Middle East Heating Up

[Jackalope]

   Well it looks like 2020 is going to be a really interesting year.  President Trump vowed that the U.S. would respond after the recent embassy attack orchestrated by Iran.  The elimination of multiple high level Iranian personnel by drone/rocket attack this evening is obviously part of that response.  So, will Iran awaken their sleeper cells?   With all the domestic problems we have, the addition of a foreign war may be the straw to break the camel's back.  Or... it may serve to bring this country together.  I'd suggest staying out of urban areas for a while.

[Nemo]

Yeah, after the disgruntled locals at the embassy in the past day or 2, how do we respond?

And why would an Iran high mucketymuck be at Baghdad airport and how, unless he had high Iraq mucketymuck permission.

Would Iraq grant that permission then shoot a rocket at him at the airport?

Nemo

https://www.foxnews.com/world/rockets-baghdad-airport-injuries-reported

Iraq
Published 1 hour ago
Last Update 7 mins ago
Baghdad rocket attack kills Iranian military leaders including Gen. Qassim Soleimani, reports say
By Frank Miles | Fox News

At least three rockets were fired at Baghdad International Airport Friday killing at least seven people, including Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, according to multiple reports early Friday.

Soleimani is the military mastermind whom Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had deemed equally as dangerous as Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

In October, Baghdadi killed himself during a U.S. raid on a compound in northwest Syria, seven months after the  so-called ISIS “caliphate” officially crumbled as the terrorist group was defeated in its final swath of Syrian territory in March.

Soleimani was the long-running leader of the elite intelligence wing called Quds Force – which itself has been a designated terror group since 2007, and is estimated to be 20,000 strong. Considered one of the most powerful men in Iran, he routinely was referred to as its “shadow commander” or “spymaster.”

"Soleimani is our leader" had been photographed spray-painted on windows by Iran-backed militiamen at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, three Iraqi officials told The Associated Press. Iraqi TV reported the deaths as well.

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continued

[Jackalope]

    Yes Nemo, it's a viper's nest.  We should just make the entire Middle East a glass parking lot and be done with it.  Good shooting on the Air Force's part.  The big question is how Iran will respond.  They're going to want some favorable PR for their people.  I'm just waiting for Russia and China to call an emergency U.N. session.

[JohnyMac]

Maybe an Archduke Ferdinand moment. 

I suggest we wait for the dust to settle before we make predictions.

Jackalope brings up a good point, I'd suggest staying out of urban areas for a while.

[grizz]

The storm is coming, keep your powder dry