremony. He stepped down in November amid mass anti-government protests, but has retained his post in a caretaker capacity.
The procession carrying the caskets of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, which are draped with Iranian and Iraqi flags respectively, moved from Kadhimiya, a Shia pilgrimage site in Baghdad, to the Green Zone government block for the state funeral.
© Sabah Arar / AFP
Soleimani's remains are expected to be transported to Iran, where a burial will take place in his hometown, Kerman on Sunday.
Both men were killed at Baghdad's airport as they were about to drive to the Iraqi capital. Washington has said that by killing Soleimani, future Iranian attacks on American military personnel and civilians in Iraq and other places abroad have been prevented.
Comment: Does it look like these Iraqis are "dancing in the streets" for freedom, "thankful that General Soleimani is no more"? That's what Pompeo would have the world think.
Either he's a liar, or such an idiot that he believes his own
propaganda:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exaggerated the reaction of Iraqi citizens to the death of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing eyewitnesses who said that celebrations occurred on a much smaller level than Pompeo implied.
The newspaper reported that while the video itself was authentic, there were a number of inconsistencies with what Pompeo portrayed, and what actually happened on the ground. The New York Times cited eyewitnesses who claimed that the group of men carrying the flag was very small and that the celebration was over in less than two minutes. The newspaper also stated that citizens were running, not dancing as Pompeo stated, in the video.
The fact that the video had been viewed almost five million times, along with Pompeo's caption, sets a dangerous precedent for factual news reporting, the newspaper stated. The State Department did not respond immediately to a request for a comment on the allegations, submitted on Friday evening, the newspaper reported.
Here was the scene in Tehran today:
And in
Kashmir:
The assassination sparked protests in other countries as well, especially in those with sizable Shia Muslim populations. A handful of rallies were held in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed Kashmir region, where people flocked to the streets to voice their anger over the murder.
Hundreds of protesters also marched in the northern Indian town of Budgam, carrying portraits of Soleimani and chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans.
"We will take revenge of their act so that they will bow down. And it is going to be a lesson for our future generations," said an Islamic cleric who led the protests, while another scholar insisted that the US and Israel "will be destroyed very soon."
A similar rally was held in the town of Kargil, where locals turned up in large numbers to mourn the death of the prominent Iranian commander. Footage from the scene shows residents carrying portraits of Soleimani and placards reading "Down with the USA." Large banners portraying Iranian leaders could also be seen hanging from several buildings in the town.
In case there's any doubt just how allied Iraq and Iran are, here's the Iraqi PM side-by-side with the new commander of the Iraqi PMU:
The US can send another million troops to Iraq if it wants, but it has already lost the battle for hearts and minds.
See also:
Comment: Does it look like these Iraqis are "dancing in the streets" for freedom, "thankful that General Soleimani is no more"? That's what Pompeo would have the world think.
Either he's a liar, or such an idiot that he believes his own propaganda: Here was the scene in Tehran today:
And in Kashmir: In case there's any doubt just how allied Iraq and Iran are, here's the Iraqi PM side-by-side with the new commander of the Iraqi PMU:
The US can send another million troops to Iraq if it wants, but it has already lost the battle for hearts and minds.
See also: