Iran protests: Videos reveal crackdown regime tried to hide from world.
By Jiyar Gol
BBC Persian
27 November 2019
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1220560/URL-iran-protests-latest-november-protests-death-toll-iran-news
Iran protests: Supreme Leader’s BRUTAL crackdown killed 1,500 - including 17 teens.
IRAN protests began more than a month ago in scattered parts of the country after a surprise rise in the petrol prices. As the unrest escalated, Iran’s Supreme Leader authorized a brutal crackdown that led to the deaths of 1,500 people, including 17 teenagers.
By TIM REDIGOLO
PUBLISHED: Monday, December 23, 2019
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
BBC News - Kataib Hezbollah: Iraq condemns US attacks on Iran-backed militia
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi has condemned the US air strikes which killed at least 25 members of an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia.
Mr Mahdi said the US action on Sunday had violated Iraq's sovereignty.
The prime minister appeared to suggest that Iraq would now have to review its relationship with the US.
US forces targeted the Kataib Hezbollah militia in retaliation for attacks on bases in Iraq that are used by the US military.
The Americans have fought for years alongside Iraqi government forces in their confrontation with the Islamic State (IS) group
US attacks Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria
Iran's network of influence in Mid-East 'growing'
"The prime minister described the American attack on the Iraqi armed forces as an unacceptable vicious assault that will have dangerous consequences," his office said.
Mr Mahdi said he tried to inform militia members of the impending air strike against them.
"American forces acted on their political priorities, not those of the Iraqis," a statement said, adding that such strikes "violate the sovereignty of Iraq".
The attacks "force Iraq to review its relations and its security, political and legal framework to protect its sovereignty", the government added.
The US ambassador in Baghdad would also be summoned to discuss the matter, the Iraqi ministry of foreign affairs tweeted.
"We also stress that Iraq is an independent country, that its internal security is a priority... and it will not be allowed to be a battlefield, a passage to carry out attacks, or a place [to be used] to harm neighbouring countries," it added.
Washington on Monday accused the Iraqi authorities of failing to "protect" US interests.
"We have warned the Iraqi government many times, and we've shared information with them to try to work with them to carry out their responsibility to protect us as their invited guests," a senior US state department official told reporters in Washington.
Several attacks have in recent weeks targeted Iraq bases where Americans are present. The US has blamed the attacks on pro-Iran factions.
Sunday's air strikes in Iraq and Syria against Kataib Hezbollah were in response to the killing of a US civilian contractor.
Weapons caches and command and control centres at five sites associated with the militia were hit, the US said.
Kataib Hezbollah (Brigades of the Party of God) is a powerful Iraqi Shia militia that receives financial and military support from Iran.
Since 2009, the US has designated the group as a terrorist organisation, accusing them of threatening the peace and stability of Iraq.
Iran's network of influence in Mid-East 'growing'
Profile: Iran's Revolutionary Guards
Iran's influence over Iraq's internal affairs has grown steadily since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
It has close links to Shia politicians who are part of the ruling elite, and has backed the Popular Mobilisation, which played a key role in defeating IS.
Protesters in Iraq have accused Iran of complicity in Iraq's failure and corruption. They have set fire to a number of Iranian consulate buildings in the country during the recent wave of protests.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
BBC News:
The year 2019 will be remembered as the year of protests. From Hong Kong to the Middle East and North Africa to Europe and Latin America. In Iraq, more than 500 protesters have been killed and thousands wounded. The poet and novelist, Sinan Antoon, says these protests are about justice and dignity, and that Iraqis are fed up with their dysfunctional and corrupt political system.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Wall Street Journal:
OPINION
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Trump Finally Fires Back at Iran
Tehran’s proxies will keep attacking as long as they sense U.S. weakness.
By The Editorial Board
December 29, 2019
It’s about time. Finally, after multiple attacks on U.S. bases and allies, President Trump approved a military response against Iranian-allied militias in Iraq and Syria on the weekend. Mr. Trump has to be prepared to do more if the Iranians decide to escalate.
The Pentagon said U.S. F-15E fighters carried out the strikes on five targets occupied by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shiite militia allied with and armed by Iran. “Iran and their KH proxy forces must cease their attacks on U.S. and coalition forces, and respect Iraq’s sovereignty, to prevent additional defensive actions by U.S. forces,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said.
Kataib Hezbollah is a proxy arm of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani’s Quds Force and would not have acted against U.S. forces without his approval. The group is responsible for 11 rocket attacks in two months on bases where American soldiers were present. A Kataib Hezbollah attack on Friday on an Iraqi base near Kirkuk killed a U.S. contractor and wounded four American troops.
Had Mr. Trump not responded to these U.S. casualties, he would have invited even more attacks. Mr. Trump’s reluctance to use force in response to previous Iranian attacks is one reason Gen. Soleimani may feel he can get away with more attacks.
Last June Mr. Trump stunned his own advisers when he called off a U.S. retaliatory strike on Iran at the last minute after Iran shot down a U.S. drone. Mr. Trump also declined to act after Iran’s brazen September attack on Saudi oil facilities.
Mr. Trump’s frequent statements that he wants to withdraw from Syria, and from “forever wars,” are also an invitation to adversaries to impose casualties that might cause the President to follow through on his isolationist impulses.
This danger is likely to increase in an election year in several theaters where adversaries may test Mr. Trump’s resolve. Iran is feeling the pressure of U.S. sanctions and may believe that attacking Americans will coax the President to ease the pressure. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has signaled that he may launch a New Year’s test of a missile capable of reaching America. Russia and China don’t want a direct military confrontation but are working against U.S. interests whenever they think they can get away with it.
The strikes in Iraq and Syria carry risks, including a nationalist backlash in Iraq against the U.S. military presence. But Iraqis have been demonstrating in the streets for weeks against Iran’s meddling in Iraqi politics, and the small U.S. force is there at Iraqi invitation. U.S. officials need to make clear the strikes are defensive to protect Iraqi and American lives, and that the U.S. will respond again if the Iranian militia attacks continue.
A strong statement from Mr. Trump would also help since the attacks are really aimed at persuading him to cut and run. A Commander in Chief can’t afford to show weakness with American lives and interests on the line.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.