| Iran fires missiles at US troop bases in Iraq Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:30 PM PST  Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi bases used by the US military, officials in Washington and Tehran said, in the first act of the Islamic republic's promised revenge for the US killing of a top Iranian general. "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil," the Pentagon said. There were no immediate reports on casualties but the Pentagon said it had been ready, after days of steadily mounting tension and exchanges of threats of war.
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| Australian family's fortress no match for rapacious fires Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:25 PM PST  With flames climbing as high as a 15-story building and menacing his supposedly fireproof home on three sides, Justin Kam ran to the laundry room and opened the door. It was clear his family's fortress had been breached and they were in mortal danger and needed to get out.
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| Iran was always going to retaliate – but that doesn't mean it wants all-out war Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:23 PM PST  Iran was going to retaliate sooner or later, one way or the other. There was no way they would let the targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani go.But with its missile attacks on a US-Iraqi base, Iran is now trying to make it clear that this is a retaliation for one action, not an escalation into a full-on war.
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| Iran launches missiles at US military facilities in Iraq: Pentagon Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:22 PM PST  Iran fired multiple missiles into Iraq on Tuesday evening, targeting U.S. military sites in what appeared to be retaliation for the recent American drone strike that killed one of its top generals. The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps swiftly took credit, and one Iranian politician tweeted his nation's flag -- an apparent swipe at President Donald Trump who tweeted the American flag after the U.S. killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
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| Iran launches missile attack on US bases in Iraq - latest news Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:21 PM PST  Iran brands Britain America's 'partner in crime' over Soleimani death US says attack planned by Soleimani was 'days' from happening More than 60 people die after stampede at general's funeral US sends B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia as tensions mount More than a dozen rockets have been launched against US targets by Iran, hitting an Iraqi airbase on Wednesday where American and coalition forces are based, Washington has confirmed. Iranian state TV said that Tehran had launched "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles in the attack on the Ain al-Assad airbase, in the country's west, as revenge for the killing of Gen Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad last week. It is unclear if there have been any casualties. According to Iran's Tasnim news agency, Tehran has started a "second round" of attacks against American targets. The second round of attacks started an hour after the first phase took place, the agency reported. Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards has ordered the White House to 'recall US troops' from the region. The Pentagon has confirmed the first attacks: "At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil." A US official said that it was aware of attacks on multiple locations. Iran and its proxies around the Middle East Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said: "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran." He said the attacks "targeted at least two Iraqi military bases" and that the US is "working on initial battle damage assessments". There are about 5,000 American troops in Iraq. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said: "The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team." Qassim Soleimani drone strike | Read more Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, and Mark Esper, the defence secretary, have arrived at the White House. The US defended the killing of Soleimani yesterday, claiming that the general was allegedly plotting an immediate attack against America. Asked during a press conference whether the attack allegedly being masterminded by Soleimani had been days or weeks away, Mr Esper said: "I think it's more fair to say days, for sure." Iran's ballistic and cruise missiles Donald Trump followed up the comments by saying Soleimani, the leader of Iran's proxy militias, was planning a "very big attack" which would have affected America and taken "a lot of lives". Meanwhile, Iran accused the UK of being "a partner in crime" with the US over the attack as the Defence Secretary took "urgent measures" to protect the safety of British troops in the region. Iran's military force troop numbers At least 60 people died and 200 were injured in a stampede yesterday during the funeral for Soleimani. Tens of thousands had gathered in a central square in Kerman, the home town of the commander, as they prepared for his burial. Witnesses say mourners were violently pushed back from the cortege as the coffin passed, with crowds trampling on men, women and children. 1:05AM First pictures: Iran's attack Iranian state media has released images that allegedly show its attacks on the US targets. An image from footage of the attack on Ain al-Assad shown on Iranian state television Credit: GETTY IMAGES 12:56AM Oil prices leap up after news of attack Oil prices spiked on Wednesday morning, rising over 4.5 per cent at one point after Iran's attack. The benchmark WTI jumped as much as 4.53 per cent to $65.54 a barrel before settling down slightly. Oil prices hit a six-year high on Monday Credit: BORIS ROESSLER/DPA 12:42AM Pentagon confirms attack The Pentagon has confirmed the attack: "At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil." 12:28AM Iran: 'Any base is a target' Iran's Revolutionary Guard said the attack was in retaliation for the US killing of Qassim Soleimani. "We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted," it said in a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. 12:20AM President 'monitoring' attack The White House press secretary has said that Donald Trump "has been briefed and is monitoring the situation" in Iraq after reports of airstrikes on a US and coalition base. We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) January 7, 2020
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| Pelosi calls on Iran to 'cease its violence,' Trump administration to end its 'needless provocations' Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:11 PM PST  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has responded to Iran's missile attacks against at least two Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops.Pelosi tweeted on Tuesday evening that she is "closely monitoring" the situation. "We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war."The attacks were in response to the death of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed last week in an airstrike authorized by President Trump.More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff 19 books to read in 2020
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| After missile launch, Iran leader tweets flag – like Trump did after Soleimani death Posted: 07 Jan 2020 05:01 PM PST  Like Trump, an Iran leader tweeted a picture of his country's flag as tensions escalate.
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| Rand Paul says war with Iran would be a 'catastrophe' worse than what happened in Iraq Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:50 PM PST  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) considers the killing of Iranian Gen. Maj. Qassem Soleimani "an act of war," and said he is "very worried" about heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.Paul appeared on MSNBC's Hardball just minutes after Iranian state media announced the country's Revolutionary Guards launched missiles against Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. He called the attacks "predictable," adding, "I think this maximum pressure campaign, where we give no off-ramp and there's no ability or attempt to engage, I think it's been a failure. [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo has been saying we will force them into accepting our will, but we got out of the Iran agreement, which broke the trust that we had developed with them. Then we put an embargo on them and now we've killed one of their leading generals."Last week, President Trump authorized an airstrike in Baghdad that targeted Soleimani, and Paul said he believes "killing a major general from another country is an act of war." He does not think Iran will "have a full-on war with us," but will continue missile and rocket attacks. "This is the opening salvo," Paul said. "I think it will go on for some time now. I think they will try to avoid a direct war because we can defeat any other nation and we would defeat them in a matter of weeks, but it would be another catastrophe and another mess 10 times of what happened during the Iraq War."Paul said he is holding out for "saner minds" to "pull back and say enough's enough, let's try to have some means of conversation or some means of engagement." > "I think killing a major general from another country is an act of war."@RandPaul on Hardball pic.twitter.com/t8MFQXPOA9> > -- Hardball (@hardball) January 8, 2020More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff 19 books to read in 2020
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| Oil surges after Iran attacks U.S. forces in Iraq, WTI at around $65 Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:42 PM PST  Oil rose sharply, with U.S. crude rising nearly $3, on Wednesday after the U.S. said its forces in Iraq were attacked by Iranian ballistic missiles, raising the prospect of a regional conflagration that could cut oil supplies. Iran has launched an attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Tuesday, adding Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led coalition personnel. "We are working on initial battle damage assessments," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in statement, adding that the bases targeted were at Al-Asad air base and another in Erbil, Iraq.
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| Pentagon: Iran launched more than 12 ballistic missiles against Iraqi bases housing U.S. forces Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:29 PM PST  The Pentagon says Iran has launched "more than a dozen ballistic missiles" targeting at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. troops.The missiles were fired from Iran, and hit the al-Asad air base in western Iraq and another base in Erbil, NBC News reports. Iran's Revolutionary Guards took credit for the attacks. "We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted," the Guard said in a statement.Last week, President Trump authorized an airstrike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Tehran vowed revenge, and Iranian state media reports the operation's name was "Martyr Soleimani."More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff 19 books to read in 2020
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| Iran fires missiles at multiple U.S. positions in Iraq in retaliation for Soleimani killing Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:27 PM PST  Iran launched attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq on Tuesday evening in apparent retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem which was ordered by President Trump.
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| What is Ain Assad, the Iraqi air base housing US troops that Iran says it attacked? Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:25 PM PST  Iranian media reported early Wednesday that Iran launched "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles at an Iraqi base housing American troops in retaliation for the United States' targeted killing of an Iranian general, according to the Associated Press.
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| Iran crisis: missiles launched against US airbases in Iraq Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:08 PM PST  Al-Asad and Erbil bases comes under fire after Iranian official describes 13 'revenge scenarios' following Suleimani assassination * Iran releases footage of missile attack on US airbases in Iraq * Iran crisis – latest updatesIran has launched missile strikes aimed at US troops in Iraq in what it said was retaliation for the killing last week of top Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.The Pentagon confirmed that al-Asad air base in Iraq's Anbar province, and Erbil base in northern Iraq, which both host a US contingent, had been hit by a salvo of more than a dozen missiles launched from Iran.Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), of which Suleimani was a member, issued a statement saying: "The brave soldiers of IRGC's aerospace unit have launched a successful attack with tens of ballistic missiles on Al Assad military base in the name of martyr General Qassem Suleimani."Iranian news sites showed video footage of missiles being launched into the night sky.White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said: "We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.""At approximately 5.30pm [Washington time, 1.30am in Iraq] on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and coalition forces in Iraq," a Pentagon statement said. "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al Asad and [Erbil]."Following the assassination of Qassem Suleimani, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed Suleimani's deputy, Esmail Qaani, as the new commander of the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force.Little is known about his role in the Quds, a special operations force responsible for projecting Iranian military power overseas.Like Suleimani, the 62-year-old from Mashhad joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a young man in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution. He worked for IRGC counterintelligence before being appointed as Suleimani's second-in-command in 1997. The pair are said to have been close friends. Both veterans of the brutal 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Iranian media quoted Qaani as saying their bond came from being "children of war". Comments from an IRGC political deputy this week suggested the division of labour between the two meant while Suleimani focused on Quds operations in the Middle East in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, Qaani handled more bureaucratic affairs as well as relationship building with groups in Africa and Afghanistan.He was sanctioned by the US over funding international Quds Force activity and proxy forces in 2012.While Qaani is believed to be weaker and less charismatic than his predecessor, he has already echoed Khamenei in promising revenge for Sulemani's death. Quds Force operations are likely to continue unchanged, as the group's structure means it can rely on its institutional power rather than individual leaders. Bethan McKernanThe statement said the bases had been on high alert and that all "appropriate measures" had been taken to safeguard US troops and partners, and that the Pentagon was still working on "initial battle damage assessments"."As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the region."Due to the dynamic nature of the situation, we will continue to provide updates as they become available."The al-Asad base has previously been a target of an Iranian-backed Shia militia, Kata'ib Hezbollah, whose attacks on US and coalition troops triggered tit-for-tat strikes that culminated in the drone strikeal-asad base locatorEarlier in the day, the secretary of Iran's national security council, Ali Shamkhani, said 13 "revenge scenarios" were being considered in the wake of the assassination of Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force, and that even the most limited options would be a "historic nightmare" for the US.Ali Shamkhani told the Tasnim news agency: "The 27 US bases that are closest to Iran's border are already on high alert; they know that the response is likely to include medium-range & long-range missiles."Trump responded to Iranian threats in remarks to the press at the White House "We're totally prepared. And likewise, we're prepared to attack if we have to," he said.But he appeared to draw back from his earlier threats to target Iranian cultural sites, a potential war crime."If that's what the law is, I like to obey the law," he said, but he added: "They kill our people, they blow up our people and then we have to be very gentle with their cultural institutions. But I'm OK with it … I will say this, if Iran does anything that they shouldn't be doing, they're going to be suffering the consequences and very strongly."Trump said his long-term intention was withdraw the 5,200 US troops currently in Iraq, but not right away as the Iraqi government and parliament have demanded."I think we've done a fantastic job but eventually, we want to be able to let Iraq run its own affairs," he said. "We want to get out. But this isn't the right point."When the US did leave, the president insisted, Iraq would have to reimburse Washington for the infrastructure investments Washington has made over a nearly 17-year presence.US allies have already begun leaving Baghdad, which was buzzing as night fell with helicopters flying in and out of the city's fortified diplomatic district, known as the Green Zone. Canada, which currently leads the Nato training mission, said it was pulling out some of its 500 troops, and Germany said its presence in Iraq would be "temporarily thinned out". Most of the Nato troops withdrawing were reported to be heading for Kuwait.The US-led coalition to counter Isis is also repositioning its forces to lessen their vulnerability to attack. Britain's defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said that non-essential personnel were being moved from Baghdad to Taji, about 19 miles (30km) to the north.The Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, earlier insisted the Iranian response to US state terrorism would be proportionate, and not conducted by surrogate forces."This is an act of aggression against Iran, and it amounts to an armed attack against Iran, and we will respond. But we will respond proportionately – not disproportionately … We are not lawless like President Trump," Zarif said, adding that the attack would occur at the time of Iran's choosing."Unlike the United States, we do not take cowardly terrorist acts," he said. "When we do it, we will declare it."The US defence secretary, Mark Esper, said the US would prefer a diplomatic solution."We're prepared for the worst. We hope that cooler heads in Tehran will prevail and de-escalate the situation," Esper told CNN. "We are not looking to start a war with Iran but we are prepared to finish one … What we would like to see is the situation de-escalated and for Tehran to sit down with us and begin a discussion about a better way ahead."In a further sign that the Trump administration was anxious to find a way of defusing the brewing conflict, Bloomberg News reported that Pompeo sent a cable to all US embassies on Tuesday ordering diplomats not to meet Iranian opposition groups without permission, explaining that it could jeopardise diplomacy with Iran's government.The Trump administration did little to clarify the confusion that arose on Monday over its intentions in Iraq. Pentagon officials had said that a letter sent to the Iraqi government from the US taskforce commander in Iraq, announcing a troop departure, had been a draft released by mistake.Iraq's acting prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, however, insisted that the letter had been signed and that it had initially been sent back to the US commander over a translation query, and then it had been redelivered with a corrected translation."They said it's a draft. OK, it's a draft. But we received it. As a state, how are we supposed to act? We should get a second letter to clarify so we can clarify to our people too," Abdul Mahdi, who resigned in November but has stayed on in a caretaker role, said, according to Agence France-Presse. "If I don't trust you and you don't trust me, how are we supposed to proceed?"In a prerecorded television address he insisted the US would have to leave."We have no exit but this, otherwise we are speeding toward confrontation," Abdul Mahdi said, adding that Iraq would have to take a "historic decision" to implement the expulsion. "Otherwise we will not be taken seriously," he added.
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| Iran Fires Missiles at Base Housing U.S. Troops as ‘Vengeance’ for Soleimani Killing Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:06 PM PST  Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a missile attack late Tuesday against two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops.In a statement, the Defense Department said, "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Erbil." The Pentagon said it was still assessing damage from the strike.A senior Iraqi official confirmed the strike on Al-Asad to The Daily Beast.Tasnim News, an Iranian news outlet closely linked to the IRGC, published a statement from the IRGC which claimed it fired "tens" of rockets at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq in an operation dubbed "Operation Martyr Soleimani." "We warn the Great Satan, the bloodthirsty and arrogant regime of the US, that any new wicked act or more moves and aggressions (against Iran) will bring about more painful and crushing responses," the Guards wrote.A White House official confirmed to The Daily Beast that Trump aides have already started drafting a possible address for Trump to deliver to the nation on live TV, but the timing hasn't been confirmed.On Twitter, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham wrote that "We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team."The IRGC claimed the strike was the country's "vengeance" for the assassination of former Qods Force commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The operation follows a U.S. drone strike earlier this week which killed Soleimani, a powerful commander in Iran's military and the officer in charge of Tehran's wars in Iraq and Syria. The operation has plunged the U.S. and Iran into conflict after a summer which saw what the Trump administration said were escalating Iranian covert attacks against the U.S. and its allies in the region. The Tuesday night strike represents a significant escalation of Iran's own. Never before have the Iranians fired ballistic missiles, orders of magnitude more dangerous than rockets, at U.S. positions in Iraq – not during the 2003-2011 U.S. occupation, nor the return of U.S. forces to Iraq after 2014.An Iranian official, apparently taunting Trump, tweeted out a picture of the Iranian flag immediately after the attack, mimicking Trump's own American flag tweet posted in the immediate aftermath of Soleimani's killing. The IRGC's statement warned other countries housing U.S. military bases that they could become targets. In addition, the IRGC statement said: "By no means do we consider [Israel] separate in these crimes from the American criminal regime."The IRGC-linked Fars News agency also published a video of what it said were rockets launched at Ain Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, which is home to a small number of U.S. forces. The video shows what appears to be a handful of rockets streaking through the night sky. The Pentagon said Iran's attack included "more than a dozen ballistic missiles." It's unclear what kind of ballistic missile was used in the attacks but Iran's missile arsenals include weapons which carry warheads weighing several hundred pounds in contrast to the smaller, unguided artillery rockets which the U.S. says Iranian proxy groups have used against American bases in Iraq over the past few months. Meanwhile, on the ground in Iraq, officials in both Baghdad and Erbil scrambled to get details of the rocket attacks in both cities. Senior leaders seemed to be unaware of exactly how many rockets had fallen and if there was significant damage to American infrastructure or whether anyone had been killed. Jennifer Carafella, the research director for the Institute for the Study of War, said that by targeting the base at Erbil as well as Al-Asad, the Iranians were sending a message to Iraq's Kurds to dissuade them from permitting U.S. forces evicted by Baghdad to reposition north to Kurdistan."Iran is signaling to the U.S. that nowhere in Iraq is safe," Carafella said, "and to the KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government] that there's a price for standing by the Americans.""This is what we were afraid of," said one Kurdish member of parliament. "We were afraid we'd get pulled into this struggle between the U.S. and Iran. And now we are seeing it.""The Kurds want U.S. troops to stay. They've always wanted U.S. troops to stay. But in this environment the Kurds are going to be asking for a lot more backing and confirmation that the Trump White House is going to have their back," said a former senior Obama administration official working on Iraq policy.Throughout the course of the U.S.-led war on ISIS, the al-Asad base was home to both American troops and military equipment, including MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1C armed drones. Unknown militants in Iraq attacked the base with smaller rockets in early December, shortly after Vice President Mike Pence arrived at the base for a visit.In the three days following the strike on Soleimani, Predata–a firm that provides public and private sector clients insights based on public internet traffic data–monitored levels of online attention to hundreds of potential retaliation targets. One of the small number of trends that stood out was notably high levels of Persian-language attention to the Al-Asad airbase, according to Joel Meyer, a vice president at Predata. The firm is known for correctly predicting the timing of multiple North Korean ballistic missile tests.In a classified briefing to congressional staff last week, U.S. officials indicated that the precision of missile strikes could point to whether or not Iran was escalating hostilities, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the comments. Iranian proxy forces have long harassed U.S. targets with rockets that miss their targets; using missiles with more sophisticated targeting systems would be an indicator of heightened aggression from the Islamic Republic. Rep. Michael Waltz appeared to allude to the same issue in a Fox News appearance after the strike on Al-Asad, saying a strike that didn't result in casualties could be seen as de-escalatory. \-- Spencer Ackerman and Betsy Swan contributed reporting Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. 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| Iran says it fired missiles at Iraqi air base housing U.S. troops Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:57 PM PST  Iranian state media is reporting that Tehran has fired multiple missiles at the al-Asad air base in western Iraq, which houses U.S. troops.Iran's Revolutionary Guards has taken responsibility for the attacks, calling it "fierce revenge" against the United States in retaliation for the death of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Last week, President Trump authorized an airstrike in Baghdad that killed Soleimani; the Trump administration has said Soleimani was targeted because he was planning imminent attacks against U.S. interests.The Revolutionary Guards said "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles were fired, The Associated Press reports, while Iraq's Joint Military Command says seven rockets hit the air base. A U.S. official told The New York Times six rockets landed at the base. No casualties have been reported. The attack occurred hours after Soleimani was buried in his hometown of Kerman, Iran.More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff 19 books to read in 2020
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| Iran strikes back at US with missile attack at bases in Iraq Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:56 PM PST  Iran struck back at the United States for the killing of a top Iranian general early Wednesday, firing a series of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops and warning the United States and its allies in the region not to retaliate. The strikes by Iran were a major escalation of tensions that have been rising steadily across the Mideast following months of threats and attacks after President Donald Trump's decision to unilaterally withdraw America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. Iranian state TV said the attack was in revenge for the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whose funeral procession Tuesday in his hometown of Kerman prompted angry calls to avenge his death.
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| Trump campaign seizes on Soleimani killing Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:43 PM PST  Donald Trump once warned Barack Obama against "playing the Iran card" to boost his political prospects by starting a war. Eight years later, Trump is showing no reluctance to capitalize politically on his order to kill a top Iranian general, drawing accusations that he is weaponizing foreign policy for his campaign's own gain. Trump's campaign has used the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, as a cudgel against the president's Democratic political rivals and to divert attention from his impending impeachment trial in the Senate.
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| After Soleimani killing, Iraq’s vote to expel U.S. troops is Iran’s true victory | Opinion Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:29 PM PST  Without firing a shot, Iran appears to have executed a devastating revenge attack against the United States for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Using Iraq's democratic process, Iranian-influenced members of parliament on Sunday voted to expel American soldiers from Iraq. With that, Iran may have effectively won the battle of influence in Iraq.
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| WH correspondents protest lack of word about Saudi meeting Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:10 PM PST |
| Pompeo Limits U.S. Links to Iranian Group Linked to Giuliani Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:08 PM PST |
| Killing of Iran general risks US gains against Islamic State Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:07 PM PST  President Donald Trump's national security team knew that killing Iran's most powerful general could hurt efforts to mop up and head off any revival of the Islamic State militant group — and that is just what has happened. Two days after Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, the U.S. troops in Iraq to fight the Islamic State are now focused on their own defense, guarding American bases and the U.S. Embassy from an expected Iranian response. "When we looked at this operation we knew there would be consequences," said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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| UN says clashes in Sudan’s Darfur displace 40,000 Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:49 PM PST |
| In 1980, a 34-year-old Donald Trump said the US should invade Iran in response to the hostage crisis Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:46 PM PST  The 1980 interview in many ways foreshadowed the tone of Trump's future presidential campaign and general stance toward Iran as commander-in-chief.
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| CES 2020: Dell challenges Nintendo Switch with handheld console that can run PC games Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:44 PM PST  Handheld PC gaming has come a step closer as Dell revealed its first device designed to compete with the Nintendo Switch. The US computer maker's concept device, dubbed Project UFO, was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in an effort to bring more portability to traditional PC gaming technology. Project UFO, from Dell's Alienware gaming brand, borrows elements that made Nintendo's Switch console a success, with a screen and detachable handheld controllers. The device has no price yet, and as a concept is not likely to be released for some time, if ever. The console has an 8-inch screen with 1900 x 1200 resolution that can be played as a single handheld device, or by detaching its controllers, flipping out a kickstand on the screen. The device can be plugged into a dock like the Nintendo Switch Credit: Matthew Field/Telegraph It can also be plugged into an external screen using a docking station to play it in a manner similar to a traditional console and features USB-C ports at the top and bottom of the device. Dell said the device includes its 10th generation hardware, but gave no more details on technical or battery specifications. Gaming laptops have normally suffered from problems with battery life, while smaller handhelds have had to compromise on graphics and performance. The device also includes AMD's Ryzen graphics technology. Such a device would open up a plethora of Windows PC games to a handheld market and hope to mirror the success of Nintendo's Switch, which has sold more than 41 million consoles worldwide since it was launched in 2017. Iran and the West | Comment and analysis The device can also work with the online game store Steam, allowing users to download thousands of potential games for the handheld device. Vivien Lien, Dell's head of gaming, said: "This concept is powered by Intel's latest 10th gen processors… you can connect it to an external display and play using the detached controllers. "We've been working on many iterations on this concept and have many more in the works." The Texas firm revealed the device alongside concept devices including a 13-inch PC with a flexible screen that could be folded up like a book and a dual screen device with two 13.4-inch connected screens.
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| Trump unfurls a new attack for 2020: Dems as Iran sympathizers Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:36 PM PST |
| Sweet Revenge for Iran Would Be to Push U.S. Out of Iraq Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:33 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Perhaps the sweetest revenge Iran could take for Qassem Soleimani's killing would be to secure what the military commander was unable to achieve in life: expulsion of the U.S. from neighboring Iraq.That goal has come a step closer with Iraq's parliament directing the government to cancel a standing request to host U.S. forces, and the leak of a draft U.S. letter accepting the "sovereign" decision and informing of preparations for departure.But President Donald Trump said Tuesday it isn't the right time for the U.S. to pull out of Iraq. "Eventually we want to be able to allow Iraq to run its own affairs," Trump told reporters at the White House. "This isn't the right point."U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was adamant on Monday that "there's been no decision made to leave Iraq. Period." U.S. officials said the letter was no more than a draft and should never have been made public.Adding to the sense of confusion, Trump tweeted a threat to impose sweeping sanctions on Iraq, if it should kick American troops out without compensation."Iran believes with good reason it now has a chance to accomplish what it has been trying to do for many years, to push the U.S. out," said William Wechsler, a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism, who now heads the Middle East program of the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank.Sunday's non-binding resolution marks just the beginning of a negotiation, rather than the end of the road for 17 years of close U.S. involvement in Iraq, according to Iraqi legislators and analysts, as well as Wechsler. The irony, he said, is that coming after months of anti-Iranian protests in Iraq, "this is all happening at a moment when the Iranian influence in Iraq had been under the greatest pressure since we invaded."Islamic StateAny negotiation of a U.S. draw-down may first have to be done among Iraq's different political factions, which break down largely along religious and ethnic lines. In a country that has been gradually rebuilding a sense of nationhood since the bloody sectarianism that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's minorities in particular see the U.S. as a guarantor against Iranian influence, Shiite domination and the return of Islamic State.The vote to expel the U.S. was boycotted by most Sunni Arab and Kurdish MPs, passing by 170 ballots to none against in a chamber of 328 legislators. Even as parliament met, crowds that have been protesting government policy and Iranian influence since October were still on the streets of many towns.In Nasiriya, a mainly Shiite city of about half a million inhabitants 225 miles south of Baghdad, protesters blocked an attempted funeral procession for Soleimani at the weekend, even as large crowds attended a massive ceremony in his honor in Kerbala, the site of a holy shrine closer to the capital. The Nasiriya protesters then set fire to an office of the Popular Mobilization Units, the umbrella organization that includes pro-Iran militias."Those who were out to protest Iranian or U.S. influence are Iraqis, and they don't want Iraq to be an arena to settle accounts," said one protester, Ayad Al-Rumi, speaking by phone from Baghdad's Tahrir Square. "We're working to build a new Iraqi state, away from all the plans drawn by other countries."Firepower and CloutLike so many protesters for better government, from Iran to Chile or Hong Kong, they may not get their way, and their message -- which already drew violent attacks before Soleimani's death -- requires increasing bravery. Iraq's pro-Iranian militias wield significant firepower and political clout, and the U.S. remains deeply unpopular with a significant part of the population.Since invading to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, the U.S. has spent an estimated $1 trillion dollars on operations in Iraq and lost more than 4,000 troops. But the impact on Iraq was devastating, and the U.S. -- which in recent years often appeared mainly interested in countering Islamic State or Iran in Iraq -- is unpopular among much of the population."The decision was based on saving Iraq's sovereignty, security and interests," said Ahmed Al-Asadi, a Shiite lawmaker who backed Sunday's vote to recommend expelling U.S. forces. "One of its main goals is to spare Iraq from any repercussions that may occur in the region." With Islamic State defeated, he added, that decision "should have been taken in the past."What happens next remains opaque. Caretaker Prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has indicated he will act on the legislation, but its wording is vague, making it unclear exactly what the consequences for U.S. personnel would be.Iraqis have for years resisted pressure from the U.S. and Iran alike to choose between them, reluctant to become overly dependent on either. That has thwarted Washington's more ambitious goals in Iraq, but also Soleimani's designs for turning the country into a second Lebanon, run by a compliant Shiite party and associated militia, akin to Hezbollah.Economic EmbargoMany Iraqi politicians appear aware that air power and training provided by the U.S.-led coalition has been vital to the campaign to suppress Islamic State, which at one point controlled swathes of the country."Can the Iraqi government give a guarantee that it doesn't need the coalition forces in military, security, intelligence and economic terms?" said Vian Sabri, a lawmaker from the Kurdistan Democratic Party. "Security-wise, ISIS still exist as an ideology and group."Many also recognize the risks of being forced by an enraged U.S. president to join Iran's economically devastating isolation from global financial and investment markets."Anyone who lived the days of the economic embargo in the 1990s will feel the magnitude of the catastrophe that will befall us," said Ihsan Al-Shammari, the director of Baghdad's Political Thought Center and ex-press adviser to former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi.Even if a new government should implement the resolution, it could amount to less than it seems, according to Abdullah Al-Kharbeet, a Sunni lawmaker who described the vote as "ink on paper" with no value or legal consequences.A dis-invitation to U.S. troops could still allow for trainers to continue working with the Iraqi armed forces, and for U.S. jets to fly counter-Islamic State operations from the northern provinces of Kurdistan. Monday's leaked letter has added to uncertainty over U.S. intentions."People don't want to be subordinate," said Al-Kharbeet, "neither to the U.S. nor to Iran, nor even to politicians."(Updates with Trump comment in third paragraph.)\--With assistance from Lin Noueihed, Michael Shepard and Samuel Dodge.To contact the reporters on this story: Khalid Al-Ansary in Baghdad at kalansary@bloomberg.net;Marc Champion in London at mchampion7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Alan CrawfordFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The most likely target for Iranian cyber retaliation after the Soleimani strike Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:22 PM PST  There are numerous possibilities for Iranian retaliation for the death of its general Qassem Soleimani. A cyber attack is one of the most likely options, but Iran may choose to go after allies instead of the U.S. itself.
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| Senate Dems face tough road to block Trump on Iran Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:17 PM PST  A Senate resolution to block President Trump from further escalating hostilities with Iran faced an uphill battle Tuesday, as key Republicans had yet to commit their support.
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| Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:10 PM PST  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he has the votes he needs, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may still have the leverage.McConnell announced Tuesday that Republican senators have enough votes to launch President Trump's impeachment trial without an agreement on witnesses with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his Democratic colleagues. Pelosi is still holding on to the articles of impeachment, however, which is blocking the proceedings from getting underway. The Washington Post notes Pelosi is under increasing pressure to pass them over, including from some members of her own party. But in a Twitter thread Tuesday Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the editor-in-chief of Lawfare, laid out how and why Pelosi might not be in any rush. It has a lot to do with former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Bolton said Monday he'd be prepared to testify in the Senate trial if subpoenaed. With that in mind, Wittes wrote, McConnell's latest announcement may have provided Pelosi with a "strategic opening." Since a new witness is now saying he's available, Pelosi could theoretically announce she won't conduct the hand-off until Bolton provides testimony, and then have the House Intelligence Committee issue the subpoena instead. In this scenario described by Wittes, the House would hang on to the articles until Bolton testifies, while also retaining the right to pass superseding or amended articles of impeachment based off Bolton's testimony. While not everyone agrees that Pelosi withholding the articles is a bad look for McConnell, Wittes doesn't think the senator wants it to play out this way. > Bolton may well end up testifying, either in the House or the Senate. And McConnell will be unable to play his 51-vote trump card until Bolton does so, because the articles will not be in his hand, and his power only kicks in when Pelosi sends them over.> > -- Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) January 7, 2020More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing 19 books to read in 2020 Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of Prozac Nation, dies at 52
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| More than 60 people die in stampede at Qassim Soleimani's funeral as Iran warns of attack on Israel Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:08 PM PST  At least 60 people died and 200 were injured in a stampede yesterday during the funeral for Qassim Soleimani, the Iranian general killed by the US. Tens of thousands had gathered in a central square in Kerman, the home town of the commander, as they prepared for his burial. Witnesses say mourners were violently pushed back from the cortege as the coffin passed, with crowds trampling on men, women and children. Video from the scene showed bodies covered in coats as paramedics worked on the wounded. Funeral processions in cities in Iraq and Iran over three days have been an unprecedented honour for Soleimani, who is viewed by many Iranians as a national hero for heading the Guard's elite Quds Force. A procession in Tehran on Monday drew more than a million people. Speaking to those gathered yesterday, Hossein Salami, head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, vowed to avenge the killing. Soleimani was now more powerful in death than in life, he said. "We will take revenge. We will set ablaze a place they like and they well know where it is," he declared, prompting cries of "Death to Israel". A procession for Qassem Soleimani was reportedly attended by as many as one million people in Tehran Credit: AP Tehran has threatened revenge against the US and its allies since the American drone killed Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport last Friday. Israel, a long-time regional foe of Iran, has drawn closer to the US under Donald Trump. But Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, has been notably quiet since the attack, distancing himself from the US strike. According to ministers who spoke to the Israeli press, Mr Netanyahu reportedly said: "The assassination of Soleimani isn't an Israeli event but an American one. We were not involved." A mourner at the funeral for Soleimani and his comrades Credit: AP He added that Israel could not be dragged into the escalating conflict – fearing an attack from Hamas in the Palestinian territories or from Hizbollah, Iran's proxy force, in Lebanon. The US and Israel have had sufficient intelligence on Soleimani's movements over the years to target him but had decided against doing so. Iran has medium and long-range missiles and regularly boasts that it can hit Israeli targets, including Ben Gurion International Airport. Based on intelligence, the US has been watching for potential attacks specifically against US locations in Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The New York Times quoted sources that claimed Iranian forces – rather than its proxies – would retaliate. Iran and the West | Comment and analysis Last night, Mr Trump said on Twitter that he had seen Khalid bin Salman, a Saudi defence minister, for a "very good meeting" since the attack. He wrote: "We discussed trade, military, oil prices, security, and stability in the Middle East!" Syria's government meanwhile hosted Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who was looking to reassure the regime after Soleimani's death. Quds Force fighters were instrumental in quelling the uprising in Syria. Yesterday, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said the US had declined to issue him a visa to go to New York for a meeting of the United Nations. As host of the UN headquarters, America is obliged to allow access even to hostile states. "They fear that someone comes to the US and reveals realities," Mr Zarif said. According to a report yesterday from the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has worked up 13 sets of plans to avenge Soleimani's death.
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| Official quits amid charges he paid women to give up babies Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:49 PM PST  An elected official in metro Phoenix resigned Tuesday, months after being charged with running a human smuggling operation that paid pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in the U.S. The resignation of Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen came after leaders in the one of the nation's most populous counties suspended and pressured him to resign after his arrest nearly three months ago. The county's governing board voted in late December to start the process of removing Petersen, who also works as an adoption attorney.
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| US says attack planned by Qassim Soleimani was 'days' from happening Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:42 PM PST  The attack Qassim Soleimani was allegedly plotting was just days away from being launched when he was killed by the Americans, the US defence secretary Mark Esper has said. Mr Esper was responding to skepticism about how imminent the threat was to American life which the Trump administration has used to justify its killing of the Iranian military commander. Asked during a press conference whether the attack allegedly being masterminded by Soleimani had been days or weeks away, Mr Esper said: "I think it's more fair to say days, for sure." He also included a warning while urging Iran to de-escalate the current standoff, saying: "We are not looking to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one." Donald Trump followed up the comments by saying Soleimani, the leader of Iran's proxy militias, was planning a "very big attack" which would have affected America and taken "a lot of lives". Paratroopers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division load aircraft bound for the US Central Command area of operations from Fort Bragg, North Carolina Credit: U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Hubert Delany III "He was a monster" the US president said while taking questions in the White House. "And he's no longer a monster. He's dead." Mr Trump also doubled down on a threat to target Iranian cultural sites if provoked, but clarified that he would act within the confines of international law. In recent days unnamed American officials have been quoted in US media questioning whether the threat was that different to ones regularly picked up from the Middle East. US congressmen are due on Wednesday to get a briefing on the intelligence that sat behind the decision to take out Soleimani shortly after he flew into Baghdad, Iraq. Some US commentators have drawn parallels between the way the public is being asked to trust US officials about the nature of the imminent threat and the justification for invading Iraq in 2003. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State who has led much of the Trump administration's media engagements explaining the Soleimani killing decision, gave another press conference on Tuesday. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's proxy militias, was killed in an American drone strike Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP He accused the Iranian regime of spreading "propaganda" over the claim that Soleimani was only in Baghdad for a diplomatic peace mission. "Anybody here believe that?" Mr Pompeo asked during a press conference in Washington DC. "We know that wasn't true," he added. Mr Pompeo attempted to limit the backlash over Mr Trump's threat to target Iranian cultural sites, insisting that the US would not do anything illegal. "Every target that's being reviewed, every effort that's being made, will always be conducted within international laws," Mr Pompeo said. He also issued a warning to Iran over its decision to abandon limits on enriching uranium, leading to fears the Iran nuclear deal struck in 2015 is effectively dead. "President Trump could not be more clear. On our watch, Iran will not get a nuclear weapon," Mr Pompeo said. In a separate development, the White House was criticised for failing to disclose that Mr Trump met Prince Khalid bin Salman, the deputy defence minister of Saudi Arabia, in Washington on Monday. After the meeting emerged, Mr Trump tweeted that it had been a "very good" discussion where trade, military, oil prices, security and Middle East stability were discussed.
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| Bloomberg, Trump to Air Dueling Super Bowl Ads: Campaign Update Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:27 PM PST |
| Trump retreats from threat to attack Iranian cultural sites Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:17 PM PST  President Donald Trump on Tuesday backed away from his threats to target Iranian cultural sites if Iran retaliates against the U.S. for killing one of its top generals. "Think of it," Trump said during an Oval Office appearance.
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| United States not prepared for cyberwar with Iran Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:11 PM PST  If Iran decides to commit a retaliatory attack for the assassination of General Soleimani, the US is not prepared for a cyber war.
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| Trump backs off threat to bomb Iran's cultural sites Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:00 PM PST  US President Donald Trump on Tuesday backed away from his earlier insistence that he has the right to order the bombing of Iran's cultural treasures during a war. Facing strong criticism that such attacks would be a war crime, Trump said he was "OK" with following international law. Trump previously prompted an outcry from domestic critics, the Iranian government and the UN'S cultural agency UNESCO when he said that he did not need to abide by international law on protecting such sites in war.
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| AOC finds her perfect puppy – which other politicians have found theirs? Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:57 PM PST  The congresswoman says her French bulldog will come with her to the office and to town halls, making them an ideal pairOn Tuesday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought joy to the world in the form of a video announcing a new addition to her family: a dog.> Yes! �� the goal is to train him to be a community pup. Ideally we want to work to the point where he can enjoy town halls, be an Amtrak pup, come to the office, etc. > > But first, naps �� pic.twitter.com/ec8beJTrmZ> > — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 7, 2020The dog appears to be a French bulldog, an intelligent dog known for its stubborn streak. That's perhaps an obvious fit for the freshman congresswoman, who ousted a 10-term incumbent without any lobbyist cash (although it is worth noting that concerns have been raised around this breed, as some have trouble breathing).As legend has it, a dog says a lot about its owner. That saying surely holds even more relevance when it comes to politicians. Second only to babies, pets are a choice weapon for politicians who want to soften their image. Their canine best friend holds a special role: to project the image that the politician wants the public to have of them.Here is our take on what the following dogs say about their political owners. Pete Buttigieg> View this post on Instagram> > My goal was for my next post to not be of our dogs. I failed.> > A post shared by Chasten Buttigieg (@chasten.buttigieg) on Feb 1, 2019 at 10:42am PSTMayor Pete wants you to know his dog is a fighter. Part pug, part beagle, his dog Buddy only has one eye and looks somewhat menacing. Which is just as well, considering Buttigieg's attempts at convincing us of his fighting credentials haven't exactly paid off.Buttigieg has mentioned his time in the military hundreds of times during his campaign trail, describing it as "dangerous", and bragging about time he spent "outside the wire". Alas, documents seem to suggest that Buttigieg didn't spend any time in direct combat during his time in the army. But the dog still looks tough. Boris Johnson> View this post on Instagram> > 4 days to go - let's get Brexit done!> > A post shared by Boris Johnson (@borisjohnsonuk) on Dec 8, 2019 at 7:47am PSTBoris Johnson's dog is a Jack Russell with floppy blond hair. They say a Jack Russell is a small dog with a big attitude, which is fitting for a prime minister who wrote a back-up newspaper column arguing that the UK should stay in the EU, then campaigned to leave, pushed for a hard Brexit and asked everyone if they still wanted to be mates after. Justin Trudeau> tbt to the little one meeting our newest arrival a few months ago. Say hello to Kenzie. pic.twitter.com/G0wuoP9JCe> > — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 28, 2016The Canadian prime minister has many things going for him. He recently got a beard, when he roasts Donald Trump alongside world leaders they all laugh, and he has a cute dog. No wonder Melania kissed him. Elizabeth Warren> View this post on Instagram> > Someone had a bit too much Christmas dinner!> > A post shared by Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethwarren) on Dec 26, 2019 at 12:24pm PSTWhen Elizabeth Warren was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, her students surprised her one day with a golden retriever puppy. That puppy, Otis, didn't make it to see Warren's presidential bid, having died in 2012. But Warren, ever the woman with a plan, wasn't going to let that stop her. She replaced Otis last year with another golden retriever, this time named Bailey. Joe BidenJoe Biden has two dogs, and like any guy trying to rebuild the soul of the nation, he rescued them both. Biden's dogs are German shepherds named Champ and Major – although he probably would have called them "Man" and "Folks", if they were more acceptable dog names. Mike Pence> View this post on Instagram> > It's the fourth! Check out my story to get patriotic with some bundo ! ����������������> > A post shared by Marlon Bundo (Pence) (@marlonbundo) on Jul 4, 2019 at 9:11am PDTWe are aware that Marlon Bundo is a rabbit, not a dog. Mike Pence also has a dog, but that seemed far less interesting than Bundo, who has its own Wikipedia page. Bundo is colloquially known as Botus – or Bunny of the United States. He has been described as the "only positive thing in Washington".
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| Facebook executive warns against trying to 'change the outcome' of the 2020 election in leaked memo Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:57 PM PST  A Facebook executive in a leaked internal memo admits the platform is likely partially responsible for President Trump's election but warns against trying to "change the outcome" in 2020.The New York Times on Tuesday published a memo recently posted by Andrew Bosworth, the former head of Facebook's advertising team who is now vice president of virtual and augmented reality, on the company's internal network. In it, he suggests Facebook was "responsible for Donald Trump getting elected," although he argues it's only because Trump in 2016 ran the "single best digital ad campaign I've ever seen from any advertiser," not because of "Russia or misinformation or Cambridge Analytica."Bosworth, who the Times notes some in the company see as a "proxy" for CEO Mark Zuckerberg, says since Facebook's advertising policies are the same heading into 2020, this may "very well may lead to" Trump's re-election. "As a committed liberal," Bosworth writes, "I find myself desperately wanting to pull any lever at my disposal to avoid the same result." But he compares the situation to The Lord of the Rings, when Galadriel imagines using the ring for noble reasons but "knows it will eventually corrupt her.""As tempting as it is to use the tools available to us to change the outcome, I am confident we must never do that or we will become that which we fear," Bosworth writes.Facebook ahead of the 2020 election has faced criticism for allowing false political ads on the platform, and dozens of employees reportedly argued against Bosworth's post in its comments, saying the company should treat politicians on the site the same way it does users. More than 250 Facebook employees previously wrote in a critical letter to Zuckerberg that the current ad policies suggest "we are okay profiting from deliberate misinformation campaigns."In a statement to the Times, Bosworth said his memo "wasn't written for public consumption."More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff 19 books to read in 2020
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| Police, Secret Service mum after new incident at Mar-a-Lago Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:50 PM PST  There was an unspecified incident involving the Secret Service at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, but authorities would not say Tuesday what happened — the latest in a series of incidents at the club since the president took office three years ago. Palm Beach police records show officers were called to Mar-a-Lago on Monday night to assist the Secret Service but most of the report is redacted, including the name of the individual who was contacted. Police spokesman Michael Ogrodnick said the Secret Service is the lead investigative agency in the matter and his department has no comment.
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| Trump’s Fox News Pals Are Picking New Iran Targets On-Air Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:49 PM PST  In the wake of the U.S. airstrike that took out Iran's top military leader, President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened that his administration could target "very high level & important" Iranian locations, should Tehran choose to viciously retaliate. Trump said he'd even target Iranian cultural sites, a move that would constitute a war crime.It wasn't immediately clear which dozens of potential targets he was talking about. However, some of the president's favorite cable-news personalities have seemed eager to recommend new locations for him to blow up. They've been telling Trump through the TV for days.Fox & Friends Weekend anchor Pete Hegseth, a top outside adviser to the president, has been his biggest on-air cheerleader for action in Iran, repeatedly taking to Fox to praise the president's strike and threaten a number of other targets. "Maybe your second general is next if you continue to try to kill Americans," Hegseth told Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney. "We are the top dog. You respond to us, not the other way around.""Do they want their economic sites, their military sites, political sites and/or cultural sites targeted?" he said several days later on Fox News. "How about their oil and gas? If they don't have energy, they have absolutely nothing."Hegseth further suggested that Trump would be wise to bomb Iranian cultural sites—as the president threatened to do via Twitter—declaring on-air: "I don't care about Iranian cultural sites and I'll tell you why: If they could... they would destroy every single one of our cultural sites and build a mosque on top of it."And while Fox News host and frequent adviser to Trump Sean Hannity has asserted that the U.S. wouldn't use ground troops in a military confrontation with Iran, he suggested some other options the country could take.Fox Figures Hail Trump's 'Peace Through Strength' After Iran Commander Killed"The president proved something with the caliphate in Syria when he wiped them out. He took off the rules of engagement of Obama and bomb the living hell out of them. Can that be done with Iran?" he said.Moments later, he answered his own question: "I would imagine that those refineries and maybe even those nuclear sites that are buried deep underground could be potential targets."Other Fox News hosts and guests have suggested other military actions against Iran should be taken imminently.One expert suggested the U.S. should go on a cyber offensive if intelligence officials believe there could be another attack, saying, "We don't need to wait for something bad to happen for us to react."During a Fox & Friends interview, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) attempted to justify Trump's claim that he would strike 52 Iranian targets, including cultural sites, by suggesting a new strike could just be against the Iranian capital. "That could be Tehran, that could be their capital, that could be a number of things," he said. "The bottom line is he's getting inside their calculus. And finally we have them afraid of what we're going to do, not the other way around. They better think long and hard before taking their next action, that's how deterrence works."During his show earlier this week, Fox Business Network host and informal Trump adviser Lou Dobbs dismissed Nancy Pelosi's call for a congressional war powers resolution to limit the president's actions in Iran without congressional authorization, saying she was trying to "constrain the president's powers to strike targets in Iran."Other prominent Trump allies and confidants have also floated alternative targets, even suggesting that the fact the president spared them shows his temperament and mercy. Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney who appears regularly on Fox, insisted to The Daily Beast on Monday that Trump's order to kill Soleimani and others was actually "measured" and restrained, especially compared to military options the president could have taken, such as targeting targeting the Iranian navy. And in the run-up to Thursday's strike, President Trump did what he normally does: getting riled up while absorbing hours upon hours of Fox News, much of which broadcast scenes of an Iranian-backed militia storming the U.S. embassy in Iraq. When it comes to the president's favorite Fox News and Fox Business stars, including Hegseth and Hannity, Trump will often seek their private counsel on domestic and foreign policy and other political considerations when they're off the air.Numerous sources in and out of the administration say that Trump continues to keep a line open to Hegseth, and highly values his advice and on-and-off-air perspectives on policy-making. "The president loves Pete," said a former senior White House official. "[Pete] has an influence that a lot of people in the administration do not."For several months last year, Hegseth was instrumental in personally lobbying the president to pardon accused or convicted American war criminals, a highly controversial and widely condemned move on which Trump ultimately followed through. Furthermore, Hegseth has also talked to the president about the case of a former Blackwater mercenary convicted of murder in one of the most infamous atrocities of the Iraq war. Trump is still quietly considering issuing a pardon to save this man from a life sentence, as The Daily Beast reported earlier this month.And now, Hegseth has become one of the single greatest cheerleaders of the president's decision to kill Soleimani, saying on Fox: "You want your leader to reluctantly be strong, and that's exactly what the president did here. Kudos to him." Fox News Host Pete Hegseth Privately Lobbied Trump to Pardon Accused War CriminalsRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Defense Secretary Mark Esper says an Iranian attack was days away when the US decided to assassinate Qassem Soleimani Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:43 PM PST  The Trump administration has refused to disclose any information about the intelligence that motivated its dramatic escalation with Iran.
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| Trump begrudgingly backs down from war crime threat against Iran cultural sites Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:38 PM PST  President Trump backed off his threats against Iran's cultural sites, albeit begrudgingly.Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said he likes to obey the law, and if international agreements forbid him from targeting protected heritage sites in Iran, he'll stick to them. The president sent a tweet over the weekend hinting that places of cultural importance to Iran were among potential retaliatory U.S. targets should Iran launch any sort of attack against U.S. interests in the wake of the death of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq last week. The threat led to intense backlash in Iran, the U.S. -- even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it was "not appropriate" -- and the rest of the world because protected sites are, well, protected and therefore off-limits, even in bellicose times.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tried to assure people over the weekend there was no way the U.S. would commit war crimes, and it looks like Trump has fallen in line -- the president said he's "ok" with staying within the confines of international law. He did, however, complain about having to be "very gentle" with Iran's cultural institutions, despite Iranian violence. > President Trump: "I like to obey the law. But think of it; they kill our people. They blow up our people and then we have to be very gentle with their cultural institutions? But I'm okay with it. It's okay with me." pic.twitter.com/vFCthzwpWU> > -- CSPAN (@cspan) January 7, 2020More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mitch McConnell may have just given Nancy Pelosi a strategic opening in the impeachment standoff 19 books to read in 2020
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| Iraqi armed factions call meeting to begin anti-US fight Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:33 PM PST  Iraqi armed factions called on Tuesday for an urgent meeting to face "the war against the resistance," after a US strike on Baghdad last week killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders. "We will regroup the forces of the resistance in a single entity to respond to Washington," said Nasr al-Shammary, deputy head of the Harakat al-Nujaba group. Nujaba, backed by Iran and fiercely opposed to the United States, is one of the most hardline factions of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi military network, which has been incorporated into the state.
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| U.S. Defense Secretary: We expect Iran 'will retaliate' Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:30 PM PST  Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that the United States "should expect" retaliation from Iran for the drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani ordered by President Trump.
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| Male infertility got no boost from zinc, folic acid in study Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:18 PM PST  A rigorous U.S. government-led study found that zinc and folic acid supplements don't boost men's fertility, despite promotional claims that they do. The mineral and the vitamin are important for sperm production and are found in many common foods. Previous studies on whether over-the-counter supplements might boost sperm health have had conflicting results.
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| Trump pressed to detail what prompted strike on Iran general Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:17 PM PST  President Donald Trump and his top advisers are under pressure to disclose more details about the intelligence that led to an American airstrike that killed t op Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Trump said Tuesday that his decision saved American lives and that members of Congress will get a briefing on the reasons for the U.S. attack. "We saved a lot of lives," Trump said.
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| Iranian Americans Questioned at the Border: 'My Kids Shouldn't Experience Such Things' Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:13 PM PST  SEATTLE -- Arriving at the United States border in Washington state early Sunday morning after a skiing trip to Canada, Negah Hekmati and her family were pulled out of line for further questioning by Customs and Border Protection agents.The family found itself in a room filled with fellow Iranian Americans, many of whom had already been held for hours. The agents wanted to know the identities of Hekmati's parents, siblings, uncles and cousins. Her husband, a software engineer at Microsoft, was asked about any military service in his past. The agents left, and then came back with more questions.During the five overnight hours they were held at the Peace Arch Border Crossing on their way back home to the Seattle area, Hekmati said, her 5-year-old would not sleep, worried about the prospect of jail. The young girl asked Hekmati to stop speaking Farsi, hoping that might help avoid further scrutiny."My kids shouldn't experience such things," Hekmati said. "They are U.S. citizens. This is not OK."More than 100 people of Iranian descent appear to have faced similar delays at Washington's border with Canada over the weekend, a process Gov. Jay Inslee described Monday as the inappropriate "detention" of people -- some of them United States citizens -- who had done nothing wrong."I don't think there's any reason that is rational -- and certainly constitutional -- to target people based on the place of their birth," Inslee said in an interview. "It's pretty clear that that's what they did here."The stepped-up border screenings came in the wake of an American drone strike Friday that killed a powerful Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, and spurred promises of revenge from Iran's supreme leader.Customs and Border Protection officials insisted that no one was detained or refused entry "because of their country of origin." However, border agents often require people seeking admittance at the border to undergo a process known as secondary screening -- which appears to have occurred in Washington, and in lesser numbers at other ports of entry.An agency official told members of Congress on Monday that leaders in local offices had been "asked to remain vigilant and increase their situational awareness given the evolving threat environment."A half-dozen people of Iranian descent who were held for additional questioning in Washington described extensive questioning about their family and background, even though, like Hekmati, many were American citizens. One woman said she was asked to write down the name of the high school she graduated from in Iran 39 years ago. Another person was asked about his parents' military service from before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Others were asked to identify details about their Facebook accounts.Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said she had heard that as many as 200 people of Iranian descent may have been affected.Legal advocates at a Monday news conference in Seattle described several cases of travelers being questioned about their feelings about the United States and what was happening in Iran."United States citizens and legal permanent residents do not have to answer questions about their political views or religious views and practices, and cannot be denied entry into the United States for declining to answer these questions," said Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project.Shamsi said some of the questioning appeared to violate First Amendment rights. Under the law, she said, border agents who question citizens and legal permanent residents are permitted to verify only identity, legal status and whether a person is carrying contraband.But she said the ACLU had for years tracked cases of invasive and sometimes unlawful questioning by border officers that went beyond those limits, into political and religious views and practices. She said she had seen such questions directed at Americans of Somali, Afghani and Pakistani backgrounds following military action in those countries."We see this at various points, especially when the U.S. takes some kind of conflict or warlike action abroad," Shamsi said. "The deeply disturbing and painful reality for many people is that they then get treated like foreigners instead of the citizens that they are."While much of the additional border scrutiny of Iranian Americans appears to have occurred on the Washington border, there were isolated reports of other concerning cases.John Ghazvinian, a historian who specializes in the history of Iran's relationship with the United States, said he was returning from a trip to Egypt through Kennedy International Airport in New York on Sunday when an officer asked him about his most recent travels to Iran. He was sent off for additional screening.The questioning lasted only a few minutes and was courteous, Ghazvinian said, but the officer asked if he had close family in Iran and sought his opinion about the current situation in Iraq and Iran. He said it was possible the officer was making well-intentioned conversation, but he declined to answer given the context of the extra screening."I didn't feel comfortable getting into it," he said. "I said, 'I don't see how this is relevant.' " The officer returned his passport and allowed him to continue on his way.Among those questioned at the Washington border was one woman who has lived in the United States for decades. She said in an interview that an officer asked whether she was part of any cult or Shiite Muslim organization.Another traveler, Sepehr Ebrahimzadeh, said officers asked details about his father, who had performed military service before the Iranian Revolution.Hekmati said one of the reasons she moved to the United States from Canada was the freedom offered in such a cultural melting pot. Now, she said, she is hearing from her friends in Canada who are wondering how much the United States really respects freedoms."This is very unfair to our community," Hekmati said. "Just because we're not complaining doesn't mean we aren't suffering."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| President Trump backs off threat to hit Iranian cultural sites Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:08 PM PST  President Donald Trump on Tuesday backed off his threat to strike Iranian cultural sites, a war crime under international conventions, amid elevated tensions with Iran. Asked about his weekend warnings to Iran that the United States was considering hitting Iranian cultural sites if Iran retaliated for a U.S. airstrike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, Trump acknowledged that international agreements prohibited targeting cultural sites.
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| Iran General’s Wake Brings Deadly Stampede and Calls for Revenge Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:07 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Iran said it is evaluating 13 possible ways to inflict a "historic nightmare" on the U.S. for killing a powerful Iranian general, whose burial was postponed after dozens of mourners died in a stampede.General Qassem Soleimani's exploits in conflicts from Syria to Yemen made him a national hero, and hundreds of thousands have turned out this week as his funeral procession stopped in various cities, first in Iraq, where he was killed in a drone strike, and later Iran. But the masses that met the cortege ahead of his burial overwhelmed his southeastern hometown, leaving more than 50 dead and 213 injured, state TV reported.The burial was postponed indefinitely, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said. Some of those hurt as two large crowds merged at an intersection were in a critical condition, emergency officials said.The tragedy unfolded after Iran served notice that it was assessing 13 scenarios for reprisal."Even if the weakest of these scenarios gains a consensus, its implementation can be a historic nightmare for the Americans," Ali Shamkhani, the head of Iran's National Security Council, was cited as saying by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. "For now, for intelligence reasons, we cannot provide more information to the media."Iranian officials have previously said that U.S. forces in the region will be targets, and the Iranian parliament on Tuesday designated the Pentagon and affiliated companies as terrorists. The U.S. issued a warning to shipping in the Middle East over the possibility of Iranian action against U.S. maritime interests, the Associated Press reported, citing a statement.The menacing comments from Shamkhani, which were later denied by the security council, briefly roiled markets. But U.S. equity futures edged higher, and stocks in Europe and Asia later jumped as investors set aside fears about escalating tensions in the Middle East.In Brussels, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the U.K. are holding an emergency meeting to discuss their options to try and defuse tensions.A German lawmaker, Roderich Kiesewetter, said some German troops would temporarily be withdrawn from Iraq, and in Lebanon, the U.S. embassy tightened security in anticipation of retribution, according to a local news report.Extended InfluenceThe general directed the foreign operations of Iran's military, and was instrumental in extending Tehran's influence across the Middle East through a network of proxy militias. His death near Baghdad's airport has rippled through the region, with the U.S. and its allies on alert for retaliation and questions swirling about the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq, deployed there to combat Islamic State and serve as a counterweight against Iran's formidable influence.President Donald Trump said it isn't the right time for the U.S. to pull out of Iraq. "Eventually we want to be able to allow Iraq to run its own affairs," Trump told reporters on Tuesday at the White House. "This isn't the right point."U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told Fox News on Tuesday that Soleimani was in Iraq planning attacks on "facilities" that contained American diplomats and troops.Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said earlier in Tehran that the U.S. would suffer consequences for the killing of Soleimani "at a time and place of Iran's choosing." The countdown has begun for the U.S. exit from the Middle East, he said, warning of amulti-generational war should the region continue to rely on the U.S. presence.The Pentagon dispatched additional forces to the Middle East, even as conflicting signs emerged about Washington's commitment to remaining in Iraq.The three-ship Bataan Amphibious Readiness Group was ordered to move to the Persian Gulf region from the Mediterranean, where it has been exercising, according to a U.S. official. The group, which includes about 2,200 Marines and a helicopter unit, follows the deployment of about 3,500 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne to Kuwait late last week.The show of force followed reports of a letter telling U.S. military officials in Baghdad that American personnel were repositioning in preparation to leave Iraq. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Monday that a letter to that effect was a draft and should never have been sent. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, at a briefing alongside Milley, said "there is no decision to leave, nor did we issue any plans to leave or prepare to leave."(Updates with Trump comments in 11th paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Arsalan Shahla in Tehran at ashahla@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Bill FariesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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