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Iran launches revenge attack on US military in Iraq - 2 waves of missile launches strike Ain al-Asad and Erbil bases - UPDATES

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Wed, 08 Jan 2020 01:55 UTC
iran missile iraq
© Fars News Agency
A photo circulating in Iranian media purporting to show a missile fired at a US base in Iraq in retaliation for the recent killing of a top Iranian general.
Summary:
  • President Trump has tweeted that "All is well!"
"Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq.
Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!
We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!
I will be making a statement tomorrow morning."
  • Iranian foreign minister Javid Zarif has tweeted:
"Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens and senior officials were launched."
  • Iran has launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against multiple bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq, and have threatened "more crushing responses" if Washington carried out further strikes.
  • Initially, nine rockets hit the sprawling Ain al-Asad airbase in the country's west, the largest of the Iraqi military compounds where foreign troops are based. The attack came in three waves just after midnight, AFP reported.
  • Iran swiftly claimed responsibility for the attack, with state TV saying it had launched "tens of missiles" on the base.
  • Iranian sources are claiming that the operation has a name: 'Operation Martyr Suleimani'. Iran's airforce has reportedly been deployed.
  • Iraqi PMF announced the start of military operation "Overwhelming Response."
  • No confirmed details on injured/casualties - "working on initial battle damage assessments." According to social media sources, the Pentagon has said that the Iranian missile attack resulted in casualties among Iraqis only
  • President Trump "has been briefed" is "monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team," and despite initial reports from CNN he was set to address the nation, the press secretary has denied that Trump will address the nation tonight.
  • The FAA has imposed restrictions for civilian flights over the Persian Gulf.
  • Markets are turmoiling: Safe-haven assets are soaring (bonds, bitcoin, and gold), Oil prices are jumping, and Stocks are getting slammed

Comment: The IGRC made the following statements:
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran reportedly confirmed their missiles struck a US base in western Iraq, calling it revenge for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani and warning more strikes might be coming.

"The brave soldiers of IRGC's aerospace unit have launched a successful attack with tens of ballistic missiles" on the Al-Asad base, in the name of General Soleimani, the IRGC said in a statement early on Wednesday morning, adding:
We call on Americans to recall all their soldiers back home to prevent more damage.
The IRGC also warned all US allies in the region that they will be targeted if any aggressive action is undertaken from their territory, putting Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel on notice.
...
The strike on Al-Asad and several other US bases in Iraq took place at 01:20 local time, the exact time Soleimani's convoy was struck.
More videos and images:







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Chess

Putin makes surprise Orthodox Christmas visit to Syria, discusses security situation with Assad


RT
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 20:34 UTC

Comment: We were wondering, since Trump blew Soleimani to kingdom come, what Putin's next move would be. The contrast couldn't be any greater...


Assad Putin
© Instagram / syrianpresidency
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise visit to Syria, holding talks with his counterpart, Bashar Assad, at the Russian military command center.

Putin "rode through the streets of Damascus" on his way to the command center, where he headed after landing at the city's airport, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

The Russian president met with Assad there as the two leaders listened to reports by military officials on the conditions on the ground in various regions of the country. Russia has been assisting Syria in the fight against terrorists since 2014.

Comment: And it's Russia's Christmas, incidentally, so this visit is apparently the Russian version of making a 'surprise visit to inspect the troops'. Except that, in this case, his visit is actually welcomed by the host country...

RT reports:
Russian President Vladimir Putin spent his Christmas day in Damascus, a city that is closely tied to early Christianity, home to Syria's oldest Orthodox Church and a mosque that keeps the relics of John the Baptist.

Putin's plane touched down in Syria on Tuesday, to everyone's surprise, as the president was last spotted in St. Petersburg the evening before, attending the Orthodox Christmas Eve service.

His unannounced trip included not only talks about fighting terrorism with Syrian President Bashar Assad, but also visits to the city's historic religious sites. After the talks, Putin and Assad took a walk through the center of Damascus, stopping at the Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque.


One of the largest and oldest mosques in the world, it hosts the head of John the Baptist, who is also venerated in Islam as Prophet Yahya. The relic was shown to the Russian leader, who responded in the manner of a good guest, presenting the mosque with a 17th-century copy of the Koran.

The two leaders than headed to the oldest Orthodox church in Syria, the Mariamite Cathedral, built during the second century. It's the seat of John X, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, who greeted the high-ranked guests.

The Patriarch thanked Putin for sending the Russian military to assist Syria in the fight against the terrorists. Without this help, the church could've now been the headquarters of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or some militant warlord, he said.

John X also described Syria as a tolerant place "where different religions - both Christians and Muslims - coexist peacefully and enjoy the same rights." The Russian president had a gift for him as well, an icon of the Virgin Mary painted in Russia.


After a brief busy stay in Damascus, Putin flew to neighboring Turkey, where he is scheduled to hold security and trade talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and attend the ceremonial opening of the 'Turk Stream' gas pipeline.
So many winning deals to make - and so many USraeli-started fires to put out - so little time...

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Bullseye

Comedian Ricky Gervais, man of the people

Bridget Phetasy
Quillette
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 01:50 UTC
Ricky Gervaise golden globes

Ricky Gervaise hosts the Golden Globes of 2020
In a room filled with self-absorbed narcissists, one brave, slightly less self-absorbed narcissist had the balls to speak truth to power — and his name is Ricky Gervais.

If courage had a face, it would be a slightly overweight, pasty British multi-millionaire drinking a pint. Taking the stage to host his fifth and final (allegedly) Golden Globe Awards, Ricky spoke for us, the oppressed, six-figure earning, working middle-class, little guy.

I may not have ever flown on a private jet to a private island with a temple, but I got an upgrade to First Class once, and those warm nuts have a way of seducing you into believing anyone cares about your shitty takes. In fact it was on that flight I was inspired to become an opinion writer. I appreciate your hypocrisy, Hollywood, it makes me feel better about my own.

Comment: Ricky Gervais divides social media after he eviscerates 'woke' Hollywood hypocrites in scorching opening monologue at the Golden Globes

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Heart

'Commander of Hearts': Millions upon millions of Iranians bid farewell to General Soleimani


RT
Sun, 05 Jan 2020 09:11 UTC

Comment: US leaders want us to believe that the Iranians are dancing in the streets at Soleimani's death.

Instead, an ocean of mourners in black are crying their eyes out.

5 million attended the funeral in Tehran today, according to one estimate.

Once the last one is held in Soleimani's hometown on Tuesday 7th January, the total attendance at all 7 funerals in Iraq and Iran will be in the tens of millions, making it easily the most attended funeral in history.


Iranians cross bridge
© Hossein Mersadi/Fars News Agency/WANA/Reuters
Massive crowds of mourners have gathered for a farewell procession dedicated to Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq earlier this week.

The solemn procession began at 7am at the Rumi Square in Ahvaz, the capital of Iran's western Khuzestan Province, which borders Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners have completely filled both the streets and a bridge over the Karun River to pay their last respects to the major general.


Comment: This was the scene in Iran's parliament yesterday:


After the funeral at Ahvaz, the caskets were taken to the city of Mashhad:


Today there was another funeral, this time in the capital Tehran:



There is another day of mourning and funerals to come...

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Take 2

Ricky Gervais divides social media after he eviscerates 'woke' Hollywood hypocrites in scorching opening monologue at the Golden Globes

Chris Pleasance, Lauren Edmonds and Justin Enriquez
Daily Mail
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 11:25 UTC
ricky gervais golden globes

Back for more: It is the fifth time the 58-year-old comedian has emceed the gala as he has done previously from 2010 to 2012 and once again in 2016 (pictured).
Ricky Gervais skewered 'woke' Hollywood, made jokes about Jeffrey Epstien, Harvey Weinstein and Prince Andrew, and tackled topics such as MeToo and ISIS as he left his A-list audience wincing during his opening monologue at the 77th Golden Globe awards.

Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, and Gwyneth Paltrow were left with stunned looks on their faces as Gervais mocked Felicity Huffman over the college admission scandal, branded James Corden a 'massive p****' and ripped Judi Dench for 'licking her own a***hole' in his eight-minute speech.

In a particularly blunt moment, Gervais advised those receiving awards to avoid making political speeches because 'you're in no position to the public about anything' before adding: 'If you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and f*** off.'

Comment: See also:

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Stormtrooper

ANOTHER possible war brewing, in eastern Med: Turkish parliament votes to send military forces to Libya - Libya's parliament votes to repel them

Joanne Moriarty
Libyan War - The Truth
Fri, 03 Jan 2020 19:24 UTC
erdogan serraj libya

Erdogan with the nominal leader of Libya, PM Fayez al-Sarraj
Yesterday, 2nd of January, 2020, the Turkish parliament approved Erdogan's plan to send forces into Libya, ostensibly to prop up the weaker side in Libya's civil war.
Turkish parliament approves invasion of Libya

ANKARA - Turkey's parliament on Thursday authorized the government to send troops to Libya to support the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).

The mandate passed with the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and the conservative Good Party voted against.

Turkish legislators approved the motion 325-184 at Thursday's emergency session; thus granting a one-year mandate for the deployment, despite concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate Libya's conflict further and destabilize the region.

The resolution gives the president the authority to "decide on the limit, extent, quantity and timing, to conduct, if necessary, military operation and intervention."

It comes after GNA requested Turkish military support in December.
As shocking as it can be in the 21st century, Erdogan thinks he will be the leader of the new 'Ottoman Empire', starting with Libya. Erdogan is playing fast and loose with his intentions, the result of which is that all of the Maghreb (N. Africa) and other countries bordering Libya (Egypt, Algeria, Chad, Niger, Sudan) are on alert. Other countries in the Mediterranean are also on alert (Greece, Cyprus, Italy).

Comment: Libya's parliament yesterday supported the Libyan Tribes council and voted to rescind the Serraj govt's invitation to Turkey, voted to prosecute al-Sarraj for high treason, and voted to sever diplomatic ties with Turkey.

This sure escalated quickly. There are indeed Egyptian forces in the area, conducting 'exercises' since yesterday, 4th January. It could lead to a major clash as both Egypt and Turkey have the largest militaries in the Middle East.

Latest report today is that Turkish troops are en route...

While the world is focused on events on the other side of the Middle East, Erdogan apparently smells an opportunity to profit from the chaos.

There could, however, be more to this than meets the eye:
Is Turkey trying to sabotage massive new Israel-Cyprus-Greece EastMed gas deal?

Tensions are reaching a new high in the eastern Mediterranean region after the Turkey's parliament approved a measure to deploy Turkish troops to Libya to support the U.N.-backed government there. The move by Turkey comes on the same day that Israel, Cyprus and Greece inked a massive new pipeline deal to transport natural gas from to the eastern Mediterranean to markets in Europe.

Turkey, with decades of tensions with Greece and Cyprus, and more recently with Israel, has strongly opposed the pipeline. It also recently signed an agreement with Libya's Tripoli-based government setting maritime boundaries that conflict with those envisioned by Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Egypt.


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Gold Coins

Russia's shift to gold is offensive hit in global currency war on punitive dollar hegemony - analyst

Ekaterina Blinova
Sputnik
Sat, 04 Jan 2020 13:40 UTC
gold
© Sputnik / Pavel Lisitsyn
Gold has been ticking higher since late May 2019, driven by recessionary indicators, economic volatility and scares within the overnight lending market, says American economic analyst Pye Ian, a private equity executive and former precious metals commodities trader. He explains how the price of the yellow metal could go beyond $5,000/troy oz.

Gold demonstrated impressive performance gaining over 17 percent in 2019 and continues to rally: on 31 December, February Comex gold settled at $1,523.10, up $4.50.

Major Eurasian nations, including Russia, China and India are boosting the yellow metal's positions by acquiring and producing bullion. In late December, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that Moscow could consider investing part of its National Wealth Fund in gold. Being worth $124 billion as of 1 December 2019 Russia's National Wealth Fund amasses revenues from the country's crude oil exports.

Comment: See also:

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TV

What does the US attack on Iran portend? RT America panel discussion


RT America
Fri, 03 Jan 2020 12:39 UTC
sanchez soleimani RT America
© RT America
A world-renowned panel of experts joins Rick Sanchez for this special on the act of war that was the US's assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

University of Tehran Professor Mohammed Marandi gives us the latest from Iran, while Congressman Ron Paul discusses the military-industrial complex.

Former UN Weapons inspector John Ritter, Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal, former US diplomat Jim Jatras, NRS Special Correspondent Michele Greenstein, and Boom-Bust host Christy Ai discuss why this attack occurred and what will happen next.

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Binoculars

Iran says US, immediately after airstrike killing General Soleimani, asked them to 'get revenge in proportion to what we did'


Gulf News
Sat, 04 Jan 2020 21:21 UTC

Comment: This is another sign that neither 'WW3' nor anything resembling it is on the cards. But there may be even more to it...


Soleimani funeral
© AFP/SABAH ARAR
Iraqis mourn over a coffin during the funeral procession of Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, and eight others, in Kadhimiya, a Shiite pilgrimage district of Baghdad, on January 4, 2020.
Washington asked Tehran to respond "in proportion" after US forces killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed Soleimani, the commander of its Quds Force foreign operations arm, had been killed on Friday in a US air strike near Baghdad airport.

After the attack, the Americans "resorted to diplomatic measures... on Friday morning", Rear-Admiral Ali Fadavi told state television that night.

They "even said that if you want to get revenge, get revenge in proportion to what we did", he said, quoted on the broadcaster's website.

Comment: Most interesting. This means Trump expects blowback. Immediately after ordering the airstrike, he pleaded with the Iranians to keep it 'within reason'. On the one hand, it's audacious and merely rubs salt into the wound. On the other, maybe he's trying to convey to them that he was compelled to do it...

What War Was Trump Trying to Stop by Killing Iranian General Soleimani?

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Star of David

Netanyahu caught on tape in 2001: 'America is a thing you can move very easily in the right direction'


Sott.net
Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:54 UTC
Image
A shorter version of this video circulated a few years ago, in which Netanyahu could be heard boasting in 2001 that Israel 'controlled the U.S.'

In this apparently extended version, the Israeli PM can be heard describing Israel's true strategy vis a vis the Palestinians. Have a listen...


Comment: This video makes Netanyahu look like a really good negotiator to the die-hard Israel-firsters. To them, he is trying to ensure that if and when Palestinians get their own state, it will be as small and meaningless as possible. At which point, Israel can move in for the kill, or for exploitation of a small impoverished state at their leisure.

From an Israeli perspective, this can only increase their support of him, which may be the reason that it was filmed and released. On the other hand, to those impartial or sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, this video exposes Netanyahu as a liar and as THE clear impediment to peace in Palestine/Israel, as such, it undermines everything he and his supporters in the West have ever said about the situation.

The most troubling thing, however, is his glib attitude about the 'absurd' fact that Israel 'never has to worry about US support' - no matter WHAT it does...

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