Reinforcements are on the way to the Embassy, which has been under siege from a group of Iraqi militiamen, security forces personnel, and protestors.
www.thedrive.com
U.S. Army AH-64 Apache gunships conducted a show of force and are now patrolling in the skies around the American Embassy in Iraq after a mob, led by Iranian-backed militiamen and including Iraqi security forces personnel, launched an attack on the compound, vandalizing outer portions of the facility and setting fires. The Embassy is on lockdown, but is not being evacuated at present, as the U.S. military sends Marines to reinforce military personnel and private security contractors already on scene. This attack follows U.S. airstrikes
this past weekend against Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-supported militant group that is part of Iraq's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilizations Forces umbrella organization.
The attack began on Dec. 31, 2019, after the group marched into the sprawling Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a heavily guarded area housing Iraqi government facilities and various foreign embassies that only became open
to the general public last year. Initial reports described the incident
as a protest against the U.S. airstrikes on Kata'ib Hezbollah. Mourners of some of the individuals killed in those strikes were reportedly present initially. The U.S. government has blamed Kata'ib Hezbollah and other militias that have received assistance from Iran for a
number of rocket attacks in recent years, including a barrage targeting the K-1 base in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, which killed a U.S. contractor on Dec. 27.
VIDEO: AH-64 Apaches protect
@USEmbBaghdad.
“We have taken appropriate force protection actions to ensure the safety of American citizens...and to ensure our right of self-defense. We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the Embassy.”~
@EsperDoD 
pic.twitter.com/amABHBAOcL
— OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III (@OIRSpox)
December 31, 2019
Video and pictures showing the mob setting fires, smashing windows, and writing graffiti on the exterior walls of the compound and attempting to get in have evoked images of Iranian militants seizing the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and
taking Americans hostage in 1979, as well as the fatal terrorist attack on the
U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. However, the U.S. State Department says that the main Embassy compound remains secure and that there
have been no breaches.
ارسلها لي احد اتباعه و هو يشتمني ويفتخر بها، لدي ٧٧ ملف كامل لاعترافات الخزعلي عند الامريكان وكيف سلمهم كل شيء و كل المعلومات حول رفاق السلاح و من دربه واين يسكن فلان و ماذا يفعل فلان. هل يعلم هذا الشاب المندفع بأن قائده سيسلمه لو اصبح بين خيار التفاوض؟
pic.twitter.com/mztyxDgKeZ
— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil)
December 31, 2019
Qais Al Khazali, Hadi Al Amri and members of Kataib Hizbulla and other PMF and Militia units are marching in front of the U.S Embassy in Baghdad with a plan of a sit in to request the closure of the Embassy.
pic.twitter.com/YOkP52l6Ao
— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil)
December 31, 2019
Kataib Hezbollah protesters breaching the gates of the US embassy in Baghdad. They say they will stay till US troops leave. It’s the biggest US embassy in the world & supposedly secure but hard to see how diplomats can remain now
pic.twitter.com/17VkjQA71W
— Liz Sly (@LizSly)
December 31, 2019
The State Department and the Pentagon have reiterated the U.S. government's
right to defend itself, if necessary, and have also called upon Iraqi authorities to meet their obligations to protect foreign diplomatic facilities.
As in all countries, we rely on host nation forces to assist in the protection of our personnel in country, & we call on the Gov't of Iraq to fulfill its international responsibilities to do so. The US continues to support the Iraqi people & a free, sovereign, & prosperous Iraq.
— Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD)
December 31, 2019
I spoke with Prime Minister Mahdi and President Salih to reiterate their obligation to protect our U.S. personnel and property.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo)
December 31, 2019
New: There are no plans to evacuate US Embassy Baghdad, per a State Dept spox, who says US personnel are secure and there has been no breach. Confirms previous ABC reporting that Amb Tueller is out of country, but says he's returning to embassy.
More:
https://t.co/zAR8wRTB6b
— Conor Finnegan (@cjf39)
December 31, 2019
"Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a Tweet on Dec. 31. "Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!"
Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
December 31, 2019
To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who don’t want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
December 31, 2019
As already noted, the U.S. military is moving to reinforce security at the Embassy, including sending the two AH-64s
from Taji Air Base, just to the northwest of Baghdad. A continent
of approximately 100 Marines are also headed there now. These personnel are coming from the U.S. Marine Corps'
dedicated crisis response unit – Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, or SPMAGTF-CR-CC – in neighboring Kuwait, which is forward-deployed there for exactly this type contingency. MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotors assigned to SPMAGTF-CR-CC are flying the force straight to the Embassy compound. Other forces might follow.
U.S. Marines assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command deploy to Iraq to bolster security at the US Embassy and ensure the safety of American citizens, Dec. 31.
pic.twitter.com/qD84tgKyYI
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM)
December 31, 2019
The Marine Corps also has specialized Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams,
or FAST Companies, on-call to provide enhanced security for diplomatic posts. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack
on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in 2012, the U.S. military also instituted a new, global response plan, known as
Operation New Normal, to better respond to these types of incidents in the future. The U.S. State Department maintains its own extensive security elements in Iraq, including a fleet of contractor-operated
helicopters and aircraft, which could help evacuate the Embassy if necessary. You can read more about this and the crisis response assets available to the U.S. government in the Middle East in this
past War Zone story.
Iraqi authorities have called for the mob to disperse, but it is unclear if Iraqi security forces are willing or able to take more active steps to defuse the situation. During recent protests in Iraq, demonstrators could not even get into the Green Zone without facing tear gas
and much worse, which strongly indicates that Iraqi personnel at least stood aside so the mob could attack the Embassy in the first place. Pictures show that some members of the Iraqi military unit tasked with guarding the Green zone actively took part in the vandalism, as well.
The Iraqi government and it’s institutions have clearly failed to protect their Iraqi citizens(500+ protesters were killed &20,000 wounded) in addition to their failure of honoring their global commitments in protecting diplomatic missions. It is time the world sees their reality
pic.twitter.com/Qh5m3nSUVI
— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil)
December 31, 2019
"While we condemn the U.S. airstrikes on Iraqi military units, and acknowledge that symbolic funeral marches for the martyrs is a solemn act of remembrance, those taking part must stay away from diplomatic buildings and compounds," Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said in a statement. "Iraqi security forces will respond to any act of aggression or harassment against foreign embassies in Iraq, and those responsible will face the full force of the law."
Iraq has now deployed elements of the country's Counter-Terrorism Service, widely seen as the most
capable and politically reliable of Iraq's security forces, to provide additional security at the American Embassy and disperse the mob.
PM
@AdilAbdAlMahdi: Iraqi security forces will respond to any act of aggression or harassment against foreign embassies in Iraq, and those responsible will face the full force of the law.
— Government of Iraq - الحكومة العراقية (@IraqiGovt)
December 31, 2019
In addition, whether or not Iran had a direct hand in planning or approving the attack, it's influence on the situation is clear. One of the attackers spray-painted "Qasem Soleimani is my leader" on an outer wall, referring to the head of the Quds Force, the extra-territorial arm of Iran's powerful
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Quds Force has
been heavily involved in training and equipping Kata'ib Hezbollah and other elements of the Popular Mobilizations Forces. "
Death to America" chants, a popular refrain during protests in Iran, though hardly limited to that country, have also been heard.
The immediate situation around the Embassy remains extremely fluid, but it does clearly reflect larger emerging tensions between the United States and Iraq. Pro-Iranian elements of the Iraqi government have been calling for the departure of American forces from Iraq on and off
for months now and those same groups have renewed their calls from the U.S. military to leave the country. In the immediate aftermath of the American strikes, Iraq's National Security Council held an emergency meeting over the "sinful" U.S. actions and declared that they would review the country's security relationship with the United States.
Result of Iraq's National Security Council meeting to discuss the US strikes on Kataeb Hezbollah: as a result of the "sinful" strikes, Iraq will "review" its relationship with the US.
"Dozens of martyrs and wounded have fallen from our brave forces as a result of this attack."
— Liz Sly (@LizSly)
December 30, 2019
2/ Lots of chatter from pro-war circles on how the victims were "not Iraqi" because they are militia or pro-Iran. One doesn't exclude the other. In the eyes of Marjayiat, government & public they are Iraqi and that's all that matters on the ground.
— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi)
December 31, 2019
More importantly, the U.S. airstrikes against Kata'ib Hezbollah
provoked a broader outcry from Iraqis, many of whom saw the unilateral American military operation as a violation of the country's sovereignty. This is even more notable considering that average Iraqis have been protesting for months against corruption and sectarian influences,
especially Iranian meddling, in their own government.
How the U.S. government responds to this incident at the Embassy, which still very much playing out, will likely set the tenor for how things go in the coming days and weeks. Trump has now said the United States will hold Iran responsible for this new provocation and his more hawkish supporters in Congress are also calling for additional action at least against Iranian-backed proxies.
As to Iran: They continue to threaten American interests at their own peril.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC)
December 31, 2019
When an Iran-backed militia killed an American in Iraq last week, it met with a firm response. Now our embassy in Baghdad—sovereign U.S. territory—has been attacked in yet another reckless escalation. As the President notes, Iran must be held responsible.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton)
December 31, 2019
There is zero question that Kataib Hezbollah the militia which attacked the US Embassy is funded & controlled by
#Iran.
Yes, Iraq has various Shi’a elements that are nationalistic & not Iranian proxies.
But KH works directly for Soleimani & the Quds Force.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio)
December 31, 2019
Whatever happens, U.S.-Iraqi relations, and the future of the U.S. military's presence in the country, are definitely entering an increasingly dangerous and uncertain period.
We will continue to update this story as it develops.
UPDATE: 3:00pm EST—
The U.S. military has released images of a Marine Osprey delivering personnel to the Embassy compound, shot through an infrared camera on an aircraft orbiting above.
U.S. Marines from Special Purpose Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command 19.2 depart from a MV-22 Osprey at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 31, 2019. (Courtesy Photo)
pic.twitter.com/tJl94SS0pm
— Chad Garland (@chadgarland)
December 31, 2019
Kata'ib Hezbollah has also issued a statement framing the violence as a "fight against the embassy of evil and American conspiracy in Baghdad" and within the context of a broader regional Shia Islamic struggle. This includes the Alawites in Syria, a group to which Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad and many in his regime belong to.
Statement from
#Iraq-i Kataib
#Hezbollah: this fight is the first lesson in the first chapter of the first page in the book of honor & dignity, let Trump knows that he is doing a big act of folly that will take him down -without doubt- with his mercenaries in Iraq & the region.”
— Hamdi (@HamdiAlkhshali)
December 31, 2019
UPDATE: 4:50pm EST—
President Trump has reiterated his threat toward Iran over the attack on the Embassy, but has also thanked Iraqi authorities for helping in the response.
....Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
December 31, 2019
UPDATE: 5:25pm EST—
CNN is reporting that the U.S. military is preparing to send a brigade-sized contingent, which could mean a force with between 4,000 and 5,000 personnel in total, made up primarily of soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, to Iraq and potentially other areas in the Middle East. The 82nd does always have one of its brigades on a high alert posture, known as the "Division Ready Brigade," for rapid deployment anywhere in the world in response to a crisis.
The number of troops could be as large as "a brigade type element" or a few thousand additional US soldiers drawn mostly from the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina according to the official.
#Iraq #Baghdad
— Hamdi (@HamdiAlkhshali)
December 31, 2019
Reuters is reporting that the actual deployment could be smaller than a full brigade. The 82nd does also keep smaller elements of the Division Ready Brigade on even higher alert status.
U.S. officials said troops from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, could be sent to the Middle East region in the coming hours if needed. They could number in the hundreds, although less than a thousand.
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114)
December 31, 2019
UPDATE: 6:30pm EST—
Fox News is reporting that approximately 500 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are headed to Kuwait to help bolster security in the region. Plane spotters using online flight tracking software have also spotted three U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III airlifters departing from Pope Airfield, part of Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, which is the 82nd's home base.
UPDATE: 7:40pm EST—
The U.S. military has now released a full video of Marines arriving at the Embassy earlier in the day.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper says that approximately 750 personnel are deploying to the region in total in response to the attack in Baghdad, but it's unclear if this only refers to the troops from the 82nd Airborne Division that are heading to Kuwait now. He added that additional forces could arrive in the coming days, as well.
At the direction of the Commander in Chief
@POTUS, I have authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the
@82ndABNDiv to the
@CENTCOM area of operations in response to recent events in Iraq.
— Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD)
January 1, 2020
...and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today. The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world.
— Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD)
January 1, 2020
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had also echoed President Trump's earlier remarks and blamed Iran directly for "orchestrating" the attack. Previous reports had indicated that Iranian elements might have pushed Kata'ib Hezbollah and others to march on the Embassy.
The situation remains fluid with elements of the mob now encamped around the Embassy despite pleas from Iraqi authorities to disperse.
UPDATE: 8:40pm EST—
Secretary Pompeo has named the Iraqi actors that the U.S. government holds responsible for the Embassy attack and says did so at the direction of Iran. They are:
- Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, head of Kata'ib Hezbollah and Deputy Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Committee that oversees the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
- Qays al Khazali, a militant who fought against the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and was detained by coalition forces between 2007 and 2010.
- Hadi al Amari, head of the Badr Brigades, another Iranian-backed militia group that is now part of the PMF.
- Faleh al-Fayyad, Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Committee and founder of the Ataa Movement political party.
The attack today was orchestrated by terrorists – Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and Qays al-Khazali – and abetted by Iranian proxies – Hadi al Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad. All are pictured below outside our embassy.
pic.twitter.com/2QfGGrfmDd
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo)
December 31, 2019
Muhandis, in particular,
does have strong connections to Iran's IRGC and Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani personally and has spent considerable time living in Iran over the years. Hadi al Amari
has similar ties, including having fought for Iran against Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War.
(@aldin_ww) 
Deven_Intel
(@Deven_Intel) 
