Iraqi PM says U.S. killing of Iranian commander will 'light the fuse' of war

 

FILE PHOTO: Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi speaks during a symbolic funeral ceremony of Major General Ali al-Lami, who commands the Iraqi Federal Police's Fourth Division, who was killed in Salahuddin, in Baghdad, Iraq October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily/File Photo

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq’s prime minister condemned on Friday the U.S. killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and said it would “light the fuse” of war.

 

The United States killed Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and architect of Iran’s spreading military influence in the Middle East, in a strike at Baghdad airport. Muhandis, an adviser to Soleimani, was also killed.

 

“The assassination of an Iraqi military commander who holds an official position is considered aggression on Iraq ... and the liquidation of leading Iraqi figures or those from a brotherly country on Iraqi soil is a massive breach of sovereignty,” Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said.

 

Abdul Mahdi, whose government has the backing of Iran, said in a statement the U.S. air strike was “a dangerous escalation that will light the fuse of a destructive war in Iraq, the region, and the world.”

 

The prime minister resigned in November due to anti-government protests, but remains in office in a caretaker capacity. At least 450 people have been killed in the unrest, some which was driven by anger at Iranian influence in Iraq.

 

The prime minister said the U.S. strike violated terms of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, adding that U.S. troops were exclusively in Iraq to train Iraqi security forces and fight Islamic State within the framework of a global coalition.

 

Abdul Mahdi called on parliament to convene an extraordinary session to “take legislative steps and necessary provisions to safeguard Iraq’s dignity, security and sovereignty.”

 

He did not specify what those provisions would entail, but some officials and parliamentarians have called for steps to expel U.S. troops from Iraq.

 

Abdul Mahdi, whose government has support from Iran’s and Tehran-backed Iraqi allies, described Soleimani and Muhandis as “huge symbols of the victory against Islamic State terrorists.”

 

Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a grouping of mostly Iran-backed Shi’ite Muslim militias led by Muhandis, helped security forces retake a third of Iraq from Islamic State. The grouping’s troops were later incorporated into Iraq’s official armed forces.

 

Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets since Oct. 1 to condemn, among other things, militias and their Iranian patrons that support Abdul Mahdi’s government.

 

The protesters have also demanded an overhaul of a political system they see as corrupt and keeping most Iraqis in poverty.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-03

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It's difficult to see how a religious civil war between the Sunni and Shia isn't almost inevitable in this modern age at some point considering the riches and equipment/tech each side has with a big dollop of hatred/intolerance that make a "Day of reckoning" all the more tempting for religious lunatics. If they (the local clerics on each side) all want to decimate the Middle East and take each other to task in a religious blood feud then there may not be much anyone can do about it and it might have to happen for an extended period of peace in that region to be ushered in. The US and Iran are both baiting each other which will only hasten aforementioned scenario.

Edited January 3, 20206 yr by Brigand

The only worthwhile thing that Trump has done since he took office. I can't support him, but killing Islamic extremists is ALWAYS a good idea.

2 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

The only worthwhile thing that Trump has done since he took office. I can't support him, but killing Islamic extremists is ALWAYS a good idea.

Tell that to American troops in Iraq who will now be facing an armed and hostile populace.

13 hours ago, Brigand said:

It's difficult to see how a religious civil war between the Sunni and Shia isn't almost inevitable in this modern age at some point considering the riches and equipment/tech each side has with a big dollop of hatred/intolerance that make a "Day of reckoning" all the more tempting for religious lunatics. If they (the local clerics on each side) all want to decimate the Middle East and take each other to task in a religious blood feud then there may not be much anyone can do about it and it might have to happen for an extended period of peace in that region to be ushered in. The US and Iran are both baiting each other which will only hasten aforementioned scenario.

16th century Europe.......

13 hours ago, KhunFred said:

The only worthwhile thing that Trump has done since he took office. I can't support him, but killing Islamic extremists is ALWAYS a good idea.

Yep! Trump has now found his re-election enemy!

As I understand it, no sitting US president, in a war, has ever lost a re-election bid.

Purely self-serving motive.

All Americans abroad are now at risk - particularly those in Middle East/Islamic countries.

Well done Trump - Russia and China will be well pleased with your erratic foreign policy. The USA, on the other hand, has to bear the brunt of universal hatred.

And the financial burden as well, that might just cripple the US.

Putin will be SO pleased at his puppy-dogs actions!

 

13 hours ago, KhunFred said:

The only worthwhile thing that Trump has done since he took office. I can't support him, but killing Islamic extremists is ALWAYS a good idea.

Wrong he just opened a box he wished he hadnt. Iraq doesnt respond immediately they work on 40 year plans, so expect bad news for a long time especially with oil prices.

Soleimani was a VERY important man and kind of a hero to the iranian regime .

His killing by the US will provoke a serious reaction , may be not directly , but for the Iranians that was clearly a ' declaration of war ' by the US .

They will now accelerate their work on a nuclear bomb , and do everything to damage US interests in the region ...

We will see what will happen exactly , but it will be nothing good ...

 

That could be the start of a big war , Iran is not like Iraq .

I hope not .

Edited January 4, 20206 yr by nobodysfriend

I'm sure trump is shaking in his boots. Hussein tried to show his power, hahahaha, 

trump would love to see some aggression, then he could take care of their nuclear aggression, and the country all at once.

it will be about time !

Part of me is delighted this guy is dead he obviously is an enemy But I fear trump is reacting to the embassy siege i don’t think trump has thought this through it’s not his nature nor is it his nature to seek or listen to council imo this is a major blunder and trump and trump alone bears responsibility for it he owns it 100%

28 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Soleimani was a VERY important man and kind of a hero to the iranian regime .

His killing by the US will provoke a serious reaction , may be not directly , but for the Iranians that was clearly a ' declaration of war ' by the US .

They will now accelerate their work on a nuclear bomb , and do everything to damage US interests in the region ...

We will see what will happen exactly , but it will be nothing good ...

 

That could be the start of a big war , Iran is not like Iraq .

I hope not .

You seem to have overlooked that Solemani was a murderous thug whose death should be celebrated.This is not inconsistent with criticising the American action.

Kind of strange the people at fox state tv for 3 years have complained about the deep state intelligence community but now all of a sudden they trust them.

 

Also strange trump wants out of the middle east but just made it worse.

 

Trump thrives on chaos. Thays all he does.

1 hour ago, Ron jeremy said:

I'm sure trump is shaking in his boots. Hussein tried to show his power, hahahaha, 

trump would love to see some aggression, then he could take care of their nuclear aggression, and the country all at once.

it will be about time !

And how specifically do you propose that this “taking care of” be accomplished? Apart from standing back and pumping your fists into your chest, have you put any thought into it? The Neanderthal approach to foreign policy might be gratifying for a few moments, but it’s usually not effective over the long term.

Though this guy was obviously a problem, and responsible for alot of mayhem, it is very peculiar timing for Trump to choose to do this now. It appears that Iraq is already sick and tired of 17 years of constant American presence, and ready to oust them anyway. And then this? Not well conceived, nor has this been well thought through. As usual, no consideration has been given to the potential blowback, or the heightening of tensions in the region. Also, as usual Iran has been under estimated. The potential damage they can wreak on US soldiers overseas, and even on US soil could be devastating to the US, to Trump, to the prospects of his re-election, and to the region. 

 

Also, much consideration should be given to the fact that thought the US has the largest military in the world, their accomplishments have been minimal. No wars have been won since WWII! That was 75 years ago. The US got it's butt kicked in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan Syria, and now in Iraq, so many typical assumptions about the great might of this force, can be laid to rest within the dustbin of history. The US may very well be in over it's arrogant head, on this one. Iran is no doubt the most capable foe, that they have faced in a very long time. They have deep  pockets, they have an ideological bent, and they have the capacity for pain. Their cyber capabilities alone, are more than the pentagon has ever dealt with. 

Edited January 4, 20206 yr by spidermike007

I'm tired of the Iranian <deleted>, ok; let's get this party started.  Now, not later after they get nuks. 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“The assassination of an Iraqi military commander who holds an official position is considered aggression on Iraq ... and the liquidation of leading Iraqi figures or those from a brotherly country on Iraqi soil is a massive breach of sovereignty,” Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said.

So, we spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives for this???

Just a pre-impeachment political popularity decision by Trump.  

10 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I'm tired of the Iranian <deleted>, ok; let's get this party started.  Now, not later after they get nuks. 

Good; let's get the party started. So I assume you'll be the first to sign up your children, or your neighbor's children, to go take on a proud nation of 80 million people?

14 minutes ago, zydeco said:

So, we spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives for this???

Yup. And you're surprised by the result?

16 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I'm tired of the Iranian <deleted>, ok; let's get this party started.  Now, not later after they get nuks. 

And where will you be when this war you want is going on?

37 minutes ago, zydeco said:

So, we spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives for this???

It was all about oil (French and Chinese were the main oil firms in Iraq before the war according to what I read at the time).

It is still all about oil, many of the US "advisors/consultants" are protecting oil installations. The future looks dark for them, the people of Iraq have had enough. Trump said he would get out of the ME, looks like his "Very sane genius" planning will mean coming out in coffins. 

 

The problem when the White House behave like a branch office of the Israeli government, and the Kremlin, is that ordinary /US citizens make sacrifices for foreign interests.

 

Haliburton made many, many Billions of Dollars from US taxpayers, Cheyney probably pished himself laughing.

35 minutes ago, Cory1848 said:

Yup. And you're surprised by the result?

Not when you consider the policy was implemented by what is still the worst president in US history, George the Feeble. Although Trump seems bound and determined to grab the title from him.

16 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Tell that to American troops in Iraq who will now be facing an armed and hostile populace.

 

3 hours ago, legend49 said:

Wrong he just opened a box he wished he hadnt. Iraq doesnt respond immediately they work on 40 year plans, so expect bad news for a long time especially with oil prices.

 

3 hours ago, legend49 said:

killing Islamic extremists is ALWAYS a good idea.

https://news.yahoo.com/good-riddance-qassem-soleimani-111535972.html

 

About time!!

24 minutes ago, Nigel Garvie said:

It was all about oil (French and Chinese were the main oil firms in Iraq before the war according to what I read at the time).

It is still all about oil, many of the US "advisors/consultants" are protecting oil installations. The future looks dark for them, the people of Iraq have had enough. Trump said he would get out of the ME, looks like his "Very sane genius" planning will mean coming out in coffins. 

 

The problem when the White House behave like a branch office of the Israeli government, and the Kremlin, is that ordinary /US citizens make sacrifices for foreign interests.

 

Haliburton made many, many Billions of Dollars from US taxpayers, Cheyney probably pished himself laughing.

Not only oil -- the whole damn (Iraq) war was outsourced for profit, from feeding and supplying the troops to building and maintaining the Green Zone in Baghdad to providing security services and mercenaries to selling off Iraqi state assets to private concerns. Halliburton indeed made billions, and Cheney is a war profiteer and a crook. I’m not much for conspiracy theories (and I don’t blame or implicate the Israelis in any of this, beyond their concern for their own security), but the test cases go back to Chile in 1973; Naomi Klein for one has done her homework here, and reading her and others is instructive ...

17 hours ago, Brigand said:

It's difficult to see how a religious civil war between the Sunni and Shia isn't almost inevitable in this modern age at some point considering the riches and equipment/tech each side has with a big dollop of hatred/intolerance that make a "Day of reckoning" all the more tempting for religious lunatics. If they (the local clerics on each side) all want to decimate the Middle East and take each other to task in a religious blood feud then there may not be much anyone can do about it and it might have to happen for an extended period of peace in that region to be ushered in. The US and Iran are both baiting each other which will only hasten aforementioned scenario.

What has Sunni-Shia rivalry got to do with this? Unless of course, you're referring to the boost that Trump gave Sunni extremists by making it much harder for the US troops to function in Iraq and Syria.

Diversion to get re-elected. Count how may times trump accused President Obama of starting a war with Iran for the purpose of getting himselp re-elected? Too many to count! Think about why both President Bush and President Obama both held off killing this genera?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-repeatedly-said-obama-would-start-war-with-iran-to-get-elected/ar-BBYAlrN

 

 

5 minutes ago, earlinclaifornia said:

Diversion to get re-elected. Count how may times trump accused President Obama of starting a war with Iran for the purpose of getting himselp re-elected? Too many to count! Think about why both President Bush and President Obama both held off killing this genera?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-repeatedly-said-obama-would-start-war-with-iran-to-get-elected/ar-BBYAlrN

 

 

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-tweets-predicting-obama-start-110519741.html

Go figure even his allies believe this had no value.

https://news.yahoo.com/tucker-carlson-comes-against-trump-012924479.html

4 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Soleimani was a VERY important man and kind of a hero to the iranian regime .

His killing by the US will provoke a serious reaction , may be not directly , but for the Iranians that was clearly a ' declaration of war ' by the US .

They will now accelerate their work on a nuclear bomb , and do everything to damage US interests in the region ...

We will see what will happen exactly , but it will be nothing good ...

 

That could be the start of a big war , Iran is not like Iraq .

I hope not .

Don't look now, but the U.S. and others have been at war with terrorists for decades. This assassination is a parallel of the P-38 raid (aka Operation Vengeance) on the Japanese Admiral, Yamamoto, during WWII.

 

Soleimani must have forgotten that the U.S. is on a war footing and, like Yamamoto, was too ignorant of U.S. intelligence capability and too punctual with his movements. Why was Soleimani at the Baghdad airport? Did he fly-in thinking of a wild night on the town?

 

Some of us refuse to cower under our beds while terrorist leaders like Soleimani  and Baghdadi are alive to plan more death and mayhem. I'm going to get under my bed now. ????

Edited January 4, 20206 yr by MaxYakov

17 hours ago, KhunFred said:

The only worthwhile thing that Trump has done since he took office. I can't support him, but killing Islamic extremists is ALWAYS a good idea.

It's not always a good idea especially when our liberal politicians have invited their coreligionists to come and live among us.

 

We should keep out of their affairs and countries and by the same token keep them out of ours.