War Iran-United States Military Crisis of 2020 - US Baghdad embassy under siege, rocket fire in US Baghdad green zone, Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 crash, and more!

January 10th:
Exclusive: Informants in Iraq, Syria helped U.S. kill Iran's Soleimani - sources (archive)(post)
Iraqi Shia cleric whose militia killed American troops says crisis is over following Iran strike and Trump speech (archive)(post)
Iraqi PM tells US to decide mechanism for troop withdrawal (archive)(post)
Mike Pence says Congress might 'compromise sources and methods' if fully briefed on the Soleimani strike (archive)(post)
Unidentified planes hit Iraqi militiamen in Syria, killing 8 (archive)(post)
Iraq: The Master Of Mayhem Meets A Missile (archive)(post)
Eliminating Qasem Soleimani was Donald Trump’s Middle East farewell letter (archive)(post)
Iran uses BULLDOZERS to clear debris from plane crash site while accusing US of ‘big lie’ that they shot it down (archive)(post)
Swiss Back Channel Helped Defuse U.S.-Iran Crisis (post)

January 11th:
UKRAINIAN AIRCRAFT WAS BROUGHT DOWN IN IRAN DUE TO 'HUMAN ERROR' (archive)(post)
Iran minister says 'human error' caused by 'US adventurism' led to deadly crash of Ukrainian jetliner (archive)(post)
Ukrainian aircraft was brought down in Iran due to 'human error' (archive)(post)
Trump, at Ohio rally, says Democrats would have leaked Soleimani attack plans (archive)(post)
The Atlantic's David Frum blames Trump for downing of plane in Iran, deaths of 176 (archive)(post)
Associated Press changes ‘shockingly bad’ headline about Soleimani, Ukrainian plane crash after backlash (archive)(post)
GOP Rep. Doug Collins apologizes for saying Democrats are 'in love with terrorists' (archive)(post)
Iran demands West 'show findings' as new video reveals aircraft was struck before fiery crash (archive)(post)
Warren town hall interrupted by angry protester accusing her of ‘siding with terrorists’ (archive)(post)
Trump administration announces new sanctions on Iran (archive)(post)
Prepare For the Worst From Iran Cyber Attacks, As DHS Issues Warning: Experts (archive)(post)
Trump tells Fox News' Laura Ingraham 'four embassies' were targeted in imminent threat from Iran (archive)(post)
Trump tweets support for Iranian protesters as they demand Khamenei quit (archive)(post)
Trump warns Iran against ‘another massacre’ as protests flare over downed jet (archive)(post)

January 12th:
Trump tweet in Farsi 'the most liked Persian tweet' in history of Twitter (archive)(post)
Iraq warned to keep US troops or risk financial blow-WSJ (archive)(post)
Iran arrests UK ambassador in what Britain calls ‘flagrant violation of international law’ (archive)(post)

January 13th:
Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions (archive)(post)

edit: This is a WIP. All links are posted in the order they appear in the thread, not in chronological order of their publication.


---Original OP before the merge---
Iraqi supporters of Iran-backed militia attack US Embassy
https://apnews.com/75228a8a607a44863b57021ac33264dc (http://archive.vn/ljm9Y)

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA12 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — Dozens of angry Iraqi Shiite militia supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday after smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, prompting tear gas and sounds of gunfire.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw flames rising from inside the compound and at least three U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main building inside embassy. It was not clear what caused the fire at the reception area near the parking lot of the compound. A man on a loudspeaker urged the mob not to enter the compound, saying: “The message was delivered.”

The embassy attack followed deadly U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah. The U.S. military said it was in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it had blamed on the militia.

Dozens of protesters marched inside the compound after smashing the gate used by cars to enter the embassy. The protesters, many in militia uniform, stopped in a corridor after about 5 meters (16 feet), and were only about 200 meters away from the main building. Half a dozen U.S. soldiers were seen on the roof of the main building, their guns were pointed at the protesters.

Smoke from the tear gas rose in the area, and at least three of the protesters appeared to have difficulties breathing. It wasn’t immediately known whether the embassy staff had remained inside the main building.

The protesters hanged a poster on the wall: “America is an aggressor.”

Shouting “Down, Down USA,” the crowd tried to push inside the embassy grounds, hurling water and stones over its walls. They raised yellow militia flags and taunted the embassy’s security staff who remained behind the glass windows in the gates’ reception area. They sprayed graffiti on the wall and windows in red in support of the Kataeb Hezbollah militia: “Closed in the name of the resistance.”

Hundreds of angry protesters, some in militia uniforms, set up tents outside the embassy. As tempers rose, the mob set fire to three trailers used by security guards along the embassy wall.

No one was immediately reported hurt in the rampage and security staff had withdrawn to inside the embassy earlier, soon after protesters gathered outside.

The U.S. attack — the largest targeting an Iraqi state-sanctioned militia in recent years — and the subsequent calls by the militia for retaliation, represent a new escalation in the proxy war between the U.S. and Iran playing out in the Middle East.

Tuesday’s attempted embassy storming took place after mourners and supporters held funerals for the militia fighters killed in a Baghdad neighborhood, after which they marched on to the heavily fortified Green Zone and kept walking till they reached the sprawling U.S. Embassy there.

AP journalists then saw the crowd as they tried to scale the walls of the embassy, in what appeared to be an attempt to storm it, shouting “Down, down USA!” and “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday’s strikes send the message that the U.S. will not tolerate actions by Iran that jeopardize American lives.

The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia had vowed Monday to retaliate for the U.S. military strikes. The attack and vows for revenge raised concerns of new attacks that could threaten American interests in the region.

The U.S. attack also outraged both the militias and the Iraqi government, which said it will reconsider its relationship with the U.S.-led coalition — the first time it has said it will do so since an agreement was struck to keep some U.S. troops in the country. It called the attack a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

In a partly televised meeting Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi told Cabinet members that he had tried to stop the U.S. operation “but there was insistence” from American officials.

The U.S. military said “precision defensive strikes” were conducted against five sites of Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq and Syria. The group, which is a separate force from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, operates under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Many of them are supported by Iran.

.

 

[not william stenchever]

I wonder who could have put that thought in their little towel heads? Surely not a disgruntled former bureaucrat that also happens to glow? Nah, no way.

I genuinely think their best asset has always been spinless American politicians sucking them off. If they were smart, they'd wait for a Democrat to get into office.

Perhaps the Iranians bought into the impeachment thing too? I'm sure they have backchannels to the ever so cooperative DNC.

 

[crocodilian]

That's not really your average Iranian, though. Muslim, yes. Devoted to the Mullahs and Allah? Not so much. The Iranian people want to be free of this theocratic plague that's been ruling them for so many years now. Why do you think Qud came down so hard on the recent protesters? Flat out killing them in the streets? It's about the only way the mullahs can retain power and they have to set an example and squelch it immediately before the idea of a "free" Iranian people spreads like a virus.

Dead general? Fuck him, he's had it coming for years. The Iranian population as a whole? They don't want this shit anymore than we do, but the people are forced into lockstep by guns to their heads. The general dying is a cause for celebration. It's not going to be any kind of rallying cry to the Iranian people as a whole. Only those that are already brainwashed.

Just my .02, if it's even worth that.

The problem with this line of thinking is Muslims, which Iran appears to consist primarily of, don't bother to make the same humane distinction you do. It's a platitude at this point (and I already linked this information earlier) but many Islamic groups see killing non-believers, even "non-combatants", and even women and children as a necessity to propagate their religion. Those who don't actively perform these atrocities largely condone it or turn a blind eye, because the "kafir" are little more than animals to Islam and thus undeserving of sympathy nor mercy.

It's tiresome to suggest Iran, or Iranians, be treated in a way they refuse to treat others, especially when it leads to extended, futile occupations. The nation of Iran already chose their fate during the revolution, where they rejected (and then later openly combated) the rest of the civilized world in favor of a deranged, pedophilic warlord's scripture. The only viable option now is to slay Iran uniformly, lay its corpse at the feet of the caliphate and declare "this will be you if you don't start behaving." Then do the same for Israel.

Look back on ancient history and realize the only time Islam has ever relented is when they were conquered violently. If we're going to repeat 2001, at least have the decency to do it properly and start culling this infestation of kneeling roaches.

 

[It's HK-47]

Mike Pence apparently learned how Tweet threads work.

"Yesterday, President @realDonaldTrump took decisive action and stood up against the leading state sponsor of terror to take out an evil man who was responsible for killing thousands of Americans. Soleimani was a terrorist. Here are some of his worst atrocities:​

Organized the attempted assassination of the Saudi ambassador to the United States in Washington, DC in 2011, overseeing a terrorist attack attempt on American soil.​

​

Provided advanced deadly explosively formed projectiles, advanced weaponry, training, and guidance to Iraqi insurgents used to conduct attacks on U.S. and coalition forces; directly responsible for the death of 603 U.S. service members, along with thousands of wounded.​

​

Directed the sophisticated January 20, 2007, attack on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, Iraq, in which five captured U.S. soldiers were executed.​

​

In Afghanistan, Soleimani oversaw the IRGC’s financial, logistical, and military support to the Taliban and sponsors attacks on Coalition forces.​

​

Provided missiles and other advanced weapons to terrorists throughout the Middle East, including Lebanese Hizballah, Kata’ib Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, HAMAS, and the Taliban, who use these weapons to target and kill innocents.​

Directed IRGC QF terrorist plots to bomb innocent civilians in Turkey and Kenya in 2011.​

​

Continued support to the murderous regime in Syria, aiding and abetting Assad’s brutal abuses against the Syrian people.​

Played a direct role in financing, equipping, and training Lebanese Hizballah forces conducting terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians during Hizballah’s 2006 campaign.​

​

In Yemen, the Qods Force, under Soleimani’s leadership, has orchestrated and enabled the launch of missiles that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people in the region. Targets have included civilian airports in Saudi Arabia.​

​

Assisted in the clandestine travel to Afghanistan of 10 of the 12 terrorists who carried out the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.​

​

Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on American diplomats and military personnel. The world is a safer place today because Soleimani is gone."​

 

[Box Tie]

"What kind of mad dog would be crazy enough to drone strike a top Iranian AND Iraqi military official at the international airport of a friendly nation?"

...Is probably what those two guys were thinking during their little drive to or from the airport, those cocky fucks sure overplayed their hand.

I thought the assassination was a bit much at first but that's before I learned that what is being widely reported as a "protest" was in fact an abortive assault that would have turned into Benghazi II had things gone a little differently. There's photographic proof of hundreds of people trying to smash and break through windows and doors. If the place hadn't been built like a fortress America would -actually- be at war right now rather than just be on the receiving end of Iran's threats.

Jesus Christ. If i didn't know any better I'd be tempted to think Iran wanted a shooting war. Imagine what would have happened if the embassy had actually been breached with the inevitable result being dead Americans, with Soleimani in the immediate area chumming it up with the local militia commander?

While Iran's overall goal is pretty clearly about spreading their influence through Iraq, in which the United States presents a massive obstacle, I'm not sure how provoking the United States into the kind of "decisive action" it is known for seems like a great idea. You can't run your caliphate from a bombed out crater.

 

[not william stenchever]

I suspect Trump had a staffer use Pence's twitter account to drop a summary of facts as to why this guy deserved to catch a Hellfire missile to the face.

 

[WutangLee]

Perhaps the Iranians bought into the impeachment thing too? I'm sure they have backchannels to the ever so cooperative DNC.

Good idea

let me google illhan Omar and Solemani real quick. Yup, they've summoned their pet politician. Just let that pig howl and annoy Trump to death.

Gotta defend a man that's bragged about killing American's to get back at Orange Man.

 

[who dare wins?]

Talking about this, I have to wonder if Trump managed to hold off a repeat of what happened in the 1970's, and what looked like a repeat is what drew the general out.

It has all the makings.

Gate the embassy had been breached. Embassy was surrounded by hostile forces. Iran moving in troops and officers to secure the area. Planes brought into the airport that could handle a lot of passengers.

Overrun the embassy, kill the Marines, take the embassy workers hostage, fly them back to Iran, generate Iran Hostage Crisis 2: Orange Man Boogaloo.

It looked like it was going to work. The last decade or so, the Iranians had pretty much gotten off scott free with their machinations, if not downright rewarded for their cleverness by the US Congress and President.

Only Trump didn't play by the rules. He didn't go before Congress, or create an investigative panel. He didn't tell them "Hold in place with current assets and wait for instructions" when the embassy got in trouble. He moved in more Marines and (from my sources), about 10X the normal ammo load that the embassy carries, as well as body armor plate replacements, a couple of Navy Corpsman, and got them ready for a siege. Then activated the Rapid Ready Brigades in 82nd. It's a good fucking thing for 82nd that they got on the ground in less than 72 hours from their RRB notification.

Then he found out that the General was there, and he does exactly what anyone would do.

Snipes the motherfucker.

Arab leadership isn't exactly known for sharing its plans and surrounding itself with the best. (Ask anyone here who's taught Arabs warfare, the idea of surrounding yourself with people just as skilled as you and letting them know every bit of the plan is almost an alien mindset to them)

The General had a lot of personal contacts, did a lot of his deals and brokering by personality and who he knew.

Then he got blown the fuck out by an ROFLstomper.

In the West, we have clear cut chains of command. If Sergeant Snuffy takes one to the pie-hole, Corporal Lunchmeat takes over. If Captain Clapjock takes a SCUD to the dick, 1LT Dicksucker steps up. Orders are written and disseminated. Planning sections can be rebuilt in minutes or hours.

But that's not how it works for our erstwhile Arab friends. Military rank is power. Knowledge is power. There's no room to share power because if someone gets more power than you they'll cut you off.

So it'll take at least days for the Iranian forces, who happen to be in fucking Iraq, which, last time I checked was a sovereign nation and Property of Iran Donut Steel, to decide on the next course of action.

Giving the Pentagon time to plan and prepare, the secondary wave of the Rapid Ready Brigade system to gear up, train up, load up, and move out. Give sats time to be repositioned, give naval troops time to shift.

And best of all, give the Dems and the TDS weirdos time to REEEEEE to high heaven and make themselves look like assholes.

All for the low low cost of a Hellfire missile probably manufactured before half of you were born, built by the lowest bidder, storage in the high tech equivelant of a cool dark cave, maintained by drunken exceptional individuals, and fired from a jumped up RC plane.

While Trump watched on camera and ate ice cream from a bowl balanced on Melinia's head.

They could take the embassy like they would have done in the 70s or attack the oil fields with drones like in September and the oil tankers. It's likely they will do both, attack Americans gorund installations around Iran, attack the oil, Andrew attack government buildings. Shorn could go down

 

[School of Fish]

Realistically speaking, Iran can no longer field a capable navy. They need to save face or risk another Operation Praying Mantis, and get disastrously curb-stomped again. I do honestly believe the boat swarm midget tactic is just so they can pepper and harass targets but not have to worry about losing anything pretty out of just saving face.

I genuinely think their best asset has always been spinless American politicians sucking them off. If they were smart, they'd wait for a Democrat to get into office.

That's another reason why Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte would eventually lose because they both neglected the imporance of having a strong and well formed navy. Had they invested more in building up a navy then Napoleon Bonaparte's reign could have lasted longer and Adolf Hitler could have actually won World War 2. You can only get so far with ground forces and the less sea you have under your control the more easy it is for just about anyone to eventually kick your ass in the aftermath.

 

[FrickinFrackinFruckin]

This shit is getting good!

Air strikes targeting Iraqi militia kill six: army source

Air strikes targeting Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping ...

www.reuters.com

 

[General Disarray]

He got yeeted by a drone while our president ate ice cream.

He went out like a bitch.

ngl I read that in Mitch Hedberg's voice.

 

[WutangLee]

That's another reason why Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte would eventually lose because they both neglected the imporance of having a strong and well formed navy. Had they invested more in building up a navy then Napoleon Bonaparte's reign could have lasted longer and Adolf Hitler could have actually won World War 2. You can only get so far with ground forces and the less sea you have under your control the more easy it is for just about anyone to eventually kick your ass in the aftermath.

For power projection, basically if you do not want to be a backwater nobody. The Iranians, like most mid east countries outside of Turkey and Israel, focus more on cutthroat sectarian guerilla. Which is good if you want to keep a buffoon like Bush Jr from nation building, please see the Taliban, Mahdi Army, PMF, Shia Militias, Hayat Tharir Al Sham, FSA, ISIS and Al-Qaeda for more. But not a "i'm just gonna slap you, from my cushy seat here. Fuck your nation building".

 

[Pumpkin Girl IRL]

Awaiting the simpering AOC cocksuckers who will take credit for avoiding a war when this shit inevitably de escalates.

 

[WutangLee]

Awaiting the simpering AOC cocksuckers who will take credit for avoiding a war when this shit inevitably de escalates.

She won't need to, fortunately. The Iranians and Dems are working overtime to take down orange man in a united front. It's like how they stopped Hitler and his Aryan Super Soldiers, with teamwork, tolerance, and diversity.

I hope Trump is ready to face off against Iran's brand new state of the art Stealth Fighter. The Qaher 313, a totally not fake, fascist killing machine.

 

[Stoneheart]

Any M1 Abrams can easily one-shot those BTR-50's and T-72s that were left behind by the Soviets and any F-16 Fighting Falcon can easily lay waste to those crappy rip-offs of those Russian navel ships too.

Yes, but those M1 just fall apart after a couple of miles. some idiot had the idea to build them with a laughable bad engine.

 

[WutangLee]

Yes, but those M1 just fall apart after a couple of miles. some idiot had the idea to build them with a laughable bad engine.

You call them "idiots", and the tax payers would call it a "gross, nepotistic and negligent embarrassing waste of money". Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) would call it "job security"

 

[Basil II]

That's another reason why Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte would eventually lose because they both neglected the imporance of having a strong and well formed navy. Had they invested more in building up a navy then Napoleon Bonaparte's reign could have lasted longer and Adolf Hitler could have actually won World War 2. You can only get so far with ground forces and the less sea you have under your control the more easy it is for just about anyone to eventually kick your ass in the aftermath.

Yeah because that worked out so well for Kaiser Billy.

 

[PantsFreeZone]

This shit is getting good!

Air strikes targeting Iraqi militia kill six: army source

Air strikes targeting Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping ...

www.reuters.com

This guy got got in this strike. The other two got got last night.

Trump is cutting off the entire head in one swift swing.

Go ahead and retaliate, Iran. We have plenty of missiles to go around.

 

[HOMO FOR LIFE]

This guy got got in this strike. The other two got got last night.

View attachment 1081644

Trump is cutting off the entire head in one swift swing.

Go ahead and retaliate, Iran. We have plenty of missiles to go around.

God Emperor strikes. Chaos minions confused.

 

[Super Book]

This guy got got in this strike. The other two got got last night.

View attachment 1081644

Trump is cutting off the entire head in one swift swing.

Go ahead and retaliate, Iran. We have plenty of missiles to go around.

Surprise that the three of them are dead in only a two day span. That sure was quick.

 

[Shield Breaker]

I suspect Trump had a staffer use Pence's twitter account to drop a summary of facts as to why this guy deserved to catch a Hellfire missile to the face.

TBF, I don't think that electronics work well around Pence.

Surprise that the three of them are dead in only a two day span. That sure was quick.

He picked up the spare.