Jan. 5, 2020: Why the Yemen War will escalate in 2020 – Yemen’s cultural heritage is in danger – Epidemics are spreading – Soleimani assassination shocking the Middle East – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp9a1 USA-Iran Krise: Soleimani-Attentat (Deutsch) / US-Iran crisis: Soleimani assassination (German)
cp9a2 USA-Iran Krise: Soleimani-Attentat (Englisch) / US-Iran crisis: Soleimani assassination (English)
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp13a Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
Klassifizierung / Classification
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**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Ältere einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Older introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B H K P)
Why Saudi Arabia’s Bloody US-Backed War in Yemen Will Likely Escalate in 2020
This is Yemen in 2020. A dirty war with no sign of ending and a brutal siege on a forgotten people subsisting in unlivable conditions.
“We live under trying and undignified circumstances. We don’t have a home or a source of income. Conditions are unsettling and unbearable,” a fisherman who has been prevented from fishing by the presence of Saudi naval forces stationed in Yemen said. Conditions in Yemen are indeed becoming worse by the day, eroding whatever resilience people in major cities still have. Electricity and fuel shortages, food insecurity, skyrocketing unemployment rates and extreme water pollution have taken their toll.
This is Hodeida in 2020. Water, sanitation, and the health sector have all suffered substantially in the city from damage to infrastructure from thousands of airstrikes and from the ongoing blockade. As a result, epidemics including cholera still plague the city in what is the worst outbreak of the disease in recorded history.
Over a year after the UN-sponsored agreement was signed, Hodeida still remains the country’s most dangerous area.
Despite warnings that the ongoing war against the city would plunge Yemen into a deeper humanitarian crisis, as around 70-80 percent of Yemen’s goods arrive through Hodeida’s port, the Saudi-led coalition boosted their military presence in southern Hodeida in early December, according to Houthi military officials. The fresh deployment likely indicates that fighting in the province will continue well into 2020.
Hodeida is already on the brink of a major health catastrophe amid the seizure of vessels carrying diesel fuel and petroleum by the Saudi-led alliance’s naval forces. Those vessels, despite possessing the required paperwork, are left unable to reach Hodeida port to offload their consignments, leaving countless Yemenis without much-need fuel to power the generators that run hospitals and water treatment facilities.
The Saudi blockade on what was already one of the poorest countries on earth has entailed tight control over all aspects of life in Yemen since 2015, severely restricting the movement of aid, as well as people. This lack of freedom of movement impacts Yemen’s right to enjoy the basic standards of human rights, including the right to seek medical treatment abroad.
To make matters worse, Yemen is in the midst of the world’s worst famine.
This is Yemen in 2020. A dirty war and a brutal siege on a forgotten people subsisting in unlivable conditions. There is no life in this country, if one is able to dodge death by war or disease, they will die from the desperation borne of the misery of their life.
The United States, for its part, continues to neglect Yemen’s suffering
Grim prospects for peace
Efforts to end the five-year-long war in Yemen seemed to have been gaining momentum last year but ultimately failed to bring peace to the war-torn country. However, several small steps were taken in 2019 to address the impasse between Yemen’s Houthi resistance and coalition countries led by Saudi Arabia. Those steps, which included the withdrawal of forces by the United Arab Emirates and a small number of prisoner releases, in reality, only addressed the tensions that arose immediately following the Houthi detention of three Saudi-coalition brigades in Najran in August and their attacks on Saudi oil facilities in September.
Fadhel Abbas Jahaf, a Yemen analyst based in Sanaa said, “During the last few years many have tried to portray peace efforts as positive. Yet this departs from the realities on the ground and reflects a lack of comprehension about the Saudi-led coalition’s strategic ambitions in the country.” Jahaf’s comments reflect the frustration of many Yemenis, whose hopes have been repeatedly dashed by one failed peace process after another. The Saudi-coalition’s political will for a peaceful resolution, most Yemenis feel, simply does not exist.
Though there are indirect talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, few are holding out hope that they can bring an end to the bitter Yemeni war in 2020. Indeed, Riyadh seems to be pursuing a policy of shielding itself from the blowback of the war instead of seeking an end to the war itself, according to a high-ranking Houthi official.
A new year brings new tension
In recent months, mutual threats have between the coalition and the Houthi-allied Yemeni army have returned in the wake of Saudi attacks on a bustling market in Sadda in December that killed and injured at least 80 migrants and local residents. The attacks, according to Houthi officials, show that Saudi Arabia is not genuinely seeking peace.
For its part, the Houthi-allied Yemeni army resumed ballistic missiles attacks against Saudi Arabia
Even amid such obvious signs of escalation, the UN emergency relief chief claimed in December that Yemen’s war is showing promising signs of winding down in 2020. The UN has so far disregarded the deep-rooted motives and structural issues driving the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Even if new initiatives do occur in the coming year, they will not achieve much unless Yemenis are finally allowed to decide their own fate. Short of that, the war in Yemen will likely continue to escalate in 2020. More civilians will lose their lives, more people will become internally displaced, the spread of epidemics will continue unabated, more cities, hospitals, and schools will be destroyed, and millions of helpless families will be left with no means of sustenance – by Ahmed Abdulkareem
https://www.mintpressnews.com/saudi-arabia-war-yemen-escalate-2020/263856/ = http://alwaght.com/en/News/169804/Why-Saudi-Arabia%E2%80%99s-Bloody-US-Backed-War-in-Yemen-Will-Likely-Escalate-in-2020
(** B K)
Yemen’s Cultural Identity is Being Erased by War
There is an important aspect of the war in Yemen has been so far ignored – under sustained bombing Yemen, an important world historical, religious and cultural landmark has seen its patrimony and its heritage disappeared, exploded and overall annihilated.
Whether such a campaign is by design or by default remains to be determined. It is nevertheless important at this stage to recognize that such loss of national cultural capital will gravely, and irrevocably affect the future of the impoverished nation – and beyond that of the entire region.
The loss of historical landmarks – mosques, shrines, UNESCO listed landmarks, museums and other precious reminders of Yemen’s rich and buoyant cultural makeup – will weigh heavy on both the economy and the country’s socio-religious fabric. Without a past to hold on to and associate with, without landmarks to remind a people of the bonds which unite them and make them who they are as a nation-state, Yemen could be claimed, and re-invented by such groups as al Qaeda, or ISIS.
Yemen, a country with three UNESCO world heritage sites – the Historic Town of Zabid, the Old City of Sana’a and the Old Walled City of Shibam – and a further ten on the organization’s tentative list, has suffered greatly since March 2015. As well as the large-scale loss of life, important historic sites have been severely damaged, more often than not, intentionally.
Countless other sites and cities are at risk of annihilation: Al Qahira Castle in Taiz, (10th century) which suffered damage during an airstrike in June 2015 according to UNESCO. And then Taiz museum in 2016 when a fire engulfed the premises.
The Old City of Sa’ada – founded in the 9th century and on UNESCO’s list – has also seen a number of its historic buildings destroyed. Sa’ada, like Sana’a, is of worldwide cultural importance due to the extensive survival of its medieval architecture – including its city wall and 16 gateways, houses, palaces and mosques – and its importance as an early center of Islamic learning. Sa’ada has almost completely disappeared under Saudi fire.
In July 2015, an emergency action plan for the safeguarding of Yemen’s heritage was announced by UNESCO with the goal of raising awareness, gathering information and providing technical assistance to heritage experts in Yemen.
Also in July 2015, the Old City of Sana’a and the Old Walled City of Shibam were added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger – in reaction to Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war.
The UNESCO-listed residential neighborhood of Fulayihi quarters has been hit by airstrikes.
A study conducted by the Shafaqna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies in collaboration with the Islamic Heritage Foundation established disturbing bombing patterns leading them to the conclusion that sites were being systematically targeted – by Catherine Shakdam
https://citizentruth.org/yemen-is-losing-its-cultural-identity-to-war/ = https://nonperele.com/yemens-cultural-identity-is-being-erased-by-war/
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(** B H)
Amid Yemen’s politicized health crisis, preventable diseases continue to spread
Cholera, swine flu, dengue fever and other formerly obscure diseases killed around 2,000 and infected hundreds of thousands in 2019
As Yemen enters the new decade, its healthcare system appears to be going back in time, with the re-emergence of long-gone diseases due to years of war. Throughout 2019, frightening outbreaks of disease and epidemics were witnessed in governorates across the country.
Millions of Yemenis are at heightened risk of contracting deadly illnesses due to the deterioration of water and sewage systems and collapse of the health sector. Severe rates of malnutrition also leave people more susceptible to illness, as do the mounds of waste that have become part of the landscape in most population centers as public employees go without pay. International bodies have repeatedly warned of the perils of continued conflict in Yemen, where less than half of all health facilities are functioning, and coping mechanisms are stressed to their limits.
Amid the complexity of the crisis and the enormity of the suffering resulting from over five years of war, accurate and comprehensive statistics on the victims of epidemics are lacking. To shed light on the severity of Yemen’s health crisis over the past year, Almasdar Online spoke to healthcare professionals around the country.
No area left unharmed
In 2019, Yemen suffered its third major outbreak of cholera, which causes severe diarrhea that can kill a patient within hours if they do not receive the necessary medical attention. The first outbreak was in 2016, and by 2017 it had become the worst cholera outbreak in the world. By 2018, the epidemic in Yemen was deemed by international health authorities as the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history.
The United Nations said the disease is spreading like wildfire. Among its victims is a Yemeni doctor named Mohammed Abdul Mughni, who worked in a temporary treatment center for diarrhea in the courtyard of a hospital in Sana'a and died from cholera in 2019.
Early last year, a study by researchers published by the British Wellcome Sanger Institute and the French Pasteur Institute found that the cholera strain that had spread in Yemen came from East Africa and was likely to have been carried by migrants.
The most serious concern is the growth of a strain of cholera resistant to six families of antibiotics, according to an official report issued by the National Center for Public Health Laboratories in Sana'a in April.
The report, obtained by Almasdar Online, showed that cholera bacteria in 2019 became completely resistant to certain antibiotics, which doctors considered a serious development on the effectiveness of drugs in the fight against the epidemic.
Doctors told Almasdar Online that continuing to deal with cholera in this way will increase its resistance and it may become resistant to all antibiotics in the future, which means a disaster that could kill tens of thousands.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has detected 913 cholera deaths in Yemen, and 696,537 suspected cases of the epidemic from the beginning of 2019 to the end of September alone. “Children under the age of five make up 25.5 percent of all suspected cases, and 305 of the 333 districts in Yemen have been reported to have the epidemic,” the WHO said in a report.
According to statistics released by the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health, the number of people confirmed or suspected of being infected with the disease over the same period (the first nine months of 2019) was 654,747, and the number of deaths was 872.
It is impossible to arrive at accurate statistics of actual cholera cases as only a small fraction of suspected cases are tested in order to be confirmed, due to the lack of proper laboratory equipment inside Yemen. Furthermore, in a few governorates the reporting even on suspected cases has been incomplete.
One thing is clear, however: no area of Yemen has been spared from the deadly disease.
A preventable epidemic
The Houthis have sought to propagandize the cholera outbreak by pinning it on the group’s opponents, while doing little to combat its spread.
The emergence of other epidemics
The second deadly epidemic to hit Yemen in 2019 was dengue fever, a viral disease transmitted to humans through mosquitoes that breed in stagnant waters. Doctors in Yemen say the disease is spreading in crowded communities, especially among internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled conflict in other areas of the country and who are as a whole more vulnerable to the spread of disease.
In November, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed concern over reports of thousands of dengue cases in Yemen. “It is believed that 50 people in Hodeidah died of the disease between late October and early November, and more than 2,000 people are infected,” Robert Mardini, head of the ICRC delegation, said.
Dengue fever has hit Taiz governorate the hardest, where it has spread at an unprecedented rate. On top of the massive number of IDPs in Taiz, fighting is ongoing throughout the governorate and a siege by the Houthis on Taiz city has left one of Yemen’s largest population centers without adequate access to basic necessities and medical supplies.
Between early January and November, a total of 7,990 people were infected with dengue fever in Taiz, according to Tayseer Al-Samei, deputy director of the Department of Information and Health Education at the Taiz Health Office.
Health officials in Aden, Marib, Shabwa, and elsewhere have confirmed to Almasdar Online the spread of dengue fever in governorates across the country.
The H1N1 pandemic, a rapidly spreading virus that affects the respiratory system and is particularly dangerous in the winter, is another disease that took many victims in 2019. Statistics are sorely lacking on this disease, commonly known as swine flu, but reports from local authorities in Houthi-controlled areas indicate over 100 people have died from it and several thousand have contracted it.
The West Nile virus (WNV), which is transmitted through mosquito bites and can cause neurological infection, was previously unheard of in Yemen until 2019. In December, Al-Samei, the deputy director of the Health Information and Education Department in Taiz, confirmed that over 300 suspected cases of the virus had been detected in the governorate, including 24 laboratory-confirmed cases.
Additionally, between January and October 2019, around 1,600 Yemenis were infected with diphtheria, resulting in 95 associated deaths, according to the WHO.
As war continues to ravage the country and a political settlement remains out of sight, Yemen enters 2020 with several epidemics that could spiral further out of control. Short of a full cessation of hostilities, humanitarian workers need unfettered access and public employees – including sanitation workers – need stable paychecks to continue their invaluable work.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/235
My comment: Just putting all blame on the Houthis, as in the chapter “Preventable diseases”, is biased and turning a blind eye on the main responsibilities.
(* B H)
Yemen: Dengue Fever Outbreak Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) (DREF n° MDRYE008)
A significant increase in dengue cases was observed in the last three weeks of epidemiological reporting (Weeks 47,48,49) in the country and this was furtherly confirmed on the 18th December during the Health Cluster meeting, with 22,003 cases and 60 deaths reported. Children below five years old are 11% of the total caseload and 30% of the total death cases. Dengue outbreaks have affected 174 of 333 total districts (54%) in 22 of 23 governorates of the country.
The highest governorates with suspected dengue cases are from Hodeiadah, Taiz, Aden, Hajja and Lahj and death cases reported from Hudaidah, Aden, Hajja, Lahj, Shabwa, Marib and Rayma.1 Most reported cases are concentrated in urban areas. The number of affected governorates is likely to increase due to the collapse of the health system in Yemen, the poor water and hygiene condition in the most affected areas, additionally due to the ongoing complex and protracted conflict, with limited access to humanitarian support to the most vulnerable and affected populations. 59,486 dengue suspected cases and 219 death cases with Case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.4% were reported from January 1st to 8th December 2019. Comparing to the same reporting period in 2018, the number of dengue cases has doubled, and death cases has increased in 2019 with an attack rate of 19.8 per 10,000 population. During the last three weeks, spike of dengue cases are noted with a total of 22,003 suspected cases and 60 deaths.
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update for Saturday, January 4th, 2020
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10619
(A K pS)
Houthis storm ICRC office in Hodeidah
The under-secretary of Hodeidah governorate, Walid Al-Qudaimi said that the pro-Iran Houthi militias forcibly entered the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the province.
Al-Qudaimi wrote on his official Twitter account that "the Houthis stormed the International Red Cross office in Hodeidah and expelled its staff."
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16187
(A K pS)
Houthis target joint forces in al-Tuhita, south Hodeidah
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16182
(* A K pS)
Families flee from houses in Yemen's Hodeidah due to Houthi shelling
Many of the Yemeni families continued on Friday to flee their residential neighborhoods due to the sporadic shelling carried out by the Houthi rebels in the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
A local government official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that "the families living in the southern part of Hodeidah received a new year amid continuing Houthi shelling on their houses."
"As a result of the shelling, many families decided to flee their houses in Hodeidah's neighborhood of Hays and headed to other places to live away from the shells," he said.
Over the past week, a number of families survived deadly attacks launched by the Houthi rebels in different government-controlled areas of Hodeidah, according to the official.
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2020-01/03/content_75576749.htm
(A K pH)
Video footage confirms the aggression forces breach of the agreement # Sweden and the continuation of their violations and destructive policy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf5pZWjk7DQ
(A K pS)
Houthis target hospital in al-Tuhita, south Hodeidah
The pro-Iran Houthi militia renewed on Friday, its brutal shelling of the rural hospital in al-Tuhita, south Hodeidah in defiance of the U.N.-brokered ceasefire in the province.
Locals and officials in the Hospital said that the Houthi rebels fired in a barbaric way at the hospital building with heavy machine guns in conjunction with its targeting of a number of houses in al-Tuhita.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16177
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QISr-MWbUfw
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* A K)
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON JANUARY 4, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-january-4-2020-map-update/
(* A K pS)
Saudi Arabia Coordinates with Allies to Deter Houthi Attacks
Higher Saudi military commanders have met with military commanders and officials from “friendly” nations to devise an advanced strategy to deal with the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen should they carry out attacks against civilian and economic infrastructure of Arab coalition states.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the strategy includes launching “painful military operations and strikes” against militia leaders. Houthi leaders who have been obstructing a political solution in Yemen will be specific targets. Their headquarters and interests could be attacked in the strikes.
The strategy is based on the possibility that the Houthis may carry out Iran’s orders to drag Yemen and its people in a battle that will not do them any good.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2066451/saudi-arabia-coordinates-allies-deter-houthi-attacks
(A K P)
Yemen minister warns Houthis against turning country into theater of US-Iran war
Yemen’s Minister of Information Moammer Al-Eryani warned the Houthi militia on Saturday against turning the country into a theater for conflict between the US and Iran.
“We warn Tehran’s mercenaries, the “Houthi militia,” against the consequences of turning Yemen into a theater of Iranian - American conflict, and endangering the interests of Yemen and Yemenis.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1608306/middle-east
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(A K P)
Zwei Schiffe mit 45.000 und 979 Tonnen Diesel und Benzin kommen im Hafen von Hodeidah an
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3083814.htm
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(* B H)
UN Human Settlements Program: UN-Habitat and partners in WASH project in Yemen
UN-Habitat, in close collaboration with the Government of Japan and local authorities, has been working on the emergency response to the immediate Shelter and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) needs in Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen. This project is to mitigate the impact of conflict and improve the living conditions of the most affected population including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), women, children, elderly, and disabled persons. With an aim of providing dignified, safe, clean access to WASH facilities for IDP families in displaced sites, as well as rehabilitating houses suffered significant damages from the airstrike and/or armed conflict for the vulnerable households. This project is envisaged to prevent outbreak of Cholera and other potential diseases and provide safe shelters for the local residents, who stayed in the governorate.
https://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-and-partners-in-wash-project-in-yemen
(* B H)
Brutal situation as Yemen’s kids pay high price of war
Most cancer patients in Yemen seek treatment at the National Oncology Centre in the Houthi-held Sanaa. The center receives more than 600 patients per month, according to the center’s monthly reports.
The civil war in Yemen that has been lasting for over four years has caused the suspension of the government support to the center, leaving it completely dependent on the international humanitarian aid, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The center has repeatedly announced that it is about to close, a move that will deprive thousands of patients of life-saving radiation and chemotherapy.
A WHO report in February 2019 estimated that number of cancer patients in Yemen reaches approximately 35,000.
Next to Ahmed’s bed, hundreds of children, women and men lie in the beds waiting for treatment.
“Many cases urgently need to travel abroad immediately to specialized hospitals for saving their lives,” doctor Ghassan Al-Mashriqi told Xinhua, referring to the critical condition of the child Ahmed who was suffering from neck cancer.
Doctor Abdullah Thawabeh, the head of the National Oncology Center, said “the center receives around 6,000 patients per year and there were no enough medicine, and the center also needs to be equipped with a modern three-dimensional radiation machine.”
“The closure of Sanaa airport deepens the humanitarian catastrophe, as many cancer patients cannot endure the hardship of traveling overland,” doctor Thawabeh told Xinhua, just a few moments before Ahmed’s death.
http://famagusta-gazette.com/2020/01/03/brutal-situation-as-yemens-kids-pay-high-price-of-war/
(B H)
Notts charity worker describes seeing people who ‘lost all hope’ during visit to set up health services in Yemen
'It’s quite bad because the war has affected everything, including the culture, access to health facilities, food and clean water'
A charity worker from Nottingham has described seeing people who had "lost all hope" during a trip to Yemen to set up medical services in areas heavily affected by its ongoing civil war.
Basel Alkhder, who is 44 and originally from Syria, is global emergency lead for Nottingham-based charity Muslim Hands, and went to Yemen to set up healthcare facilities with equipment such as ultrasound machines, surgical supplies and medication.
The charity, located in Gregory Boulevard, partnered with international medical humanitarian organisation MedGlobal to provide over £200,000 of 'life-saving healthcare services' to three hospitals in Hadhramout and Ma’rib, Yemen.
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/notts-charity-worker-describes-seeing-3700335
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 3 January 2020
The 6th cash distribution for areas under the Sana’a Country Office was completed on December 31. This marks the largest cash distribution of 2019, which was distributed over the course of three weeks. A total of 56,303 families (some 394,121 individuals) were targeted with cash assistance to cover urgent needs. For areas under Sub Office Aden, the 9th cash assistance distribution supported some 9,578 families (67,046 individuals). During 2019, some 165,000 families (1.16 million individual) received cash assistance as a single payment for protection services and winter assistance, or two instalments for rental subsidies.
Distribution of emergency items is ongoing for families fleeing frontlines, as well as replenishment of items for protracted internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UNHCR provided a one-off cash assistance to an additional 5,713 refugee families living in Aden and Mukalla city whose livelihoods have been impacted by insecurities in the southern governorates during the year. Families with valid ID cards received some USD 220 each to cover their most prioritised needs.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-3-january-2020
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(* B E P)
Houthi banknote ban sparks anger from Yemenis
The decision has forced residents living under Houthi control to use black market exchanges
Yemenis have reacted angrily to a Houthi rebel decision to ban the use of bank notes recently printed by the internationally-recognised government.
The Iran-backed rebel group is refusing to allow the use of any new currency printed by the country’s Central Bank in Aden for the last three years.
The Houthis gave those living under their control one month to exchange the new banknotes for old notes or swap their money for electronic riyal controlled by banks captured by the Houthis.
Residents and traders in Sanaa, an area controlled by the rebels, expressed their dismay at the decision, particularly given the dire economic situation in the country.
“We have no chance to live after the new decision. All the money I have is in the new banknotes which have become only worth the paper they are printed on,” one frustrated resident told The National on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.
“I can’t go to the market with it, I can’t even get a ride on the minibus - everybody wants us to pay them with the old notes, how come?” he said.
A shopkeeper based in Sanaa said the policy is causing problems for retailers, who cannot buy goods to sell, or give change in the old currency.
“This decision is a disaster, we need to import supplies to our shops,” he said.
“All the money we have is from the newly printed banknotes, the old bank notes are not available in the market, they are too old.”
The Central Bank of Yemen in Aden warned local exchange companies of de
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/houthi-banknote-ban-sparks-anger-from-yemenis-1.959750
my remark: Earlier reporting: Yemen War Mosaic 611, cp5b; 610, cp5.
(* A P)
Houthis Arrest Tribal Leaders in 3 Yemeni Governorates
Houthi rebels launched on Friday a wide arrest and kidnapping campaign against dozens of tribal elders in three Yemeni governorates.
Tribal sources in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that members of the militias’ secret security force, known as “preventative security,” have recently arrested dozens of elders and civilians in Sanaa, Amran and Amanat al-Assima.
“Rebels arrested Sheikh Attif from the Bani Sarih tribe in Amran, in addition to eight elders from other tribes in Sanaa, Amanat al-Assima and Amran,” the sources said.
An elder, who wished to remain anonymous, told Asharq Al-Awsat that a number of Yemeni tribes reject the Houthi behavior in “exerting a barbaric policy of blackmail against tribal sheikhs.”
They said the campaign was launched after Houthis accused some of the elders of failing to mobilize fighters and to provide battlefronts with food and money.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2065976/houthis-arrest-tribal-leaders-3-yemeni-governorates
(A K P)
Government Spokesman: Targeting Soleimani, Al-Mohandes Reveals US-Israeli Connection with ISIS
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10604
(A K P)
Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen fordern "schnelle" Vergeltung für Tod Soleimanis
"Wir verurteilen dieses Attentat und die Lösung dafür sind schnelle und direkte Vergeltungsmaßnahmen", schrieb der hochrangige Vertreter der Rebellen, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, am Freitag im Kurzbotschaftendienst Twitter.
(A K P)
Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi trauert um Soleimani und den Ingenieur
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3083686.htm
Außenministerium verurteilt verräterischen amerikanischen Streik gegen die beiden großen Führer Soleimani und Al-Muhandis
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3083655.htm
Politisches Büro von Ansar Allah: Ermordung von Soleimani und Al-Muhandis ist ein Kriegsverbrechen gegen Nation
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3083682.htm
Das Parlament verurteilt das Vorgehen der USA gegen Soleimani, al-Muhandis
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3083809.htm
(* A K P)
Houthis: Soleimani’s death will make the tense situation in the region worse
Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, chairman of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee called for a "quick and direct response" to the killing
The killing of Iran’s top security and intelligence commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and pro-Iranian Iraqi militia chief, Abu Mahdi, is a major adventure that will make the tense situation in the region worse, the Houthis said Friday.
The Houthi-run Foreign Ministry in Sana’a condemned the incident.
"Such a cowardly act amounts to acts that are most threatening to international peace and security and clearly reveals a double American hatred towards anyone who is biased towards just causes," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the incident revealed "an applied ignorance about calculating the consequences of targeting two commanders of this magnitude."
In the same vein, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, chairman of the group's Supreme Revolutionary Committee, condemned Soleimani's death and sent condolences to Iran and the Iraqi and Iranian people.
"This assassination is condemned and the quick and direct response toward widespread camps is the choice and the solution," Al-Houthi said in a tweet.
The Houthi political bureau said in a statement that "the United States committed with this aggression a war crime on the whole nation and on the axis of resistance and on the Palestinian cause."
"The people of the region should realize that their security and stability depend on moving forward with the liberation project until the American occupier is expelled,"
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/233
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3083731.htm
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3083675.htm
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3083667.htm
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10596
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(* A K P)
Yemen’s Central Bank Recovers Deposit Boxes After Robbery
The Central Bank of Yemen announced on Saturday, that it had recovered its Deposit Boxes, after it was subjected to armed robbery a few days ago, at the Aden port.
The bank praised the rapid movements of the coalition forces that resulted in the immediate recovery of the containers, stressing that the money are back in full amount and its official closures.
The Bank indicated that it is operating with complete independence in managing monetary policy and promoting economic stability, stressing that it will not allow any abuse to the bank’s belonging that exposes the national economy to risks.
A spokesperson for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Nizar Haitham confirmed that the money containers were handed over to the Saudi “802” duty force command in the capital, Aden, under the “Riyadh Agreement” to ensure the safe arrival of the containers.
It is noteworthy that It is the third largest armed robbery in less than three months after the robbery of 30 million riyals in June from a private bank in Aden and 40 million riyals in May from another private bank.
https://see.news/yemens-central-bank-recovers-deposit-boxes-after-robbery/
My remark: The money had been confiscated (robbed) by the separatists, look at Yemen War Mosaic 611, cp6.
(* A K P)
AQAP redeployed in Abyan under protection of Islah
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) redeployed a number of its terrorist groups in the mountains of al-Khiyala in the district of al-Mahfed in Abyan, under the protection of the forces of the Yemeni government, controlled by the Islah party, the military wing of Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, the Security Belt Forces said in a statement on Saturday.
The Security Belt confirmed that that Islah Party provides food, money and weapons to the terrorist groups of Al-Qaeda in the area, adding that the cooperation between AQAP and Islah is clearly apparent in their concurrent attacks on the southern forces in al-Mahfed.
In previous statement the Security Belt said "it's more likely that the main objective of the Al-Qaeda presence in Abyan is to resume the terrorist activities in the province under the protection of the so-called the National Army."
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16183
(A K P)
Islah militias shell southern forces in Abyan
The Islah militias targeted the locations of the southern forces in Abyan governorate in the early hours of Saturday.
The Security Belt reported that the Islah militias stationed in al-Arqoob area, used artillery gun to shell the positions of the southern forces in Yarames of Abyan governorate in flagrant violation of the Riyadh Agreement signed last November by the Southern Transitional Council and the Yemeni government.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16181
(A K P)
Army halts military campaign in Shabwa after tribal mediators free kidnapped student
A government military offensive in Shabwa governorate in southeastern Yemen has paused after tribal mediation efforts succeeded in releasing a kidnapped student, according to an official in the local authority.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/234
(A K P)
Bin Laghbar: Defending the homeland is not restricted by agreements
The journalist, Salah Bin Laghbar, called on the people of the Arab south to mobilize to defend the homeland against the forces of the Islamic Brotherhood affiliated to the so-called legitimacy, and to prepare for the final battle.
He added: “The right to defend the homeland is not restricted by agreements.
https://en.smanews.org/bin-laghbar-defending-the-homeland-is-not-restricted-by-agreements
My remark: Pro-separatist propaganda journalism.
(A K P)
Local residents in #Shokra appeal to the Arab Coalition and southern forces to secure the city before falling by terrorist organizations
Local residents in Shokra District of Abyan governorate appealed to the Arab Coalition and the southern forces to secure the coastal city of Shokra before falling by terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda and ISIS.
In the same context, the residents of Shokra expressed their concern about the chaos that is happening in the city after the arrival of the Yemeni Legitimacy Army, which came from Marib, Al Bayda, Al Jawf, and Dhamar governorates which their members are from terrorist groups.
The locals stressed that they live in a state of panic and intense fear for witnessing frightening scenes in the city
My comment: Many facets of separatist propaganda: Affiliating Hadi government with chaos and terrorism. More:
(A K P)
Al-Jadi discusses with UN official violations of the Yemeni government in Shabwa
(A K P)
SBF: Al-Qaeda finds safe haven in Islah-held areas of Abyan
The Islah militias, the military wing of Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood within the legitimate government, made the central districts of Abyan governorate a safe haven for al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, the Security Belt Forces (SBF) said in a statement.
The statement added "it's more likely that the main objective of their presence in Abyan is to resume the terrorist activities in the province under the protection of the so-called National Army."
Local sources also affirmed that the camps of Islah Party in Abyan harbor associates of Al-Qaida
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16179
(A P)
Yemen government backs Soleimani's killing - minister
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government on Friday said it considered the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani an important step to end conflict in the region.
The comment was posted on Twitter by Muammar al-Iryani, Information Minister of the internationally-recognised government
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(B P)
Film: Now the world is busy with # Qasim_Suleimani and Hanna # The Entertainment Authority and the Crown Prince are sitting and building discos and cabarets and paying tens of billions of prostitutes, artists and discos, while mosques are destroyed by neglecting them until destruction !!! This is a mosque in #Riyadh See how it became ?!
https://twitter.com/AmeeraNoora_KSA/status/1213507928969404416
(A P)
Saudi Arabia condemns Turkish escalation in Libya: statement
Saudi Arabia condemns “the recent Turkish escalation in Libya” and the Turkish parliament’s approval of a troop deployment to Libya, and considers it a violation of U.N. Security Council decisions, the foreign ministry said in a statement on the state news agency SPA.
The statement added that “the kingdom affirms that this Turkish escalation poses a threat to the security and stability in Libya and a threat to Arab and regional security
and by SPA: https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2019237
My comment: What a joke. Turkey interfered into the Libya war after the internationally recognized government had required this. Saudi Arabia interfered into the Yemen war after the internationally recognized government had required it.
(B P)
Tanzen, trinken, Auto fahren – Saudi-Arabien öffnet sich
Der saudische Kronprinz gewährt Frauen mehr Rechte und baut eine Tourismus- sowie Unterhaltungsindustrie auf. Manchen geht das schon zu weit. Ein Ortsbesuch.
Seit Saudi-Arabiens Kronprinz Mohamed bin Salman die Revolution angestoßen hat, verändert sich das Wüstenreich in atemberaubendem Tempo. Hintergrund ist sein ehrgeiziges Ziel, das Land mit seinen 30 Millionen Einwohnern von der gefährlichen Ölabhängigkeit zu befreien.
Dafür hat er die „Vision 2030“ entworfen, einen verbindlichen Kompass für den Weg in die Zukunft. Dazu gehört unter anderem der Aufbau einer Unterhaltungsindustrie und die Öffnung des Landes für den Tourismus.
Mehr Gleichberechtigung für Frauen
Auch Frauen, bisher Bürger zweiter Klasse, sollen ihren Beitrag leisten. Deshalb passt MbS, wie der Kronprinz nach seinen Initialen genannt wird, ihre Rechte der Moderne an. Seit etwa einem Jahr dürfen sie selbst Auto fahren und brauchen keine Bewilligung eines männlichen Vormunds mehr, wenn sie ins Ausland reisen oder eine Wohnung mieten wollen.
Die nach Geschlechtern getrennten Eingänge zu Banken, Restaurants oder staatlichen Ämtern sind nicht mehr Vorschrift, und im Büro dürfen Frauen und Männer im selben Raum zusammenarbeiten.
Kritiker verhaftet
Reformbemühungen wurden zwar bereits vor mehreren Jahren eingeleitet. Aber sie waren so zaghaft, dass man sie kaum wahrnahm. Um das Tempo nun zu beschleunigen, hat der saudische Kronprinz konservative Kleriker verhaften lassen oder entmachtet.
Das Wort haben jetzt diejenigen Imame, die sich dem Vorwärts-Kurs nicht widersetzen.
Saudi-Arabien wieder Ziel für Tourismus?
Der Kronprinz baut Schaubühnen und will mit Sportereignissen in der ersten Liga mitspielen, ganz nach dem Vorbild Katars, das die Fußball-WM 2022 ausrichtet oder der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, wo ATP-Tennisturniere stattfinden.
Kritik aus dem Westen
Im Westen stoßen die Groß-Veranstaltungen mitunter auf Kritik. Mit ihnen betreibe das Regime „Sportwashing“, heißt es.
Der Weg hin zu einer wirklich offenen Gesellschaft ist in Saudi-Arabien noch weit.
Mein Kommentar: Oberflächlicher Weißwasch-Journalismus.
(* A B P)
Trotz erherblicher Kritik: Rallye Dakar startet erstmals in Saudi-Arabien
Saudi-Arabien ist die neue Heimat der Rallye Dakar. Kritiker sehen den Versuch, das angeschlagene Image des Königreichs mit der Austragung des legendären Wüstenrennens reinzuwaschen. Saudi-Arabien ist wegen massiver Verstöße gegen Menschenrechte in der Kritik. Trotzdem wollen die Stars, wie Titelverteidiger Nasser Al-Attiyah (Katar), in Saudi-Arabien sportlich überzeugen.
Unermüdlich versucht das weltweit heftig kritisierte Königreich, sein Image mit der Austragung bedeutender Sportevents reinzuwaschen. "Sportswashing" wird diese kostenintensive Strategie genannt, die auch in Katar oder in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten längst etabliert ist.
Saudi-Arabien kauft zahlreiche Sportevents
Laut der Menschenrechtsorganisation Human Rights Watch finden diese Großveranstaltungen "in höchst kontrollierbaren Umgebungen" statt, um ein "fortschrittliches Gesicht" zu zeigen. Im vergangenen Jahr drehte etwa die Formel E in Saudi-Arabien ihre Runden, der Schwergewichts-WM-Boxkampf zwischen Anthony Joshua und Andy Ruiz Jr. stieg in Riad, zuletzt spielte auch Cristiano Ronaldo mit Juventus Turin gegen Lazio Rom im King Saud University Stadium um den italienischen Supercup. Und jetzt die Dakar.
Für zumindest fünf Jahre zieht die härteste Wüstenrallye der Welt auf die arabische Halbinsel, laut Medienberichten sollen es sogar zehn werden. All diese Events dienen der "Vision 2030" des Kronprinzen Mohammed bin Salman, der das konservative Land reformieren und wirtschaftlich breiter aufstellen will.
Saudi-Arabien wegen Menschenrechte in Kritik
Der Sport soll dabei internationale Touristen anlocken, seit September werden erstmals Touristen-Visa ausgestellt. Das Königreich steht aufgrund massiver Verstöße gegen die Menschenrechte aber immer wieder in der Kritik.
und
(A P)
Erste Rallye Dakar startet in Saudi-Arabien
Die illustre Rallye Dakar schlägt ein neues Kapitel ihrer bewegten Geschichte auf: Nach Afrika und Südamerika findet sie in diesem Jahr erstmals in Saudi-Arabien statt. Das Marathonrennen lockt mit 12 Etappen und einem 7800 Kilometer langen Parcours durch grandiose Landschaften, Wüsten, Wadis und Gebirge.
Das sogenannte "Sportwashing", Imageverbesserung durch Massenveranstaltungen. "Saudi-Arabien ist eine echte Dikatur", sagt Antoine Madelin von der von der Internationalen Liga für Menschenrechte. "Es ist ein Land, in dem immer wieder die Todesstrafe vollstreckt wird. Im vergangenen Jahr wurden 180 Menschen enthauptet, darunter ein Kind."
https://www.msn.com/de-de/video/panorama/erste-rallye-dakar-startet-in-saudi-arabien/vi-BBYALEd
(* B P)
Saudi uses sports 'soft power' as lever of influence
Saudi Arabia's hosting of the Dakar Rally this month is just the latest international sporting event to take place in the kingdom as part of a multi-billion-dollar push to boost its battered global image.
In recent months the ultra-conservative kingdom -- under fire over human rights abuses -- has accelerated investment in sports, mirroring a longstanding strategy adopted by regional powers, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to use glitzy sporting extravaganzas as an instrument of soft power in its push for regional supremacy as well as to project a moderate image of a country long seen as an exporter of jihadist ideology.
In 2019 the kingdom hosted a heavyweight boxing rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz, a Formula E motor race and a tennis exhibition tournament.
Women's wrestling, somewhat toned down from its usual razzmatazz, also made its debut in a nation where such events were once unthinkable.
In December, Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus teammates took to the pitch at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh for the Italian Super Cup.
And in January, a Barcelona side featuring Lionel Messi will appear in the Spanish Super Cup, two months after the Argentine superstar played his first match on Saudi soil in a friendly encounter against Brazil.
But one of the biggest events is the coveted Dakar Rally, one of motor racing's most gruelling adventure rallies which starts in the kingdom on Sunday and lasts until January 17
- 'Sports diplomacy' -
De facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's sports push stems partly from an economic motive to lure international tourists and boost domestic spending as the OPEC kingpin seeks to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
But in a country where two-thirds of the population is under 30, critics say glitzy sporting events are aimed at blunting public frustration over an economic downturn and soaring youth unemployment.
Activists also accuse Saudi rulers of "sportswashing", using such events as a tool to soften their international image after long being condemned over human rights abuses.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/saudi-uses-sports-soft-power-lever-influence-doc-1ne4jr1
(A P)
Saudi Arabia: Repressive Site for Dakar Rally
As Amaury Sport Race Proceeds, Women Activists Sit in Prison
The Amaury Sport Organisation should use its decision to move the Dakar Rally to Saudi Arabia to denounce the persecution of women’s rights advocates in the country, Human Rights Watch, MENA Rights Group, and 11 other international human rights organizations said today. The 2020 Dakar Rally – formerly known as the Paris-Dakar Rally – will begin on January 5, 2020, in Jeddah, and finish on January 17, 2020, 9,000 kilometers later, in Al-Qiddiya.
“The Amaury Sport Organisation and race drivers at the Dakar Rally should speak out about the Saudi government’s mistreatment of women’s rights activists for advocating for the right to drive,” said Minky Worden, global initiatives director at Human Rights Watch.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/03/saudi-arabia-repressive-site-dakar-rally
(A P)
Saudi Dakar Rally 2020 Opening Ceremony, in Jeddah, Set to be Inaugurated, on Saturday
In the presence of Prince Mishaal bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Jeddah and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Sports Authority (GSA), "Dakar Village", at Jeddah's Northern Corniche, will witness tomorrow, the official inauguration ceremony of the Saudi Dakar Rally 2020 (photos)
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2018984
and
(* A P)
Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia: Race Must Not Whitewash Dire Human Rights Situation
While the next Dakar Rally, a famous off-road vehicle race, will take place from 5 to 17 January in Saudi Arabia, the FIDH and its three French, Gulf, and Saudi member organisations: the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (LDH), the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) and ALQST, are concerned that the media coverage of the event will be used to conceal the country’s calamitous human rights record. The four organisations therefore call on the organisers of the rally and the competitors to use this opportunity to put pressure on the Saudi authorities to free Saudi women’s rights activists and other human rights defenders, and to drop all charges against them.
(* B P)
He Mocks Saudi Arabia on YouTube. Yes, He Fears for His Safety.
No one has skewered the Saudi royal family as gleefully as Ghanem al-Masarir. In hundreds of videos posted to YouTube — which have now been viewed more than 300 million times.
According to his lawsuit, Mr. al-Masarir has much to fear. It was Oct. 31, 2018, when two Metropolitan Police officers visited his home and delivered what is known as an “Osman warning.” It’s a police protocol in which a person is officially informed about a threat to his or her life in cases that lack evidence for an arrest.
A police spokesman said the department does not comment on Osman warnings.
“They didn’t tell me anything about where the threat came from,” Mr. al-Masarir said, as he described the panic button system they had left with him. “They just said that if I pushed the button, they would break down my door, assuming I was under attack.”
The warning occurred a few weeks after the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, which the C.I.A. has concluded was ordered by the crown prince.
https://hotwnews.com/he-mocks-saudi-arabia-on-youtube-yes-he-fears-for-his-safety.html = https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/business/media/saudi-arabia-dissident-al-masrir.html
cp9 USA
(B P)
In December 1998 Clinton committed his crime by missile bombing of Iraq and its justification is an urgent military necessity and the real goal was to postpone the vote on his trial in the House of Representatives (image)
https://twitter.com/DrAl_Lawati/status/1213457854948098048
(* B P)
Acht große Fehler der USA, die den Iran gestärkt haben
Der Iran hat es geschafft, vom Jemen über Syrien und Libanon bis zum Gazastreifen Einfluss zu gewinnen – auch wegen Fehlern, die die USA gemacht haben.
Mit der gezielten Drohnen-Attacke auf den iranischen Generalmajor Ghassem Soleimani haben die USA einen weiteren Fehler begangen – auf ihrer langen Liste von Fehlkalkulationen, großmachttypischen Überheblichkeiten und Weltmachtansprüchen in der islamischen Welt.
Der getötete Soleimani war einer der mächtigsten Männer der Islamischen Republik. Als Kommandeur der Al Kuds, Auslandsspezialkräfte der iranischen Revolutionsgarden, war er der wichtigste Stratege von Teherans Politik in der arabischen Welt vom Jemen, über Syrien, Libanon, den palästinensischen Gazastreifen und vor allem im Irak, wo er seinen Tod fand. Soleimani hatte in den arabischen Staaten die Fehler Amerikas für seinen Plan genutzt, einen pan-schiitischen Raum vom Jemen am Golf von Aden über den Iran, Irak, bis tief an die Levante zu ziehen.
Das sind die größten Fehler der USA, die dem Iran zur Macht in der arabischen Welt verhalfen:
- George W. Bushs Irak-Invasion
- Die Terrormiliz IS, der „Islamische Staat“
- Die fatale Reaktion auf die Anschläge vom 11. September 2001
(* A P)
Trump administration extends protected status for Yemen
The Trump administration has decided to extend humanitarian protections for some Yemenis in the United States for an additional 18 months.
The decision, made by acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, grants an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Yemen through Sept. 3, 2021.
The TPS designation allows the US to provide a temporary immigration status for people who can't return to their home countries due to conflict or natural disaster.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/04/politics/yemen-extended-temporary-protected-status/index.html
(A H)
High School Students Raise $18k for Yemen Crisis
Most high school students like to spend their free time doing anything but school work, but a group of students at Hinsdale Central took their extracurricular activities to a global scale.
These students created a student-run Model United Nations program called H-MUN.
https://abc30.com/localish/high-school-students-raise-$18k-for-yemen-crisis/5808186/ = https://abc7chicago.com/localish/high-school-students-raise-$18k-for-yemen-crisis/5808186/
cp9a1 USA-Iran Krise: Soleimani-Attentat (Deutsch) / US-Iran crisis: Soleimani assassination (German)
(* A K P)
Trump droht Iran offenbar mit Kriegsverbrechen
6.28 Uhr: Trump droht Iran offenbar mit Kriegsverbrechen
US-Präsident Donald Trump droht dem Iran mit schweren Angriffen für den Fall iranischer Vergeltung für die Tötung des Generals Ghassem Soleimani. Die USA hätten 52 iranische Ziele ins Visier genommen, die das US-Militär angreifen werde, falls der Iran US-Bürger oder -Einrichtungen attackieren sollte, twitterte Trump. Einige dieser Ziele seien sehr bedeutend und wichtig für den Iran und die iranische Kultur.
Die Ankündigung des US-Präsidenten wird von Beobachtern weithin als Drohung mit Kriegsverbrechen verstanden. Sowohl das Völkerrecht als auch US-Gesetze verbieten militärische Angriffe auf religiöse oder kulturelle Stätten ohne militärische Notwendigkeit oder ausschließlich zivile Ziele. Trump hingegen kündigte an, die Ziele und der Iran selbst würden im Falle iranischer weiterer iranischer Angriffe "sehr schnell und sehr hart" getroffen.
Trump begründete die Zahl der 52 ausgewählten Zielorte mit einem Verweis auf 52 amerikanische Geiseln. Damit bezog er sich die Besetzung der US-Botschaft in Teheran vor 40 Jahren. Wegen der Botschaftsbesetzung brachen die USA die diplomatischen Beziehungen zum Iran ab. Der Iran hatte nach der Tötung Soleimanis bei einem Luftangriff in der Nacht zum Freitag in Bagdad Rache geschworen.
00.25 Uhr: Keine Soldaten bei Raketenangriffen verletzt
Die von den USA angeführte Anti-IS-Koalition hat bestätigt, dass am Samstag in der Nähe von zwei Stützpunkten im Irak Raketen eingeschlagen sind. Dabei handele es sich um einen Stützpunkt in Bagdad und einen Stützpunkt in Balad, etwa 80 Kilometer nördlich der irakischen Hauptstadt, teilte ein Sprecher mit. Soldaten seien dabei nicht verletzt worden. Möglicherweise seien aber irakische Zivilisten zu Schaden gekommen.
21.33 Uhr: Britische Marine schützt Frachter
Die Londoner Regierung will Frachter mit britischer Flagge in der Straße von Hormus schützen. Zwei Schiffe der Königlichen Marine sollen die Frachter durch die Meerenge begleiten
20.42 Uhr: Anschlagsdrohung gegen US-Soldaten
Die pro-iranischen Hisbollah-Brigaden im Irak haben die irakischen Truppen und Sicherheitskräfte aufgefordert, sich von US-Soldaten auf Stützpunkten im Irak zu entfernen.
20.15 Uhr: Kurz will USA und Iran an den Verhandlungstisch bringen
Zur Entschärfung der Iran-Krise hat der künftige österreichische Bundeskanzler Sebastian Kurz ein Gipfeltreffen in Wien vorgeschlagen.
19.01 Uhr: Sirenalarm an US-Botschaft: Geschoss trifft Militärstützpunkt
18.24 Uhr: Explosionen im Bagdad – Hintergründe unklar
In der hochgesicherten Grünen Zone in der irakischen Hauptstadt Bagdad sind am Samstagabend zwei Geschosse eingeschlagen.
US-Drohnenmord an iranischem General: Bundesregierung gefährdet deutsche Soldaten im Irak
Der Mord an dem iranischen General durch die USA bringt nun auch Deutschland in Gefahr. Nachdem die deutsche Regierung den US-Angriff verteidigt hat, hat der Iran mit sehr deutlichen Worten in Richtung Deutschland reagiert.
Man muss den US-Angriff zunächst einmal rechtlich einordnen. Die Frage ist also, ob die USA nach dem Völkerrecht legal oder illegal gehandelt haben. Und die Antwort ist einfach: Kein Land der Welt hat das Recht, einfach in anderen Ländern Angriffe mit Raketen durchzuführen. Die UN-Charta, also die Basis des Völkerrechts, sagt dies eindeutig. Legal wäre das nur, wenn die jeweilige Regierung das erlaubt. Das ist in diesem Fall jedoch nicht geschehen, denn die USA haben den Irak nicht informiert oder gefragt und der irakische Premierminister hat nach dem Angriff auch deutlich protestiert:
„Der Luftangriff auf den Flughafen Bagdad ist aggressiver Akt gegen den Irak und eine Missachtung der irakischen Souveränität. Das führt zu Krieg im Irak und in der Region.“
Es gibt aber Ausnahmen, nämlich dann, wenn der Angriff die einzige Möglichkeit ist, einen unmittelbar bevorstehenden Angriff der anderen Seite zu verhindern. Und damit argumentiert ja die US-Regierung, natürlich wie immer, ohne Belege zu liefern. Dabei sind die Vorgaben streng.
Juristisch, beziehungsweise völkerrechtlich, ist die Sache also klar: Der US-Angriff war illegal.
Das hat aber die Bundesregierung nicht daran gehindert, den USA den Rücken zu stärken.
Diese Sichtweise hat Konsequenzen. Der Iran reagierte darauf.
Im Klartext bedeutet das, dass der Iran Deutschland als „Mittäter“ ansieht, was bei einer zu erwarteten Vergeltungsaktion auch deutsche Soldaten im Irak in die Gefahr bringt, zum Ziel für die Iraner zu werden. Die Bundesregierung hat mit ihrer Unterstützung des illegalen Verhaltens der USA ohne Not das Leben deutscher Soldaten im Irak in Gefahr gebracht
(* A P)
Irans Außenminister spottet über "dumme Nachricht der Amerikaner"
17.87 Uhr: Macron berät sich mit irakischem Präsidenten
Der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron hat mit dem irakischen Präsidenten Barham Salih über die angespannte Lage beraten. Dabei habe Macron die Bedeutung der irakischen Souveränität unterstrichen
17.14 Uhr: Auch Nato setzt Ausbildungseinsatz im Irak aus
15.33 Uhr: "Dumme Nachricht der Amerikaner": USA sollen Teheran nach Tötung Soleimanis kontaktiert haben
Nach der Tötung des iranischen Elite-Generals Ghassem Soleimani bei einem US-Angriff hat Washington nach Angaben der Revolutionsgarden inoffiziell Kontakt zur Regierung in Teheran gesucht. Dabei habe die US-Regierung gefordert, im Falle einer Reaktion des Iran auf den US-Angriff diese "verhältnismäßig" ausfallen zu lassen. Dies sagte der stellvertretende Befehlshaber der Revolutionsgarden, Ali Fadawi, nach Angaben des iranischen Staatsfernsehens vom Samstag.
"Wenn Ihr Rache wollt, dann nehmt Rache im Verhältnis zu dem, was wir getan haben", erklärten die USA den Angaben zufolge der Regierung in Teheran.
15.20 Uhr: SPD-Fraktionschef wirft USA Bruch des Völkerrechts vor
12.46 Uhr: Iran droht mit Angriffen in Straße von Hormus
Die iranischen Revolutionsgarden drohen den USA mit Vergeltung im Nahen Osten und schließen auch Angriffe in der Straße von Hormus nicht aus. Der Iran werde die Amerikaner bestrafen, wo immer sie erreichbar seien, sagte der Kommandeur der Eliteeinheit in der Provinz Kerman, General Gholamali Abuhamseh
10.37 Uhr: Pompeo wirft Europäern mangelnde Unterstützung vor
(B P)
Iran schwört Rache nach US-Attacke: Experten erklären, was das für Deutschland bedeutet
(* A P)
Trauerzug für getöteten iranischen General Soleimani
Tausende Iraker haben in Bagdad an einem Trauerzug für den ranghohen iranischen General Ghassem Soleimani teilgenommen, der auf Anordnung von US-Präsident Donald Trump bei einem Raketenangriff getötet wurde. An der Prozession nahmen am Samstag unter anderem der geschäftsführende irakische Regierungschef Adel Abdel Mahdi und weitere hochrangige Politiker teil.
Militärfahrzeuge transportierten Särge mit den Leichen Soleimanis und der sieben weiteren Todesopfer. Angeführt wurde der Zug nach Augenzeugenberichten von irakischen Milizionären, die irakische Flaggen schwenkten sowie Banner von Milizen, die vom Iran unterstützt werden. Einige Trauernde riefen anti-amerikanische Parolen und forderten Vergeltung für den Raketenangriff. „Tod für Amerika“, riefen einige. Am Himmel flogen Militärhubschrauber der irakischen Armee.
Eine weitere Prozession ist in der irakischen Stadt Kerbela geplant. Soleimanis Leiche sollte dann zur Beisetzung in den Iran transportiert werden. Die sieben anderen Todesopfer sollen in Nadschaf im Südirak beigesetzt werden.
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Erneuter Angriff auf iranische Miliz im Irak gemeldet
8.20 Uhr: Irakisches Militär dementiert Luftangriff
Das irakische Militär ebenso wie die US-geführte Militärkoalition im Irak dementieren, dass ein Luftangriff auf einen Konvoi nördlich von Bagdad stattgefunden habe. Zuvor hatte eine Dachorganisation paramilitärischer Einheiten erklärt, dass ein gegen ihre Kämpfer gerichteter Luftangriff einen Sanitäterkonvoi getroffen habe. Sowohl das irakische Staatsfernsehen als auch US-Medien berichteten unter Berufung auf eigene Quellen, ein Angriff habe den Konvoi getroffen und mehrere Menschen getötet. Der Schlag habe dem Anführer einer pro-iranischen Miliz gegolten.
7.59 Uhr: Tausende Iraker bei Trauerzug für Soleimani und Milizenführer
6.09 Uhr: USA setzen Angriffe auf iranische Miliz angeblich fort
Einen Tag nach der gezielten Tötung des einflussreichen iranischen Generals Kassem Soleimani sowie des Vizechefs der Hasched-al-Schaabi-Milizen im Irak hat die US-Armee Medienberichten zufolge erneut einen Konvoi der pro-iranischen Milizen attackiert.
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Trump will Krieg
Wer gehofft hat, dass 2020 ein friedliches Jahr werden würde, muss diese Hoffnung leider bereits kurz nach Jahresbeginn beerdigen. Mit dem von Präsident Trump befohlenen Attentat auf den berühmtesten iranischen General und mehrere ranghohe irakische Militärs nahe dem Flughafen der irakischen Hauptstadt Bagdad haben die USA eine rote Linie überschritten. Beobachter werten den Anschlag als Kriegserklärung gegen Iran. Was muss noch passieren, bis Europa aufwacht und sich von der kriegerischen US-Politik distanziert?
Stellen Sie sich einmal folgendes Szenario vor: Der Chef des US-Generalstabs Mike Milley trifft zu einem informellen Besuch in Kiew ein und Wladimir Putin befiehlt den russischen Streitkräften, die Wagenkolonne, in der Milley von ranghohen ukrainischen Militärs vom Flughafen der Stadt abgeholt wird, mit einem Luftangriff zu vernichten. Wenige Minuten später postet Putin dann auf Twitter die russische Flagge … ohne weiteren Kommentar. Was würde in einem solchen Fall passieren? Im Morgenmagazin würden sich deutsche Sicherheitspolitiker gegenseitig mit Anschuldigungen an die russische Seite übertreffen und diesen offenen Bruch des Völkerrechts vollkommen zu Recht verurteilen. Wie die USA diese „Kriegserklärung“ aufnehmen würden, ist der Phantasie der Leser überlassen. Zum Glück handelt es sich hierbei ja nur um ein hypothetisches Szenario.
Der Raketenanschlag, mit dem die US-Streitkräfte auf Befehl ihres obersten Befehlshabers heute Nacht den iranischen General Ghassem Soleimani zusammen mit hochrangigen irakischen Befehlshabern in einer Fahrzeugkolonne in Bagdad töteten, ist hingegen leider sehr real. Um die Bedeutung dieses Angriffs zu verstehen, lohnt es, sich zu vergegenwärtigen, wer dieser General Soleimani eigentlich war.
Ein Engel war der General mit Sicherheit nicht.
Diese Eskalation ist von den USA Stück für Stück provoziert wurden. Am 29. Dezember hatte die US-Luftwaffe als (Über)Reaktion auf einen Anschlag in Kirkuk, bei dem ein US-Söldner ums Leben kam, eine groß angelegte Bombardierung militärischer und ziviler Ziele gestartet, die man schiitischen irakischen Milizen zuschrieb. Völkerrechtlich mehr als problematisch ist jedoch, dass diese Milizen offiziell in die irakischen Sicherheitskräfte eingebunden sind, die USA also völkerrechtlich Angriffe auf irakische Sicherheitskräfte flogen, bei denen mehr als 25 Menschen ums Leben kamen. Dies war der Auslöser von Angriffen eines irakischen „Mobs“ auf die US-Botschaft und die „Grüne Zone“ in Bagdad – einem schwerstens militärisch abgeriegelten Bezirk in der Größe des Vatikanstaates im Zentrum Bagdads, in dem de facto die USA und die von der US-Regierung bezahlten Söldner das Sagen haben. Die Ausschreitungen am Rande der „Grünen Zone“, die am Silvestertag begannen, flachten am gestrigen Donnerstag endlich spürbar ab und man wagte bereits zu hoffen, dass die gesamte Sicherheitslage sich wieder entspannen könnte … aber das wollte Donald Trump offenbar auf Teufel komm raus verhindern und hat dabei auf maximale Eskalation gesetzt.
Kritische Beobachter finden dafür klare Worte. So bezeichnet die Al-Jazeera-Journalistin Rania Khalek den Anschlag als „Kriegserklärung“. Ihre Kollegin Sana Saeed findet sogar noch deutlichere Worte.
“Die Trump-Regierung hat die Region gerade wahrscheinlich in einen massiven blutigen Konflikt gestürzt – und damit auch dieses Land. Es ist noch schwer, sich die möglichen Folgen auszumalen, aber es ist nicht zu ignorieren, dass der Anschlag auf Soleimani eine explizite Kriegshandlung darstellt.“ – von Jens Berger
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=57411
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Trump wollte Stärke zeigen (nur im Abo)
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Die USA werden ihre Ermordung von Qassim Soleimani noch bedauern
Er hatte geplant, an der Beerdigung der 31 irakischen Soldaten teilzunehmen, die die USA am 29. Dezember an der syrisch-irakischen Grenze in der Nähe von Al-Qaim getötet hatten.
Soleimani war mit einem normalen Flug aus dem Libanon in Bagdad angekommen. Er reiste nicht im Geheimen. Er wurde am Flughafen von Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes, dem stellvertretenden Kommandeur der al-Hashd al-Shaabi, einer offiziellen irakischen Sicherheitstruppe unter dem Kommando des irakischen Premierministers, abgeholt. Die beiden Autos, in denen sie reisten, wurden bei dem US-Angriff zerstört. Beide Männer und ihre Fahrer und Wachen starben.
Die Houthi im Jemen, die Hizbullah im Libanon, der Islamische Dschihad in Palästina, die paramilitärischen Kräfte in Syrien, Irak und anderswo haben alle von Soleimanis Rat und Unterstützung profitiert. Sie alle werden Maßnahmen ergreifen, um ihn zu rächen.
Moqtada al-Sadr, der widerspenstige schiitische Kleriker, der Millionen von Anhängern im Irak befehligt, hat den Befehl gegeben, seinen militärischen Zweig 'Jaish al-Imam al-Mahdi' zu reaktivieren. Zwischen 2004 und 2008 kämpften die Streitkräfte des Mahdi gegen die US-Besetzung des Irak. Sie werden dies wieder tun.
Die offene Ermordung eines Kommandeurs von Soleimanis Gewicht erfordert eine iranische Reaktion von mindestens ähnlicher Größe. Alle US-Generäle oder hohe Politiker, die in den Nahen Osten oder anderswo reisen, müssen nun aufpassen. Es wird für sie nirgendwo Sicherheit geben.
Kein irakischer Politiker wird in der Lage sein, für den Verbleib der US-Truppen im Land zu argumentieren. Der irakische Premierminister Abdel Mahdi hat eine Dringlichkeitssitzung des Parlaments einberufen, um den Abzug aller US-Truppen zu fordern
Der Nationale Sicherheitsrat des Iran trifft sich mit dem Obersten Führer Ali Khamenei, um "die Optionen der Reaktion zu prüfen". Es gibt viele solcher Optionen. Die USA haben Streitkräfte in vielen Ländern rund um den Iran stationiert. Von nun an wird keines von ihnen sicher sein.
Der Iran wird seine Reaktion an den politischen Kalender binden. US-Präsident Donald Trump wird mit den überall bedrohten US-Truppen in seinen Wahlkampf gehen. Wir können erwarten, dass sich Vorfälle wie die Bombardierung der Kaserne in Beirut wiederholen werden, wenn er am verwundbarsten ist.
Trump wird lernen, dass das Töten des Feindes der einfache Teil eines Krieges ist. Die Schwierigkeiten kommen, nachdem das passiert ist.
Irans Politik und Unterstützung für ausländische Gruppen wird sich intensivieren. Die USA haben mit ihrem Angriff nichts gewonnen, werden aber die Konsequenzen für die nächsten Jahrzehnte spüren. Von nun an wird ihre Position im Nahen Osten stark eingeschränkt sein. Andere werden an seine Stelle treten.
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/lutz-herden/gezielter-enthauptungsschlag#1578060193976706
English original text: https://www.moonofalabama.org/2020/01/us-will-come-to-regret-its-assassination-of-qassim-soleimani.html#more
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Iran-USA: Gespanntes Warten auf den Showdown
Mit der Ermordung von General Soleimani hat Trump die iranische Führung gezwungen, militärisch zu reagieren, um nicht als Loser dazustehen
Donald Trump ist mit dem Befehl, General Soleimani im Irak zusammen mit dem irakischen stellvertretenden Kommandeur der Al-Haschd asch-Schabi-Milizen mit vier Hellfire-Raketen von einer Drohne zu ermorden, ein gefährliches Risiko eingegangen. Die "gezielte Tötung" habe beabsichtigt, einen Krieg zu verhindern, sagte er, was natürlich Blödsinn ist. Auch wenn der Iran eine direkte militärische Auseinandersetzung vermeiden wird, ist seine Führung nun gezwungen, mit wie auch immer symbolischen Angriffen zu reagieren. Die irakischen schiitischen Milizen, die in die irakische Armee eingegliedert wurden, könnten jedoch, da sie aus dem Irak agieren können, viel gefährlicher werden, möglicherweise verstärkt durch die bewaffneten Verbände von Muktada as-Sadr, die schon nach 2003 dem amerikanischen Militär zugesetzt hatten.
Die große Frage ist im Augenblick, wie der Iran und die schiitischen Milizen im Irak reagieren werden. Das wird sich demnächst entscheiden. In Teheran und in Bagdad wird über die nächsten Schritte gebrütet, der Druck ist hoch, dieses Mal nicht klein beizugeben, um nicht als Loser dazustehen. Gleichzeitig haben der Iran und seine Verbündeten mit Soleimani einen gewieften Strategen der Kriegsführung verloren. Da könnte schnell überreagiert werden.
https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Iran-USA-Gespanntes-Warten-auf-den-Showdown-4627956.html
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US-Angriff in Bagdad: „Aggressiver Akt gegen den Irak führt zu Krieg im Irak und der Region“
Am Golf droht eine weitere Eskalation nachdem die USA den höchsten iranischen General in Bagdad bei einem gezielten Drohnenangriff ermordet haben. Wie kam es dazu und was können die Folgen sein?
Wie immer ist es wichtig, die Chronologie anzuschauen, um zu verstehen, was vor sich geht. Dass es die ganzen Probleme im Irak gar nicht gäbe, wenn die USA das Land nicht 2003 völkerrechtswidrig zerstört hätten, ist klar. Seit dem herrscht dort Krieg.
Nun sind wir es im Westen gewöhnt, dass unsere Medien einen Riesenaufriss machen, wenn ein US-Söldner getötet wird, währebd 25 tote Iraker für die westlichen Medien kein Problem sind. Aber für die Iraker schon. Der US-Angriff hat im Land, in dem ohnehin bereits eine sehr anti-amerikanische Stimmung herrscht, zu massiven Protesten geführt. Bei diesen Protesten wurde am Neujahrstag auch versucht, die US-Botschaft in Bagdad zu stürmen.
Obwohl all dies im Irak stattfand, waren für die USA die Iraner an allem Schuld. Dieser Linie ist auch der Spiegel sofort gefolgt und wir schauen uns die etwas abstruse Argumentation gleich näher an.
Das fand die irakische Regierung gar nicht gut, denn er Angriff war nicht abgesprochen oder gar von ihr genehmigt. Und man stelle sich einmal vor, die USA würden einen Drohnenangriff auf den Münchener Flughafen durchführen, weil sie jemanden dort umbringen wollen. Die Begeisterung in Deutschland würde sich in Grenzen halten. Obwohl – Merkel würde wahrscheinlich wieder einmal sagen, dass man darüber Gespräche führen müsste, denn so etwas sei nicht nett unter Verbündeten.
Die Iraker scheinen da etwas weniger geduldig zu sein, denn der amtierende Premierminister des Irak bezeichnete den US-Angriff teilte auf Twitter mit:
„Der Luftangriff auf den Flughafen Bagdad ist aggressiver Akt gegen den Irak und eine Missachtung der irakischen Souveränität. Das führt zu Krieg im Irak und in der Region.“
Man muss wissen, dass der Irak immer enger an den Iran heranrückt, was die USA zu verhindern versuchen. Beide Länder sind mehrheitlich schiitisch.
Nun muss man sich noch einmal vor Augen führen, womit alles begonnen hat: Mit einen kleinen Angriff, bei dem ein US-Söldner (nicht einmal ein regulärer US-Soldat) getötet wurde. Und das haben die USA in weniger als einer Woche so hochgeschaukelt, dass im Nahen Osten nun massive Kriegsgefahr herrscht.
Der Iran droht mit Konsequenzen, was man verstehen kann. Wie würden wohl die USA reagieren, wenn der Iran ihren Stabschef umbringen würde?
Nun ist es die Aufgabe der Medien, dass das deutsche Publikum nicht bemerkt, dass die USA da gerade massiv zündeln und wegen einer – für ein Kriegsgebiet – Bagatelle einen Krieg riskieren. Im Spiegel sah das am 1. Januar so aus, die Überschrift lautete: „Angriffe auf US-Botschaft in Bagdad – Neujahrsgrüße aus Teheran„.
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USA, Irak, Iran: Trump dreht weiter an der Eskalations-Spirale
Die Ermordung des iranischen Generals Soleimani ist eine beispiellose Eskalation im unerklärten Krieg zwischen den USA und Iran.
Qassem Soleimani hatte innerhalb der Hierarchie faktisch die Rolle eines Verteidigungsministers. Er unterstand direkt dem obersten geistlichen Führer Irans und kommandierte die Auslandoperationen der so genannten al-Quds-Brigaden in Irak und Syrien mit einer geschätzten Stärke von 15’000 Mann. Weil er entscheidend an der Zerschlagung der Terror-Organisation des Islamischen Staats IS beteiligt war, erhielt er einst auch Lob aus den USA. Er brachte es dafür einmal sogar auf die Titelseite von «Newsweek». Aus den positiven Schlagzeilen fiel er allerdings bald wieder heraus, weil seine Truppen – das ist Teil der widersprüchlichen Strategie Irans in der Region – auch für den Sieg des syrischen Machthabers al-Assad über die Oppositionskräfte mit verantwortlich war.
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Trumps Terror im Irak verurteilen
„Der terroristische Anschlag von US-Präsident Trump im Irak ist ein eklatanter Bruch des Völkerrechts und auf das Schärfste zu verurteilen. Damit wirft Trump eine Brandfackel in ein Pulverfass”, erklärt Sevim Dagdelen, Außenpolitikexpertin der Fraktion DIE LINKE und Mitglied im Auswärtigen Ausschuss. Dagdelen weiter:
„Die Morde an dem Kommandeur der iranischen Quds-Brigaden Qassem Soleimani und dem Vizekommandeur der irakischen Volksmobilmachungskräfte (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis sollen offenbar einen US-Krieg gegen den Iran vom Zaun brechen. Mit Terrorakten dreht die US-Administration bewusst an der Eskalationsschraube und stellt sich in eine Linie mit der Vorbereitung des US-Krieges gegen den Irak durch US-Präsident Bush 2003.
https://www.linksfraktion.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/detail/trumps-terror-im-irak-verurteilen/
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Trumps riskanter Angriffsbefehl
Trump geht mit dem Raketenangriff ein großes Risiko ein. Mit Soleimanis Tod erreicht der ohnehin schon schwere Konflikt der USA mit dem Iran eine neue Stufe der Eskalation, deren möglicherweise dramatische Folgen sich nur erahnen lassen. Die Vergangenheit hat gezeigt, dass der Iran derartige Operationen gegen seine eigenen Kräfte nicht stillschweigend hinnimmt. Die oberste Führung in Teheran, aber auch die iranischen Verbündeten drohten umgehend mit Rache. Die Gefahr, dass sich der Konflikt mit dem Iran in einer Spirale aus Aktion und Reaktion zu einem Krieg auswächst, scheint größer denn je.
Nach dem Angriff auf Soleimani geht die Angst um. Israel befindet sich nun in erhöhter Alarmbereitschaft. Die US-Botschaft im Irak ruft Amerikaner zur sofortigen Ausreise aus dem Land auf. Aus aller Welt kommen besorgte Stimmen - und Aufrufe zur Besonnenheit. Die Börsen reagieren nervös.
Ein sehr wahrscheinliches Szenario: dass der Iran den Konflikt im Krisenland Irak weiter eskalieren lässt. Hier verfügt Teheran über besonders viele treue schiitische Milizen, die auch politisch großen Einfluss besitzen.
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Trump geht voll auf Risiko
Die Tötung Qassem Soleimanis könnte die beteiligten und auch unbeteiligte Länder an den Rand eines Krieges bringen.
Die Quds-Brigade, die er befehligte, ist das Instrument iranischer Kontrolle und Aggression. Er soll hinter den Angriffen auf Washingtons Botschaft in Bagdad gesteckt haben.
Doch war es deswegen richtig, ihn zu töten?
Da sind große Zweifel angebracht. Die Vergeltungs- und Rachedrohungen der iranischen Führung und ihrer Hilfstruppen muss man ernst nehmen. Iran wird es nicht einfach hinnehmen, dass einer der wichtigsten Akteure im Machtapparat vom Erzfeind ausgeschaltet wird. Die Sorge, dass der schwelende amerikanisch-iranische Konflikt eskalieren könne, ist berechtigt.
Deswegen spricht aus der Begründung des amerikanischen Verteidigungsministeriums für den Angriff auf Soleimani eine merkwürdige Logik. Wenn dessen Ziel die Abschreckung künftiger Angriffspläne Irans gewesen wäre, dann könnte, das zu vermuten ist weitaus plausibler, genau diese Aktion eine militärische Dynamik in Gang setzen und beteiligte wie unbeteiligte Länder an den Rand eines Krieges bringen.
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Für die Opposition wird es im Iran noch gefährlicher
Eine iranische Reaktion auf die Tötung des Generals sei unausweichlich, kommentiert Jörg-Christian Schillmöller im Dlf. Und wer jetzt im Iran Kritik äußere, dem könne das Regime noch leichter Verrat vorwerfen. Was nun aus den Protesten dort werde, sei Trump offensichtlich nicht wichtig genug gewesen.
Es gibt viele Pulverfässer in der Golf-Region, im Nahen und Mittleren Osten. Die Tötung von Soleimani hat das Potenzial, eine Kette von Gewalttaten auszulösen. Für die gesamte Region vervielfacht sich die Unberechenbarkeit, die Unsicherheit.
Hinzu kommt: Für den Iran erscheint eine Reaktion auf den Luftangriff unausweichlich. Denn Soleimanis Bedeutung für das iranische Regime kann man kaum hoch genug einschätzen. Manche sagen, er war die Nummer zwei der Macht, im Schatten hinter dem Obersten Führer, hinter Ayatollah Khamenei. Wer Soleimani angreift, ihn gar tötet, der trifft das Herz der Islamischen Republik.
Genau das haben die USA getan. Und es gibt kaum etwas, das viele Menschen im Iran – nicht nur an der Spitze des Regimes – so ablehnen wie eine Einmischung der Vereinigten Staaten. Diese Ablehnung ist einer der identitätsstiftenden Pfeiler der Islamischen Republik, und daran rühren nur wenige.
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Angriff auf Al-Kuds-Chef: Trump droht ein Pyrrhussieg
Die rhetorische Reaktion des Iran auf den Tod des Al-Kuds-Brigaden-Chefs hätte schärfer nicht ausfallen können. Bleibt Teheran bei seiner Linie, könnte Trumps Strategie aufgehen. Sicher ist das nicht.
Der Iran ist sichtlich getroffen. In der Nacht zu Freitag starb mit dem Chef der Al-Kuds-Brigaden, Ghassem Soleimani, der wichtigste Strippenzieher des Landes für die ganze Region. Er führte ein Schattenregime im Irak, half Syriens Machthaber Baschar al-Assad im Amt zu bleiben, hielt die Verbindung zur Hisbollah im Libanon und zur Hamas im Gazastreifen.
Doch wie wird die Reaktion Teherans ausfallen? Aus Sicht des Iran haben die USA mit der Ermordung von Soleimani eine rote Linie überschritten. Da kann die Reaktion gar nicht drastisch genug ausfallen. Aus Sicht der iranischen Führung müssen jetzt Amerikaner sterben. Ziele für Vergeltungsschläge gegenüber den USA und deren Verbündeten gibt es in der Region reichlich: Die 5.000 im Irak stationierten US-Soldaten, Handelsschiffe im persischen Golf, Ziele in Saudi-Arabien, der Staat Israel. Experten befürchteten deshalb am Freitag eine Spirale der Gewalt, verursacht nicht nur durch Iran direkt, sondern auch durch deren verbündete Akteure in der Region.
Eskaliert die Gewalt, könnten sich die USA schließlich doch zu direkten Militärschlägen gegen den Iran gezwungen sehen.
Iran vermeidet kriegerische Auseinandersetzungen
Klar ist, Teheran hat sich seit dem Krieg gegen den Irak nicht mehr in eine direkte kriegerische Auseinandersetzung begeben.
Doch wie strategisch der Iran nun bleiben wird, oder wie unberechenbar die Reaktionen ausfallen, ist völlig unklar. US-Präsident Donald Trump geht folglich mit dem Militärschlag ein hohes Risiko ein. Doch was war eigentlich sein Ziel?
Was will US-Präsident Trump?
Er selbst sagte, er wolle mit dem Angriff weitere Angriffe auf US-Soldaten in der Region unterbinden. Er riskiert aber, das Gegenteil zu erreichen.
Irakische Regierung schon jetzt handlungsunfähig
Der Angriff kommt für den Irak zur Unzeit. Die irakische Regierung ist derzeit de facto handlungsunfähig
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Kommentar: Trumps Tötungsbefehl hat das Feuer entfacht
Dass Trump das Feuer nun richtig entfacht und sämtliche US-Bürger und Militärs in der Region in akute Gefahr gebracht hat – war ein Riesenfehler in mehrerlei Hinsicht
Es war ein Schlag mitten ins Herz des an Krebs erkrankten iranischen Revolutionsführers Ayatollah Ali Chamenei - die gezielte Tötung des zweitwichtigsten Mannes im Iran und engen Vertrauten Chameneis durch die US-Armee.
Mehr noch: Soleimani, der wohl gute Chancen auf die Präsidentschaft im Iran gehabt hätte – weil von Rohani enttäuschte, reformorientierte Iraner die nächsten Wahlen boykottieren und dadurch die Hardliner wieder alle Macht an sich reißen werden – lässt sich nicht einmal mehr würdig begraben. Stattdessen wurde er umgehend zum Märtyrer erklärt, durch den fanatische Religiöse auf der schiitischen Achse von Libanon über Iran und Irak, Syrien bis in den Jemen sich nun erst recht angefeuert sehen, gegen die von ihnen verhassten Amerikaner zu kämpfen. Sie werden es als Soleimanis Vermächtnis begreifen, dem bedingungslos Folge zu leisten ist.
Mit US-Raketen ist "der berüchtigte Funke ins Pulverfass" geflogen, wie es der außenpolitische Sprecher der FDP-Bundestagsfraktion, Bijan Djir-Sarai, – der selbst iranischstämmig ist und sich für Menschenrechte und Versöhnung in Nahost engagiert – treffend formulierte.
Die Stimmung im Irak ist nicht pro-amerikanisch
Dass ausgerechnet der irakische Premierminister Soleimani als Märtyrer bezeichnet hat, zeigt, wie die Stimmungslage im Irak ist: jedenfalls nicht pro-amerikanisch. Was auch daran abzulesen ist, dass die irakische Regierung bei der Stürmung der US-Botschaft – Soleimani darf man auch hier als strategischen Planer anführen – auffallend spät mit Sicherheitskräften anrückte.
Dass Trump das Feuer nun richtig entfacht und sämtliche US-Bürger und Militärs in der Region in akute Gefahr gebracht hat – war nicht nur ein Riesenfehler, weil die Kriegsgefahr enorm gestiegen ist. Doch der US-Präsident hat alles noch schlimmer gemacht, weil bei dem Attentat auf irakischem Boden nicht nur ein iranischer Top-General gezielt getötet wurde, sondern mit ihm auch der hochrangige irakische Milizenführers Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, enger Vertrauter Soleimanis.
Das Pikante daran: Der Milizenverbund – Volksmobilisierungseinheiten genannt, gegründet als Gegenmacht zum IS – deren Vizechef Muhandis war, wurde in die reguläre irakische Armee integriert. Auch wenn sie mit gewichtigem Einfluss Soleimanis agierten – so handelt es sich doch um einen US-Angriff auf die irakische Armee auf irakischem Boden. Das wird Folgen haben, auch für die völkerrechtliche Klärung der Aktion – von Stephanie Rupp
https://www.nordbayern.de/politik/kommentar-trumps-totungsbefehl-hat-das-feuer-entfacht-1.9694959
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Gezielter Enthauptungsschlag
Staatsterror: Das Attentat auf General Soleimani ist für das Verhältnis Iran - USA so schwerwiegend wie die Kündigung des Atomabkommens durch Präsident Trump im Mai 2018
Wenn sich Donald Trump zu einer Kriegserklärung an den Iran versteigen wollte, dann ist ihm das mit dem Attentat auf General Qasem Soleimani perfekt gelungen. Die gezielte Tötung trifft nicht irgendeinen militärischen Führer des Iran. Sie gilt einer Schlüsselfigur der Islamischen Republik und der Islamischen Revolutionsgarden wie der Al-Quds-Brigaden. Dies provoziert und demütigt die iranische Führung in einem für sie unerträglichen Maße.
Wenn Revolutionsführer Ali Chamenei Rache schwört, ist das alles andere als Rhetorik, sondern wird Konsequenzen haben.
Man kann nur hoffen, sich zu täuschen, doch deutet vieles darauf hin, dass diese sinistre Operation schwerer wiegen könnte als die Kündigung des Atomabkommens durch die Trump-Administration im Mai 2018.
Strategischer Kopf
Im vergangenen Jahrzehnt, in dem der Iran seine regionalen Interessen im syrischen Bürgerkrieg, im Libanon als Alliierter der Hisbollah, im Irak gegen den IS und im Jemen durch ermutigenden Beistand für die Huthi-Rebellen geltend machte, galt Soleimani als der strategische Kopf.
Drittklassiger Vasall
Bei diesem Anschlag gleich mit erledigt wurden Würde und Souveränität des Irak. Zu dem Raketenangriff auf die Fahrzeugkolonne mit General Soleimani kam es schließlich nicht irgendwo, sondern auf dem Flughafen von Bagdad. Gemeinhin gelten Airports als Hochsicherheitszonen, in denen ein Staat seine Autorität zu beweisen vermag – oder versagt. Dem Irak jedenfalls ist in der Nacht vom 2. zum 3. Januar 2020 bedeutet worden, dass sich die USA weiterhin wie eine Besatzungsmacht fühlen und aufführen. Als hätte es den Truppenabzug von 2011 nicht gegeben, als seien die Verträge über den Status der derzeit im Irak stationierten gut 5.000 US-Soldaten weder verbindlich noch überhaupt etwas wert.
Damit wird der ohnehin nur noch geschäftsführende Premierminister Adel Abdel Mahdi nicht nur wie ein drittklassiger Vasall behandelt, sondern in einem Moment düpiert und verhöhnt, da wütende Demonstrationen gegen ein korruptes und unfähiges Regierungssystem seit Wochen nicht abreißen – von Lutz Herden
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/lutz-herden/gezielter-enthauptungsschlag
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Soleimanis Tod stärkt die Hardliner in Iran
Die Tötung des iranischen Generals Soleimani durch die USA wird den Nahen Osten verändern.
Der Tod des einflussreichen Kommandeurs der Quds-Brigaden wird aber auch Iran verändern - er wird auf Jahre hinaus ein Wiedererstarken der ultrakonservativen Hardliner befördern.
Sollten die USA geglaubt haben, eine Veränderung der iranischen Strategie erzwingen zu können, dann dürften sich diese Hoffnungen bald enttäuschen.
Soleimanis Tod wird aber auch Iran verändern und möglicherweise auf Jahre, wenn nicht Jahrzehnte eine Renaissance der ultrakonservativen Hardliner befördern. Denn auf Verständigung mit den USA zu setzen, kann sich auf absehbare Zeit in Iran politisch niemand mehr leisten. Schon seit deren Präsident Donald Trump im Mai 2018 den Rückzug der Vereinigten Staaten aus dem Atomabkommen verkündet und die unilateralen Öl- und Finanzsanktionen wieder in Kraft gesetzt hat, sind die Pragmatiker und moderaten Konservativen wie Außenminister Mohammad Dschawad Sarif und Präsident Hassan Rohani ins Hintertreffen geraten.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/iran-usa-soleimani-1.4745325
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Vergeltung - aber wie?
Der Iran nennt die Tötung von General Soleimani "Staatsterrorismus". Man wolle unter anderem juristisch gegen die USA vorgehen. Doch dabei dürfte es nicht bleiben.
"Das ist wahrscheinlich eines der bedeutendsten Ereignisse im Nahen Osten seit langer Zeit", sagte der Nahost-Experte Renad Mansour über die Tötung. "Der iranische General Soleimani war eine sehr mächtige Persönlichkeit. Die meisten würden sagen, dass er die zweitmächtigste Figur im Iran war." Er sei für die regionale Strategie des Iran verantwortlich, für den Einfluss im Irak, im Libanon, in Syrien, im Jemen und in anderen Teilen der Region und er sei dabei ein wichtiger Architekt gewesen.
Trump hingegen nennt Soleimani den "Terroristen Nummer 1". Er habe schon lange auf einer Liste der gefährlichsten Männer der Region weit oben gestanden, heißt es, auch schon bei Trumps Vorgängern. Die wagten sich aber offenbar nicht an diesen Schritt. "Man hätte meinen können, dass er zu groß und zu mächtig war, um getötet zu werden. Die meisten Menschen hatten damit nicht gerechnet", sagte Nahostexperte Mansour. Viele seien überrascht, dass die Amerikaner beschlossen hätten, jemand so Wichtigen auszuschalten.
Internationales Recht verletzt
Zarif kündigte an, juristisch auf internationaler Ebene zu reagieren. Denn die USA hätten mit diesem "Staatsterrorismus", wie er es nannte, Grundsätze das internationalen Rechts verletzt. Außerdem habe man den Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen darüber informiert, dass man sich das Recht auf Vergeltung vorbehalte. Die Amerikaner hätten in dreierlei Hinsicht einen großen Fehler begangen: "Sie haben die Souveränität des Irak verletzt, sie haben internationale Gesetze verletzt und sie haben die Gefühle der Menschen in der ganzen Region verletzt". Die Antwort auf diese Fehler habe die Islamische Republik nicht unter Kontrolle.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/reax-iran-105.html = https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/nach-us-angriff-vergeltung-aber-wie,RmcWWRe
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Wichtiger als der Präsident“
Porträt: Wer war Qasem Soleimani? Der Chef der Al-Quds-Brigaden hatte Erfolg damit, das regionale Umfeld seines Landes nach dem Irak- und dem Syrien-Krieg neu zu ordnen
Qasem Soleimani ist im Iran in den vergangenen Jahren zu einer bekannten Persönlichkeit geworden und wurde manchmal sogar als künftiger Präsident gehandelt. Dennoch ist der Befehlshaber der Revolutionären al-Quds-Brigaden außerhalb der Region, für deren Neugestaltung er möglicherweise mehr getan hat als irgendjemand sonst, eine relativ unbekannte Figur geblieben.
„Er war wichtiger als der Präsident, sprach im Iran mit allen Fraktionen, verfügte über eine direkte Verbindung zum Obersten Führer und war für die Politik des Iran in der Region zuständig“, fasst Dina Esfandiary, eine Fellow bei der Denkfabrik Century Foundation, Soleimanis Bedeutung zusammen. „Wichtiger und einflussreicher konnte man nicht sein.“
Vor Kurzem offenbarte ein geleaktes diplomatisches Kabel das Ausmaß an Einflusses, über das Soleimani im Irak verfügte: Er half bei einer Schlacht gegen den Islamischen Staat, nötigte den damaligen Verkehrsminister dazu, iranischen Flugzeugen mit für Syrien bestimmten Waffen den Überflug über irakisches Territorium zu erlauben. In Bagdad traf er sich regelmäßig mit Regierungsvertretern.
Es sei seine Fähigkeit gewesen, Beziehungen aufzubauen, die ihm eine solche Wirksamkeit verschafft hätten, sagt Dina Esfandiary von der Denkfabrik Century Foundation. „Er knüpfte sie mit jedem – inner- und außerhalb des Iran, inner- und außerhalb der Regierung.“
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/the-guardian/wichtiger-als-der-praesident
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Mit nur einer SMS an die Amerikaner zeigte der Iran-General seine ganze Macht
Syrien, Libanon, Irak, Jemen: Überall hatte der iranische Top-General Ghassem Soleimani seine Finger mit im Spiel, bis er durch eine US-Rakete starb. Er war ein Islamist, der gegen Islamisten kämpfte, und ein Feind der USA, der fast ein Bündnis mit Amerika eingegangen wäre. Doch vor allem war Ghassem Soleimani eines: Der brutale Architekt des modernen Nahen Ostens.
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Der General und die anderen
Immer wieder bringen amerikanische Drohnen oder Spezialkommandos Terrorführer um. Beim Angriff in Bagdad aber gibt es Unterschiede zu früheren Operationen.
Der US-Drohnenangriff, bei dem am Donnerstag in Bagdad der iranische Kommandeur Qassim Soleimani starb, passt nur zum Teil in dieses Muster.
Andererseits war Soleimani aber eben kein weiterer Bin Laden oder al-Bagdadi. Die Quds-Einheiten, die er kommandierte, waren nicht Teil eines nicht-staatlichen Terrornetzwerks, auch wenn er im Irak und in Syrien oft mit irregulären schiitischen Milizen zusammengearbeitet hat, sondern gehörten zu den Streitkräften der Islamischen Republik Iran. Soleimani hatte einen offiziellen militärischen Rang und eine offizielle Position im iranischen Sicherheitsapparat. Wenn die US-Armee Angehörige von militanten Gruppen tötet, kann man das rechtlich, politisch und militärisch unter die vage Rubrik Antiterroreinsatz stellen. Für einen tödlichen Angriff auf einen ranghohen Regimevertreter muss man allerdings wohl eine andere Bezeichnung wählen - Krieg.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/toetungskommandos-der-general-und-die-anderen-1.4744404
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Donald Trump holen seine alte Iran-Tweets ein
Nach dem tödlichen Raketenangriff auf den iranischen General Ghassem Soleimani wird Donald Trump von alten Tweets eingeholt: Er hatte Barack Obama vorgeworfen, zur Wiederwahl einen Angriff auf den Iran zu starten.
Alte Twitternachrichten mit diesen Botschaften holen ihn nun ein. Im Zusammenhang mit dem Angriff auf Ghassem Soleimani werden sie tausendfach neu gepostet. Donald Trump selbst will im November wiedergewählt werden.
t-online.de dokumentiert, wie Trump Obama Kriegstreiberei zur Wiederwahl nachsagte – und ihm dann auch Schwäche vorwarf. Obama hatte nie einen Militärschlag gegen den Iran ausführen lassen:
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USA schicken bis zu 3.500 weitere Soldaten nach Nahost
19.07 Uhr: USA schicken 3.000 bis 3.500 weitere Soldaten nach Nahost
Die USA entsenden nach Pentagon-Angaben 3.000 bis 3.500 zusätzliche Soldaten in den Nahen Osten. Dies sei eine Vorsichtsmaßnahme angesichts einer verstärkten Bedrohung für amerikanische Kräfte in der Region, verlautete laut Reuters aus Washingtoner Regierungskreisen.
17.31 Uhr: "Schwere Vergeltung am richtigen Ort zur richtigen Zeit"
Der Oberste Nationale Sicherheitsrat des Iran hat den USA "schwere Vergeltung am richtigen Ort zur richtigen Zeit" angedroht. Der "kriminelle" Angriff auf General Soleimani sei "der größte Fehler", den die USA in der Region begangen hätten
16.56 Uhr: Trump warnt vor Einfluss des Iran
US-Präsident Donald Trump hat die irakische Führung vor einem wachsenden Einfluss des Irans auf die Politik des Landes gewarnt.
15.52 Uhr: Pelosi kritisiert US-Angriff
Die Sprecherin des US-Repräsentantenhauses, die Demokratin Nancy Pelosi, hat deutliche Kritik am US-Raketenangriff auf den iranischen General Ghassem Soleimani geübt. "Die höchste Priorität der US-Führung ist, das Leben von Amerikanern und deren Interessen zu schützen", erklärte Pelosi. "Aber wir können das Leben amerikanischer Soldaten, Diplomaten und anderer nicht weiter gefährden, indem wir provokative und unverhältnismäßige Aktionen unternehmen."
15.38 Uhr: Trump: Soleimani hätte schon vor Jahren getötet werden müssen
14.45 Uhr: UN-Expertin: Gezielte Tötung ist wohl Menschenrechtsverletzung
Die gezielte Tötung des iranischen Generals Ghassem Soleimani ist nach Auffassung einer UN-Menschenrechtsexpertin wahrscheinlich ein Verstoß gegen internationales Recht
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„Tod den USA“ - Reaktion auf den Tod von Soleimani
„Tod den USA“, skandierten Zehntausende Iraner nach dem Freitagsgebet in Teheran als Reaktion auf die US-Attacke. Die Wut schien grenzenlos. Denn der getötete Soleimani war einer der mächtigsten Männer des Iran und als Kommandeur der im Ausland aktiven Al-Kuds-Brigaden der wichtigste Stratege iranischer Militärpolitik in der Region – vom Libanon bis zum Jemen.
Irans Oberster Revolutionsführer Ali Chamenei verkündete: „Die Kriminellen erwartet eine schwere Rache.“ Kommandeure proiranischer Milizen im Irak und der Hisbollah im Libanon befahlen ihren Kämpfern, sich für Vergeltungsaktionen bereitzuhalten. Das Pentagon erklärte – fast mochte man meinen: entschuldigend –, die US-Streitkräfte hätten die Operation auf Anweisung von Präsident Donald Trump ausgeführt, um weitere Attacken auf amerikanische Kräfte in der Region zu unterbinden.
Soleimani - Freunde wie Feinde sahen in ihm einen Vordenker
Al-Kuds-Brigaden und Iraks pro-iranische Milizen
Die Al-Kuds-Brigaden der iranische Revolutionsgarden (IRGC) sind de facto die Militäreinheit des Iran im Ausland, insbesondere in der islamischen Welt. Nach Ahmad Wahidi übernahm Ende der 90er Jahre der nun getötete Ghassem Soleimani das Kommando der Einheit. Ihre offizielle Aufgabe ist es, die dem Iran nahestehenden politischen Gruppen im Ausland zu unterstützen – hauptsächlich gegen islamistischen Terrorismus etwa des Islamischen Staats (IS) in Syrien und im Irak.
https://www.fr.de/politik/tod-usa-reaktion-soleimani-13417451.html
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Kampferprobte Freunde: Die Verbündeten des Irans
Der Iran hat den USA bereits mit Vergeltung für die Tötung des Generals Kassem Soleimani gedroht.
In einer militärischen Auseinandersetzung stünde das Land nicht alleine da.
Der Iran hat mehrere Kampferprobte Verbündete unter Milizen und islamistischen Terrorgruppen in der Region.
Mein Kommentar: „Islamistische Terrorgruppen“??
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Chef der Schattenkrieger
Qasem Soleimani, der jetzt vom US-Militär getötet wurde, war das Mastermind der iranischen Quds-Brigaden. Die Elitekämpfer gelten als Task Force des Regimes in Teheran, sie mischen in allen Konflikten der Region maßgeblich mit.
Für die USA war Qasem Soleimani einer der größten Staatsfeinde. Der Befehlshaber der Quds-Brigaden kontrollierte und koordinierte die Einsätze der iranischen Eliteeinheit, die im Irak, in Syrien und im Libanon, aber auch im Jemen aktiv ist und die Vernichtung Israels zum Ziel hat.
Er war das Mastermind der schiitischen Schattenkrieger, so gefürchtet wie die beiden von den USA getöteten sunnitischen Terrorfürsten des jungen 21. Jahrhunderts: Ex-Qaida-Chef Osama bin Laden und Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Anführer des "Islamischen Staats".
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Von "Vorzeigesoldat" bis "Terrorist": Wer war General Ghassem Suleimani?
"Ihr werdet den Krieg anfangen, aber wir werden ihn beenden." So lautet eine Botschaft des getöteten Generals Ghassem Suleimani (auch Qassem Soleimani) an die USA. Als Leiter der im Ausland aktiven Al-Kuds-Brigaden war er in der Region eine Legende. Gleichzeitig war er einer der Top-Strategen im Kampf gegen die Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) in Irak und Syrien. Der Westen warf den Al-Kuds aber vor, terroristische Aktionen im Ausland durchzuführen.
Ali Vaez, Analyst der "International Crisis Group", sagt: "Er war der herausragendste Führer im Iran und nicht nur im vergangenen Jahrzehnt. Er hat den Einfluss des Irans ausgeweitet. Über die Grenzen des Landes hinaus. Er rekrutierte Verbündete und versuchte, Angriffe vom Iran wegzulenken. Er war der Strippenzieher und Urheber dieser Strategie. Er hatte tiefe Verbindungen und Netzwerke in der gesamten Region vom Libanon über den Irak bis hin nach Syrien, nach Jemen und nach Afghanistan." (mit Film)
https://de.euronews.com/2020/01/03/wer-ist-general-ghassem-suleimani
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Irak: Eine neue Explosion im Mittleren Osten droht
Die Tötung des iranischen Generals Ghassem Soleimani durch die USA in Bagdad hat ein politisches Erdbeben im Mittleren Osten ausgelöst. Die USA haben ihre Staatsbürger aufgerufen, den Irak zu verlassen. Die proiranischen Milizen mobilisieren sich.
Chameney: Wir werden furchtbare Rache üben
Der iranische religiöse Führer Ajatollah Ali Chamenei erklärte, man werde „an den Mördern Soleimanis furchtbare Rache üben“. Er fuhr fort: „Mit der Erlaubnis Gottes wird sein Erbe hier nicht enden und über die Schuldigen, an deren Händen sein Blut klebt, wird eine gnadenlose Rache kommen.“ Der iranische Außenminister Javad Zarif bezeichnete den Angriff als im höchsten Maße gefährlich und unnötig. Der Sprecher des iranischen Sicherheitsrats Keivan Khosravi erklärte, der Hohe Sicherheitsrat treffe sich zu einer Eilversammlung.
Biden: Eine in ein Pulverfass geworfene Dynamitstange
Der schiitische Führer Muqtada al-Sadr mobilisierte die Mahdi-Armee im Irak und erklärte, sie solle „bereit zur Verteidigung“ sein.
Der zurückgetretene irakische Ministerpräsident Adel Abd al-Mahdi erklärte, im Irak werde nun „ein zerstörerischer Krieg beginnen“. Die Ermordung des Kommandanten sei „ein Angriff auf den Irak, auf den Staat, die Republik und das Volk“.
Der Trump nahestehende US-Senator Lindsey Graham drohte dem Iran: „Wenn ihr noch mehr wollt, dann werdet ihr mehr bekommen.“
Der Demokratische Senator Tom Udall kritisierte, dass der Kongress nicht in die Entscheidung für den Angriff einbezogen wurde und erklärte: „Präsident Trump zieht unsere Nation ohne die Zustimmung des Kongresses in einen illegalen Krieg hinein.“
https://anfdeutsch.com/weltweit/irak-eine-neue-explosion-im-mittleren-osten-droht-16433
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Film: WELT INTERVIEW: Top-General Soleimani ausgeschaltet - Wie reagiert der Iran?
Die USA haben mit dem tödlichen Angriff auf den iranischen Auslandsstrategen Kassem Soleimani die Gefahr eines schweren Konflikts im Nahen Osten heraufbeschworen. Hinter iranischen Drohungen mit harscher Vergeltung steht ein Netzwerk schiitischer Parteien und Milizen von Libanon über Syrien und Irak bis in die Golfregion und Jemen im Süden der Arabischen Halbinsel, das von dem General der Al-Kuds-Brigaden - der Elitetruppe für Auslandseinsätze der Revolutionsgarde - über zwei Jahrzehnte aufgebaut worden ist.
Im WELT-Studio erläutert der Redaktionsleiter des "Iran Journals" Farhad Payar mögliche Reaktionen des iranischen Regimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kBcLvAktRQ
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Film: US-Militär tötet iranischen Topgeneral
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm6G1w-gZ7M
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US-Militär tötet Top-General: Iran droht mit Rache
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JsB6MXW72U
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Film: Wer war General Ghassem Soleimani? | n-tv
Das US-Militär tötet nahe Bagdad durch einen gezielten Raketenangriff den Iraner Ghassem Soleimani. In seinem Heimatland wurde der General gefeiert wie ein Popstar, im Ausland war er gefürchtet. Was machte ihn für die USA so gefährlich?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKUBRrXX3CI
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GENERAL SOLEIMANI: Was man über den geheimnisvollen Elite-Kommandeur weiß
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tq74159jjk
cp9a2 USA-Iran Krise: Soleimani-Attentat (Englisch) / US-Iran crisis: Soleimani assassination (English)
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War With Iran Is Not Inevitable
Tehran knows direct conflict would impose huge costs on the Islamic Republic.
Now that the U.S. has taken out Qassem Soleimani, arguably the most important military figure in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic, conventional wisdom holds that Tehran must respond with extreme prejudice. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has promised “severe retaliation,” and his regime is putting out videos of thousands of Iranian mourners demanding vengeance.
What might that mean? Many commentators—and not only in Iran or the U.S—are suggesting that a new war in the Middle East is inevitable. Some liken Soleimani’s killing to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and on Twitter the hashtag #WWIII has been trending.
Not so fast. Iran may have many options for unleashing mayhem against American interests and allies in the Middle East, and plenty of allies and proxies through which to do so. But it also has a powerful reason to stop and reconsider. Beyond the expressions of outrage in Tehran—and alarm elsewhere—lies the cold reality that Iran cannot afford a war with a far more powerful opponent.
Any retaliation that leads to war will wreak enormous damage on the Islamic Republic. Even if costs more American blood and treasure than President Trump imagines, the toll on the Iranian nation will be many magnitudes greater. That is an outcome the regime in Tehran has consciously been trying to avoid.
The leaders of the Islamic Republic like to think of themselves as strategic thinkers, with a keen understanding of their opponents and a knack for anticipating their next moves. But they clearly misjudged Donald Trump. Convinced the American president would do anything to avoid a war, they have for months been provoking the U.S. with progressively more intense provocations.
Their goal all along has been to force the U.S. to ease the economic sanctions Trump imposed after he withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018. The regime Tehran initially tried to wait out the sanctions, but discovered they were more painful than expected.
What now? The Iranians can no longer be under any illusions about Trump’s appetite to answer provocations with disproportionate force. The killing of Soleimani was the most severe attack on the Iranian political apparatus the U.S. could have inflicted outside of Iran. Khamenei must know now “severe retaliation” by Iran could be met with an even more devastating American response. He might still calculate that Trump doesn’t want all-out war, but that gamble is much riskier than it was last week, last month, or last year.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/war-iran-not-inevitable-050035041.html = https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-01-04/war-with-iran-is-not-inevitable
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Susan Rice says Obama administration 'didn't have the opportunity' to kill Soleimani
The Obama administration wasn’t presented with the opportunity to take out Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad early Friday, former national security adviser Susan Rice said Friday night.
“Had we been presented such an opportunity, what we would have done is weigh very carefully and very deliberately the risks versus the potential rewards,” Rice told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.
In a separate interview Friday, Rice told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that “during my tenure as national security advisor we didn’t have the opportunity to my knowledge.”
Rice questioned whether Trump made the right decision.
“So, if in fact the administration can be believed that there was indeed strong intelligence of an imminent threat against the United States that’s being carried out by Soleimani and related militia then the question becomes [was] there more than one way to address that threat?” she told Maddow. “Was the only way to deal with it to kill Soleimani? Certainly, given his history and track record, he deserves his just rewards but the question is does that serve our interests? Does that make us more secure?”
and MSBN interview: https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/rice-risks-likely-outweigh-benefits-of-killing-qassem-soleimani-76039749935
and
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Former Bengahzi team member: Susan Rice comments on Soleimani 'typical tactics' from Dems
https://www.foxnews.com/media/mark-geist-iran-susan-rice-benghazi
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Democrats alarmed by 'massive escalation' with Iran, lack of consultation with Congress
Congressional Democrats are raising alarm over the lack of consultation from the Trump administration ahead of a deadly military strike against Iran’s top general, which lawmakers called “reckless” and a “massive escalation” against Iran.
The strike by a Reaper drone that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani caught lawmakers in both parties by surprise, leaving Democrats in particular angry over the lack of consultation and concerned about potential retaliation against U.S. forces and allies.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) warned Iran could use its “global reach” to “seek retribution for this strike, endangering the lives of Americans around the world.”
“We are now again on the brink of direct confrontation in the Middle East. Tonight’s action represents a massive escalation in our conflict with Iran with unpredictable consequences,” he said.
Comment: If only Democrats like Kaine had thought of that before signing on to give Trump a $738 billion defense budget with no strings attached...
https://twitter.com/WalkerBragman/status/1213504909263409152
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Red Line crossed: US assassination of Qassem Soleimani
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei ordered a three-day mourning period be observed for Martyr Soleimani. Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets in an outpouring of grief and outrage over the slaughter of General Soleimani and Al Muhandis by the warmongering Washington regime, whom Ayatollah Khamenei warned that “severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his blood and the blood of the other martyrs.”
Following unrest in Iran due to fuel price hikes in November 2019, IRGC Commander General Hossein Salami warned the US and the Israeli entity of crossing Iran’s red lines. However, it is not clear at all that the Trump regime understands, or for that matter is capable of understanding just what Iran’s red lines are. Former Pentagon adviser Jasmine El Gamal of the Atlantic Council commented that “it is not clear that this administration — or any administration — understands what Iran’s own red lines are.” By martyring General Soleimani, the US crossed one of Iran’s red lines, according to adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Hesameddin Ashena. Unfortunately by shredding the JCPOA, Trump has cut off any hope of direct communication with President Rouhani, who emphasized, “The great nation of Iran will take revenge for this heinous crime.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/01/04/615357/Red-Line-crossed-US-assassination-of-Qasem-Soleimani = https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10618
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Iran will be patient in planning crushing anti-US response: IRGC commander
A senior commander in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has said Tehran will be "patient" in setting the right “time and place” for its response against Washington’s assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani.
“We will set up a plan, patiently, to respond to this terrorist act in a crushing and powerful manner,” said Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi on Saturday.
“We are the ones who set the time and place of our reciprocal response,” he said.
The IRGC commander said Tehran openly announces that it will defend the "axis of resistance" with all its might.
He added that Iran’s response to the United States will incorporate offensive strategies beyond defense measures.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/01/04/615340/Iran-antiUS-response-patience
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Blast heard from Baghdad's Green Zone, cause unclear: Reuters witnesses
A blast was heard in Baghdad late on Wednesday coming from the fortified Green Zone which houses government buildings and foreign embassies in the Iraqi capital, Reuters witnesses said.
The cause was not immediately clear.
An Iraqi soldier stationed in the Green Zone confirmed the noise originated from the zone but gave no other details.
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President Rouhani: US will pay heavy price
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday said that the assassination of the IRGC commander Lieutenant-General Qasem Soleimani will have repercussions in the region, adding the US will pay a heavy price for its terrorist move.
Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Tehran, adding the martyrdom of Soleimani has made Iranians more powerful and determined.
Americans have taken a new approach that could put the region in a very dangerous situation, he pointed out.
https://en.irna.ir/news/83620724/President-Rouhani-US-will-pay-heavy-price
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Iraqi militia warns security forces to stay away from U.S. bases: Al Mayadeen
Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah militia warned on Saturday Iraqi security forces to stay away from U.S. bases in Iraq, al-Mayadeen television said.
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World War III memes take off on social media after US strike killing Iranian general
Memes about an impending third World War went viral after tensions between the U.S. and Iran rose Friday following the killing of Iran's top military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad on Thursday.
The hashtag "WWIII" quickly started trending on Twitter in the U.S. with more than 1.92 million tweets using the hashtag — many of them invoking memes about the potential for another global conflict — since Thursday night. World War III-related videos, largely centered around the possibility of a military draft, also started emerging on TikTok, a video-sharing platform popular among teens.
However, memes and social media have played a role in the relations between the U.S. and Iran for years.
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Sanders and Khanna Introduce New Bill to 'Stop Donald Trump From Illegally Taking Us to War Against Iran'
"We know that it will ultimately be the children of working-class families who will have to fight and die in a new Middle East conflict—not the children of the billionaire class."
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna Friday night unveiled new legislation that would bar any Pentagon funding for "military force in or against Iran" without congressional approval, an effort to forestall what many in the U.S., Middle East, and around the world fear is a march to war by the Trump administration.
"Today, we are seeing a dangerous escalation that brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East," Khanna and Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said in a joint statement. "A war with Iran could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars and lead to even more deaths, more conflict, more displacement in that already highly volatile region of the world."
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Trump says 52 targets already lined up if Iran retaliates
President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Saturday, threatening to hit dozens of targets in the Islamic Republic “very fast and very hard” if it retaliates for the targeted killing of the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
The series of tweets came as the White House sent to Congress a formal notification under the War Powers Act of the drone strike on Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a senior administration official said. U.S. law required notification within 48 hours of the introduction of American forces into an armed conflict or a situation that could lead to war.
The notification was classified and it was not known if a public version would be released. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the classified document “suggests Congress and the American people are being left in the dark about our national security.”
In unusually specific language, Trump tweeted that his administration had already targeted 52 Iranian sites, “some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture.” He linked the number of sites to the number of hostages, also 52, held by Iran for nearly 15 months after protesters overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Thousands of Iranians lined Baghdad streets Saturday for the funeral procession for Soleimani. The Islamic Republic has vowed revenge for the Trump-ordered airstrike that killed him and several senior Iraqi militants early Friday Baghdad time.
Trump appeared to respond to such threats with tweets justifying Soleimani’s killing and matching the bellicose language from Iran.
“Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian protesters,“the president tweeted. “He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years.”
Trump also warned: “The USA wants no more threats!”
Trump’s reference to targeting sites “important to Iran & the Iranian culture” could raise questions about whether striking such targets would violate international agreements. The American Red Cross notes on its website that the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, ratified by scores of nations in recent years, states that “cultural objects and places of worship” may not be attacked and outlaws “indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations.”
https://apnews.com/75944e42ccc66ac08ee5122e080d7f33
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From resort amid palm trees, Trump settled on Iran strike
At the midway point of his annual Christmas vacation, President Donald Trump huddled at his Florida club with his top national security advisers. Days earlier, a rocket attack by an Iranian-funded group struck a U.S.-Iraqi base, killing an American contractor and wounding several others.
Trump’s advisers presented him with an array of options for responding, including the most dramatic possible response: taking out Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force and the man responsible for hundreds of Americans deaths.
Trump immediately wanted to target Soleimani. It was a decision his predecessors had avoided and one that risked inflaming tensions with Tehran. Some advisers voiced concern about the legal justification for a strike without evidence of an imminent attack in the works against Americans. So other options were discussed in the coming days with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and national security adviser Robert O’Brien, including bombing the base of the group blamed for killing the U.S. contractor.
But Trump remained focused on the option to target Soleimani, a preference that surprised the small circle of aides because the president had long been reluctant to deepen U.S. military engagement around the world. By Thursday, officials believed they had intelligence indicating Soleimani was plotting against Americans, though it’s unclear when that intelligence became known to U.S. officials.
Trump slipped out of a meeting with political advisers that day to give the final go-ahead.
Trump spent much of this vacation angry about the attack on the American contractor. He stayed largely out of sight in Florida, emerging only for rounds of golf at his other nearby club and mingling with guests at a New Year’s Eve party.
Wearing a tux, Trump was asked by a reporter if he foresaw a chance of war with Iran. Raising his voice to be heard over the holiday revelers, Trump said he wanted “to have peace.”
“And Iran should want peace more than anybody,” he said. “So I don’t see that happening. No, I don’t think Iran would want that to happen. It would go very quickly.”
He betrayed no indication of the momentous decision he was already weighing
https://apnews.com/64c608c6d15bf7977eb79c864298071b
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Rockets fired after day of mourning for slain Iranian leader
Thousands took to the streets of Baghdad for the funeral procession of Iran’s top general Saturday after he was killed in a U.S. airstrike, as the region braced for the Islamic Republic to fulfill its vows of revenge.
The day of mourning in the Iraqi capital ended Saturday evening with a series of rockets that were launched and fell inside or near the Green Zone, which houses government offices and foreign embassies, including the U.S. Embassy.
Iran has vowed harsh retaliation for the U.S. airstrike
https://apnews.com/73280065e4349e2d3bda1c0a0b5673fa
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King Salman discusses with Iraqi president need to de-escalate regional tensions
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman rang Iraqi President Berham Saleh on Saturday to discuss the importance of de-escalating regional tensions, the Saudi news agency reported, after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. air strike.
and by SPA: https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2019219
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Last night the President engaged in what is widely being recognized as an act of war against Iran, one that now risks the lives of millions of innocent people. Now is the moment to prevent war & protect innocent people - the question for many is how, publicly & Congressionally:
Right now is the moment to decide if you are pro-peace or not. The cheerleaders of war, removed from its true cost, will gladly convince you that up is down - just as they did in Iraq in ‘03. But war does not establish peace. War does not create security. War endangers us all.
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1213184923626070017
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Saudi source tells me there was no coordination whatsoever between Washington and Gulf Arab allies about Trump’s plan to target Soleimani. The Saudis are now outright calling for de-escalation, as are the UAE and Qatar Saudi Arabia + UAE vulnerable to asymmetric counterattacks
https://twitter.com/ayaelb/status/1213358030684852226
Question all US regional partners may be asking is where was the drone fired from?
https://twitter.com/Dr_Ulrichsen/status/1213392758645444608
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No let-up in terror: Fresh US airstrike hits PMU convoy
Shortly after the United States’ assassination of a senior Iranian commander in Baghdad, a fresh American airstrike hits a convoy belonging to Iraq’s anti-terror fighters north of the Arab country’s capital, reportedly killing six people.
The strike came almost exactly 24 hours after the Friday attacks that martyred Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), as they were travelling on the Baghdad International Airport road.
The PMU said the later attack targeting its fighters hit a convoy of medics, not senior leaders as reported in some media, near Taji stadium in Baghdad, AFP reported.
The group did not say who was responsible, but Iraqi state television reported it was a US airstrike.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/01/03/615302/Iraq-airstrikes-Popular-Mobilization-Units-Baghdad
and also https://news.antiwar.com/2020/01/03/iraq-reports-us-airstrike-hit-convoy-of-medics-north-of-baghdad/
and
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Iraq, US-led coalition, deny new air strike near Baghdad
Earlier reports said that a PMF convoy was targeted overnight in Taji, north of Baghdad, amid soaring US-Iran tensions.
The Iraqi military and the US-led coalition have denied that a US air strike had taken place on a medical convoy in Taji, north of Baghdad, afrer reports emerged that an attack killed at least six people.
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US denies latest airstrikes targeting Iraqi militia in Baghdad – as it happened
Two of three vehicles in Iraqi militia convoy were reportedly found burned, a day after killing of Iran general Qassem Suleimani – follow live
Huge crowd expected for Suleimani funeral
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Baghdad today for the funeral procession of Qassem Suleimani, the Iranian general killed in a US drone attack, writes our Middle East-based correspondent, Michael Safi.
Suleimani will also be honoured with processions in the holy Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf on Saturday, Iranian officials said, before his remains are taken to Iran for a prayer ceremony in Tehran and a burial in his hometown.
US denies latest airstrikes
The US-led coalition in Iraq says it did not carry out Saturday’s airstrikes near Taj stadium in Baghdad that killed several people, a spokesman has said, according to Reuters.
Hopefully we can expand on this soon.
Reuters has some interesting background about what could have led to the killing of Suleimani. The news agency reports that in mid-October, the Revolutionary Guards general met Iraqi Shia militia allies “at a villa on the banks of the Tigris river, looking across at the US embassy complex in Baghdad”.
At the meeting, Suleimani told his Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and other powerful militia leaders to step up attacks on US targets in the country using sophisticated new weapons provided by Iran, two militia commanders and two security sources briefed on the gathering told Reuters.
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Soleimani’s Body to Be Transferred to Iran After Funeral Processions in Iraq
The body of Iranian Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the United States military early on Friday, is to be transferred to Iran after funeral processions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and the cities of Najaf and Karbala.
Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Iraj Masjedi said a funeral procession for Lieutenant General Soleimani, who was the head of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), would be held in Baghdad on Saturday.
Speaking on Friday, Masjedi said that in a meeting with Iraq’s Caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, he had been told that Iraqis had insisted that a funeral procession take place in the Iraqi capital on Saturday, Iran’s official IRNA agency reported.
Masjedi said that the procession would honor Soleimani along with his comrades who were assassinated in a US airstrike earlier on Friday, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
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By assassinating Soleimani, US paved way for own elimination from region: Zarif
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says by staging "the cowardly act of state terrorism” that led to senior Iranian commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani’s martyrdom, the United States practically paved the way for its own "elimination" from the region.
Zarif made the remarks in an exclusive television interview on Friday
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/01/03/615301/Iran-United-States-assassination-Soleimani-Zarif
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Soleimani assassination tantamount to war on Iran: UN ambassador
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says the United States’ recent assassination of the Islamic Republic's senior commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani is tantamount to waging a war on the Iranian nation.
“In fact, it was an act of war on the part of the United States against the Iranian people,” Majid Takht-e Ravanchi told CNN’s OutFront program on Friday.
The strike was “a new chapter, which is tantamount to opening a war against Iran,” he reiterated.
"The response for a military action is a military action,” the envoy noted. “By whom? By... when? Where? That is for the future to witness,” he said.
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Why US Assassinated General Qassem Soleimani
All US attempts to isolate Iran by abrogating the nuclear deal "and imposing stringent, unwarranted and illegal economic sanctions on Iran have failed dismally," and the attempt to destabilize the Islamic Republic "internally have also recently been met with defeat," according to Dennis Etler, an American political analyst who has a decades-long interest in international affairs.
In an interview with Press TV on Saturday, Etler, a former professor of Anthropology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, said, “In classic ‘wag the dog’ fashion Trump has escalated tensions in the Middle East to new heights. Why now, is the cry being heard around the world. Why should the US suddenly create an incident of unprecedented severity, putting the region on tenterhooks?”
“The reasons are manifold. The US attempt to isolate Iran by abrogating the JCPOA (aka Iran nuclear deal) and imposing stringent, unwarranted and illegal economic sanctions on Iran have failed dismally.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10610
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Gen. Soleimani assassination means targeting Jihad: Muqtada al-Sadr
The leader of the Sadr movement, Muqtada al-Sadr reacted to the martyrdom of Commander of IRGC Quds Brigade, General Ghasem Soleimani, saying that his militias are ready to defend Iraq.
In a tweet on Friday, Muqtada al-Sadr, expressed condolences over the martyrdom of IRGC Quds Force commander General Soleimani and Iraqi PMU leaders in a US airstrike in Baghdad.
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Thousands in Baghdad mourn Iranian general killed by US
Thousands of mourners chanting “America is the Great Satan” marched in a funeral procession Saturday through Baghdad for Iran’s top general and Iraqi militant leaders, who were killed in a U.S. airstrike.
https://apnews.com/73280065e4349e2d3bda1c0a0b5673fa
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Iran general steps out of Soleimani’s shadow to lead proxies
A new Iranian general has stepped out of the shadows to lead the country’s expeditionary Quds Force, becoming responsible for Tehran’s proxies across the Mideast as the Islamic Republic threatens the U.S. with “harsh revenge” for killing its previous head, Qassem Soleimani.
The Quds Force is part of the 125,000-strong Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary organization that answers only to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Guard oversees Iran’s ballistic missile program, has its naval forces shadow the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf and includes an all-volunteer Basij force.
Like his predecessor, a young Esmail Ghaani faced the carnage of Iran’s eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s and later joined the newly founded Quds, or Jerusalem, Force.
While much still remains unknown about Ghaani, 62, Western sanctions suggest he’s long been in a position of power in the organization. And likely one of his first duties will be to oversee whatever revenge Iran intends to seek for the U.S. airstrike early Friday that killed his longtime friend Soleimani.
“We are children of war,” Ghaani once said of his relationship with Soleimani
https://apnews.com/d515b9c3a2b48f9d3416d73dad347456
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Pentagon to deploy roughly 3,500 more troops to Middle East with others placed on alert status, amid tensions with Iran
The moves comes in the wake of a strike that killed Iran's top general.
The Pentagon is deploying roughly 3,500 more troops to the Middle East in response to rising tensions in the region with Iran and one day after a U.S. airstrike killed a top Iranian military commander.
The soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division could leave Fort Bragg in North Carolina for the Middle East as early as this weekend, two U.S. officials told ABC News.
"The brigade will deploy to Kuwait as an appropriate and precautionary action in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, and will assist in reconstituting the reserve," a Defense Department spokesperson said in a statement.
On Tuesday night, 750 soldiers from the same brigade -- what the Pentagon calls the Immediate Response Force -- were deployed to Kuwait following violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. About 100 Marines also arrived at the embassy to reinforce security there.
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U.S. Will Come To Regret Its Assassination of Qassim Soleimani
Today the U.S. declared war on Iran and Iraq.
War is what it will get.
Soleimani had arrived in Baghdad on a normal flight from Lebanon. He did not travel in secret. He was picked up at the airport by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes, the deputy commander of the al-Hashd al-Shaabi, an official Iraqi security force under the command of the Iraqi Prime Minister. The two cars they traveled in were destroyed in the U.S. attack. Both men and their drivers and guards died.
The U.S. created two martyrs who will now become the models and idols for tens of millions of youth in the Middle East.
The Houthi in Yemen, Hizbullah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, the paramilitary forces in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere have all benefited from Soleimani's advice and support. They will all take actions to revenge him.
Moqtada al-Sadr, the unruly Shia cleric who commands millions of followers in Iraq, has given orders to reactivate his military branch 'Jaish al-Imam al-Mahdi'. Between 2004 and 2008 the Mahdi forces fought the U.S. occupation of Iraq. They will do so again.
The outright assassination of a commander of Soleimani's weight demands an Iranian reaction of at least a similar size. All U.S. generals or high politicians traveling in the Middle East or elsewhere will now have to watch their back. There will be no safety for them anywhere.
No Iraqi politician will be able to argue for keeping U.S. forces in the country. The Iraqi Prime Minister Abdel Mahdi has called for a parliament emergency meeting to ask for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops
The National Security Council of Iran is meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to "study the options of response". There are many such options. The U.S. has forces stationed in many countries around Iran. From now on none of them will be safe.
Iran will tie its response to the political calender. U.S. President Donald Trump will go into his reelection campaign with U.S. troops under threat everywhere. We can expect incidents like the Beirut barracks bombing to repeat themselves when he is most vulnerable.
Trump will learn that killing the enemy is the easy part of a war. The difficulties come after that happened.
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U.S. Killing of Soleimani Leaves Trump ‘Totally Unpredictable’
Until now, Trump had held off on aggressive military action
Strike on Iranian general restored sense of unpredictability
Three years into Donald Trump’s presidency, U.S. allies and adversaries thought they had him figured out as a leader prone to bellicose talk who rarely delivered on his boldest military threats.
That all changed Thursday with Trump’s decision to kill a key Iranian commander in the biggest foreign policy gamble of his time in office.
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Will Iran’s Response to the Soleimani Strike Lead to War?
What Tehran Is Likely to Do Next
For all these reasons and more, Soleimani was a cult hero in Iran and across the region.
In short, the United States has taken a highly escalatory step in assassinating one of the most important and powerful men in the Middle East.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump argues that Soleimani was a terrorist and that assassinating him was a defensive action that stopped an imminent attack. Both of those assertions may or may not be true, but the United States would never have felt compelled to act against the Iranian general if not for the reckless policy the administration has pursued since it came into office. In May 2018, Trump left the Iran nuclear agreement and adopted a “maximum pressure” policy of economic sanctions on Iran. For a year, Iran responded with restraint in an effort to isolate the United States diplomatically and win economic concessions from other parties to the nuclear agreement.
But the restrained approach failed to yield material benefits. By May 2019, Tehran had chosen instead to breach the agreement and escalate tensions across the region.
The most important question now is how will Iran respond. The Islamic Republic’s behavior over the past few months and over its long history suggests that it may not rush to retaliate. Rather, it will carefully and patiently choose an approach that it deems effective, and it will likely try to avoid an all-out war with the United States. Nonetheless, the events of the past few days demonstrate that the risk of miscalculation is incredibly high. Soleimani clearly didn’t believe that the United States was going to dramatically escalate or he wouldn’t have left himself so vulnerable, only a stone’s throw away from U.S. military forces in Iraq. For his part, Trump has been adamant about his lack of interest in starting a new war in the Middle East—and yet, here we are at the precipice.
The United States must, at a minimum, expect to find itself in conflict with Shiite militias in Iraq that will target U.S. forces, diplomats, and civilians. Iraq is the theater where the U.S. strike took place and therefore the most rational place for Iran to immediately respond.
Whether a U.S. presence in Iraq is still viable remains an open question.
The repercussions of the assassination won’t necessarily be confined to Iraq.
We should also expect Iran to significantly accelerate its nuclear program.
Perhaps the most provocative thing Iran could do is carry out a terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland or attempt to kill a senior U.S. official of Soleimani’s stature.
If the Trump administration is smart, it will do all that it can to harden U.S. facilities and protect Americans while absorbing some of the inevitable blows to come. It should also reach out to Iran through U.S. partners that have good relations with the country, such as Oman, to try to de-escalate while also setting clear redlines in private to avoid an Iranian miscalculation. Finally, Trump should be satisfied to declare victory and boast that he got the upper hand on Iran by killing Soleimani—not take further military actions – by Ilan Goldenberg
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Suleimani Killing Sparks Fear of War and Economic Turmoil
Oil markets expect escalation in wake of U.S. strike on Iranian general.
The escalation in recent days between the United States and Iran is now entering a dangerous new phase, with Iran expected to launch both short-term reprisals, especially against U.S. forces in Iraq, and a longer-term acceleration of its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that Iran would respond to the U.S. strike with “harsh retaliation,” while a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed “vigorous revenge.” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lambasted on Twitter what he called a “dangerous & a foolish escalation” of tensions between the two countries.
“The strike that killed Qassem Suleimani is a significant escalation in the current tensions between Iran and the United States,” said Michael Mulroy, who until last month served as the Middle East policy chief for the U.S. Department of Defense.
“He is considered a national hero in Iran and one of the most popular senior leaders despite running a clandestine organization. It is likely that Iran will feel compelled to respond by both overt and covert action against the United States and our interests. This response or responses could happen anywhere,” said Mulroy, now an analyst with ABC News.
Russia’s foreign ministry and top politicians also criticized the U.S. strike, authorized by President Donald Trump, and said that it would increase the possibility of regional conflict.
The specter of Iranian reprisals spooked the oil market
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/03/suleimani-killing-sparks-fear-of-war-and-economic-turmoil/
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Iran vows revenge for US attack that killed powerful general
Iran promised to seek revenge for a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport that killed the mastermind of its interventions across the Middle East, and the U.S. said Friday that it was sending thousands more troops to the region as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing.
The death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Tehran, which has careened from one crisis to another since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions.
Almost 24 hours after the attack on Soleimani, Iraqi officials and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq reported another deadly airstrike.
An Iraqi government official reported a strike on two vehicles north of Baghdad but had no information on casualties. Another security official who witnessed the aftermath described charred vehicles and said five people were killed. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Iraqi state television and the media arm of the Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces also reported the strike. The group said its medics were targeted.
The targeted strike against Soleimani and any retaliation by Iran could ignite a conflict that engulfs the whole region, endangering U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Over the last two decades, Soleimani had assembled a network of heavily armed allies stretching all the way to southern Lebanon, on Israel’s doorstep.
https://apnews.com/e36db7c72c1adba1a6cae75091bc273d
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Iranian cyberattacks feared after killing of top general
Iran’s retaliation for the United States’ targeted killing of its top general is likely to include cyberattacks, security experts warned Friday. Iran’s state-backed hackers are already among the world’s most aggressive and could inject malware that triggers major disruptions to the U.S. public and private sector.
Potential targets include manufacturing facilities, oil and gas plants and transit systems. A top U.S. cybersecurity official is warning businesses and government agencies to be extra vigilant.
https://apnews.com/aa3ddd9dd24b79f8ec76aa1a6487e4fc
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Killing Iran’s Qassem Suleimani changes the game in the Middle East
But has Trump really thought out what comes next?
The killing of Suleimani, the long-time head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) is likely to prove a watershed in Washington’s relations with Iraq and Iran and will substantially affect the overall US position in the Middle East. The blowback may be huge, and much depends on how well prepared the United States is for Iran’s response and that of its many proxies in the Middle East.
Based on the Trump administration’s record in the region, there is reason to be worried.
It’s hard to overstate Suleimani’s influence.
Suleimani has been the architect of many of Iran’s most contentious foreign policy issues, and he and the IRGC-QF are responsible for the deaths of many Americans.
Iran’s response to Suleimani’s killing will be serious, and unpredictable
With Suleimani’s death there will be hell to pay — and because of Quds Force’s reach, Iran will have multiple theaters in which to attack the United States.
Attacks on US forces and facilities in Iraq are particularly likely. Tehran has spent over 15 years building up extensive networks among militia groups and politicians in Iraq
Suleimani’s killing is only likely to strengthen Iran’s hand, politically
Many Iraqi politicians, by necessity and in some cases by choice, have close ties to Iran, and pressure will grow to oust US forces from the country. If there is a back-and-forth between the United States and Iran, it is simply the case that Iran has more allies and more influence there, and many Iraqi leaders are likely to bow to Iranian pressure.
Although Iran is likely to strike back, the scale and scope of its response are hard to predict.
Is the Trump administration prepared for the consequences of its escalation?
Much depends on how prepared the United States is for the inevitable Iranian response. Deliberative thinking is not a strong suit of the Trump administration, and it is easy to focus on the immediate gratification that comes from killing an archenemy responsible for many American and allied deaths than thinking through the long-term implications of the strike – by Daniel Byman
https://www.vox.com/2020/1/2/21047655/iran-us-strike-general-qassem-soleimani-pentagon-news
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Qassem Suleimani: A loss too big for Iran to leave unanswered
The US had long held off from killing the Iranian commander despite his role against US interests in the Middle East
The operation was less about US intelligence learning of Suleimani’s exact whereabouts and more about the decision to eliminate him. The leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force had been a frequent visitor to Baghdad ever since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. US authorities were aware of his visits, and at times exchanged messages through intermediaries, according to the New Yorker.
Suleimani’s reach and influence in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon had grown significantly in the last 13 years.
But with Suleimani gone, the US may have opened the door for limited direct confrontation with Iran. This is the highest-level assassination of an Iranian commander by the US since the 1979 revolution. It is a game changer in terms of battle tactics and the scope of tensions between the two countries.
With more US sanctions expected on Iran, ongoing protests in Iraq and Lebanon threatening Tehran’s grip, and now the killing of Suleimani, Iran and Mr Trump may have reached the point of no return in their escalation spiral.
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Saudi urges self-restraint over U.S. strike in Iraq: TV
Saudi Arabia called on Friday for self-restraint to prevent escalation after the U.S. strike in Iraq that killed a senior Iranian commander, an official source told state TV.
Also, the ministry of foreign affairs issued a statement affirming the international community must fulfill its responsibilities to ensure the security of the region.
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The Latest: UN chief urges ‘maximum restraint’ in the Gulf
The latest on the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad that killed Iran’s top general (all times local):
7 p.m.
The U.N. secretary-general has urged leaders to “exercise maximum restraint” following the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran’s top military commander.
6:35 p.m.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says it has reached a decision on how to respond to the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, but isn’t saying what the decision is.
6 p.m.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry says the charge d’affaires of its embassy in Tehran was summoned Friday to be “informed of Iran’s position” after a U.S. airstrike killed Iran’s top military commander.
5:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump says the Iranian military commander who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq was “plotting to kill” many Americans.
In his first comments on the targeted killing of the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Trump says Gen. Qassem Soleimani was also responsible for killing and wounding “thousands” of Americans and many more in the region.
Trump adds that “he should have been taken out many years ago!”
4:55 p.m.
Iran’s state television is reporting that 10 people were killed in the U.S. airstrike Friday morning and five of them were members of the Revolutionary Guard.
4:10 p.m.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is asserting that the U.S. killed Iran’s top military commander to disrupt an “imminent” attack orchestrated by him.
Pompeo told CNN that Gen. Qassem Soleimani “was actively plott
3:50 p.m.
Anger at the United States and legal questions have followed the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran’s top military commander.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a TV interview that there were no legal grounds for the strike. And U.N. human rights expert, Agnes Callamard, tweeted that the airstrike in Baghdad appeared to be “far more retaliatory for past acts than anticipatory for imminent self-defense.”
3:10 p.m.
Israel’s prime minister has welcomed the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran’s top genera
1:20 p.m.
An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader is threatening U.S. troops in the Middle East and says “this is the time to clear the region from these insidious beasts.”
12:55 p.m.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the killing of Iran’s top general in a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad’s airport and said it will increase tensions throughout the Middle East.
12:40 p.m.
China says it is “highly concerned” and calls for all sides, especially the United States, to exercise “calm and restraint”
https://apnews.com/ad99e858a16e31a089a9135aa4100851
(A P)
Vermont Congress members criticize strike on Iran generalermont Congress members criticize strike on Iran general
https://apnews.com/d46912d77aeb45568641814fb50f6eeb
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Iraqi PM says U.S. killing of Iranian commander will 'light the fuse' of war
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.
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Iraqi parliament speaker condemns U.S. air strike: statement
Iraq’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi condemned on Friday a U.S. air strike in Baghdad that killed Iran’s most powerful general and a top Iraqi Shi’ite militia commander as a breach of sovereignty.
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Iraq Militia Commander Calls for End of U.S. Presence: TV
The U.S. presence in Iraq must end as a result of the American killing of the deputy commander of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units, a senior Iraq militia leader was cited as saying by Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV.
Qais al-Khazali, head of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Shiite militia, was speaking after the U.S. assassinated Abu Madhi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the Iraqi paramilitary organization, along with top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
(A P)
Syrian President condoles with Iran on Gen Soleimani martyrdom
https://en.irna.ir/news/83619222/Syrian-President-condoles-with-Iran-on-Gen-Soleimani-martyrdom
(A P)
Syria Strongly Condemns US Aggression Led to Martyrdom of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis
https://sana.sy/en/?p=181867 = https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10594
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Trump stirs Mideast tensions despite talk of ‘endless wars’
With a single drone strike, President Donald Trump did more than just take out an avowed enemy of the United States. He may have have also upended a central element of his foreign policy.
The Friday strike that killed the most prominent Iranian general may have ended any chance that he would get the United States out of the “endless wars” in the Middle East that he has railed against since taking office.
The killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad has the world bracing for a possible retaliation, with many fearing it could lead to a wider conflict.
“It is probably the most profound escalation that the United States could have taken,” said Ned Price, who served on the National Security Council under President Barack Obama.
Trump has been on a confrontational path with Iran since even before he took office, when he pledged to end the Iran nuclear deal signed by Obama. He insisted he doesn’t want war and the killing of Soleimani wasn’t meant to provoke the Islamic Republic.
“We took action last night to stop a war,” Trump sad. “We did not take action to start a war.”
Nonetheless, the targeting of Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was arguably the most provocative military action in the Middle East since President George W. Bush launched the 2003 Iraq war to topple Saddam Hussein.
By taking out Soleimani, Trump signaled to Iran that his patience has worn thin over the long, simmering conflagration.
Trump said Friday he wasn’t interested in further escalating the conflict, but warned the regime that his military advisers have already drawn up plans to retaliate should Iran attack.
“If Americans anywhere are threatened, we have all of those targets already fully identified and I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary, and that in particular refers to Iran,” Trump said.
Trump’s aggressive approach with Iran is remarkable considering his oft-repeated desire to avoid expensive military entanglements. His aversion to long-term military presence has led to him butting heads with his top advisers as he has sought to end the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and Syria.
Yet, for much of his nearly three years in office, Trump has buffeted between demonstrating restraint and sending warning flares to Iran that the U.S. is prepared for military confrontation – by Aaamer Mahdani
https://apnews.com/d46912d77aeb45568641814fb50f6eeb
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Trump Rattles Mideast, U.S. Politics With Risky Iran Strike
Donald Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian general on Thursday, and in his characteristic style, the president made sure the world knew who was responsible.
As reports filtered out from Iraq that Qassem Soleimani had been killed in a U.S. airstrike, some administration officials quietly acknowledged American involvement.
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A more dangerous world’: Iran killing triggers global alarm
Global powers warned Friday that the world became a more dangerous place after the U.S. assassinated Iran’s top general, urging restraint on all sides. Britain and Germany also suggested that Iran shared some blame for provoking the targeted killing that dramatically ratcheted up tensions in the Mideast.
China, Russia and France, all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, took a dim view of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport early Friday that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani and several of his associates. The 62-year-old ledIran’s elite Quds Force, responsible for the country’s foreign campaigns.
https://apnews.com/de0fd53597fa0c261bd7d2c6072b0be8
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Statement by the Department of Defense
At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
General 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. He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.
This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.
Comment: We are told it was "aimed at deterring" future attacks. In reality, it's far more likely to do the opposite.
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1213029227513229313
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Iran vows ‘harsh’ response to US killing of top general
Iran vowed “harsh retaliation” for a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport that killed a top Iranian general who had been the architect of its interventions across the Middle East, as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing.
The killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Iran
https://apnews.com/e36db7c72c1adba1a6cae75091bc273d
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Film: Iran warns of revenge for US killing of Soleimani
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for three days of national mourning after a US attack killed a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Qassem Soleimani. Khamenei warned of "harsh revenge" and said the incident would double Iran's resolve to resist the United States.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/iran-warns-revenge-killing-soleimani-200103151012903.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stKCxqswI-U
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Ayatollah Khamenei Warns of Harsh Revenge for General Soleimani’s Martyrdom
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned that harsh revenge awaits the criminals behind the martyrdom of Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Q
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Iran, Regional Nations to Take Revenge for General Soleimani’s Assassination: Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the US that Iran and other regional nations will exact revenge for the assassination of IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani.
In a statement of Friday morning, Rouhani said the assassination of General Soleimani and a number of his entourage, including the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, by the “criminal and aggressive US” has broken the hearts of the Iranian nation and other regional nations.
(A P)
US passed red lines: Iran's President advisor
The adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Hesameddin Ashena has said Washington "passed red lines" with its assassination of Maj. Gen Qassem Soleimani and will "have to face its consequences".
https://iranpress.com/en/iran-i142199-us_passed_red_lines_iran's_president_advisor
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Cycle of revenge: What’s next after killing of Iran general?
The unprecedented killing of Iran’s top general in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq has sent shockwaves across the Middle East, with Iran and its allies vowing revenge amid fears of an all-out war.
But while they have vast arsenals and are within striking distance of U.S. troops deployed in Syria, Iraq and the Gulf, Iran may be wary of launching a retaliatory attack that could ignite a major conflict.
The targeted attack on Friday could give them pause by signaling that the mercurial President Donald Trump is willing to wield U.S. military power in dramatic and unforeseen ways.
The slain general, Qassem Soleimani, was a towering figure who mobilized heavily-armed militias across the region against the United States and its allies, extending Iran’s influence to the Mediterranean.
His death was a major blow to Iran and led nearly everyone from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on down to vow massive retaliation.
“There will be for sure a reaction from Iran’s side and the axis of resistance, but the question is where, when and how,” said Ibrahim Bayram, an analyst with Lebanon’s daily An-Nahar. “I think the Iranians are precise and know how to direct the hit.”
Here is a look at possible scenarios going forward:
AMERICA OUT OF IRAQ
The most immediate repercussions are likely to be felt in Iraq, where the airstrike — which also killed a top Iraqi militia commander — was seen as an assault on the country’s sovereignty.
Iraq’s parliament will meet for an emergency session Saturday while the country’s powerful Iran-backed militias hold a funeral in Baghdad that thousands are expected to attend.
The targeted killing is likely to strengthen Iran-backed forces and political factions in the face of anti-government protesters who oppose Tehran’s influence
STRIKING THE GULF
Rather than unleashing its proxies, Iran might respond on its own by targeting U.S. allies in the Gulf and their oil infrastructure.
SOUND AND FURY?
There’s also the possibility, amid all the dire predictions, that Iran does nothing, at least for now.
https://apnews.com/845a761a5fd3f95ace0858a140a3c9e8
https://apnews.com/845a761a5fd3f95ace0858a140a3c9e8
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AP Explains: Rising Iran, US tension after general’s killing
The U.S. airstrike that killed a prominent Iranian general in Baghdad raises tensions even higher between Tehran and Washington, after months of trading attacks and threats across the wider Middle East.
How Iran will respond remains in question as well, though its supreme leader warned that a “harsh retaliation is waiting” for those who killed Revolutionary Guard Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani early Friday morning. That could include anything, from challenging U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf, firing ballistic missiles or deploying the asymmetrical proxy forces Iran has cultivated to cover for its long-sanctioned conventional forces.
Soleimani’s death is the latest in a series of escalating incidents traces back to President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers. However, overall enmity between Iran and the U.S. date back to its 1979 Islamic Revolution, as well as a 1953 U.S.-backed coup in Tehran that cemented the power of its ruling shah over an elected prime minister.
Here’s where things stand now:
https://apnews.com/a5052e99ec959c136e120abc050ec519
(A P)
Oil prices jump on fears of Iranian retaliation against US
https://apnews.com/926b5339940cc3bf79aced093ef225d8
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Iran’s popular Gen. Soleimani became an icon by targeting US
For Iranians whose icons since the Islamic Revolution have been stern-faced clergy, Gen. Qassem Soleimani was a popular figure of national resilience in the face of four decades of U.S. pressure.
For the U.S. and Israel, he was a shadowy figure in command of Iran’s proxy forces, responsible for fighters in Syria backing President Bashar Assad and for the deaths of American troops in Iraq.
Solemani survived the horror of Iran’s long war in the 1980s with Iraq to take control of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, responsible for the Islamic Republic’s campaigns abroad.
Relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Soleimani’s popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing. A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Iran’s most recognizable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership.
“The warfront is mankind’s lost paradise,” Soleimani said in a 2009 interview
https://apnews.com/3bb7af59e8b1bfd3e15222a98395ee85
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2015 BBC Audio: Qassem Suleimani
Mark Coles profiles Iran's General Qassem Suleimani, the leading strategist who is training Bashar al-Assad's army in Syria and leading the Shia militias fighting Isis in Iraq.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054gxpl
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What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard?
Here is a look at the history of the IRGC:
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, known in Iran as Pasdaran, was founded in April 1979 shortly after the Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of Iran’s pro-Western monarch Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
The IRGC’s core task, as mandated by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, is to protect the country’s Islamic system and revolutionary values.
https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/what-irans-islamic-revolutionary-guard
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Who And Where Are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards?
Although Iran is steadily increasing its power throughout the Middle East, the exact way its doing so is rarely discussed. Most headlines referring to an outsized Iranian presence in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, but in fact, most of the project of expanding Iranian power has been assigned to one particular group: the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Part clandestine security force and part mafia-esque organization, the IRGC is one of the most complex and powerful organizations, with few checks on its growing power both within and outside of Iran.
Development around Iran will inevitably involve the IRGC, so here is a primer for what it is, where it’s currently operating in the Middle East and what exactly it’s doing when inside those countries.
https://www.albawaba.com/news/who-and-where-are-iran%E2%80%99s-revolutionary-guards-1170254
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
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Reaktionen in Berlin: “Wir sind an einem gefährlichen Eskalationspunkt”
Hinzu kommt allerdings in Zeiten des Donald Trump stets auch die Sorge um das Verhältnis zu den USA. So erklärt sich wohl, dass sich die Bundesregierung zunächst einmal jegliche offene Kritik an dem Angriff verkneift, sondern sogar eher Verständnis signalisiert. “Das amerikanische Vorgehen ist eine Reaktion auf eine ganze Reihe von militärischen Provokationen, für die der Iran Verantwortung trägt”, sagte Vize-Regierungssprecherin Ulrike Demmer. “Auch wir sehen die regionalen Aktivitäten des Iran mit großer Besorgnis”, betonte sie.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundesregierung-iran-usa-soleimani-1.4744415
(A K P)
Maas kündigt Gespräche mit Iran an: Eskalation entgegenwirken
Mein Kommentar: LOL. Der Frosch im Haifischbecken.
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A K P)
Die VAE verurteilen die Entscheidung der Türkei, Truppen nach Libyen zu entsenden
Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate haben eine Entscheidung der Türkei, Streitkräfte nach Libyen zu entsenden, als Verstoß gegen die Resolutionen der internationalen Gemeinschaft und des UN-Sicherheitsrates zu Libyen verurteilt gemäß der Resolution 1970 von 2011, um den Verkauf oder die Lieferung von Waffen nach Libyen ohne deren Genehmigung zu verhindern.
Eine solche Entscheidung könnte die Bemühungen zur Wiederherstellung der Stabilität in diesem arabischen Land behindern,
http://www.wam.ae/de/details/1395302813931
(A K P)
UAE condemns Turkey’s decision to send troops to Libya
The United Arab Emirates has condemned a decision by Turkey to send military forces to Libya in a stark violation of the international community's and UN Security Council’s resolutions on Libya, according to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1970 of 2011 to prevent the sale or supply of arms to Libya without its approval.
http://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302813916
My comment: What a joke. Turkey interfered into the Libya war after the internationally recognized government had required this. Saudi Arabia interfered into the Yemen war after the internationally recognized government had required it.
cp13a Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
Siehe / Look at cp1
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
(A E)
Today in Yemen's Hadramout: $1= 620 riyals, falling from 602 last week.
Does the Hadramout have a different exchange rate than the rest of Yemen?
slightly less than Aden. In Aden the riyal hit 625.
https://twitter.com/saeedalBatati/status/1213565572715290624
cp15 Propaganda
(B P)
Erste Analyse zum Schlag gegen Soleimani
Wenn die Tötung des Kommandeurs der iranischen Revolutionsgarde, Qasim Soleimani, bestätigt wird, bricht jahrzehntelanges iranisches Missverhalten im gesamten Nahen Osten in Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Libanon & Palästinensischen Gebieten ab und ebnet den Weg zum Frieden mit Israel, oder wir haben gerade einen Schritt in Richtung Krieg gemacht.
Ich wiederhole, wenn es sich bestätigt, dann ist das ein schwerer Schlag für den Iran und seine Fähigkeit, in Gaza über den Islamischen Dschihad (und die Hamas) und in Syrien, Irak und Libanon über die Hisbollah, im Jemen über die Houthis und ihre Bemühungen in Afghanistan und anderswo Stellvertreterkriege zu führen.
Der Iran benutzte eine Außenpolitik der ‘gelenkten Provokation’ im Putin-Stil, um gegen die US-amerikanischen und globalen Interessen vorzugehen, mit dem Ziel, Überreaktionen hervorzurufen, die die US-Truppen wieder in Konflikte verwickeln
https://politisches.blog-net.ch/2020/01/04/erste-analyse-zum-schlag-gegen-soleimani/
(B P)
If confirmed, Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qasim Soleimani’s killing either aborts decades of Iranian malfeasance across the Middle East in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon & Palestinian Territories & paves the way to peace with Israel, or we just took a step towards war.
Again, if confirmed, this is a major blow to Iran & her ability to run wars by proxy in Gaza via Islamic Jihad (and Hamas) and in Syria, Iraq & Lebanon via Hezbollah, in Yemen via Houthis & her efforts in Afghanistan & elsewhere.
Iran was utilising a Putin-style foreign policy of ‘managed provocation’ in striking at US & global interests with aim of goading overreactions that reengage US troops in conflicts (eg: oil attacks at Hormuz and Aramco). This strategy relied on US public opinion being against war.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2718681354865779
(B P)
War by Proxy: Iran’s Growing Footprint in the Middle East
There is growing Iranian activism in the Middle East despite U.S. and allied efforts to weaken Iran’s economy and politically isolate Tehran. There has been an increase in the size and capabilities of militias supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen collectively. Iran is also working to establish a land bridge across the region. Nevertheless, Iran has weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the United States and its partners.
Tehran wields influence in the Middle East through its use of non-state partners, despite renewed U.S. sanctions against Iran and a U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Iran’s economic woes have not contributed to declining activism in the region—at least not yet. If anything, Iranian leaders appear just as committed as ever to engagement across the Middle East using irregular methods. According to data collected and analyzed in this brief, there has been an increase in the overall size and capability of foreign forces that are partnered with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), Iran’s paramilitary organization responsible for foreign operations. The IRGC-QF’s partners are in countries like Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Afghanistan. Iran is also attempting to establish land corridors across the region and increase its ability to move fighters and material from one theater to another.
More broadly, there is a growing regional conflict with Iran, which consists of a war in Yemen (including the Houthi use of ballistic missiles against Saudi Arabia), an escalating conflict with Israel in Syria, a growth of Shia militia forces in Iraq, targeted assassinations, and cyberattacks.
https://www.csis.org/war-by-proxy
My comment: From the US: it’s always strange how US politicians and pundits do not see the elephant in the room: The US worldwide “War by Proxy”, “Washington wields worldwide influence” etc. – And again, the war in Yemen has little to do with Iran and much more with the US.
(A P)
I’ve had a chance to check in with sources, including two US officials who had intelligence briefings after the strike on Suleimani. Here is what I’ve learned. According to them, the evidence suggesting there was to be an imminent attack on American targets is “razor thin”.
In fact the evidence pointing to that came as three discrete facts: a) A pattern of travel showing Suleimani was in Syria, Lebanon & Iraq to meet with Shia proxies known to have an offensive position to the US. (As one source said that’s just “business as usual” for Suleimani)
More intriguing was b) information indicating Suleimani sought the Supreme Leader’s approval for an operation. He was told to come to Tehran for consultation and further guidance, suggesting the operation was a big deal - but again this could be anything.
https://twitter.com/rcallimachi/status/1213421769777909761
(B P)
Gezielte Nadelstiche
Kurzform: Es bleibt die bittere Erkenntnis: Der Westen ist schwach, weil er keine koordinierte Linie gegenüber dem Iran hat. Trump will die Mullahs in die Knie zwingen, aber nicht zum Preis eines militärischen Schlagabtauschs. Die Europäer lavieren und möchten noch ein bisschen am internationalen Atomabkommen mit Teheran festhalten. Diese Uneinigkeit nutzt der Iran eiskalt aus.
https://www.presseportal.de/pm/53614/4481521
(A P)
No Surprise Here: Some CNNers Are Not Taking Soleimani’s Death Well
Much like their friends at The Washington Post, one might as well have kidnaped their pets or stole their lunches. And not surprisingly, CNN global affairs analyst and cartoonishly bad Post columnist Max Boot was the hardest hit.
Boot appeared on AC360 and predictably deployed an argument that could be boiled down to a series of what our friend David Rutz broadly coined as “‘Sure Soleimani was bad BUT’ takes.”
He argued that were “was no question” about whether his death was justified, but then pivoted on two occasions to bashing the Trump administration for having been the ones to do it. In other words, it’s because, in his mind, they lack the same IQ as Max Boot (click “expand”)
(A P)
Op-Ed: America just took out a man many consider the world’s No. 1 bad guy
For many of us who watch and analyze news out of the Middle East daily, he was the world’s number one bad guy.
Qasem Soleimani has been in control of Iran’s Quds Force for more than 20 years. His current greatest hits include helping Bashar al Assad slaughter hundreds of thousands of his own people in the Syrian civil war, stoking the Houthis in Yemen’s civil war, and overseeing the killing of hundreds of Iraqi protesters recently demonstrating against Iranian influence in their country.
But most importantly for Americans, Soleimani was behind the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers during the Iraq War. Last year, the U.S. State Department put the number of Americans killed by Iranian proxies in Iraq at 608 since 2003.
The killing of Soleimani doesn’t have the emotional power of the takedown of Osama bin Laden, and he wasn’t even as well-known to Americans as ISIS founder Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. But in many ways, taking him out means much more in terms of saving current lives. Remember that bin Laden and al Baghdadi were mostly out of business and in hiding at the time of their deaths. Solemani was busier than ever, directing mayhem all over the Middle East and beyond – by Jake Novak
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/02/trump-just-took-out-the-worlds-biggest-bad-guy-qassim-soleimani.html
(A P)
„Suleimani war für die Islamisten und Terroristen unter den Schiiten sowas wie Osama Bin Laden“
Arye: Er war der Bulldozer, der für die enorm erfolgreiche Expansion des Iran bis zum Mittelmeer und zum Golf von Aden verantwortlich ist. Qassem Suleimani war es, der die Islamische Republik Iran in eine regionale Macht verwandelt hat, in etwa wie Putin aus Russland wieder eine Weltmacht gemacht hat.
Qassem Suleimani war für die Islamisten und Terroristen unter den schiitischen Muslimen in etwa was Osama Bin Laden und danach Al Bagdadi für die sunnitischen Islamisten und Terroristen darstellten.
(A P)
Immer wieder Iran: In diesen Konflikte mischt Teheran mit
Teheran versucht, seine Macht in der Region massiv auszuweiten. Um sein Ziel zu erreichen, hat das Land sich Verbündete gesucht, die gezielt für Unruhe sorgen.
Der Iran strebt nach Macht – und das weit über die eigenen Landesgrenzen hinaus. Selbst muss sich Teheran die Hände kaum mehr schmutzig machen, dafür ist das Netz an verbündeten Rebellen groß genug. Ziel ist es, eine Vormachtstellung im Nahen Osten einzunehmen – der schiitische Iran befindet sich dabei vor allem im Wettstreit mit dem sunnitischen Saudi-Arabien. Ein Überblick:
Mein Kommentar: Als würde die Einmischung der USA hinter Key West aufhören.
(A P)
Saudi Press Round-up: No more Regional Loyalty to Iran's Sectarian Regime
Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues, at local, regional and international arenas.
Riyadh-based Al-Riyadh newspaper said in an editorial titled: (A New Decade for the Region) that the Iranian project, in the region is retreating, at an amazing pace, so that the regime, in Tehran, appears shocked, at the collapse of its most important corner of ideology, namely the sectarian loyalty, throughout the region, to the Tehran-based regime.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2018987
(A P)
More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2019204
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2019183
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2019178
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2019163
http://en.adenpress.news/home#16180
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2064636/jaber-sdrpy-aims-support-yemen-all-levels
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16176
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day
(* A K pH)
3 Zivilisten getötet und vierte durch Luftangriffe verwundet bei Luftangriff auf Sohar in Saada
Drei Zivilisten wurden heute durch Luftangriffe der Kampfflugzeuge der amerikanisch-saudischen Aggression auf ein Haud eines Bürgers im Distrikt Sohar im Gouvernement Saada getötet und ein vierter verletzt.
Eine Sicherheitsquelle in Saada bestätigte der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba), dass die Kampfflugzeuge der Aggression drei Luftangriffe auf die Wohnung eines Bürgers im Distrikt Sohar angeflogen hatten, bei denen drei Zivilisten, darunter eine Frau, getötet und ein weiterer verletzt und ihr Haus beschädigt wurden.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3083687.htm
Photos: https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1213132280560046080
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1213133800777093122
https://www.facebook.com/Sadeq.Miyad/posts/2700615913318585 = https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/2196982383931077
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/photos/a.1434086430220680/2196978990598083/ = https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1213167831304552448
Film: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=513693742574948
(A K pS)
Five Houthi Commanders killed in Coalition Airstrikes
At least five top Houthi commanders were killed in intensive and accurate airstrikes carried out by the Arab Coalition on their hideouts in Saada governorate, the militia's main stronghold in the north of Yemen.
Military officials told the press that the air raids killed a number of senior Houthi field commanders
http://en.adenpress.news/news/16178
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
Jan. 4: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10619 Jizan
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-611-yemen-war-mosaic-611
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-611 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-611:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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