By Aram Mirzaei for the Saker Blog
On the night of January 3, Major General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of the IRGC, and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandi, the second in command of Iraq’s PMU were murdered by the US. Apparently, as the Major General and Al-Muhandis were traveling on a road near Baghdad’s international airport, the enemy was waiting for them to enter their cars, after which they were attacked by US helicopters.
The background of this tragic and evil act comes from Washington’s terrorist attack on December 29, when the Hashd Al-Shaabi (PMU) were attacked on several separate locations, which left 25 members of the PMU dead and another 51 injured, and the subsequent reaction to this act of terror in Iraq, when protesters torched the US embassy in Baghdad.
Following the strikes, the Pentagon issued a statement saying that it had targeted three locations of the Iraqi fighters in Iraq and two in Syria in response to alleged attacks targeting American forces. The air raids were welcomed by no other than Israel’s foreign minister, Yisrael Katz, who described the event as a “turning point in the regional response to Iran and its proxies”.
The level of arrogance among Washington’s representatives and its stooges in the Western mainstream media is a tragedy to behold. They are actually trying to make this look like a “defensive strike” when in reality- the US occupation in Iraq is illegal. This makes the US aggressions in Iraq illegal, US involvement in Iraq illegal, and the US oil-theft in Iraq illegal. No matter if the so called attack on the K1 base was real or not, nothing will ever make Washington’s strikes in Iraq “defensive” when it is occupying that country.
Washington further disgusted the world when several of its insane representatives took to Twitter with bizarre statements defending the act of terror against the Hashd Al-Shaabi. Some may have also noticed how the western media parrots Washington’s narrative. When two Iranian consulates in Karbala and Najaf were set ablaze by US backed lynch mobs, they portrayed it as “Iraqis venting their frustration against the Iranian occupiers”. But when thousands of Iraqis set ablaze the outer walls of the US embassy then all of a sudden it became an attack on a “Sovereign embassy”.
I dont know if it’s ignorance, arrogance or both that makes them call the Hashd Al-Shaabi “Iranian backed militias”, when in reality Hashd Al-Shaabi actually are part of the Iraqi Armed Forces. As if that wasn’t enough, when thousands of Iraqis went to protest this horrific act of terror, Washington’s representatives yet again blamed Iran for it! Calling this an Iran-orchestrated attack on their embassy. This means that they don’t even consider Iraqis to be free thinking humans but just trained animals that do whatever someone else orders them to do. As if the mothers, sisters, wives, fathers and brothers of the victims don’t have feelings and rightfully want justice for their murdered loved ones!
And they wonder why Iraqis hate them? What did they expect when they humiliate the Iraqis and negate them to being nothing more than “Iranian proxies?” Quite frankly, they are lucky that the Iraqis didn’t break into the embassy and tear them into pieces.
That same day, Trump who has a habit of laying blame for everything on Iran, tweeted a threat that he would make good on a few days later. If there was ever evidence clear enough that the US is in league with ISIS, this would be it. The US assassinated the most effective General in fighting Washington’s proxy dogs in Iraq and Syria.
So what happens now? We can only speculate but what is clear is that the Islamic Republic has vowed revenge. This was confirmed by the Supreme Leader, the President, the speaker of parliament, the Foreign Minister and several high ranking IRGC officials. In a statement made on Friday, Ayatollah Khamenei said that those who assassinated Soleimani must await revenge. The chances for a large regional war breaking out has now reached terrifying levels as Washington has forces the Islamic Republic to directly respond.
Meanwhile Washington, seething with arrogance and hubris are proclaiming this act of terror as some kind of victory. This could not be further from the truth. First of all, it was a cowardly act of terror and not one that was the result of “amazing intelligence work” of the US military. Soleimani wasn’t hiding, nor was his trips and movements a secret for anyone. Secondly, Soleimani was not indispensable, as no this will not affect the tireless efforts of the Resistance Axis. Thirdly, this “victory” of Washington’s will have severe consequences for them in the near future as it surely will unite Iran and Iraq against the US.
The true revenge for Iran would not be to strike high ranking US personnel or assassinate one of their fellow lapdogs. It would be to kick the American occupiers out of Iraq, and Trump has done well to set the stage for such an event. If Washington is kicked out of Iraq, then they will not be able to continue their occupation of eastern Syria either. But we must understand that the Islamic Republic will not respond immediately since they are not arrogant, rash and ignorant, on the contrary the Islamic Republic will analyse the situation properly before making any moves.
I expect Iran to respond to Washington through Iraq, and the Iraqis will not hesitate to try to throw the American occupiers out of their country. Since Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis was the second in command of the PMU, thereby directly under the supervision of the Prime Minister, Baghdad cannot remain silent to this atrocious crime. Interim Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi has called for an emergency meeting to discuss an appropriate response and has already stated that US terrorist operation was a violation of the terms under which US troops were allowed to stay in Iraq.
Even former rivals and enemies inside Iraq will now unite as this act of terror has disgusted the entire country, one example of this is that Moqtada Al-Sadr has given the orders for his Jaysh Al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) to prepare for war against the US. The same orders were given by the leader of Asaib Ahl-Al Haqq leader Qais Al-Khazali who has called for a general mobilization of his forces to “expel the US forces from Iraq. He ended this call by stating that “It won’t be easy and simple but you have to trust that we shall defeat them”. Either Washington packs up and leaves or they will have to face another war in Iraq, one that they cannot and will not win. Unfortunately for the people of the region, it seems that Trump, who is an complete imbecile, keeps listening to the advice of murderous people and think tank ”analysts” like Michael Pregent who called for these murders a few days ago. https://twitter.com/MPPregent/status/1212021422266208256?s=19
I pray to live long enough to see the day when the Terrorist Empire has been thrown out of West Asia. One way or another, I am certain this will happen. Time is on our side – we can wait forever. May Soleimani’s and Al-Muhandis’ souls rest in peace. Their martyrdom will not have been in vain.
At this point is it even worthwhile pointing out the hypocrisy and how low the Americans will stoop to? They obviously don’t care and those who know already agree. Only thing they understand is force.
I predict Iran will wait to see what happens in Iraqi parliament before using proxy forces in Iraq and Syria to make a move.
@ Corey
“I predict Iran will wait to see what happens in Iraqi parliament before using proxy forces in Iraq and Syria to make a move.”
Correct.
As the parliament extraodinary gathering is expected Saterday. And it is consistent with three days of national moorning that should end Monday.
The yanks have played this badly, now they will have to drone Sistani too or he will spend his last breath evicting the US from Iraq. The Iraqis are unaware but really trump is after the mountain of unlimited oil at Kirkuk and suleimani knew that. He had to be liquidated.
If the Americans kill Sistani and other Iraqi leaders, the resistance will gain momentum. At some point the Iraqis may wish to purchase Russian defensive weapons to help them regain control of their own air space. Iran already has some Russian equipment, and if threatened by Washington could ask for more and better weapons.
With any luck Washington will end up facing a continuous band of Russian air defences from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Turkey. (And, one may hope, Labanon once it gets an honest patriotic government).
What’s this monolith you speak of, ‘the Yanks’?
In January 2019, one group of (Senatorial) Yanks rebuked Trump 68-22 for endeavoring to remove troops from Syria and Afghanistan. The vote would have been even more lopsided except the votes from Senate Democratic presidential candidates were not needed. Why tatter their already-tattered antiwar credentials unnecessarily?
A tidal wave of ME revulsion may accomplish for Trump what his MIC-captured Senate could not. The devastating Afghanistan Papers have accelerated the exodus from that country. Could Syria and Iraq make for a short-order hat-trick? Managing the fires of escalation hereon is the key.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/us/politics/senate-vote-syria-afghanistan.html
“The true revenge for Iran would not be to strike high ranking US personnel or assassinate one of their fellow lapdogs. It would be to kick the American occupiers out of Iraq, and Trump has done well to set the stage for such an event. If Washington is kicked out of Iraq, then they will not be able to continue their occupation of eastern Syria either. ”
That maybe is the plan and Trump objective.
Getting out of ME with dems support !
Exactly what I said in a previous post.
Save I credit Trump for the fine game.
Whereas others say that he is only an idiot.
That is called psychological reinforcement.
All MSM call Trump an idiot.
Therefore everyone think he is an idiot.
It is easier than assuming Trump is a shrewd politician…
It beggars belief that there still people who think that Trump is playing some kind of ten dimensional chess. What more has to happen to make these very sad Trump fanatics see him for the dangerous clown that he is.
The TrumpTards are desperately trying to divert guilt for this assassination away from Trump.
The best that they can do is assert that Trump is playing some unfathomable 13-Dimensional chess, where he actually wants to withdrawal from the Middle East … by escalating conflict in this region–just like his fake withdrawal from Syria a couple of months ago.
Their philosophy can be summarized thusly:
War is Peace.
Ironically, for all their hatred of Obama and his supporters, the TrumpTards actually make ObamaBots seem sane in comparison.
For some time now, I’ve been of the opinion that the liquidity and currency crises plaguing the world would reveal themselves in time as the tail that was earnestly wagging the geopolitical dog.
I’ve been poring over the repo liquidity crisis for the last few weeks. I think it’s fair to say there as many explanations as there are crack analysts studying the problem. However nothing seemed to possess sufficient magnitude to explain the scale of disruption.
Until last night.
The massive eurodollar market comprises perhaps the smartest money in the world. In truth, reserve currency status has passed from the USD to the eurodollar. America’s national currency is even less answerable to national priorities than even the Triffin Paradox would suggest.
The uber-connected eurodollar market with doubtless access to prospective military and intelligence actions plays a key role in global liquidity. Smart money is prescient money, possessing the ability in effect to see around corners and with eyes in the back of its head.
For this market to forgo double-digit (annualized) returns on OVERNIGHT loans to money center banks is a huge indicator that some undisclosed, transformative risk (capable of breakneck escalation) loomed ahead, like perhaps WW3 and/or a hyperinflationary surge should a Straits of Hormuz closure cause a 300% spike in the price of oil. Of course I say this with the benefit of hindsight.
Imagine the most knowledgeable people on earth expressing doubt about the state of the world a mere 24 hours from this very moment! I thought unfocused angst was our job. Feeling comfortable yet?
So I think the requisite scale was amply met yesterday with what amounts, comparably (as someone pointed out) to SofS Pompeo being targeted by a Chinese missile while on a visit to Mexico.
Down below, the plebes will still be mulling rumors of war when the tippy-top has already taken the war decision. I think we’re in that trickle-down, recognition gap right now. This gap may extend no longer than the 72-hour Iranian mourning period.
Iran has been ‘necessitated into’ matching the severity of the attack with a response of its own. Should this counterattack match the severity of the Soleimani assassination (as the rules of escalation mandate that it should), the US will be obliged to respond.
There’s your escalation dynamic, impervious at some point to human intervention. We may be in the hands of algorithms now, both in the financial and existential realms.
You will live plenty long enough to see the expulsion of the AngloZionist empire from West Asia, and probably the rest of the world too.
Infact, it will all happen within the next 10 years.
Godspeed friends, things will now accelerate dramatically from here on out.
Know that God is on our side, and is actively moving forces at this very moment with the intention to rip out the rug from underneath the feet of the Neocons and their Zionist collaborators.
Very insightful commentary. I think you will see the day you pray for, very soon, Aram.
Hubris before Nemesis. Judging by the magnitude of the former, the latter is not far off.
Yes. Right on. The tail of the scum empire is on it’s way down, steadily but unfortunately slowly. It will go eventually though, and with it the minor dog-head scum in the eastern Mediterranean.
Well, slow might be better than fast. We don’t want the world to be covered by dust of sudden collapse. Bring Golem under control, calm the monster down then take shaem out of its forehead.
Just saying.
PS: thanks for great and informative article and thanks for astute comments
The Straight of Hormuz comes to mind of where the Iranians may strike at the US. Financial collapse of their enemy (cannot call the Americans “opponents” – it’s too much of a civilised word) is in the realm of possibilities.
The problem with the US is most everyone in the US military, US citizenry, and US government believe their own Exceptionalism propaganda and act accordingly. Attacking the PMU units of the Iraqi army was certainly an unwise decision, but killing Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis is an act of complete moronic insanity!
@Dick
Exactly. What passes for US ”politicians” and, even more, US ”soldiers” is a most accurate rendition of an absolutely moronic people — it’s not a ”problem of leadership” or any such nonsense. Corruption of course plays a role, but in the case of the US it is Trumped (pun intended) by pure evil.
Bottom line: The US politicians and soldiers reflect the quality of the masses as do Russia’s.
Probably just me, but I believe the fat lady is getting ready to sing, it’s over, World War III is about to officially go into the history books.
Soleimani was afforded the opportunity to die like a martyr, there was no one left to fight. I don’t know about everyone else, but I believe the day I knew the US Empire was almost done, was the day I had to clean up human feces in my parking lot at work. Maybe it was the day I heard a Federal Judge ruled it was legal to sleep in your own car. Obviously Soleimani saw he won and now of these events are why he knew.
Soleimani was a warrior and warriors have no role to play in peace time and he knew it. Iran can now leave Syria, shortly followed by the US. After this last poppy crop is harvested at the end of February, shortly after the US and the Taliban will enter into a Peace Treaty and the US will leave. The democratic neocon jacobins are being lined up for trials, domestically its over. North Korea finally ends the Korean War. NATO admits to being brain dead and disbands. The Fort Apache system that exists in Iraq will be too expensive to maintain, Iraq will agree to a Republic system of governance that protects the Sunni minority, the US leaves.
Iran simply needs to sit back and watch, pretty soon I’ll miss my favorite sites like the Saker, not for long. There will be lots of work to do cleaning up the mess that has been made.
But getting US troops out of Iraq and Syria was Trump’s strategic objective all along. Killing a few Iranians and Iraqis is the best way to achieve it.
The writer is so naive. Trump is a heck of a lot smarter than the Neocons who “manage” him. He gives them what they want and he knows very well that it is not in their best interests to get what they want.
My heartfelt condolences to you and your country for this immense loss. The world is speechless at this outrageous act of cowardice.
May God protect Iran from these brainless actors in the future.
al-Muhandis was sentenced to death in absentia in 2007 by a Kuwaiti court for his involvement in the 1983 U.S. and French embassy bombings in Kuwait that killed six and injured nearly 90 others.
al-Muhandis later founded Kataib Hezbollah, an anti-U.S. insurgency movement responsible for numerous American casualties.
al-Muhandis’s network provided the vast majority of IEDs that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq.