Iran General Soleimani assassinated in Baghdad

[ShockerPrez]

I think this had a lot to do with responding to Iran telling Trump that he can't do anything. They play this game all the time. Oh we want peace, but are gonna plant IEDs. We want peace, but are gonna make faux gun boat runs on your destroyers in international waters. We are gonna sign the nuke deal, but continue enriching Uranium. We want peace, but are gonna fund Hezbollah to launch missles into Israel.

Iran is run by morons. They arent even any good at being coy. They are just inbred dumbasses. If you continue to chant 'Death to America' and rattle your sabers for war, at some point, someone might take your empty threat seriously and punch you in the mouth.

[ShockingButTrue]

Why was an Iranian general in Iraq?

Just reviewing the troops' readiness.

That, and probably devising a phase 2 assault after reviewing a report on the American Embassy "test run."

[Kung Wu]

Iran purchased some weapons and Trump just delivered one directly to their #2 guy. Now how many more did they order, and who wants to take the delivery?

[ShockerPrez]

If the Iranians and thus this general were planning on attacking our diplomats, (and having already attacked our embassy that's not really a great leap) than our strike was completely justified in my opinion.

The question now is what will Iran do.

I would find it quite entertaining to watch all their little boats in the gulf get destroyed in the time it takes to launch a cruise missle for each one.

But at the same time, I pray for our troops and hope for the best.

And I feel that they are safer when we are on the offensive and can hamper our enemy's ability to wage war on us.

[shoxlax]

Soleimani has a lot of American blood on his hands in Iraq. Just recently there was the Kirkut attack (which an American was killed), the Embassy attack (which is an act of war). Then there was the Saudi oil attack, the oil tanker attacks, funding and supplying all the proxies from Hezbollah to the Houthis to the militias in Iraq/Syria.......

He obviously has been a potential target since 2000's (even Obama had put him on the terrorist list in 2011) and we have been tracking him. But no previous administration (Bush or Obama) would give permission to take him out, In 2008 Soleimani was next to Imad Mughniyeh (Islamic Jihad), but permission was not given to take out Mughniyeh until Soleiani had moved away out of harm's way.

My assumption is our intelligence picked up further planned attacks either on the embassy or military in the region and decided to take pre-emptive action.

Or it could be just Karma catching up with him.

Great analysis, SB.

[Kung Wu]

Would it be a stretch to predict a bunch of US hostages about to be taken by Iran?

[shoxlax]

I think this had a lot to do with responding to Iran telling Trump that he can't do anything. They play this game all the time. Oh we want peace, but are gonna plant IEDs. We want peace, but are gonna make faux gun boat runs on your destroyers in international waters. We are gonna sign the nuke deal, but continue enriching Uranium. We want peace, but are gonna fund Hezbollah to launch missles into Israel.

Iran is run by morons. They arent even any good at being coy. They are just inbred dumbasses. If you continue to chant 'Death to America' and rattle your sabers for war, at some point, someone might take your empty threat seriously and punch you in the mouth.

I have 100% confidence Israel was brought into this op early to prepare for immediate retaliation against them. Like you said, predictable.

[ShockerPrez]

Would it be a stretch to predict a bunch of US hostages about to be taken by Iran?

It is in their playbook. I wouldn't be surprised.

[WuDrWu]

Would it be a stretch to predict a bunch of US hostages about to be taken by Iran?

The State Department's release telling all Americans to leave the area seems fairly straightforward. I have little doubt they feel like that's a likely retaliation (or have heard plans of such) and want to get as many American's out of harm's way as possible.

[RoyalShock]

I found this rundown of the situation informative:

https://thedispatch.com/p/the-morning-dispatch-qassem-suleimani

[ShockerPrez]

Say what you will about our presence in the region and the collateral civilian deaths that have occured by our actions in Iraq.

But when it is pretty much a given that Iran's potential response is to intentionally target and inflict harm to civilians, that is all one should need to know in determining who the bad player in this whole mess.

Iran and the like take aim at non-combatants all the time. And yet the international community never seems to condemn that. That is why their words should mean nothing.

Maybe we should just pull out and leave it to the Russians. Take it. Have fun with the inbreds infidel.

[wufan]

I found this rundown of the situation informative:

https://thedispatch.com/p/the-morning-dispatch-qassem-suleimani

Worthwhile read. Is the dispatch a right wing publication?

[Wuzee]

Worthwhile read. Is the dispatch a right wing publication?

Didn't see it listed on the latest Ad Fontes Media bias chart, but at a glance seemed to skew a little right, but is well-written and reasonable. I've added it to my morning reading list.

[Guest]

Worthwhile read. Is the dispatch a right wing publication?

Yes. Here is a quote from an AXIOS article from October 2019, "Steve Hayes, formerly of the now-defunct Weekly Standard, and Jonah Goldberg, a longtime National Review star — will launch The Dispatch, a digital media company"

[pinstripers]

Any word if John Kerry was meeting with this bad dude at the moment of impact?