US-Iran War Has Begun! Iran launches dozens of ballistic missiles!

[jimmy olsen]

Trump is escalating the situation in Iraq and I don't really see that he has a strategy to end things. There's been lots of civil conflict there in the last six months between the shia and sunni, and the government has been killing tons of people and Trump and co haven't done anything to try and calm things down there. Of course, now that the embassy was attacked, he's reacting, but it's without forethought. Assassinating some guys like this and sending over the 82nd airborne is not going to stop the country from boiling over.

https://twitter.com/AlSuraEnglish/status/1212875885520379905

#BREAKING - #Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units leadership hit in #US strikes on #Baghdad International Airport. 4 missiles hit multiple targets around Baghdad Airport, 2 SUVs carrying Iraqi PMU leadership were struck while leaving the Airport.

https://twitter.com/Intel_Sky/status/1212876295928975362

#BREAKING: PMU 🇮🇶 relations director, Muhammad Reda Aljabery with a delegation of the 🇮🇷 Iranian Revolutionary Guards who were in 2 cars on the Baghdad Int'l airport road was assassinated in the last air strike.

https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2020/01/01/750-soldiers-with-82nd-airborne-headed-for-centcom-additional-4000-troops-expected-to-deploy-as-iran-tensions-mount/

750 soldiers with 82nd Airborne headed for CENTCOM, additional 4,000 troops expected to deploy as Iran tensions mount

[mongers]

Reuters has this:

Rockets hit Baghdad airport, killing five Iraqi paramilitary members, two 'guests'

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three rockets hit Baghdad International Airport killing five members of Iraqi paramilitary groups and two "guests", Iraqi paramilitary groups said on Friday.

The Katyusha rockets landed near the air cargo terminal, burning two vehicles, killing and injuring several people.

Iraqi paramilitary groups said five of their members and two "guests" were killed in the airstrike on their vehicles inside Baghdad International Airport, militia sources reported on early Friday.

Two militia sources said the two guests were also killed in the attack but declined to identify them.

Police and health sources said that at least five people were killed and nine wounded.

Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said in a post on Facebook that its director of public relations was killed in what it described as "cowardly U.S. bombing."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
.

Full item here:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-iraq-security-blast/rockets-hit-baghdad-airport-killing-five-iraqi-paramilitary-members-two-guests-idUKKBN1Z11KC?il=0

[KRonn]

I don't think Trump is escalating, but protecting the embassy. Those "mourners" as the media and the Iranian govt like to call them are Iranian militia being handled by Iranian government. The Iranians have a lot of operatives, militia and control in Iraq which is not wanted by most Iraqis. Iran would probably like to escalate things to make things messy for Trump but I really don't think Pres Trump has any strong notion to getting into another major conflict there except for what was done with Isis. So I hope Trump doesn't take the bait and make airstrikes on Iran or something, which I'm sure some of the hawks and neo-cons in government are pushing for.

[jimmy olsen]

I don't think Trump is escalating, but protecting the embassy. Those "mourners" as the media and the Iranian govt like to call them are Iranian militia being handled by Iranian government. The Iranians have a lot of operatives, militia and control in Iraq which is not wanted by most Iraqis. Iran would probably like to escalate things to make things messy for Trump but I really don't think Pres Trump has any strong notion to getting into another major conflict there except for what was done with Isis. So I hope Trump doesn't take the bait and make airstrikes on Iran or something, which I'm sure some of the hawks and neo-cons in government are pushing for.

Reinforcing the embassy with a company of marines or what have you is fine. Sending in a brigade of the 82nd airborne and assassinating IRG officers at the international airport is not going to solve anything.

[jimmy olsen]

One of those guests was Qassem Sueimani! Good lord I hope that's not true.

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1212902693221650439

BREAKING: #IRAQ OFFICIAL TV ANNOUNCES #IRAN IRGC LEADER QASSEM SULEIMANI IS ASSASSINATED.

[Admiral Yi]

Timmy, have you considered the possibility that Intel_Sky is not the most believable of sources, and that in fact the US didn't assassinate anyone?

[mongers]

Reuters update:

JANUARY 3, 2020 / 1:22 AM /
UPDATED 17 MINUTES AGO

Iran's Soleimani and Iraq's Muhandis killed in air strike - militia spokesman

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed late on Thursday in an air strike on their convoy in Baghdad airport, an Iraqi militia spokesman told Reuters.

Full article here:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-iraq-security-blast-soleimani/irans-soleimani-and-iraqs-muhandis-killed-in-air-strike-militia-spokesman-idUKKBN1Z201G?il=0

[mongers]

Timmy, have you considered the possibility that Intel_Sky is not the most believable of sources, and that in fact the US didn't assassinate anyone?

Well this guy did/does have nine lives, so maybe in the morning he'll have miraculously escaped death?

[Admiral Yi]

Well this guy did/does have nine lives, so maybe in the morning he'll have miraculously escaped death?

Or maybe he's deader than disco and someone else did it.

[KRonn]

I don't think Trump is escalating, but protecting the embassy. Those "mourners" as the media and the Iranian govt like to call them are Iranian militia being handled by Iranian government. The Iranians have a lot of operatives, militia and control in Iraq which is not wanted by most Iraqis. Iran would probably like to escalate things to make things messy for Trump but I really don't think Pres Trump has any strong notion to getting into another major conflict there except for what was done with Isis. So I hope Trump doesn't take the bait and make airstrikes on Iran or something, which I'm sure some of the hawks and neo-cons in government are pushing for.

Reinforcing the embassy with a company of marines or what have you is fine. Sending in a brigade of the 82nd airborne and assassinating IRG officers at the international airport is not going to solve anything.

Readying or sending in the brigade is a sensible precaution, as Iran has a large militia presence in Iraq and lots of government control. US should be prepared if things escalate at the embassy. Iranians have been involved in killing US/Allied soldiers in Iraq for years and little was said or done about it. Maybe some of these Iranians killed there were part of that in the past, don't know, or if this is additional show of force.

We'll see how things progress or escalate, but I still say that Trump doesn't want to be involved in any major war as he's often said. He has been putting lots of pressure on Iran and they have lots of internal problems and unrest. I'm sure Iran would like an escalation to take some off some of that pressure, so as I said, I hope Trump doesn't take it too far.

[mongers]

Also:

Reports US Marines seizes #Iraq militia leaders Qais Khazali of Iraqi Hezbollah and Hadi Al Ameri in Jadriah district of Baghdad (Al Arabiya)

[KRonn]

The general killed was the leader of the Quds force. He and his units have some responsibility for killing US/Allied personnel and lots of other nasty stuff in the region. A very bold and risky move by the US and Trump, and doesn't mean the next step is a ground war with Iran but on considering it more, it is a bit worrying as to how things may escalate.

[Sophie Scholl]

Why do I feel like we're living through Clear and Present Danger?

John Clark : "Reciprocity." That's a clever name for it. Revenge is a very, very, very dangerous motivation.

Robert Ritter : Are you able to handle this operation or not? What I'm looking for here is a simple yes or no.

John Clark : What you're looking for is a political mess.

Robert Ritter : Yes or no?

John Clark : Is that what they want? Because that's what this is.

Robert Ritter : They want what every first-term administration wants - a second term.

[DGuller]

Well this guy did/does have nine lives, so maybe in the morning he'll have miraculously escaped death?

Or maybe he's deader than disco and someone else did it.

I don't think we have a habit of taking credit for what others did, and I sure hope others don't have the capability to deliver targeted air strikes.

[Sheilbh]

Well this guy did/does have nine lives, so maybe in the morning he'll have miraculously escaped death?

Or maybe he's deader than disco and someone else did it.

The Pentagon's issued a statement confirming. And the President has tweeted a picture of an American flag.