Dozens killed in stampede at funeral of slain Iranian commander, burial postponed

by Babak Dehghanpisheh, Ahmed Aboulenein

 

Iranian people attend a funeral procession and burial for Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, at his hometown in Kerman, Iran January 7, 2020. Mehdi Bolourian/Fars News Agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

 

DUBAI/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed in a stampede as huge crowds of mourners gathered for the funeral of a slain military commander in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman on Tuesday, forcing his burial to be postponed, state-affiliated media reported.

 

Tens of thousands of people had poured onto the streets of Kerman to pay tribute to General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq on Friday. Many chanted “Death to America”.

 

The Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated to state television, said on its website that a stampede had broken out and 35 people were killed and 48 wounded.

 

ISNA news agency said the burial had been postponed as result.

 

Soleimani’s body had been taken to Iraqi and other Iranian cities before arriving in his hometown Kerman for burial, prompting mass outpourings of grief nationwide as the coffin was carried through streets.

 

In other developments on Tuesday, a senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering 13 scenarios to avenge his killing.

 

In Washington, the U.S. defence secretary denied reports the U.S. military was preparing to withdraw from Iraq, where Tehran has vied with Washington for influence over nearly two decades of war and unrest.

 

Soleimani was responsible for building up Tehran’s network of proxy armies across the Middle East and he was a key figure in orchestrating Iran’s long-standing campaign to drive U.S. forces out of its neighbour Iraq.

 

U.S. and Iranian warnings of new strikes and retaliation have also stoked concerns about a broader Middle East conflict and led to calls in the U.S. Congress for legislation to stop U.S. President Donald Trump going to war with Iran.

 

“We will take revenge, a hard and definitive revenge,” the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, told the crowds of mourners in Kerman prior to the stampede.

 

REVENGE SCENARIOS

 

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and military commanders have said Iranian retaliation for the U.S. action on Friday would match the scale of Soleimani’s killing but that it would be at a time and place of Tehran’s choosing.

 

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said 13 “revenge scenarios” were being considered, Fars news agency reported. Even the weakest option would prove “a historic nightmare for the Americans,” he said.

 

Iran, whose southern coast stretches along a Gulf oil shipping route that includes the narrow Strait of Hormuz, has allied forces across the Middle East through which it could act. Representatives from those groups, including the Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, attended the funeral events in Tehran.

 

Despite its strident rhetoric, analysts say Iran will seek to avoid any conventional conflict with the United States but asymmetric strikes, such as sabotage or other more limited military actions, are more likely.

 

Trump has promised strikes on 52 Iranian targets, including cultural sites, if Iran retaliates, although U.S. officials sought to downplay his reference to cultural targets.

 

Reuters and other media reported on Monday that the U.S. military had sent a letter to Iraqi officials informing them that U.S. troops were preparing to leave.

 

“In order to conduct this task, Coalition Forces are required to take certain measures to ensure that the movement out of Iraq is conducted in a safe and efficient manner,” it said.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-07

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41 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Tens of thousands of people had poured onto the streets of Kerman to pay tribute to General Qassem Soleimani,

Not a time to gloat. 

 

IMHO a very conservative estimate, probably a few hundred of thousands, but then I suspect this was orchestrated to cram as many into a compact space for show... as a result 35 or more lost their lives.☹️

 

 

 

 

That's horrible.

It can probably be seen as a foreshadowing tip of the iceberg of all the people (Iranian and otherwise) that will die as a result of this ill advised assassination of a well loved in Iran but villainous man. 

Edited January 7, 20206 yr by Jingthing

yeah but the Iraninnies are used to it... 

-  never ending days of death begets death

Even before he is buried, markets are cooling, oil is down, risk assets are falling back as the world is beginning to discount talk about catastrophe and war.

 

Mean while a New York Times opinion piece suggests they may eventually name a street after president Trump in Tehran when Iran digests just how much trouble Soleimani has caused.  (really)

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/opinion/iran-general-soleimani.html

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

“We will take revenge, a hard and definitive revenge,” the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, told the crowds of mourners in Kerman prior to the stampede.

????

Is this peaceful muzlim man even allowed to have a name like this?

 

35 dead, 48 wounded...even in death, the general continues to wreak havoc.

 

 

3 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

????

Is this peaceful muzlim man even allowed to have a name like this?

 

35 dead, 48 wounded...even in death, the general continues to wreak havoc.

 

 

Kosher Salami ?

A troll post has been removed. 

Is anyone really surprised?

40 less to worry about. Anyone who grieves about a monster are as bad as him I am afraid

The Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated to state television, said on its website that a stampede had broken out and 35 people were killed and 48 wounded.

 

ISNA news agency said the burial had been postponed as result.

 

I have no idea why some people believe that this is funny. 35 people have died 48 were wounded, did they do anything to members of TVF?

 

  Please show some respect for human lives. It could have been a friend, or a relative. 

 

   

 

  

As they usually say :  by God's will

Edited January 7, 20206 yr by Opl

Looks like 50 or more ain't going claiming a share of the $80m DT bounty????

20 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

The Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated to state television, said on its website that a stampede had broken out and 35 people were killed and 48 wounded.

 

ISNA news agency said the burial had been postponed as result.

 

I have no idea why some people believe that this is funny. 35 people have died 48 were wounded, did they do anything to members of TVF?

 

  Please show some respect for human lives. It could have been a friend, or a relative. 

 

   

 

  

 

If they respected human life they wouldn't be mourning that man. So spare me the crocodile tears.

Let's face it, they didn't exactly die or get injured in the rush for the new bic razor

27 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Let's face it, they didn't exactly die or get injured in the rush for the new bic razor

The rush for razors will come during the next mass demonstration.

 

Edited January 7, 20206 yr by rabas

27 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

If they respected human life they wouldn't be mourning that man. So spare me the crocodile tears.

 

You do see the irony in elevating the guy to the status of martyr, then?

 

Question...  Is the USA (and Americans abroad) safer?    I go back to simple math.  You can't get ahead if you create terrorists faster than you can pacify them.

 

Just now, impulse said:

 

You do see the irony in elevating the guy to the status of martyr, then?

 

Question...  Is the USA (and Americans abroad) safer?    I go back to simple math.  You can't get ahead if you create terrorists faster than you can pacify them.

 

 

I am not elevating anybody to anything. 

Just now, Cryingdick said:

I am not elevating anybody to anything. 

 

No, but The Donald just did.

 

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

No, but The Donald just did.

 

 

That's the same lame excuse anytime you smoke somebody that needed it. If we followed that we wouldn't have taken out Bin Laden, Bagdadi, his number two and now this greaseball. 

 

If they want to stampede and kill each other to pray at the closed coffin of their martyr which doesn't even have a body to honor so be it. 

 

They are lucky we are restrained enough to not have called in a massive double tap.

Edited January 7, 20206 yr by Cryingdick

30 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Let's face it, they didn't exactly die or get injured in the rush for the new bic razor

 

They're waaaay past razors at this point:

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

That's the same lame excuse anytime you smoke somebody that needed it. If we followed that we wouldn't have taken out Bin Laden, Bagdadi, his number two and now this greaseball. 

 

If they want to stampede and kill each other to pray at the closed coffin of their martyr which doesn't even have a body to honor so be it. 

 

They are lucky we are restrained enough to not have called in a massive double tap.

 

3 or 4 days ago, nobody was even thinking about a threat to Americans in BKK.  Now, there's a warning from the embassy.

 

So I ask again.  Do you feel safer?

 

Just now, impulse said:

 

3 or 4 days ago, nobody was even thinking about a threat to Americans in BKK.  Now, there's a warning from the embassy.

 

So I ask again.  Do you feel safer?

 

 

Not too worried back here in West Virginia. 

1 hour ago, Isaanbiker said:

The Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated to state television, said on its website that a stampede had broken out and 35 people were killed and 48 wounded.

 

ISNA news agency said the burial had been postponed as result.

 

I have no idea why some people believe that this is funny. 35 people have died 48 were wounded, did they do anything to members of TVF?

 

  Please show some respect for human lives. It could have been a friend, or a relative. 

 

   

 

  

Could not care less.

2 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Not too worried back here in West Virginia. 

your choice of abode explains a lot.

3 minutes ago, chokrai said:

Could not care less.

Disgraceful post. 

I would support more funerals where mindless zealots attend

12 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

Not too worried back here in West Virginia. 

 

Given that 9/11 took trillions of dollars out of the USA economy, I'm a little more concerned down here in Texas.  Even if it's a minuscule threat of bodily harm.

 

Edit:  And I'd add that it was used as justification for the biggest erosion of personal freedoms and privacy rights in the history of our country.  I'm not sure we can take another round of erosion under the pretext of keeping us safe.

 

Edited January 7, 20206 yr by impulse

11 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

That's the same lame excuse anytime you smoke somebody that needed it. If we followed that we wouldn't have taken out Bin Laden, Bagdadi, his number two and now this greaseball. 

 

If they want to stampede and kill each other to pray at the closed coffin of their martyr which doesn't even have a body to honor so be it. 

 

They are lucky we are restrained enough to not have called in a massive double tap.

“They are lucky we are restrained enough to not have called in a massive double tap.”

 

What’s this we nonsense?

 

Or are you referring to double tapping your return key as you play keyboard warrior?!

 

 

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Sujo said:

your choice of abode explains a lot.

 

Almost all of the best cultural sites on the east coast are a half days drive. I live about 20 miles from Pittsburgh and land here is cheaper than Thailand and you can own it. 

 

Ever wonder why libs get pegged as smug, condescending, judgmental....  I am guessing you wouldn't be able to place WV on a map if it wasn't marked.