mintpressnews--2020-01-06--Military Contractors Raytheon, Lockheed Martin See Stock Prices Soar Amid Iran Crisis

War .
Motown singer Edwin Starr claimed it was nothing but a heartbreaker and good news only for the undertaker .
But another group rubbing their hands at increased tensions with Iran are military contractors , who saw their stock prices soar at the increased chance of conflict .
Lockheed Martin , famous for its fighter planes , helicopters and missiles , saw its stock price spike to over $ 416 , a jump of seven percent almost overnight .
Other defense corporations like Raytheon and General Dynamics saw similar increases in their companies ’ value .
Meanwhile , Northrop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its share price , as the stock market rushed to buy a piece of a highly profitable company .
On January 3 , the United States carried out a successful assassination attempt of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani via drone , as the Iranian officer and statesman left Baghdad airport to join a peace mission between Iran , Saudi Arabia and Iraq .
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi revealed that President Trump had personally thanked him for organizing peace efforts , even as he was planning the assassination attempt , giving him the mistaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the event and would not attack the Iranian General .
Soleimani , respected and admired as a capable and dynamic soldier , was widely considered to be one of the most powerful and influential men in Iran behind Ayatollah Khamenei .
The move is almost universally expected to increase tensions in the Middle East , prompting potential wars or other “ chaos.
” Millions of mourners came out for Soleimani ’ s funeral , turning the occasion into a show of strength and an act of collective defiance against Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government of Iraq voted to expel American forces from its country as a response to the drone strike , the president announced he would send thousands of extra troops to the region .
Iran is currently considering its response , but the hashtags # ww3 and # wwIII trended for over a day on Twitter , suggesting the global public was extremely worried the action could spark a worldwide conflict .
Over the weekend the United States saw over 70 antiwar demonstrations across the country .
However , economist and co-founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baker pointed out that Lockheed Martin ’ s stock went up by over two percent and Northrop Grumman by nearly four percent on Thursday , the day before Soleimani ’ s killing .
“ Looks like a lot of people should go to jail , ” he remarked , suggesting there was some serious insider trading afoot .
( MintPress recently spoke to Baker about how pharmaceutical corporations are withholding life saving drugs from the public for profit . )
The biggest beneficiaries of an unfair stock market are often politicians , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far better than is statistically plausible .
Using the financial disclosures of politicians , Professor Alan Ziobrowski of Georgia State University found that members of the House earn “ abnormal returns ” on their stocks , outperforming the market by six percentage points .
Senators , in higher office than House members , perform even better , “ showing some of the highest excess returns ever recorded over a long period of time , significantly outperforming even hedge fund managers , ” in Ziobrowski ’ s study ’ s words .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are just plain dumb-lucky , ” he concluded .
In the five years to 1998 , senators ’ stock portfolios beat the market by an average of 12 percent a year .
The global wave of right-wing populism has been very good for weapons producers .
Despite presenting himself as an antiwar candidate , Trump has greatly increased the military budget and expanded the U.S. role in Yemen .
More than half of all discretionary spending goes to the military , with America spending almost as much on arms as the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute .
The president often likes to remind the country that the stock market is at an all time high .
Military contractors are among the best performing of those ; Yahoo !
Finance notes that if you had bought Northrop Grumman stock five years ago , you would have seen a 146 percent gain today .
Meanwhile , in the United Kingdom , nine of the ten largest weapons manufacturers saw their stock prices increase immediately after Conservative Boris Johnson defeated socialist antiwar candidate Jeremy Corbyn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent rocketing of military contractors ’ stock values highlights the growing contrast between the profit motive of capitalism and human survival .
So often , what is bad news for the world is good news for the military-industrial complex .
MintPress is covering the Iran conflict closely .
For more content , click here .
Feature photo | President Donald Trump talks with Lockheed Martin president and CEO Marilyn Hewson , right , and director and chief test pilot Alan Norman in front of a F-35 as he participates in a “ Made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House , July 23 , 2018 , in Washington .
Evan Vucci | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

War. Motown singer Edwin Starr claimed it was nothing but a heartbreaker and good news only for the undertaker. But another group rubbing their hands at increased tensions with Iran are military contractors, who saw their stock prices soar at the increased chance of conflict.
Lockheed Martin, famous for its fighter planes, helicopters and missiles, saw its stock price spike to over $416, a jump of seven percent almost overnight. Other defense corporations like Raytheon and General Dynamics saw similar increases in their companies’ value. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman saw a nine percent rise in its share price, as the stock market rushed to buy a piece of a highly profitable company.
On January 3, the United States carried out a successful assassination attempt of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani via drone, as the Iranian officer and statesman left Baghdad airport to join a peace mission between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi revealed that President Trump had personally thanked him for organizing peace efforts, even as he was planning the assassination attempt, giving him the mistaken belief that the U.S. gave its blessing to the event and would not attack the Iranian General. Soleimani, respected and admired as a capable and dynamic soldier, was widely considered to be one of the most powerful and influential men in Iran behind Ayatollah Khamenei. The move is almost universally expected to increase tensions in the Middle East, prompting potential wars or other “chaos.”
Millions of mourners came out for Soleimani’s funeral, turning the occasion into a show of strength and an act of collective defiance against Trump’s moves against Iran. Meanwhile, after the government of Iraq voted to expel American forces from its country as a response to the drone strike, the president announced he would send thousands of extra troops to the region. Iran is currently considering its response, but the hashtags #ww3 and #wwIII trended for over a day on Twitter, suggesting the global public was extremely worried the action could spark a worldwide conflict. Over the weekend the United States saw over 70 antiwar demonstrations across the country.
However, economist and co-founder of the Center for Economic Policy Research Dean Baker pointed out that Lockheed Martin’s stock went up by over two percent and Northrop Grumman by nearly four percent on Thursday, the day before Soleimani’s killing. “Looks like a lot of people should go to jail,” he remarked, suggesting there was some serious insider trading afoot. (MintPress recently spoke to Baker about how pharmaceutical corporations are withholding life saving drugs from the public for profit.)
very interesting that Lockheed's stock went up 2.0 percent on Thursday, the day before the attack. Looks like a lot of people should go to jail. https://t.co/VvlSl4XTpX — Dean Baker (@DeanBaker13) January 4, 2020
The biggest beneficiaries of an unfair stock market are often politicians, whose portfolios, for decades, have done far better than is statistically plausible. Using the financial disclosures of politicians, Professor Alan Ziobrowski of Georgia State University found that members of the House earn “abnormal returns” on their stocks, outperforming the market by six percentage points. Senators, in higher office than House members, perform even better, “showing some of the highest excess returns ever recorded over a long period of time, significantly outperforming even hedge fund managers,” in Ziobrowski’s study’s words. “It’s not rational to assume that they are just plain dumb-lucky,” he concluded. In the five years to 1998, senators’ stock portfolios beat the market by an average of 12 percent a year.
The global wave of right-wing populism has been very good for weapons producers. Despite presenting himself as an antiwar candidate, Trump has greatly increased the military budget and expanded the U.S. role in Yemen. More than half of all discretionary spending goes to the military, with America spending almost as much on arms as the rest of the world combined, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The president often likes to remind the country that the stock market is at an all time high. Military contractors are among the best performing of those; Yahoo! Finance notes that if you had bought Northrop Grumman stock five years ago, you would have seen a 146 percent gain today. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, nine of the ten largest weapons manufacturers saw their stock prices increase immediately after Conservative Boris Johnson defeated socialist antiwar candidate Jeremy Corbyn in December’s General Election.
The recent rocketing of military contractors’ stock values highlights the growing contrast between the profit motive of capitalism and human survival. So often, what is bad news for the world is good news for the military-industrial complex.
MintPress is covering the Iran conflict closely. For more content, click here.
Feature photo | President Donald Trump talks with Lockheed Martin president and CEO Marilyn Hewson, right, and director and chief test pilot Alan Norman in front of a F-35 as he participates in a “Made in America Product Showcase” at the White House, July 23, 2018, in Washington. Evan Vucci | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-01-06--Trump Threats of Cultural Genocide Against Iran Violate US, International Law

On Saturday U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted a not so cryptic threat that he was planning to attack over 50 important Iranian cultural sites if Iran continued to threaten to retaliate for the U.S. assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Solemani .
“ Let this serve as a WARNING ” he wrote , that if Iran struck any American “ assets ” in retaliation for the assassination of its top General Qasem Soleimani , “ we have targeted 52 Iranian sites ” of historic and cultural importance , that will “ BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD ” in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text .
Iran is one of the cradles of civilization , where organized human society is believed to have first arisen , and possesses some of the most ancient cities and artifacts in the world .
The United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) recognizes 24 sites in Iran ( more than almost any other country in the world ) that are of such critical cultural and historical importance that they belong to all of humanity .
Among them are the ancient city of Persepolis and the citadel of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 years before Christ , and the Sassanid archeological landscape of the Fars region .
Today the large country is home to over 81 million citizens .
The threats to erase humanity ’ s history and culture evoked a distinctly fundamentalist tone that many people commented on .
In 2001 , the Taliban blew up the Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan , enormous stone structures carved into sandstone 1,500 years ago , while in 2015 ISIS destroyed the Temple of Bei at Palmyra , Syria .
Both were also UNESCO World Heritage Sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of UNESCO , owing $ 600 million to the organization after it admitted Palestine as a full member .
On January 3 , the U.S. military carried out a successful drone strike in Baghdad , killing Lt. General Qasem Soleimani , something it has been attempting to do for two years .
Soleimani was a key figure in Iran , one of the country ’ s most capable , influential and popular leaders .
Millions of Iranians came out to his funeral to demonstrate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States has a longstanding policy of regime change against Iran .
However , the Trump administration has taken further aggressive steps towards that goal of late .
The U.S. pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal , effectively crippling negotiations .
It also increased its sanctions against the country , causing economic dislocation inside Iran .
And in response to the Iraqi government demanding that all U.S. military leave the country , the president vowed to place sanctions on that country .
On Sunday the Iranian government announced that it too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nuclear treaty .
Article 2 of the UN Charter , the bedrock of international law , states : Likewise , Trump ’ s statements are also in violation of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties , which states that any international agreement made under duress or threat of force is null and void .
Targeting cultural sites is also specifically recognized as a major war crime under the 1954 Hague Convention .
In response to ISIS ’ actions in the Middle East , UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our common cultural heritage constitutes a war crime and represents an attack on humanity as a whole.
” The destruction of cultural artifacts are illegal under U.S. law as well .
Section 5.16.2 of the Department of Defense Law of War Manual prohibits threats to destroy cultural objects for the express purpose of deterring enemy operations , meaning Trump ’ s action directly contravene American codes of war .
However , it is unlikely that any action will be taken , just as it is unlikely that Trump will be removed from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on threatening or harassing behavior , despite many times threatening enemy states with nuclear annihilation .
At the same time , antiwar voice , Daniel MacAdams of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity was permanently banned from the platform for describing Fox News ’ Sean Hannity as “ retarded.
” While speculating on others ’ mental state is generally unadvisable , over 350 mental health professionals recently signed a letter stating that Trump ’ s is “ deteriorating dangerously ” due to the impeachment hearings , something that the psychiatrists warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This weekend , antiwar demonstrations were held across the United States in over 70 locations protesting Trump ’ s escalation of violence against Iran and Iraq .
At a protest in Washington , D.C. journalist Max Blumenthal claimed that Soleimani was assassinated precisely because of his success in fighting back against ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the region , reducing these “ moderate rebels ” to spent forces .
Thus , without Soleimani ’ s leadership , many of the Middle East ’ s most sacred religious and cultural sites may have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent Twitter proclamations .
Billionaire Republican backer Sheldon Adelson has already advised that the U.S. should drop an atomic bomb on the Iranian desert .
Perhaps he will get his wish with Trump in the White House .
Feature photo | In this Saturday , May 18 , 2019 photo , a couple takes photos with bas reliefs of ancient Persian soldiers in an old neighborhood in downtown Tehran , Iran .
Vahid Salemi | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

On Saturday U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted a not so cryptic threat that he was planning to attack over 50 important Iranian cultural sites if Iran continued to threaten to retaliate for the U.S. assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Solemani. “Let this serve as a WARNING” he wrote, that if Iran struck any American “assets” in retaliation for the assassination of its top General Qasem Soleimani, “we have targeted 52 Iranian sites” of historic and cultural importance, that will “BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD” in his signature mix of upper and lower case text.
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…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
Iran is one of the cradles of civilization, where organized human society is believed to have first arisen, and possesses some of the most ancient cities and artifacts in the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes 24 sites in Iran (more than almost any other country in the world) that are of such critical cultural and historical importance that they belong to all of humanity. Among them are the ancient city of Persepolis and the citadel of Bam, both dating back to over 500 years before Christ, and the Sassanid archeological landscape of the Fars region. Today the large country is home to over 81 million citizens.
The threats to erase humanity’s history and culture evoked a distinctly fundamentalist tone that many people commented on. In 2001, the Taliban blew up the Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan, enormous stone structures carved into sandstone 1,500 years ago, while in 2015 ISIS destroyed the Temple of Bei at Palmyra, Syria. Both were also UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded that:
Targeting cultural sites is a war crime. It should also go without saying that sites like Persepolis (& its PEOPLE) are not only treasures to Iranians, they are gifts to humanity. They tell humanity’s story – that is why authoritarians target them. They want to erase history. https://t.co/C3tx6Wf8mZ — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 6, 2020
The Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of UNESCO, owing $600 million to the organization after it admitted Palestine as a full member. On January 3, the U.S. military carried out a successful drone strike in Baghdad, killing Lt. General Qasem Soleimani, something it has been attempting to do for two years. Soleimani was a key figure in Iran, one of the country’s most capable, influential and popular leaders. Millions of Iranians came out to his funeral to demonstrate and show solidarity against the U.S. action.
This is the funeral procession of Qassem #Soleimani today in Ahvaz, #Iran. Absolutely massive crowd, with millions of Iranians attending. Truly one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen.pic.twitter.com/xfEuCSSNJ9 — Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) January 5, 2020
The United States has a longstanding policy of regime change against Iran. However, the Trump administration has taken further aggressive steps towards that goal of late. The U.S. pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, effectively crippling negotiations. It also increased its sanctions against the country, causing economic dislocation inside Iran. And in response to the Iraqi government demanding that all U.S. military leave the country, the president vowed to place sanctions on that country. On Sunday the Iranian government announced that it too would stop abiding by the terms of the nuclear treaty.
The destruction of cultural heritage is a war crime. How can this not be seen as a war on the Iranian people, not just the Iranian government? https://t.co/34Y2bt6VpC — Going Underground on RT (@Underground_RT) January 5, 2020
Article 2 of the UN Charter, the bedrock of international law, states:
All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.
Likewise, Trump’s statements are also in violation of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which states that any international agreement made under duress or threat of force is null and void. Targeting cultural sites is also specifically recognized as a major war crime under the 1954 Hague Convention. In response to ISIS’ actions in the Middle East, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated in 2015 that, “The deliberate destruction of our common cultural heritage constitutes a war crime and represents an attack on humanity as a whole.” The destruction of cultural artifacts are illegal under U.S. law as well. Section 5.16.2 of the Department of Defense Law of War Manual prohibits threats to destroy cultural objects for the express purpose of deterring enemy operations, meaning Trump’s action directly contravene American codes of war.
However, it is unlikely that any action will be taken, just as it is unlikely that Trump will be removed from Twitter for breaking its terms of service on threatening or harassing behavior, despite many times threatening enemy states with nuclear annihilation. At the same time, antiwar voice, Daniel MacAdams of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity was permanently banned from the platform for describing Fox News’ Sean Hannity as “retarded.”
While speculating on others’ mental state is generally unadvisable, over 350 mental health professionals recently signed a letter stating that Trump’s is “deteriorating dangerously” due to the impeachment hearings, something that the psychiatrists warned could lead to potentially ‘catastrophic outcomes.”
This weekend, antiwar demonstrations were held across the United States in over 70 locations protesting Trump’s escalation of violence against Iran and Iraq. At a protest in Washington, D.C. journalist Max Blumenthal claimed that Soleimani was assassinated precisely because of his success in fighting back against ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the region, reducing these “moderate rebels” to spent forces. Thus, without Soleimani’s leadership, many of the Middle East’s most sacred religious and cultural sites may have already been destroyed before Trump’s most recent Twitter proclamations. Billionaire Republican backer Sheldon Adelson has already advised that the U.S. should drop an atomic bomb on the Iranian desert. Perhaps he will get his wish with Trump in the White House.
Feature photo | In this Saturday, May 18, 2019 photo, a couple takes photos with bas reliefs of ancient Persian soldiers in an old neighborhood in downtown Tehran, Iran. Vahid Salemi | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-01-06--Trump’s Iran Aggression Sparks Protests Across America, World

The weekend saw more than 70 spontaneous or hastily organized demonstrations across America in opposition to the Trump administration ’ s warlike actions against Iraq and Iran .
On January 3 , the United States carried out a drone strike in Baghdad that killed Major General Qasem Soleimani of Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps .
Soleimani was commonly seen as one of the country ’ s most dynamic and influential leaders .
After the government of Iraq voted in retaliation to expel U.S. forces , the president vowed to place sanctions on the already devastated country .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country to register their opposition to the government ’ s actions .
In Denver , protesters marched to the chant of “ No justice , no peace .
U.S. out of the Middle East.
” Demonstrations also occurred in San Francisco , Minneapolis , Los Angeles , New York City and Chicago , among others , as anti-war groups like Code Pink , the Answer Coalition and Women Against Military Madness quickly mobilized .
In Los Angeles , former U.S. army veteran Mike Prysner warned the crowd about his own experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War .
What did they teach us that you need to know now ?
That number one : They will lie .
They will lie about why we need to go to war , just like they did then .
They will lie to you .
And guess what ?
When that war starts going bad for them , as it inevitably will , and a lot of us start dying , what are they going to do ?
They are going to keep lying and they are going to send more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want to take responsibility .
But they ’ re not getting their legs blown off or have any kids on the battlefield , so they don ’ t care.
” In Washington , D.C. the protests took on a different form as speakers attempted to educate the crowd gathered about the U.S. role in the region .
Journalist Max Blumenthal , a specialist in the Middle East , participated in the open air teach in , telling those gathered : Let me explain to you why Qassem Soleimani was killed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolled back the Salafi Jihadi forces that the U.S. , the CIA , had been backing in Syria to destabilize another independent country .
He helped prevent , by organizing popular mobilization units , Iraq becoming another U.S. client state .
It is that simple .
And the assassination of Qassem Soleimani is revenge for his success in rolling back the most vicious imperial plot we have seen in recent years which sought to have the black flags of ISIS and Al-Qadea – the organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks – flying over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet produced the scale of the huge Iraq War demonstrations of 2003 , as the Democratic Party has failed to endorse any actions .
Blumenthal took aim at them in his speech , claiming : There hasn ’ t been a resistance for years because of the congressional Democrats .
Why have they been ?
They have been seeking to impeach Donald Trump for not being warlike enough on Russia…So it is up to us to be in front of their offices .
It is up to us to be informing our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being told .
It is up to us to be in the face of a sold out corporate media .
It is up to us to be the real resistance .
The resistance hasn ’ t been out here at all .
They ’ ve been pushing for more war , not less !
” In reality , however , a number of the most prominent Democrats on the insurgent left of the party have voiced their strong opposition to Trump ’ s actions .
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said he would “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from plunging our nation into yet another endless war , ” going so far as to sponsor a bill to the effect .
Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also emphasized the class dynamic to war , tweeting , However , other Democrats have been far more bellicose towards Iran , even those that present themselves as leftists .
Elizabeth Warren , for example , accepted without question the assertion that Soleimani was a mass murderer , her only gripe is that Trump ’ s actions were reckless , thereby implicitly endorsing a less gung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , one host of a nationally syndicated show on the liberal network NPR claimed that Soleimani ’ s assassination was “ universally viewed as a good thing ” in the U.S. , underscoring the deep ideological divide between liberals and Democratic socialists like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez .
While Trump was ordering thousands of extra troops to Iraq , protests against a feared war also took place across the world , for example in the United Kingdom , India , Turkey , Canada , the Philippines , Pakistan and across the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani ’ s funeral in Iran , turning the occasion into a show of strength .
Thus , the weekend ’ s actions make clear that if President Trump does wish to push through a war with Iran he will meet stiff opposition both inside the Islamic Republic and at home MintPress is covering the Iran conflict closely .
For more content , click here .
Feature photo | Protesters gather in Times Square to protest recent U.S. military actions in Iraq and a potential war with Iran on Jan. 4 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ | AP Alan MacLeod is a MintPress Staff Writer as well as an academic and writer for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting .
His book , Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting was published in April .

The weekend saw more than 70 spontaneous or hastily organized demonstrations across America in opposition to the Trump administration’s warlike actions against Iraq and Iran. On January 3, the United States carried out a drone strike in Baghdad that killed Major General Qasem Soleimani of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Soleimani was commonly seen as one of the country’s most dynamic and influential leaders. After the government of Iraq voted in retaliation to expel U.S. forces, the president vowed to place sanctions on the already devastated country.
In response, Americans took to the streets across the country to register their opposition to the government’s actions.
In Denver, protesters marched to the chant of “No justice, no peace. U.S. out of the Middle East.” Demonstrations also occurred in San Francisco, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago, among others, as anti-war groups like Code Pink, the Answer Coalition and Women Against Military Madness quickly mobilized.
Thousands in the streets of San Francisco today to say no to war, no to imperialism! Shut it down! pic.twitter.com/B5tNgPoOBK — Left I on the News (@leftiblog) January 4, 2020
Difficult to get a crowd estimate given this long strip, but I'm guessing at least a thousand showed up in Times Square. Not bad for something hastily organized. This movement will only grow. pic.twitter.com/ulrApTleqk — Eᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ Cʜᴀᴍᴘɪᴏɴ (@drmabuse) January 4, 2020
In Los Angeles, former U.S. army veteran Mike Prysner warned the crowd about his own experiences:
My generation went through the Iraq War. What did they teach us that you need to know now? That number one: They will lie. They will lie about why we need to go to war, just like they did then. They will lie to you. And guess what? When that war starts going bad for them, as it inevitably will, and a lot of us start dying, what are they going to do? They are going to keep lying and they are going to send more of you to die, because they don’t want to take responsibility. But they’re not getting their legs blown off or have any kids on the battlefield, so they don’t care.”
In Washington, D.C. the protests took on a different form as speakers attempted to educate the crowd gathered about the U.S. role in the region. Journalist Max Blumenthal, a specialist in the Middle East, participated in the open air teach in, telling those gathered:
Let me explain to you why Qassem Soleimani was killed. It is very simple: because he rolled back the Salafi Jihadi forces that the U.S., the CIA, had been backing in Syria to destabilize another independent country. He helped prevent, by organizing popular mobilization units, Iraq becoming another U.S. client state. It is that simple. And the assassination of Qassem Soleimani is revenge for his success in rolling back the most vicious imperial plot we have seen in recent years which sought to have the black flags of ISIS and Al-Qadea – the organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks – flying over Middle Eastern cities.”
.@MaxBlumenthal told 100s of anti war activists outside the White House today "why Qassem Soleiman was killed: He rolled back salafi jihadi forces the CIA had been backing in Syria to destabilize another independent state & he helped prevent Iraq from becoming a US client state." pic.twitter.com/Bx0nakYRb2 — Wyatt Reed (@wyattreed13) January 4, 2020
The protests have not yet produced the scale of the huge Iraq War demonstrations of 2003, as the Democratic Party has failed to endorse any actions. Blumenthal took aim at them in his speech, claiming:
There hasn’t been a resistance for years because of the congressional Democrats. Why have they been? They have been seeking to impeach Donald Trump for not being warlike enough on Russia…So it is up to us to be in front of their offices. It is up to us to be informing our fellow citizens about the lies they are being told. It is up to us to be in the face of a sold out corporate media. It is up to us to be the real resistance. The resistance hasn’t been out here at all. They’ve been pushing for more war, not less!”
In reality, however, a number of the most prominent Democrats on the insurgent left of the party have voiced their strong opposition to Trump’s actions. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said he would “take immediate steps to restrain President Trump from plunging our nation into yet another endless war,” going so far as to sponsor a bill to the effect.
When I return to Washington next week along with the U.S. Senate, I believe the first course of action is for the Congress to take immediate steps to restrain President Trump from plunging our nation into yet another endless war. pic.twitter.com/dSDeFMmEYT — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 4, 2020
Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also emphasized the class dynamic to war, tweeting,
War is a class conflict, too. The rich and powerful who open war escape the consequences of their decisions. It’s not their children sent into the jaws of violence. It is often the vulnerable, the poor, & working people -who had little to no say in conflict – who pay the price. https://t.co/jlC35MYsQq — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 3, 2020
However, other Democrats have been far more bellicose towards Iran, even those that present themselves as leftists. Elizabeth Warren, for example, accepted without question the assertion that Soleimani was a mass murderer, her only gripe is that Trump’s actions were reckless, thereby implicitly endorsing a less gung ho assassination program against foreign leaders.
Soleimani was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans. But this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict. Our priority must be to avoid another costly war. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 3, 2020
Meanwhile, one host of a nationally syndicated show on the liberal network NPR claimed that Soleimani’s assassination was “universally viewed as a good thing” in the U.S., underscoring the deep ideological divide between liberals and Democratic socialists like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.
While Trump was ordering thousands of extra troops to Iraq, protests against a feared war also took place across the world, for example in the United Kingdom, India, Turkey, Canada, the Philippines, Pakistan and across the Middle East.
Millions of mourners came out for Soleimani’s funeral in Iran, turning the occasion into a show of strength.
Thus, the weekend’s actions make clear that if President Trump does wish to push through a war with Iran he will meet stiff opposition both inside the Islamic Republic and at home
MintPress is covering the Iran conflict closely. For more content, click here.
Feature photo | Protesters gather in Times Square to protest recent U.S. military actions in Iraq and a potential war with Iran on Jan. 4, 2020, in New York. Kevin Hagen | AP
Alan MacLeod is a MintPress Staff Writer as well as an academic and writer for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. His book, Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting was published in April.


mintpressnews--2020-01-06--Israel’s Fingerprint Are All Over the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani

By killing top Iranian military commander , Qasem Soleimani , American and Israeli leaders demonstrated the idiom ‘ out of the frying pan into the fire.
’ US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both politically and legally embattled – the former has just been impeached and the latter is dogged by an Attorney General indictment and investigation into major corruption cases .
Despairing , out of options and united by a common cause , both leaders were on the lookout for a major disruption – that would situate them in a positive light within their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found it .
The assassination of the Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and commander of its Quds Force , Soleimani , on January 3 , along with several Iranian military leaders by a US drone was a testament to the degree of that US and Israeli desperation .
Although there has been no official confirmation or denial of the Israeli role in the US operation , it is only logical to assume indirect or even direct Israeli involvement in the assassination .
Over the last few months , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once more gained momentum , topping the agenda of Israel ’ s foreign policy makers .
Politically beleaguered Netanyahu has repeatedly and tirelessly asked his friends in Washington to increase pressure on Teheran .
“ Iran is increasing its aggression as we speak , ” Netanyahu claimed on December 4 , during a meeting with US Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo .
“ We are actively engaging in countering that aggression.
” One can only assume what “ active engagement ” from the overtly militant Israeli point of view can possibly mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingerprints of the Israeli intelligence , the Mossad , are unmistakably present in the assassination .
It is plausible that the attack at Soleimani ’ s convoy near the Baghdad International airport was a joint CIA-Mossad operation .
It is well-known that Israel has more experience in targeted assassinations in the region than all Middle Eastern countries combined .
It has killed hundreds of Palestinian and Arab activists this way .
The assassination of Hezbollah ’ s top military leader – the movement ’ s second in command – Imad Mughniyah in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of numerous such killings .
It is no secret that Israel is itching for a war against Iran .
Yet all of Tel Aviv ’ s efforts have failed to bring about US-led war similar to the Iraq invasion in 2003 .
The most that Netanyahu could achieve in terms of US support in that regard was a decision by the Trump administration to renege on the US commitment to the international community by withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Treaty in May 2018 .
That coveted Israeli war seemed assured when Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Washington of yet more sanctions , shot down a US unmanned aerial vehicle that , as Iran maintained , violated the country ’ s airspace , on June 20 , 2019 .
Even then , the US response fell short of achieving the all-out war that Netanyahu has been so frantically seeking .
But much has happened since then , including a repeat of Netanyahu ’ s failure to win a decisive election , thus securing another term in office , compounding the Israeli Prime Minister ’ s fully justified fear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for operating a massive racket of bribes and misuse of power .
Trump , too , has his own political woes , thus his own reasons to act erratically and irresponsibly .
His official impeachment by the US House of Representatives on December 18 was the last of such bad news .
He too needed to up the political ante .
If there is one thing that many Democratic and Republican lawmakers have in common is their desire for more Middle East military interventions and to maintain a stronger military presence in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflected in the near-celebratory tone that US officials , generals , and media commentators have used following the assassination of the Iranian commander in Baghdad .
Israeli officials too were visibly excited .
Immediately following the killing of General Soleimani , Israeli leaders and officials issued statements and tweets in support of the US action .
For his part , Netanyahu declared that “ Israel has the right to defend itself .
The US has the same right exactly.
” “ Soleimani , ” he added , “ is responsible for the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was planning further attacks.
” The last statement in particular , “ he was planning further attacks , ” points to the obvious joint intelligence and information sharing between Washington and Tel Aviv .
Benny Gantz , mistakenly celebrated for being a “ centrist ” , was no less militant in his views .
When it comes to matters of national security , “ there is no coalition and opposition , ” he stated .
“ The killing of Soleimani is a message to all the head of global terror : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the Israeli general , responsible for the death of thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere , also added .
Iran will certainly respond , not only against American targets but Israeli targets as well , for Teheran is convinced that Israel has played a major role in the operation .
The pressing questions are more about the nature and the timing of the Iranian response : How far will Iran go to send even a stronger message back to Washington and Tel Aviv ?
and could Teheran communicate a decisive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an all-out war between Iran and the United States ?
Recent events in Iraq – the mass protests and attempt by unarmed protesters to storm the US embassy in Baghdad on December 31 – were , to some extent , a game changer .
Initially , they were understood as an angry response to US airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia group on Sunday , but the protests had unintended consequences as well , particularly dangerous from a US military and strategic perspective .
For the first time since the phony US ‘ withdrawal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Barack Obama in 2012 , a new collective understanding began maturing among ordinary Iraqis and their representatives that the US must leave the country for good .
Acting quickly , the US , with palpable Israeli giddiness , assassinated Soleimani to send a clear message to Iraq and Iran that demanding or expecting an American withdrawal is a red line that can not be crossed – and to the whole Middle East that the evident US retreat from the region will not be duplicated in Iraq .
Soleimani ’ s assassination was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran ’ s allies in Iraq , as to also emphasize the level of US seriousness and willingness to seek violent confrontation as a matter of course .
While Iran is now weighing in its responses , it must also be aware of the geostrategic consequences of its decisions .
An Iranian move against US-Israeli interests would have to be convincing from the point of view of Iran and its allies , yet , again , without engaging in an all-out war .
Either way , Iran ’ s next move will define @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years to come and will further intensify the ongoing regional and international “ Great Game ” on full display throughout the Middle East .
Soleimani ’ s assassination could also be understood as a clear message to both Russia and China as well , that the US is prepared to set the whole region on fire , if necessary , in order to maintain its strategic presence and to serve its economic interests – which mostly lie in Iraqi and Arab oil and gas .
This comes at the heel of a joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman , starting on December 27 .
The news of the military exercises must have been particularly alarming to the Pentagon , as Iran , which was meant to be isolated and browbeaten , is increasingly becoming a regional access point to the emergent and resurfacing Chinese and Russian military powers respectively .
Soleimani was an Iranian commander , but his massive network and military alliances in the region and beyond made his assassination a powerful message sent by Washington and Tel Aviv that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game .
The ball is now in the court of Iran and its allies .
Judging by past experiences , it is likely that Washington will regret assassinating the Iranian general for many years to come .
Feature photo | A protester illuminates a portrait of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , with light from a mobile phone , during a rally to condemn his killing in Iraq by a U.S. airstrike , in Karachi , Pakistan , Jan. 5 , 2020 .
Ikram Suri | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the author of five books .
His latest is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons ” ( Clarity Press , Atlanta ) .
Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs ( CIGA ) , Istanbul Zaim University ( IZU ) .
His website is www.ramzybaroud.net Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer , translator and an editor at The Palestine Chronicle .
Rubeo holds a Master ’ s Degree in Foreign Languages and Literature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

By killing top Iranian military commander, Qasem Soleimani, American and Israeli leaders demonstrated the idiom ‘out of the frying pan into the fire.’
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both politically and legally embattled – the former has just been impeached and the latter is dogged by an Attorney General indictment and investigation into major corruption cases.
Despairing, out of options and united by a common cause, both leaders were on the lookout for a major disruption – that would situate them in a positive light within their countries’ respective media – and they found it.
The assassination of the Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and commander of its Quds Force, Soleimani, on January 3, along with several Iranian military leaders by a US drone was a testament to the degree of that US and Israeli desperation.
Although there has been no official confirmation or denial of the Israeli role in the US operation, it is only logical to assume indirect or even direct Israeli involvement in the assassination.
Over the last few months, the possibility of a war against Iran has once more gained momentum, topping the agenda of Israel’s foreign policy makers. Politically beleaguered Netanyahu has repeatedly and tirelessly asked his friends in Washington to increase pressure on Teheran.
“Iran is increasing its aggression as we speak,” Netanyahu claimed on December 4, during a meeting with US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. “We are actively engaging in countering that aggression.”
One can only assume what “active engagement” from the overtly militant Israeli point of view can possibly mean in this context.
Moreover, the fingerprints of the Israeli intelligence, the Mossad, are unmistakably present in the assassination. It is plausible that the attack at Soleimani’s convoy near the Baghdad International airport was a joint CIA-Mossad operation.
It is well-known that Israel has more experience in targeted assassinations in the region than all Middle Eastern countries combined. It has killed hundreds of Palestinian and Arab activists this way. The assassination of Hezbollah’s top military leader – the movement’s second in command – Imad Mughniyah in February 2008, in Syria, was only one of numerous such killings.
It is no secret that Israel is itching for a war against Iran. Yet all of Tel Aviv’s efforts have failed to bring about US-led war similar to the Iraq invasion in 2003. The most that Netanyahu could achieve in terms of US support in that regard was a decision by the Trump administration to renege on the US commitment to the international community by withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Treaty in May 2018.
That coveted Israeli war seemed assured when Iran, after various provocations and the slapping by Washington of yet more sanctions, shot down a US unmanned aerial vehicle that, as Iran maintained, violated the country’s airspace, on June 20, 2019.
Even then, the US response fell short of achieving the all-out war that Netanyahu has been so frantically seeking.
But much has happened since then, including a repeat of Netanyahu’s failure to win a decisive election, thus securing another term in office, compounding the Israeli Prime Minister’s fully justified fear that he could eventually find himself behind bars for operating a massive racket of bribes and misuse of power.
Trump, too, has his own political woes, thus his own reasons to act erratically and irresponsibly. His official impeachment by the US House of Representatives on December 18 was the last of such bad news. He too needed to up the political ante.
If there is one thing that many Democratic and Republican lawmakers have in common is their desire for more Middle East military interventions and to maintain a stronger military presence in the oil and gas-rich region. This was reflected in the near-celebratory tone that US officials, generals, and media commentators have used following the assassination of the Iranian commander in Baghdad.
Israeli officials too were visibly excited. Immediately following the killing of General Soleimani, Israeli leaders and officials issued statements and tweets in support of the US action.
For his part, Netanyahu declared that “Israel has the right to defend itself. The US has the same right exactly.” “Soleimani,” he added, “is responsible for the deaths of innocent US citizens and many others. He was planning further attacks.”
The last statement in particular, “he was planning further attacks,” points to the obvious joint intelligence and information sharing between Washington and Tel Aviv.
Benny Gantz, mistakenly celebrated for being a “centrist”, was no less militant in his views. When it comes to matters of national security, “there is no coalition and opposition,” he stated.
“The killing of Soleimani is a message to all the head of global terror: on your own heads be it,” the Israeli general, responsible for the death of thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere, also added.
Iran will certainly respond, not only against American targets but Israeli targets as well, for Teheran is convinced that Israel has played a major role in the operation. The pressing questions are more about the nature and the timing of the Iranian response: How far will Iran go to send even a stronger message back to Washington and Tel Aviv? and could Teheran communicate a decisive message without granting Netanyahu his wish of an all-out war between Iran and the United States?
Recent events in Iraq – the mass protests and attempt by unarmed protesters to storm the US embassy in Baghdad on December 31 – were, to some extent, a game changer. Initially, they were understood as an angry response to US airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia group on Sunday, but the protests had unintended consequences as well, particularly dangerous from a US military and strategic perspective. For the first time since the phony US ‘withdrawal’ from Iraq under the previous administration of Barack Obama in 2012, a new collective understanding began maturing among ordinary Iraqis and their representatives that the US must leave the country for good.
Acting quickly, the US, with palpable Israeli giddiness, assassinated Soleimani to send a clear message to Iraq and Iran that demanding or expecting an American withdrawal is a red line that cannot be crossed – and to the whole Middle East that the evident US retreat from the region will not be duplicated in Iraq.
The great game is afoot
Soleimani’s assassination was followed by yet more US airstrikes on Iran’s allies in Iraq, as to also emphasize the level of US seriousness and willingness to seek violent confrontation as a matter of course.
While Iran is now weighing in its responses, it must also be aware of the geostrategic consequences of its decisions. An Iranian move against US-Israeli interests would have to be convincing from the point of view of Iran and its allies, yet, again, without engaging in an all-out war.
Either way, Iran’s next move will define the Iranian-US-Israeli relations in the region for years to come and will further intensify the ongoing regional and international “Great Game” on full display throughout the Middle East.
Soleimani’s assassination could also be understood as a clear message to both Russia and China as well, that the US is prepared to set the whole region on fire, if necessary, in order to maintain its strategic presence and to serve its economic interests – which mostly lie in Iraqi and Arab oil and gas.
This comes at the heel of a joint Russian, Chinese and Iranian naval drill in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman, starting on December 27. The news of the military exercises must have been particularly alarming to the Pentagon, as Iran, which was meant to be isolated and browbeaten, is increasingly becoming a regional access point to the emergent and resurfacing Chinese and Russian military powers respectively.
Soleimani was an Iranian commander, but his massive network and military alliances in the region and beyond made his assassination a powerful message sent by Washington and Tel Aviv that they are ready and unafraid to up their game.
The ball is now in the court of Iran and its allies.
Judging by past experiences, it is likely that Washington will regret assassinating the Iranian general for many years to come.
Feature photo | A protester illuminates a portrait of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, with light from a mobile phone, during a rally to condemn his killing in Iraq by a U.S. airstrike, in Karachi, Pakistan, Jan. 5, 2020. Ikram Suri | AP
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer, translator and an editor at The Palestine Chronicle. Rubeo holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and Literature and specializes in Audio-Visual and Journalism Translation.


mintpressnews--2020-01-06--An Act of Cowardice: US Assassination of Soleimani Puts US-Israeli Fear of Iran on Full Display

In what can only be described as one in a long series of reckless , thoughtless and short sighted acts that serve only the narrowest interests , the Trump administration assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani .
This assassination , which was an act of cowardice , one may safely assume was concocted by Benjamine Netanyahu , another corrupt , reckless coward who is fighting for his political life .
This , like the rest of the Trump administration ’ s Mideast and Iran policy , had to have been prescribed by the Prime Minister of Israel .
Both Israel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-out war with Iran .
Neither country has faced a well organized , well-armed , well trained and motivated military force in many decades .
There can be no doubt that the military leaders of both countries know this and appreciate that a war with Iran will be tantamount to suicide .
While both the US and the Israeli armies are well equipped and the hardware at their disposal includes vast quantities of the most cutting edge weapons on earth , both are large and cumbersome , and while they can bomb and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sea , neither has fought a long ground war and neither is capable of sustaining such a war .
In addition , neither the Israeli soldiers or US forces can possibly be expected to be as motivated as the Iranian military would be in the event of an attack .
In the unlikely event that Israel or the US or both did attack Iran , the motivation of Iranian soldiers and officers to fight for their country ’ s survival will be far stronger than anything the Americans or the Israelis have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition , the Iranians had seen the horrifying consequences of attacks by the US and its allies in Iraq , Syria , Libya and Yemen and would no doubt would do everything possible to spare Iran from the destruction and disintegration that befell those countries .
This mantra was used by those who led the coalition forces to invade and destroy Iraq in order to justify that war .
It was proven wrong .
Now the Americans are repeating this mantra about the killing of General Soleimani , and once again there can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran , a country that has not attacked another nation in recent memory , will not sit silently as the US and Israel attack its assets , albeit using cowardly tactics of hit and run .
Ambassador Chas Freeman served in many important diplomatic and security roles , including Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm .
He was tapped by the Obama Administration to head the National Intelligence Council , which oversees the production of National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
However , his reputation for speaking frankly and honestly had drawn fire from neoconservatives and pro-Israeli groups who consequently organized an effective lobbying campaign against him and were able to derail his selection .
Here is what Ambassador Freeman wrote in response to the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani and commander Abu Mahdi , known popularly as Al Muhandis , the engineer , who commanded the Iraqi Kataeb Hezbollah forces ( not to be confused with the Lebanese Hezbollah ) : Freeman has scathing remarks regarding US Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this attack makes no sense at all .
It is not a deterrent to Iran so much as a provocation , ” and , he states that the assassinations , “ prepare the way for Mike Pompeo to offset his lack of diplomatic accomplishments with a demonstration of his ruthlessness.
” Whether in Syria , Iraq or anywhere else , where US and Israeli assets exist it is likely that Iran will strike .
One may expect that as it had done thus far , Iran will act with caution so as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will not sit idle as the US and Israel continue their reckless endangerment of Iranians and others around the world .
Israel and the United States are governed by men who are fighting for their political lives .
One has just been impeached and has to face what promises to be a fierce election campaign , and the other was just indicted for corruption and after not one but two elections was not able to form a coalition government , yet he still refuses to step down .
As Ambassador Freeman remarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conclusion that the timing of the attack was dictated by the turmoil in American domestic politics.
” One could also safely assume that the attacks were dictated by turmoil in Israeli domestic politics .
In fact , it would not be a shocking revelation that the election campaigns of Netanyahu and Trump were in on the planning of Soleimani ’ s assassination .
Since neither country is prepared for an all out war with Iran , “ hit and run ” seems to be the tactic of choice .
Hit Iranian targets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run .
Hit anywhere but on Iranian soil , make sure these hits are significant enough to claim some credit but not too significant so as to provoke an all out war .
So far both the US and Israel have been successful at walking this very tight rope .
On January 5 , 1996 , Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres decided to violate an ongoing ceasefire with Hamas .
He gave the go-ahead to assassinate Hamas operative Yahiya Ayyash , who , coincidentally , was also known as Al-Muhandis .
The assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Gaza where Ayyash was staying , was brutal .
In response to the assassination , Hamas launched a series of suicide attacks that killed close to eighty Israelis .
Feature photo | President Donald Trump walks off after delivering remarks on Iran , at his Mar-a-Lago property , Friday , Jan. 3 , 2020 , in Palm Beach , Fla. Evan Vucci | AP Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ s Son .
Journey of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five .
”

In what can only be described as one in a long series of reckless, thoughtless and short sighted acts that serve only the narrowest interests, the Trump administration assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. This assassination, which was an act of cowardice, one may safely assume was concocted by Benjamine Netanyahu, another corrupt, reckless coward who is fighting for his political life. This, like the rest of the Trump administration’s Mideast and Iran policy, had to have been prescribed by the Prime Minister of Israel.
Both Israel and the United States are terrified of an all-out war with Iran. Neither country has faced a well organized, well-armed, well trained and motivated military force in many decades. There can be no doubt that the military leaders of both countries know this and appreciate that a war with Iran will be tantamount to suicide.
While both the US and the Israeli armies are well equipped and the hardware at their disposal includes vast quantities of the most cutting edge weapons on earth, both are large and cumbersome, and while they can bomb and destroy almost any country from the air and sea, neither has fought a long ground war and neither is capable of sustaining such a war. In addition, neither the Israeli soldiers or US forces can possibly be expected to be as motivated as the Iranian military would be in the event of an attack.
In the unlikely event that Israel or the US or both did attack Iran, the motivation of Iranian soldiers and officers to fight for their country’s survival will be far stronger than anything the Americans or the Israelis have seen in a long time. In addition, the Iranians had seen the horrifying consequences of attacks by the US and its allies in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen and would no doubt would do everything possible to spare Iran from the destruction and disintegration that befell those countries.
The world is a safer place
This mantra was used by those who led the coalition forces to invade and destroy Iraq in order to justify that war. It was proven wrong. Now the Americans are repeating this mantra about the killing of General Soleimani, and once again there can be no doubt that they are wrong. Iran, a country that has not attacked another nation in recent memory, will not sit silently as the US and Israel attack its assets, albeit using cowardly tactics of hit and run.
Ambassador Chas Freeman served in many important diplomatic and security roles, including Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was tapped by the Obama Administration to head the National Intelligence Council, which oversees the production of National Intelligence Estimates on threats facing the United States. However, his reputation for speaking frankly and honestly had drawn fire from neoconservatives and pro-Israeli groups who consequently organized an effective lobbying campaign against him and were able to derail his selection.
Here is what Ambassador Freeman wrote in response to the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani and commander Abu Mahdi, known popularly as Al Muhandis, the engineer, who commanded the Iraqi Kataeb Hezbollah forces (not to be confused with the Lebanese Hezbollah):
The Iranian government seldom makes decisions in haste. It is the heir to one of the world’s longest and greatest traditions of politico-military statecraft. It will make considered judgments as it calculates the appropriate asymmetric responses.” — “It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the timing of the attack was dictated by the turmoil in American domestic politics.”
Freeman has scathing remarks regarding US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, “In foreign policy terms, this attack makes no sense at all. It is not a deterrent to Iran so much as a provocation,” and, he states that the assassinations, “prepare the way for Mike Pompeo to offset his lack of diplomatic accomplishments with a demonstration of his ruthlessness.”
Whether in Syria, Iraq or anywhere else, where US and Israeli assets exist it is likely that Iran will strike. One may expect that as it had done thus far, Iran will act with caution so as not to make things worse, but it will not sit idle as the US and Israel continue their reckless endangerment of Iranians and others around the world.
An Act of Cowardice
Israel and the United States are governed by men who are fighting for their political lives. One has just been impeached and has to face what promises to be a fierce election campaign, and the other was just indicted for corruption and after not one but two elections was not able to form a coalition government, yet he still refuses to step down.
As Ambassador Freeman remarked, “It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the timing of the attack was dictated by the turmoil in American domestic politics.” One could also safely assume that the attacks were dictated by turmoil in Israeli domestic politics. In fact, it would not be a shocking revelation that the election campaigns of Netanyahu and Trump were in on the planning of Soleimani’s assassination.
Since neither country is prepared for an all out war with Iran, “hit and run” seems to be the tactic of choice. Hit Iranian targets in Syria or Iraq, and then run. Hit anywhere but on Iranian soil, make sure these hits are significant enough to claim some credit but not too significant so as to provoke an all out war. So far both the US and Israel have been successful at walking this very tight rope.
A Lesson Worth Remembering
On January 5, 1996, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres decided to violate an ongoing ceasefire with Hamas. He gave the go-ahead to assassinate Hamas operative Yahiya Ayyash, who, coincidentally, was also known as Al-Muhandis. The assassination, which took place at a hideout in Gaza where Ayyash was staying, was brutal. In response to the assassination, Hamas launched a series of suicide attacks that killed close to eighty Israelis.
Feature photo | President Donald Trump walks off after delivering remarks on Iran, at his Mar-a-Lago property, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, in Palm Beach, Fla. Evan Vucci | AP
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”