Or how you should not start a new year …
Before the end of 2019, there where already some foreshadowing signs related to the protests in Iraq. Actually quite some protests and uproars were launched in multiple countries towards the end of 2019 – see Civil Unrest Is Erupting All Over The World, But Just Wait Until America Joins The Party… | Zero Hedge
While I focus more on closer events like the misery the U.S. and EU brought to Ukraine, Syria & the middle east, it should not get unnoticed that Christians are under severe attack in mostly ISIS or other Wahhabi extremists ruled countries these days. Christians are even protected by Iran, Hezbollah, Syria and many other so called bad countries (by the west). As the birthplace of Christianity is the middle east, mostly around Syria and Lebanon – this might be quite related and very much under-reported. While the west was sponsoring the Wahhabi terrorism (White Helmets (another article), moderate-ISIS-rebels, ..) in an attempt to topple Assad and take over Syria, the west financed the murder of many Christians in this region as well. Syrian Christians are usually supporting the legitimate Syrian president – see how I have not used the word regime here? As the Syrian puzzle is about to be resolved, I would like to see how the actors can apologize for all these war crimes.
But let me get back to the point – the protests and how all this might have played a role to today’s situation.
We had France for some while, Hong Kong of course, Lebanon protests (at least the Lebanese PM w/ roots in Saudi Arabia resigned) and its link to the new Iraq protests (or U.S. led coup attempt) didn’t get unnoticed.
Now just before the U.S. did it, they heated up the situation with strikes against the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) which were founded and trained by Iran to stop and defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) when it occupied nearly a third of Iraq and Syria.
Hours later the U.S. has murdered Qassim Soleimani and related leaders and probably bystanders. They even tried to defame him, painting him a terrorist.
You will read it over Trump’s and other U.S. officials tweets how they paint him a terrorist as they officially declared Quds Force a terrorist organization. Interesting to read a much more leveled presentation of Soleimani from the U.S. mil.. Soleimani & Quds Force usually supported the underdog side losing against the empire. One could say the empire had a difficult relationship with him and Iran, but that questionable pleasure surely was also on Iran’s side. Calling Iran a terrorist organization while ignoring the empire’s own activities is surely schizophrenic, but important to receive support. A nice interview with Joe Cortina (ex Green Beret) also gives quite a balanced view on the situation and names the termination of Soleimani what it is: murder. Joe details the discrepancy of Soleimani’s representation by the U.S. as he was even an important ally to the U.S..
Soleimani was at the forefront of the US led coalition to eradicate ISIS from Northern Iraq in March 2015.
Soleimani also, as a commander of the Iranian Quds Force, was part of the American-led coalition under US General Tommy Franks fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan in the October 2001 Battle of Herat.
Moreover, Soleimani worked to protect Eastern Christians against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq, and empowered them to defend themselves as best they could.
As for the flunkie at State, Pompeo put up a clip of a few Iraqis celebrating the death of Soleimani while parroting Trump’s own lies that Iranians “hated and feared him.”
However, Pompass didn’t show the millions mourning Soleimani in Iran, Iraq, and Syria, including the minorities in Sunni states such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
That’s not “hate and fear,” that’s “honor and respect.”
Well, Europe’s Germany, the appendix of the empire, stood down with a brown nose again. But who would have expected a backbone from a vassal state anyways? China and Russia have a backbone and no such issues it seems.
This not enough, the U.S. even claimed to have him murdered because they knew he was up to killing people.
What an irony, as it turns out that seemingly the U.S. asked Iraq to mediate with Iran to resolve the tensions in the region, hence Soleimani came to Iraq for a message and the U.S. knew all about it and murdered him.
“I was supposed to meet Soleimani at the morning the day he was killed, he came to deliver me a message from Iran responding to the message we delivered from Saudi to Iran” the Iraqi PM said, highlighting that Soleimani was carrying a response from Iran to a Saudi initiative to diffuse tensions in the region. That came after Trump called the Iraqi PM and asked him to mediate.
Search for above quote from the Iraq PM here – or take ZH’s coverage here.
Pepe Escobar wrote in Financial N-option will settle Trump’s oil war
On foreign soil, as a guest nation, US has assassinated a diplomatic envoy whose mission the US had requested.
The bombshell facts were delivered by caretaker Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, during an extraordinary, historic parliamentary session in Baghdad on Sunday.
Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani had flown into Baghdad on a normal carrier flight, carrying a diplomatic passport. He had been sent by Tehran to deliver, in person, a reply to a message from Riyadh on de-escalation across the Middle East. Those negotiations had been requested by the Trump administration.
So Baghdad was officially mediating between Tehran and Riyadh, at the behest of Trump. And Soleimani was a messenger. Adil Abdul-Mahdi was supposed to meet Soleimani at 8:30 am, Baghdad time, last Friday. But a few hours before the appointed time, Soleimani died as the object of a targeted assassination at Baghdad airport.
Seems to be legitimate, as Iraq just voted to kick the U.S. out of their country!
Then Trump said he won’t leave, then the U.S. base wrote a letter to Iraq that they do something to leave, which then got revoked and what not.. all while the U.S. is putting their attack force in place closer to Iran, not exactly retreating.
Now that is what I really call RICH.
Who is the beneficiary? Many do believe this is sadly just one move in the very long term planed strategy of the empire. No, this has nothing to do with Trump or some politicians over there. People got executed across the world by U.S. activities way before. Starting with Obama, they started to use drones and scaled up.
Let’s hope the worst will not happen.
Another article just released, also correcting Soleimani’s presentation.