Game On in Iraq: Iranian Quds and Militias Suffer a, um, Setback

Gosh, this isn't like Benghazi at all!

Yeah, this means war. Soleimani wasn’t just some nobody.

"Rockets"? More like missiles, I'm guessing.

And there's always a tweet.

Iran's been testing our resolve. I think we just pushed back.

Oooh, I hope it was the new Samurai sword Hellfires!

Anyone got an article that can get me up to speed? I know we sent Marines to the embassy the other day but I've been busy and I don't really have a handle for what's going on over there.

Edit: This one told me enough.

NPR article

BBC article

Go swimming in shark-infested waters and this kind of shit can happen.

What was he doing in Baghdad?

There is a popular... protest/uprising going on in Iraq. The existing (Iran dominated) political system is under attack.

Our Saudi masters must be salivating at the thought of the US going to war with Iran.

They can become the sole regional power without having to lift a finger. You know for damn sure that none of their troops or people will suffer loss of lives.

Pelosi just confirmed congress wasn't informed.

Pulling out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement seems to be going swimmingly eh?

Apparently there are Iraqis celebrating in the streets at the news of Solemani’s death, whatever that’s worth

This is outrageous, of course. Nakedly criminal and politically incendiary.

Is Iraq a sovereign nation or not? What gives the US the right to go around killing people there, against the express wishes of the Iraqi government?

If Mike Pence was assassinated by the Iranians (oops, did that trigger the NSA filter? Hi guys!) would you be treating the situation with such levity?
Because make no mistake, that's equivalent to what has happened here. They can't not respond, and we will be very fortunate if this doesn't escalate into another major war.

What would Obama have done? Yes that's right, the exact same thing, and probably sooner versus later. Not directing this towards you Rick, generally you don't play favorites with U.S. politicians and military decisions. I'm just throwing this out there so people can keep things in perspective. Nearly every sane nation knew this guy was a threat and a very bad man, and are grateful for the U.S. turning him into a hunk a hunk of burning flesh.

True Trump didn't "go through congress" with this - because that would have tipped our hand, compromised the mission and possibly cost U.S. lives - no president should or would risk that.

Publically assassinate a major and extremely popular political figure while they were visiting a foreign country? I seriously doubt that. He wouldn't even back up his "Red Line" rhetoric against Assad.

And that's ignoring the fact that this all started when Trump pulled us out of the Obama's nuclear agreement and started his "MaXXXimum Pressure" campaign.

Sure says a lot about the Iranians that they hold their head of extraterritorial and clandestine operations, their chief of war by proxy, in such high regard

I mean this guy specializes in killing people on foreign soil and look how butthurt you are about the USA here

Maybe you can have a candlelight vigil for the guy with Jeremy Corbyn

Soleimani was more like their head of SOCOM, not SecState.

Source: https://www.globalfirepower.com/cou...tates-of-america&country2=iran&Submit=COMPARE

Anyone who thinks this will be a handy victory, and looking forward to it, is a fucking idiot and has learned nothing from history.

I can't help but feel he's become more of a threat now he's dead and the question of Iraq being a sovereign nation remains. How happy would people be if this had happened on US or UK soil?

Every nation has a habit of romanticising their special forces, overseas spies, forces and secret agents. Who exactly carried out this mission after all?

Depends on the goal. If America and Iran go to all-out war, and our main goal is just to remove the Iranian military as an effective force, that'll take about a month. If it's to "nation build," then we're looking at decades of occupation in highly hostile territory and we might as well just glass the place and call it good. If its' "regime change" then that can be more complicated and could also take years.
A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.

Which is exactly where you were with the IND.

Depends on which "people" you are referring to.