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.

.

 

[ConfederateIrishman]

Which ever mod dropped the hammer I and everyone else here salute you then. You have to be a extra sort of exceptional to be banned as a true and honest fan.

It was @Randall Fragg if anyone was curious

 

[Shield Breaker]

Nary a peep from this fat fuck when his boy was drone-striking weddings and killing US citizens extra-judicially.

The most fucked up thing with Obama's drone strikes was the 'double tapping.' After the first attack, immediately come back and kill the first responders.

 

[Agent of Z.O.G.]

You have several public figures willingly supporting the Islamic State of Iran

Seem par for the course given all the government people not quite so publicly supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

 

[Aria]

WATCH: Iran unveils red flag of revenge against America at mosque

A blood-red flag symbolizing vengeance unfurled Saturday above the dome of Jamarkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran, a day after the United States killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

WATCH: Iran unveils red flag of revenge against America at mosque


A blood-red flag symbolizing vengeance unfurled Saturday above the dome of Jamarkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran, a day after the United States killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.


The flag, inscribed with the words "Those who want to avenge the blood of Hussein," was hoisted above the mosque's shrine for what local reports claimed was the first time in history, according to the Daily Mail.

The grandson of Muhammad, Hussein was decapitated in A.D. 680 during the Second Islamic Civil War, when Muslims were fighting over who was the proper successor to their prophet. The act was met with bloody retaliation from Muslims who considered Hussein's death unjust and sought to avenge him.


The symbolic act took place the same day that many took to the streets of Baghdad to shout "Death to America!" during the funeral processions of Soleimani and al Muhandis. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani comforted Soleimani's daughters Saturday, promising that "everyone will take revenge" on their father's blood. An Iranian general claimed that the country is ready to strike at least 35 American targets, including shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Jamarkaran Mosque is one of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam and one of the mosques associated with the Mahdi, also known as the 12th Imam. Some Muslims believe the Mahdi is alive but hidden and will emerge to rule the world shortly before the Day of Judgment. Referencing the Mahdi, the speaker called, "O Allah, hasten your custodian reappearance," as the flag was raised.

 

[BONE_Buddy]

By the way, the USS Bataan, its ARG and, and the 2,200ish Marines of the 22nd MEU are heading towards the region. Combined exercises around Morocco were canceled.

USS Bataan, Marines 26th MEU Heading to Middle East Amid Tensions with Iran - USNI News

Amid rising tensions with Iran, the Navy is sending USS Bataan (LHD-5) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East.

news.usni.org

USS Bataan, Marines 26th MEU Heading to Middle East Amid Tensions with Iran

Amid rising tensions with Iran, the Navy is scrapping an exercise with Morocco as it redirects amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, a defense official confirmed to USNI News on Friday.

Members of the 26th MEU and Bataan crew were slated to train with members of the Moroccan military as part of the joint Exercise African Sea Lion. Now, Bataan and the 26th MEU are moving closer to the Middle East.

“USS Bataan and embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are underway conducting routine operations, demonstrating the inherent flexibility of our naval forces,” Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a U.S. 6th Fleet spokesman told USNI News. “For operational security reasons, we do not discuss future operations. ARGMEUs operate continuously across the globe to provide commanders with a forward-deployed, flexible and responsive sea-based Marine Air-Ground Task Force.”

The Marines will join soldiers from the Fort Bragg, N.C.-based 82nd Airborne who have been sent to Iraq as a security measure following the U.S. operation that killed a top Iranian military leader on Thursday.

Qasem Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone attack, according to the Department of Defense. Soleimani was the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

“Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” according to a Pentagon statement.

On Friday, several news organizations reported the Pentagon was sending up to 3,500 more 82nd soliders to the region, in case Iran or Iranian-backed forces attempted retaliation attacks following Soleimani’s death. ABC News first reported to 3,500 additional troops.

The new deployments and the death Soleimani are part of a recent string of escalating interactions between Iran, Iranian-backed forces and the U.S. in Iraq and Syria.

On Tuesday, a mob including members of the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia stormed the front gate of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. The mob was protesting recent U.S. military airstrikes on five Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq and Syria.

The Pentagon quickly sent about 100 Marines from the Kuwait-based Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF)-Crisis Response-Central Command was sent to enhance security at the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad.

On New Year’s Day, the Pentagon sent about 750 members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to Kuwait.

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group had just arrived off the coast of Morocco this week before its new tasking, according to the USNI Fleet tracker. The ARG deployed quietly from teh East Coast in December.

-End of Article-​

All American Division on Twitter

“Today @Strike_Hold began deploying the remainder of the brigade. We could not be more proud and look fwd to their safe return.”

twitter.com

The rest of the Immediate Response Force is officially being deployed.

So you can add another 3,000ish 82nd Airborne paratroopers to the mix. In route to Kuwait

 

[Aria]

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.


"There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism," tweeted the Nike partner.

Kaepernick has been the source of much controversy after being dropped from NFL rosters for kneeling during the national anthem at football games.

"America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world," he said.

Kaepernick signed a lucrative deal with Nike, who produced a shoe with his likeness. In July, he successfully lobbied Nike to remove a Betsy Ross flag shoe after he said it was racist.

 

[Dom Cruise]

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.


"There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism," tweeted the Nike partner.

Kaepernick has been the source of much controversy after being dropped from NFL rosters for kneeling during the national anthem at football games.

"America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world," he said.

Kaepernick signed a lucrative deal with Nike, who produced a shoe with his likeness. In July, he successfully lobbied Nike to remove a Betsy Ross flag shoe after he said it was racist.

Man, do I hate that fucker.

 

[Aria]

Death to America: Iran lists 35 US targets as vengeance for Qassem Soleimani

An Iranian general claimed that the country is ready to strike at least 35 potential American targets, including shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz, after the deaths of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Death to America: Iran lists 35 US targets as vengeance for Qassem Soleimani


An Iranian general claimed that the country is ready to strike at least 35 potential American targets, including shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz, after the deaths of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.


"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West, and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there," said Gen. Gholamali Abuhamzeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in the southern province of Kerman, Iran. "Vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since long time ago."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed "revenge awaits" for the United States after it killed Soleimani, who was one of the most important military figures in Iran. Thousands took to the streets of Baghdad during Soleimani's Saturday funeral procession to chant "Death to America!"

"Under my leadership, America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American," Trump said in remarks given the day after the strikes. "We will find you. We will eliminate you."

 

[The Big O]

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.


"There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism," tweeted the Nike partner.

Kaepernick has been the source of much controversy after being dropped from NFL rosters for kneeling during the national anthem at football games.

"America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world," he said.

Kaepernick signed a lucrative deal with Nike, who produced a shoe with his likeness. In July, he successfully lobbied Nike to remove a Betsy Ross flag shoe after he said it was racist.

Overpaid shit-stirrer "celebrity" stirs IdPol shit, what a surprise. I do not hide my resentment of Colin and I hope karma gives him a nice swift Truck of Peace to the face one day for being such a self-righteous puppet.

 

[Iwasamwillbe]

Global: MilitaryInfo on Twitter

“#BREAKING: Mortar shelling targets the vicinity of the Nineveh Operations Command in northern Iraq. https://t.co/6MVsl7f0wO”

twitter.com

Global: MilitaryInfo on Twitter

“#BREAKING: Reports of an explosion near Al-Kindi camp in northern Mosul - Al Arabiya”

twitter.com

Global: MilitaryInfo on Twitter

“#BREAKING: Iraqi security sources: Mortar shells landed on the presidential palaces complex in the #Baghdad city - it also houses U.S. forces. https://t.co/lDdajWTd8r”

twitter.com

Aurora Intel on Twitter

“10+ projectiles (mortars according to reports) landed near the presidential palace area, #US forces are reportedly stationed there”

twitter.com

Edit:

Aurora Intel - #StayHome on Twitter

“Update: Reports of 10 were incorrect, 6 projectiles where fired from Mosul’s Al-Sukkar neighborhood.”

twitter.com

Semi-random light mortar shelling by pro-Iranian militia forces.

I should point out that these "militia men" are poorly trained using (as previous mentioned) really bad launcher rail. Off of those rails (or guide-sticks) they throw really shitty homemade or cold war castoffs. It goes without saying that these systems are worse than unguided.

It is no surprise that they can't hit the broad side of a barn.

But what about Iran itself? Surely the righteous guiding lights of the Islamic Republic of Iran have shown the power necessary to bleed the US dry for decades, right?

I mean, surely the Great Country of Iran, the beloved of Khuda Allah, can align with Russia and China to shove the US into the trashbin of irrelevancy, right?

 

[OnMoTi]

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

'Attacks against Black and Brown people': Kaepernick slams 'terrorist' America after Soleimani killing

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused the United States of terrorism after the deaths of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al Muhandis.


"There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism," tweeted the Nike partner.

Kaepernick has been the source of much controversy after being dropped from NFL rosters for kneeling during the national anthem at football games.

"America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world," he said.

Kaepernick signed a lucrative deal with Nike, who produced a shoe with his likeness. In July, he successfully lobbied Nike to remove a Betsy Ross flag shoe after he said it was racist.

lulz @ that half breed.

Death to America: Iran lists 35 US targets as vengeance for Qassem Soleimani

An Iranian general claimed that the country is ready to strike at least 35 potential American targets, including shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz, after the deaths of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Death to America: Iran lists 35 US targets as vengeance for Qassem Soleimani


An Iranian general claimed that the country is ready to strike at least 35 potential American targets, including shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz, after the deaths of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.


"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West, and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there," said Gen. Gholamali Abuhamzeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in the southern province of Kerman, Iran. "Vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since long time ago."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed "revenge awaits" for the United States after it killed Soleimani, who was one of the most important military figures in Iran. Thousands took to the streets of Baghdad during Soleimani's Saturday funeral procession to chant "Death to America!"

"Under my leadership, America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American," Trump said in remarks given the day after the strikes. "We will find you. We will eliminate you."

Does Iran want to get glassed? Because this is how you get glassed.

 

[Exterminatus]

By the way, the USS Bataan, its ARG and, and the 2,200ish Marines of the 22nd MEU are heading towards the region. Combined exercises around Morocco were canceled.

USS Bataan, Marines 26th MEU Heading to Middle East Amid Tensions with Iran - USNI News

Amid rising tensions with Iran, the Navy is sending USS Bataan (LHD-5) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East.

news.usni.org

USS Bataan, Marines 26th MEU Heading to Middle East Amid Tensions with Iran

Amid rising tensions with Iran, the Navy is scrapping an exercise with Morocco as it redirects amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, a defense official confirmed to USNI News on Friday.

Members of the 26th MEU and Bataan crew were slated to train with members of the Moroccan military as part of the joint Exercise African Sea Lion. Now, Bataan and the 26th MEU are moving closer to the Middle East.

“USS Bataan and embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are underway conducting routine operations, demonstrating the inherent flexibility of our naval forces,” Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a U.S. 6th Fleet spokesman told USNI News. “For operational security reasons, we do not discuss future operations. ARGMEUs operate continuously across the globe to provide commanders with a forward-deployed, flexible and responsive sea-based Marine Air-Ground Task Force.”

The Marines will join soldiers from the Fort Bragg, N.C.-based 82nd Airborne who have been sent to Iraq as a security measure following the U.S. operation that killed a top Iranian military leader on Thursday.

Qasem Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone attack, according to the Department of Defense. Soleimani was the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

“Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” according to a Pentagon statement.

On Friday, several news organizations reported the Pentagon was sending up to 3,500 more 82nd soliders to the region, in case Iran or Iranian-backed forces attempted retaliation attacks following Soleimani’s death. ABC News first reported to 3,500 additional troops.

The new deployments and the death Soleimani are part of a recent string of escalating interactions between Iran, Iranian-backed forces and the U.S. in Iraq and Syria.

On Tuesday, a mob including members of the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia stormed the front gate of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. The mob was protesting recent U.S. military airstrikes on five Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq and Syria.

The Pentagon quickly sent about 100 Marines from the Kuwait-based Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF)-Crisis Response-Central Command was sent to enhance security at the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad.

On New Year’s Day, the Pentagon sent about 750 members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to Kuwait.

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group had just arrived off the coast of Morocco this week before its new tasking, according to the USNI Fleet tracker. The ARG deployed quietly from teh East Coast in December.

-End of Article-​

All American Division on Twitter

“Today @Strike_Hold began deploying the remainder of the brigade. We could not be more proud and look fwd to their safe return.”

twitter.com

The rest of the Immediate Response Force is officially being deployed.

So you can add another 3,000ish 82nd Airborne paratroopers to the mix. In route to Kuwait

This big show of force and manpower kinda puts me in mind of Operation Paul Bunyan

Korean axe murder incident - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Aria]

‘Dumbest man in Iran’: Thomas Friedman mocks Qassem Soleimani

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman asserted Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani showed ineptitude in his efforts to prop up Iran.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Dumbest man in Iran’: Thomas Friedman mocks Qassem Soleimani

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman asserted Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani showed ineptitude in his efforts to prop up Iran.


Friedman mocked the military leader, who was killed Thursday in a U.S. drone strike, as a “military genius” who drove his country into the ground as he sought to broaden Iran’s power in the Middle East.

“One day they may name a street after President Trump in Tehran. Why? Because Trump just ordered the assassination of possibly the dumbest man in Iran and the most overrated strategist in the Middle East,” Friedman wrote of Soleimani.

Friedman said the leader of the Quds Force miscalculated after the Iran nuclear deal when he and Iran’s supreme leader sought control through their proxies of several cities in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. U.S. allies urged the Trump administration to respond to Iran’s actions, and the deal, which Friedman referred to as a “great deal” for Iran, was eventually revoked by Trump.

The deal agreed to by the Obama administration and Iran in 2015 lifted sanctions on the country and helped grow its economy. When the Trump administration reinforced the sanctions, Iran raised its gas prices, prompting massive protests and brutal crackdowns, “further weakening the legitimacy of the regime,” Friedman wrote.


“Today’s Iran is the heir to a great civilization and the home of an enormously talented people and significant culture. Wherever Iranians go in the world today, they thrive as scientists, doctors, artists, writers and filmmakers — except in the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose most famous exports are suicide bombing, cyberterrorism and proxy militia leaders. The very fact that Suleimani was probably the most famous Iranian in the region speaks to the utter emptiness of this regime, and how it has wasted the lives of two generations of Iranians by looking for dignity in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways,” the columnist wrote.

Soleimani’s proxies prevented any of the countries they inhabited from developing infrastructure such as schools, roads, and electricity, Friedman said, leading Soleimani’s “kingmakers” to be hated in the region “even more so than Trump’s America.”

Friedman also said that when Soleimani confronted Israel, he was unprepared for the strength of Israeli forces, and even though he helped fight the Islamic State, he was responsible for its rise by Iran’s overreach in Iraq.

 

[Jump]

So after they wrote an angry letter to the UN they make an autistic "hit list" like a bullied school kid.

 

[Iwasamwillbe]

Does Iran want to get glassed? Because this is how you get glassed.

What are you talking about? If the US ever attacks Iran directly, every Iranian citizen there will automagically transform into Tamerlane and raze the US into the ground.

 

[Adamska]

Pretty much anything the Iranians do is documentary worthy.

Their newest MBT, the Karrar is some frankensteinian nonsense on a T-72 chassis that will totally be able to go toe-to-toe with the M1 and Challenger 2 tanks despite being made up of tech derived from the export T-72, the M-60, M48, Chieftan and (supposedly) bits of M1, but more likely what they learned from welding random bits of steel to the Zulfiqar to make them look a bit like the M1 Abrams.

I'd be happy to see all three as documentaries.

I'm unfamiliar with the F-4 kludgeshit, I just knew their airforce is a joke, so let's get the trifecta in here in mocking Iran's assets. We dunked on sea, we dunked on land, elucidate me on how they fucked up the air.

Tfw you sign up to kill terrorists and end up scanning ID cards at the gate for 4 years in Oklahoma

TFW you just spend a year looking at sharks swimming around your boat in South Africa. At least that was a story an old navy man told me during his service in the 1970s.

 

[Huitzilopochtli]

Does Iran want to get glassed? Because this is how you get glassed.

There's no money in that. There is plenty of money, however, in missile barrages against military targets and drone striking more military/political figures.

I'm pretty sure we still have ~14 GBU-43's left, and they're probably coming up on their refurb dates.

 

[Aria]

US strike that killed Iranian commander starkly divides US lawmakers

The US airstrike that killed Iran Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani generated starkly different reactions along party lines Thursday night, with Republicans heaping praise on President Donald Trump and Democrats expressing concerns about the legality and consequences of the attack.

edition.cnn.com

US strike that killed Iranian commander starkly divides US lawmakers


Washington (CNN)The US airstrike that killed Iran Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani generated starkly different reactions along party lines Thursday night, with Republicans heaping praise on President Donald Trump and Democrats expressing concerns about the legality and consequences of the attack.


The Pentagon confirmed in a statement that Trump had ordered the strike, saying Soleimani "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more."


"I appreciate President @realDonaldTrump's bold action against Iranian aggression," GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a fierce Trump ally, wrote in a tweet Thursday. "To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more."


Two sources tell CNN that key Senate staff on relevant committees on national security and appropriations, along with leadership staff, will be briefed Friday afternoon in a classified setting by administration officials.


Some key members of Congress -- such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who is a member of the congressional Gang of Eight leaders, who are briefed on classified matters -- had not been made aware of the attack ahead of time. It's not clear how many other lawmakers had advance notice of the strike.


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for an immediate briefing to the full Congress on the US strike. In a written statement Thursday, Pelosi said that the airstrike "risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence" and took issue with the strike being carried out without consultation with Congress.


The Pentagon added that "this strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans" and the US "will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world."


GOP praises Trump's action

Republicans reacted with almost uniform praise for Trump.

Sen. Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, said in a news release that "General Soleimani is dead because he was an evil bastard who murdered Americans" and "the President made the brave and right call, and Americans should be proud of our servicemembers who got the job done."


Sasse added, "Tehran is on edge - the mullahs have already slaughtered at least a thousand innocent Iranians - and before they lash out further they should know that the U.S. military can bring any and all of these IRGC butchers to their knees."


His comments were echoed by Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, who said in a statement that Soleimani "masterminded Iran's reign of terror for decades, including the deaths of hundreds of Americans."
"Tonight, he got what he richly deserved, and all those American soldiers who died by his hand also got what they deserved: justice," Cotton said. "America is safer now after Soleimani's demise."


Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, said Soleimani's death "presents an opportunity for Iraq to determine its own future free from Iranian control."


Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Soleimani a "depraved terrorist" who was "doubtlessly planning operations to further harm our citizens and allies."


The Republican senator added that it's "imperative" that the US and its allies "articulate & pursue a coherent strategy for protecting our security interests in the region," adding that he will be pressing the Trump administration for additional details.


Democrats weigh in on Soleimani killing


Democrats pushed back on Republican sentiments about the attack, stressing the potential consequences and lambasting the decision to carry out the strike without congressional authorization.


Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut emphasized that Soleimani "was an enemy of the United States" in a tweet before stating, "The question is this - as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?"
In a more explicit statement, Sen.


Tom Udall of New Mexico said, "President Trump is bringing our nation to the brink of an illegal war with Iran without any congressional approval as required under the Constitution of the United States."


He added: "Such a reckless escalation of hostilities is likely a violation of Congress' war making authority -- as well as our basing agreement with Iraq -- putting U.S. forces and citizens in danger and very possibly sinking us into another disastrous war in the Middle East that the American people are not asking for and do not support."


On the campaign trail, Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden said "no American will mourn" Soleimani but that the strike that killed him is a "hugely escalatory move."


"President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond," Biden said in a statement.


"I'm not privy to the intelligence and much remains unknown, but Iran will surely respond. We could be on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East. I hope the Administration has thought through the second- and third-order consequences of the path they have chosen."


Other presidential candidates expressed similar misgivings, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Cory Booker of New Jersey.


"Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one," Sanders said in a statement in which he used the word "assassination" to refer to the death of Soleimani.


Booker, speaking on "CNN Tonight," said Soleimani had "American blood on his hands," but he questioned Trump's ability to handle the fallout of the attack.


"We also know there are larger challenges, strategic challenges in that region, and we have a President who has failed to show any larger strategic plan, and under his leadership, with his so-called maximum forces, Iran has become a more dangerous, more influential regime in that region," Booker told CNN's Victor Blackwell.


Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, took aim at the Democratic responses, positing that "some are so blinded by hatred of Trump that they argue he has done something sinister."


"It's crazy," Rubio said. Total derangement."

 

[Adamska]

And it looks like the Clinton News Network is joining the ranks of being assets of a foreign power, probably because their backers have stakes in Iran not fucking collapsing via tard suicide.

Look at liberal utopia California, favelas/homeless hobos everywhere and woketards in Virginia trying to nullify the Second Amendment/local housing ordinances. While we're busy elsewhere the commies will take advantage; look at them now, crying over Soleimani, a man they had no idea existed three days ago. Threats are not just external, they're internal as well. You have several public figures willingly supporting the Islamic State of Iran, a country that has kidnapped, tortured and murdered American citizens for decades. It's not inconceivable the US could face a domestic crisis of its own, egged on by Iran and other enemies. In asymmetrical warfare, which is the only option open to Iran at this point, tactical actions are not necessarily military but can include domestic unrest and the like.

Think strategically, not just tactically.

lol most of them are crybully pussies dude. The only shots worth a shit are already Iranian or Wahabbist assets.

Overpaid shit-stirrer "celebrity" stirs IdPol shit, what a surprise. I do not hide my resentment of Colin and I hope karma gives him a nice swift Truck of Peace to the face one day for being such a self-righteous puppet.

Nice to note that like the NBA, the NFL or AFL are assets of another country; thankfully Kapernick sucks so bad at his game I only ever hear about him when he cries for attention.

lulz @ that half breed.



Does Iran want to get glassed? Because this is how you get glassed.

Shit man, the current lot are fucking desperate if they're gonna try this. Because I suspect Trump is just going to tweet and yeet them; they aren't getting an insurgency, they're gonna get their economy and military smashed to shit and back by planes and drones.

 

[Feline Supremacist]

A blood-red flag symbolizing vengeance unfurled Saturday above the dome of Jamarkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran, a day after the United States killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.

Whoa, did these retardo towelheads just raise the no quarter flag? Well bless their little heathen hearts.