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.

.

 

[Mikoyan]

Here are some images of the damage to these bases:

It isn't much, but I just do not accept the whole: "they were only pretending to be harmless"

Me either. They're better than Iraq's Scuds were, but they're still not at the level of accuracy to make this 'trying not to kill people'. That would've been at minimum sending them at the runway, away from the quarters sprinkled around.

 

[BONE_Buddy]

Aurora Intel on Twitter

“Headlines: • Additional sanctions • No Iraqis and Americans killed • Going to make a deal with Iran to make the world a better place • Asking NATO to be more involved in ME • US less loyal on ME oil. #USA #Iran [Knish]”

twitter.com

 

[RodgerDodger]

The Iranians are starting to explain too much. Sign of a liar.

Ukrainian plane crashes in Iran killing 176

There were many Iranian and Canadian citizens on board the Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 737.

www.bbc.co.uk

Anyway, it's bullshit that a plane would instantly explode in midair if hit by a missile. Korean Air 902 was hit by a Soviet missile in 1978 when it wandered into Soviet airspace by accident. It that case the missile took off part of one of the wings and thr debris penetrated the fusilage. It suffered decompression and still flew on at least 40 minutes before made it down to land on a frozen lake in one piece, albeit with a couple of dead passengers from the decompression. It depends what part of the plane got hit and how high you are whether the whole thing falls apart instantly. Korean Air 007 didn't break up instantly either, even at 31,000ft.

A plane exploding from a missile depends on what type of missile. A radar guided SAM, a large missile would blow the plane apart. But a smaller heat seeker. Something like a man portable Stinger or SA7 or SA14 would look exactly like this. It would track in on and explode in an engine. It would not likely take a wing off or do much structural damage. It’s a small missile.

the footage pretty clearly looks like the starboard engine exploded. Causing the plane to bank hard to the right roll over and plow into the ground in a big fireball.

Now there could be innocent causes for this. Runway debris sucked into the engine for example. But when a plane goes boom in the middle of a high military alert, with missiles firing, Occam’s Razor says look for the guy holding the empty tube.

 

[Autistic lurker]

Rural Hans may still have that "community spirit" but City Hans are out for themselves. Thanks to one-child policy back in a day, they may actually have incel rebellions at some point (actually, it wouldn't be the first time in Chinese history either).

This. So many people forget how China just fucked up entire generations to come. The measure to address overpopulation problem was conducted in very abrupt and disproportional manner. Chinese government didn't took into consideration how brutal and savage customs and traditions were still prevalent in their rural provinces and villages. Chinese parents just started to kill their child if it was a female. It caused severe gender disproportion in demographics, which in turn slowed down the economic growth.

Rural provinces were the primal source for workforce. People who born in cities tend to be more weak and decadent, both physically and mentally. This problem is usually solved by improving the quality of life and adding more jobs in service sector. The first solution will soon reach its limits; the second is limited by competition on the global market. Even if your country has more than billion population, you still must enter on global stage. This is why Chinese are so desperate with Huawei -- it wants to repeat the success of Alibaba Group which soon will surpass Amazon. However sanctions started to cripple the future of chinese presense in vital parts of infrastructure. It will inevitable cause severe stagnation in economy of China in near future.

The problems in economy affects the abilities of Chinese military. They were forced to cancel the plans of building more carriers, as well as their other plans of increasing the military presense abroad in the future. In this circumstances China cannot even think about backing Tehran (which is funny, how many people still bitching about this on the Internet).

 

[HOMO FOR LIFE]

@Cosmos HEY, SON.

WHERE IS MY WAR? TRUMP CUCKED OUT. SO MUCH FOR WAR.

 

[Arcturus]

Yeah I noticed that too. He was slurring near the end. Not like him mmmmm

To be fair, the poor bastard is probably exhausted. Having to tard watch all night and morning, weighing options, endless phone calls, and then do a speech close to noon. He came across to me more like he was having a hard time thinking clearly.

 

[Your Weird Fetish]

So, you, Amerifriends, have an option of a geriatric, a geriatric and a geriatric in the 2020 election.

Sounds like the USSR in the 80s.

Oligarchies and republics are usually gerontocracies.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Yeah I noticed that too. He was slurring near the end. Not like him mmmmm

Either he drunk, tired or age is finally getting to him. And I'm feeling more that he's tired than anything.

Regardless, I don't buy into the whole "We weren't trying to kill anyone" shit Iran's trying to pull. They clearly were trying to kill those stationed at those bases, but pulled it off so incompetently that all they can do is try to save face and hope people will buy into it.

 

[Suburban Bastard]

I don’t know if the bright light surrounding Trump entering and leaving was intentionally planned, but it looked awesome.

 

[Vince McMahon]

Oligarchies and republics are usually gerontocracies.

Sad! and low energy! if you ask me.

 

[Basketball Jones]

He slurred some very easy words and also his breath is very laboured. Is he okay?

He’s an old man that’s probably been up most of the night, he’s out of shape, and came power-walking into the speech from across the lot because he did last minute changes and was late.

 

[It's HK-47]

"Finally, to the people and the leaders of Iran: We want you to have a future--and a great future--one that you deserve. One of prosperity and hope and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it."​

@Cosmos This is why people support Trump. When you ignore the breathless, first-second headlines and weave through the fear-mongers and doom-criers, you don't wind up being a hyperventilating reactionary who thinks a peace-bringer is a war-hawk. The media's sole job right now is to terrify you to fuel ad revenue. Stop letting them manipulate your emotions.

There's not going to be a WW3. There never was going to be a WW3, just like the last five times they tried to make everyone shit their pants and send the entire country into a mouth-frothing panic. I'd ask if we could stop doing this every single time that the media wants us to do this, but I know for a fact that the second another conflict like this kicks off, we'll be right back to everyone shrieking about how WW3 is right around the corner. Again.

 

[Thornforg]

Trump addressed the nation with the sole purpose of calling Iran a bunch of bitch-nigger fuckups and told them to sit in the corner or else he'll get the paddle out.

Also I think Trump has a case of fat-tongue. The stroke theory is interesting, but I doubt they'd be able to hide it this well if that is indeed what happened. But if he did have a stroke, he must think to himself how funny it is he did so after taking office instead of during the election while giving a speech.

>TFW you'll never be known as the one who had a stroke and shit their pants in the middle of a speech during your presidential campaign.

 

[HOMO FOR LIFE]

Here are some images of the damage to these bases:

It isn't much, but I just do not accept the whole: "they were only pretending to be harmless"

Rofl feels like playing dune 2

 

[Observotron]

So, you, Amerifriends, have an option of a geriatric, a geriatric and a geriatric in the 2020 election.

Sounds like the USSR in the 80s.

Yeah, it's pretty shitty. Let's get some people who are going to be dead in 10 years to decide the future.

 

[Your Weird Fetish]

Yeah, it's pretty shitty. Let's get some people who are going to be dead in 10 years to decide the future.

Alternatively: young people are retards and honestly the voting age should be raised to 30 given how infantilized society has become.

Besides these guys are all going to be living at least into their 90's with their lizard man medical tech.

 

[mindlessobserver]

That's a really cool opinion and I hope it works out for you because I'd really like to not live under a Chinese world order. Maybe Reuters is correct, and all those economists who were right about the Trump economy all this time are also right about the Chinese economy, and that 'house of cards' will collapse like you predict it would. Maybe the proud Mutt empire will last 1000 years, ethnically diverse and under a functional democracy that doesn't already seem in imminent risk of collapse as people start talking more about secession and killing each other every day now. What a truly based world that'll be. Maybe I'll get to keep my ability to say things on the Internet and my guns. Wow. Cool. I really like this fantasy you've built. It's more more comfy than what I observe.

The US has a few things going for it that other previous world powers didnt have. A major problem multi-ethnic empires have had is that their economies were reliant on linguistically and culturally distinct regions for their survival. Rome needed Egypt to provide grain to feed the city as an example. All the previous colonial empires had this same issue only on steroids. The US does not have this problem as its "core" is fully unified and has all the resources it needs. The central government is also responsive to any issues that may occur within its central territories within hours. Unlike Rome which may not have found out there were issues in Egypt for weeks, let alone respond to them.

There is also the historical example of the US civil war to show what could happen if any region of the US became culturally different from the whole to the point where it could threaten the federal governments territorial integrity. Mainly, brutal suppression, suspension of constitutional rights and forcible reintegration.

The US also has the bonus of possessing a meta narrative that allows anyone to subscribe to it. In Europe ethnicity is everything down to base tribal roots. French, polish, hell even more regional like Scottish, Flemish, Breton, Catalan, and Basque. This is not the case in America and despite efforts by the American Left to alienate entire ethnic groups from the American meta narrative i would argue they have been largely unsuccessful as the best they have managed to convince people to do is the US should better live up to it's own ideals rather then tear them down and replace them with something new.

It is also a huge mistake to view China as an ethnic hegemony. It is most assuredly not. It is not even Linguistically unified. With entire regions not speaking the official Han language. They do what they can to try and enforce cultural unity. But they have tried to do this for thousands of years with little success. Every racial group in China knows that the moment the central government loses its grip the race wars will be on to determine which "chinese" ethnic group gets the throne of heaven this time for the next 50 to 400 years. Right now it's the Hans turn but next time it might be the Cantonese. Or the Szechuanese or the fucking Manchus again. The Han are only 40% of the population.

 

[Observotron]

Alternatively: young people are exceptional individuals and honestly the voting age should be raised to 30 given how infantilized society has become.

Besides these guys are all going to be living at least into their 90's with their lizard man medical tech.

You're not wrong, but I would argue that the decisions they would make would reflect their views of a world that was long gone. Maybe we should have middle aged people in office.

 

[Null]

It is also a huge mistake to view China as an ethnic hegemony. It is most assuredly not. It is not even Linguistically unified. With entire regions not speaking the official Han language. They do what they can to try and enforce cultural unity. But they have tried to do this for thousands of years with little success. Every racial group in China knows that the moment the central government loses its grip for a second the race wars will be on to determine which "chinese" ethnic group gets the throne of heaven this time for the next 50 to 400 years. Right now it's the Hans turn but next time it might be the Cantonese. Or the Szechuanese or the fucking Manchus again. The Han are only 40% of the population.

This is absolute fucking nonsense and it's preposterous to even try and fling it.

The rest of your post is optimism about civic nationalism faggotry better suited for a Chuck E. Cheese 4th of July music video.

 

[HOMO FOR LIFE]

Chinese history is broken down in series of dynasties but always one major dynasty in the end. Why? Because of the Heavens Mandate. Current Chinese government does not operate any more different than the previous ones. The core members of the Communist party understands that if they start fucking things up, they are done. No one is necessarily loyal to communist party. They are not even loyal to their families anymore.

China is held by thin thread of union through economic development and homogeneous growth. China doesn't have the power or unity to go through crisis like democratic governments.

However fortunately for China, no opposition exists outside of external threat. No coalition of alliance to speak of. That is because they are dealing with the problem proactively. Fulong, Ughur, and Hong Kong is just one fine example of that. If you deprive any kind of opposition, even in the bad times, only you will stand top because no other alternative option exists.

And it takes quite a long time for opposition to grow in legitimacy and backing. Without that, CCP doesn't have to worry about losing power even during the bad times.