Head of Iran's Quds Force Killed at Baghdad Airport

[Rwy in Sight]

Capture.JPG

General's body paraded through Baghdad's streets..

"Death to America"
"America is the Great Satan"

in a Chevy!!

And you thought the Yanks didn't do irony

Even the body of imam-khomeini body flew out on UH-1.There is something special about the States and those people like there was between Commies and Western Consumer goods.

[PHXPhlyer]

Fox:
The Times article paywalled here.
Any help?
Thanks

PP

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

his will be the year in which a slight, grey-haired general will cement his reputation as the Machiavelli of the Middle East — or prove that even the smartest operators can suffer hubris (Richard Spencer writes).

A decade ago, Qassem Soleimani was already known to intelligence agencies as the guiding force of Iran’s cross-border operations. He was the link man to Hezbollah in Lebanon and it was he who masterminded the strategy whereby a “resistance” movement based on Shia militias bombed and shot British and American troops out of Iraq.

Now his movements are well-signalled. As head of the al-Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guard, he backs militia leaders across the Levant and Yemen, and even poses for selfies with them.

Deftly reacting to the Syrian war, American uncertainty and the conflict against Isis, he has established Iran’s long-held dream of a land corridor from Tehran to the Mediterranean, controlled by loyal militias.

But he is experiencing resistance. Popular protests in Lebanon and Iraq may not have been hostile to Iran when they began but, seeing them as a threat, Major-General Soleimani has taken action. He has been to Baghdad at least twice, summoned militia leaders and pro-Iran politicians, and ordered them to stand firm. In Lebanon, where Iran’s ally Hezbollah has tried to market itself as a nationalist force, he has been more subtle.

A recent opinion poll, though, suggested that Hezbollah had lost support rapidly from the Christian and Sunni communities, even as more of Iraq’s Shia population turn against Iran.

If General Soleimani can hold the line, he will have shown he deserves the trust of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Times 1/2/20

[boing]

Sic transit gloria Mundi.

.

[PHXPhlyer]

Thanks Fox

PP

[boing]

Here's the problem for these folks. If you want to run a revolution in another country you have to communicate. If you use any electronics there is a pretty good chance that sooner or later the big ear is going to start tracking you. It is nice for the trackers if they can break the code of what is said but even location tracking is a good benefit and the problem with electronics is that all members of both sides of the communications have to be equally careful in their procedures, something that is difficult to do in fast moving situations.

Alternatively, unless you have someone you can really trust as a deputy, you have to make a visit in person with the inherent risks.

I would bet that the US has been continuously tracking Soleimani for months, even years, they probably almost know when he takes took a leak. It was only a matter of someone saying go.

It is an interesting exercise to see whether you personally can exist for one day without leaving a trail. Lincense plate readers, cameras, credit card usage, cell-phone usage, traffic monitors on payphones (if you can find one), internet usage, tracking of your contacts even if you are careful and none of this includes drones or human agents. The days when anyone who is a target of tracking can avoid it are gone unless you want to live in a mountain cave in the Torah Borah and communicate with a cleft stick. Do you think the US could not remove Kim Young One tomorrow if they wanted to do so?

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[Rwy in Sight]

Do you think the US could not remove Kim Young One tomorrow if they wanted to do so?

.

I was thinking about it the other day and I felt the answer was no! They would have removed him years ago but his nuke protect him quite effectively.

[John Hill]

A war in Iran which has borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey plus a few others, what could possibly go wrong?

[John Hill]

Do you think the US could not remove Kim Young One tomorrow if they wanted to do so?

The US has shown no inclination towards bringing an end to the DPRK regime anytime in the last 60+ years. One can only conclude that the status quo suits America.

[boing]

Eliminating a General with known trouble making connections is one thing, being obviously involved in removing a Head-of-State would take a bit more explaining.

.

[Boac]

You mean the Chump is safe................?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Threat = Intent + Capability. The Intent is clearly there, from enemies foreign and domestic; as for the capability....

[boing]

BOAC,
Archduke Ferdinand may have your answer.

.

[Boac]

OK - but I thought he was dead. In any case, that might make it WW4.

[boing]

USA TODAY

Somebody will have to tell me who she is, she seems to think she is important.

Rose McGowan defends tweet: 'I don’t support Iran over America. I want America to be better'
Associated Press

Rose McGowan’s tweet that apologized on behalf of the U.S. to Iran for “disrespecting their flag and people” in the wake of an airstrike that killed the country’s top general was not anti-American, the actress said in the face of harsh criticism.

“I don’t support Iran over America. I want America to be better,” McGowan said during an exclusive interview with The Associated Press on Friday.

Her tweet read: “Dear #Iran, The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, your people. 52% of us humbly apologize. We want peace with your nation. We are being held hostage by a terrorist regime. We do not know how to escape. Please do not kill us.”

I'm sure they would find a job for her in Tehran for this whimpering cow. Now we wait for the first public opinion polls which can't be far away. I bet people express really considered opinions, not.

.

[boing]

Does anybody else think its pretty incredible that the car could have been hit by, apparently, two bombs and the rear wall is barely damaged.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

There are now specialist assassination bombs, designed to confine their effects to within the vehicle they are targeted on, in order to minimise collateral casualties. Probably one of those was used. They are fused to explode a foot or so below the contact point, which is generally the vehicle roof, so that the effects are confined to the cabin as much as possible.

[Rwy in Sight]

Back in the 90's they were saying (civil journalists) that they could decide which windows of Kremlin the missile would go through.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

That was certainly the case in the gulf war. One cruise missile was put into a hotel bathroom rather than the bedroom because the target had reportedly headed to the john.

Stop Press. Trump has said that 52 targets, including targets in Iran, will be hit if the threats and attacks don't stop.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref ... r%5Eauthor

I expect he will have his bluff called on this one, or enough hotheads will attack US targets anyway even if Iran doesn't want them to.
I expect he will follow through.
I would guess B2s out of Diego Garcia will be used mainly.

[Fliegenmong]

B2s out of Diego Garcia sounds about right I would think Fox.

Hoping civilian deaths are minimal, they've nothing to do with it...and indeed that places of significant cultural heritage are not destroyed.

The neighbours Sister might be staying here a little while longer....