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Monday, January 6, 2020

Soleimani killing: US denies pullout from Iran amid letter confusion


US Secretary of Defence, Secretary Mark Esper has denied US troops are pulling out of Iraq, after a letter from a US general there suggested a withdrawal.


The letter said the US would be "repositioning forces in the coming days and weeks" after Iraqi MPs had called for them to leave.
Mr. Esper said there had been "no decision whatsoever to leave".
The confusion came amid threats to American forces after the US killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
He died in a US drone strike in Baghdad on Friday on the orders of Mr. Trump.
The killing has sharply increased regional tensions, with Iran threatening "severe revenge".

What was in the letter?

It appeared to have been sent by Brig Gen William H Seely, head of the US military's task force in Iraq, to Abdul Amir, the deputy director of Combined Joint Operations.
It starts: "Sir, in due deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament, and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR (Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve) will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement."
The letter says certain measures, including increased air traffic, will be conducted "during hours of darkness" to "ensure the movement out of Iraq is conducted in a safe and efficient manner".
It would also "alleviate any perception that we may be bringing more Coalition Forces into the IZ (Green Zone in Baghdad)".

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Qasem Soleimani: mourners filled the streets as Soleimani's remains arrives Iran

Over 500,000 of mourners have taken to the streets in Iran to receive home the remains of Qasem Soleimani, the general killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad last week.
In Ahvaz, mourners beat their chests and chanted "death to America".
Soleimani was the architect of Iran's sphere of influence across the Middle East and he was considered to be the country's second most powerful man.
His assassination marked a significant escalation between Iran and the US.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who had a close personal relationship with Soleimani, warned of "severe revenge" for the attack, and analysts said Iran might pursue cyberattacks against the US or traditional attacks on US targets or interests in the Middle East.
President Trump, who authorized the attack on Soleimani on Friday - an option refused by both Presidents Bush and Obama as too risky - said on Saturday the US was ready to strike 52 sites "important to Iran & the Iranian culture".
In a series of tweets likely to raise concerns about a path to war between the two countries, Mr. Trump said the US would strike Iran "VERY FAST AND VERY HARD" if Iran targeted American bases or troops.
The president said the 52 targets identified by the US represented 52 Americans who were held hostage in Iran for more than a year from late 1979 after they were taken from the US embassy in Tehran.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

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