U.S Assassinates Top Iranian General

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

What this also demonstrates is the background intelligence needed to know where and when this individual could be targeted and also the precision munitions used to achieve it.

Here is his 4WD. Note how only it is destroyed, nothing else. Even the palms still have their fronds.



If I was on the target list I'd be keeping my head well down.

Exactly this, the Iranian Sponsored attack on the U.S Embassy this week in Baghdad, shows Iran has bitten off more than it can chew, they were not expecting this and this will have seriously weakened them and humiliated them, sure someone could step up in to this General's shoes, but he is said to have significant strategic might, this was their top man but also, Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, deputy commander of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, was also killed in this attack.

President Trump said Iran would pay 'a big price' for the storming of the US embassy in Baghdad a couple of days ago and he just told Iran, he was not joking.

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

There's been a constant stream of C17 and C5 heavy transport aircraft ferrying kit from the US to the Med and the Gulf. They seem to be dropping off in Jordan and Kuwait and coming back for more. These flights are normal but not on this scale.

A train of KC-135 tankers left Mildenhall for the Med at first light this morning so it looks like the majority of the 48FW residents at Lakenheath (F-15 Strike Eagles) have made their way down there before any of the spotters have rolled out of bed.

Last night a couple of AC130 Gunships were making their way in and a few other bits and bobs you don't often see.

Belt and braces eh.

Does the British Army deploy resources to areas based on regional tension/developments as a matter of routine?

[Uncle Peter]

Originally Posted by Damien

Does the British Army deploy resources to areas based on regional tension/developments as a matter of routine?

There are a few hundred British troops in Iraq supposedly delivering training to the Iraqi security forces but they have been there for a while. Remains to be seen if they get out of dodge now or in the near future.

Special operations forces are another matter: Nothing official will be said but you can almost guarantee that there will be SAS/SBS on the ground working with USSOCOM and CIA Special Activities at any given time. Someone must have been eyes on the ground for yesterday's strike but we'll probably never find out who.

AFP News Agency: BREAKING Iran security body vows to avenge Soleimani death in 'right place and time' AND Syrian's Assad says Soleimani support for Syria army 'will not be forgotten'.

Originally Posted by Damien

Killing another country's top general would conventionally be an act of war, it is quite the escalation. Iran isn't going to start a war over it because this is the United States but it is a big moment.

It’s a curious development. Trump’s instincts are generally almost isolationist in that he doesn’t see world peace as something to be paid for in American tax dollars. On the other hand he lashes out like a toddler when he feels personally slighted. I suspect on balance he has taken the embassy attack personally, rather than this being part of a strategy.

Originally Posted by Chris

It’s a curious development. Trump’s instincts are generally almost isolationist in that he doesn’t see world peace as something to be paid for in American tax dollars. On the other hand he lashes out like a toddler when he feels personally slighted. I suspect on balance he has taken the embassy attack personally, rather than this being part of a strategy.

The thing to remember about Trump is that he heavily criticised his 2016 rival in the U.S Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State and how weak she and President Obama was when four Americans were killed in that Embassy attack and that it was only the other day, he highlighted he was not going to allow another "Benghazi" on his watch, he has to be seen by his base not to be weak.

I do not necessarily agree with this bold move, but I am not going to shed a tear either.

[noel43]

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

Trump designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation last year so in the eyes of the president and no doubt the joint chiefs he was fair game.

Likewise the American army then. They will attack any country at will.

[Uncle Peter]

ABC News reporting that an additional 3,500 troops from the 82nd Airborne will be deployed to Kuwait. That goes some way to explaining a lot of those Reach flights throughout today and yesterday evening.

[noel43]

Originally Posted by Mick

Exactly this, the Iranian Sponsored attack on the U.S Embassy this week in Baghdad, shows Iran has bitten off more than it can chew, they were not expecting this and this will have seriously weakened them and humiliated them, sure someone could step up in to this General's shoes, but he is said to have significant strategic might, this was their top man but also, Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, deputy commander of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, was also killed in this attack.

President Trump said Iran would pay 'a big price' for the storming of the US embassy in Baghdad a couple of days ago and he just told Iran, he was not joking.

Remeber WMD's in Iraq and how true the americans statementswere.

[1andrew1]

I think the issue is not whether we will be shedding tears over the guy being assassinated in a bold manner - I suspect few here will - but what will the repercussions be. It's obviously a trade off.

“What always kept both Democratic and Republican presidents from targeting Soleimani himself was the simple question: Was the strike worth the likely retaliation, and the potential to pull us into protracted conflict?” said Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan and former C.I.A. analyst who served in Iraq and worked at the White House under both of Mr. Trump’s immediate predecessors.
“The two administrations I worked for both determined that the ultimate ends didn’t justify the means,” she said. “The Trump administration has made a different calculation.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...cid=spartanntp

BREAKING: A.P News wire: The chief of Hezbollah says evicting the U.S. military from the Middle East is now a priority and calls on American bases, warships and soldiers fair targets to be destroyed after the killing of Iran's top general.

---------- Post added at 15:29 ---------- Previous post was at 14:56 ----------

LATEST: Iraq parliament votes to expel US military from Iraq.
PM Abdul Mahdi: “It’s time for American troops to leave.”

It's been time to go for a long time..

[Taf]

Iraqi MPs have passed a resolution calling for foreign troops to leave the country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50998065

As well as US forces, I hope that also includes the Iranians, Russians, Syrians, Kurds and people of all forces aligned with ISIS. No? I thought not.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Taf

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50998065

As well as US forces, I hope that also includes the Iranians, Russians, Syrians, Kurds and people of all forces aligned with ISIS. No? I thought not.

The Kurds aren't foreign forces or aligned with ISIS.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

The Kurds aren't foreign forces or aligned with ISIS.

As far as the Kurds are concerned, everybody that isn't Kurdish is foreign. It's a case of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".