I’ll hold my hands up, I’ve not been following the news much recently.

Hearing and seeing the number of people at this guys funeral surprised me.

I was under the impression that the Iranians disliked the rest of the Arabic world (I know, Iranians are Persians… F-in-L is Persian).

What was that guy doing there to have such a massive following?

Iran is Shiite Muslim. Iraq is a mixture of Sunni and Shiite. They don’t seem to like each other much. No idea why. He was apparently there organizing Shiite opposition to U.S. involvement in Iraq. U.S. troops seem to be hated where ever they go. No idea why.

IIRC, the US used to support Iraq against Iran, then Iran against Iraq, then anyone against IS, but then everyone in the area objected to the US sticking their oar in.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.
The guy was no angel with thousands of deaths on his hands, some due to the recent protests in Baghdad itself but as with anything in the Middle East, there is no clear distinction between good and bad.
Expect some tit for tat carnage with Iran dragging the UK into it for good measure, it will simmer down again like it always does (famous last words).

They don’t seem to like each other much. No idea why.

In short the claim to the Prophet teachings. Direct vs bloody line.

He was apparently there organizing Shiite opposition to U.S. involvement in Iraq. U.S. troops seem to be hated where ever they go. No idea why.

The ideology. Pluralism (West) vs monism (Mid East/East etc) in religion but Not so much on race.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

But that will not be the end as there will be more taking his place.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasem_Soleimani

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_Islam

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_Islam_in_Iraq

U.S. troops seem to be hated where ever they go

Probably because overall they have made things worse rather than better. Imagine if Iran setup a UK base and had Iranian soldiers walking around in the UK because Iran were trying to help us with are dreadful Tory regime. Do you think all UK people would accept that and think it was a good idea, necessary etc,. or would they protest, dislike them?

Do you think all UK people would accept that and think it was a good idea, necessary etc,. or would they protest, dislike them?

Will they launder billions of dollars of looted money through British banks and real estate and buy football clubs, etc.?

I saw someone described Solemani as “The head of Iran’s Special Forces, CIA and Foreign Secretary all rolled into one.” Killing him may as well have been a declaration of war.

I can’t see why this isn’t murder tbh.

He was clearly a wrong ‘un and plenty of Syrians seem to be pleased he’s gone based on what Iran have been up to there. On the other hand there are ways and means to achieve stuff and this was probably not the way to do it. The toddler in chief has followed up with tweet that the US have 52 targets, including sites of cultural importance, lined up for further hellfire missiles if Iran has a pop back. 52 because that’s how many US hostages Iran took back in 1979.

2020 is shaping up to be even worse than 2019.

Happy new year!

Hmm how well would it go down if Dominic Rab was rocketed by a drone whilst sat on a Spanish beach.

Iraq is 2/3rd shia, 1/3rd Sunni So in the great vacuum since we removed Saddam, Iran see it as theirs

On Saturday there was a 2nd US drone strike against Iraqi Shia militia leaders too,

Solemani as “The head of Iran’s Special Forces, CIA and Foreign Secretary all rolled into one.

I can’t see how this isn’t a declaration of war, tbh.
Iran have no choice but to strike back and this will not be quickly forgotten.

Its also is the 2nd time that Trump has turned on those who helped defeat ISIS ,(See the Kurds)
America’s habit of turning on allies& now this assassination plays into team Iranian domestic narrative too.

There were reports that America has warned that response must be ‘proportionate’ which seems weird.as.It’s a green light to blow up Pompeo!

The only winner here is Putin who gets the higher oil price Russia needs, more arms sales & even greater influence in th middle east.

Still no one is talking about impeachment anymore!

I can’t see why this isn’t murder tbh.

It is murder, but for “the greater good”

I’m sure Israel are involved somewhere along the line, feeling threatened, as is their want.

Am I allowed to express that sentiment anymore?

I can’t see why this isn’t murder tbh.

If someone was actively involved in the planning of an operation that would cost lives pre-emptive self defence ia justifiable. If someone threatens you with a gun in the street you don’t have to wait to be shot before defending yourself. Whether killing Solemani makes the world safer is the debatable question.

Whether it is justifiable or not has no bearing on whether it was murder.

If someone was actively involved in the planning of an operation that would cost lives pre-emptive self defence ia justifiable.

I’m sure there will be a dossier of evidence presented shortly 🙄

The legality question in the US is real, Graham knew of the attack days beforehand, but it wasn’t put Infront of senate

If someone was actively involved in the planning of an operation that would cost lives pre-emptive self defence ia justifiable.

You are aware of just how bad US sanctions are for the average Iranian? That the US has, by and large been threatening Iran since the revolution one way or another aren’t you? There are no good guys in this narrative, none of it is preemptive.

Hmm how well would it go down if Dominic Rab was rocketed by a drone whilst sat on a Spanish beach.

With me, or the UK government?

I’m not sure Raabs funeral would attract crowds of this magnitude!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50997841

Trump really has kicked a hornets nest

What a great start to the year. Trump and his cronies really are grade A cockwombles aren’t they.

We may have forgotten, but the Iranians won’t have forgotten the deliberate killing of 290 civilians on an Iranian commercial flight by a US warship 30 years ago.

Iraq is a mixture of Sunni and Shiite. They don’t seem to like each other much. No idea why.

It all started going wrong for Sunni and Shi-ah after the release of their fifth album ‘All I ever need is you’ in 1971.

Problem with the live by the sword, die by the sword mantra is that we’re all now collectively holding that sword in the west whether we like it or not.

Iraq is a mixture of Sunni and Shiite. They don’t seem to like each other much. No idea why.

It all started going wrong for Sunni and Shi-ah after the release of their fifth album ‘All I ever need is you’ in 1971.

Not the right thread for it but respect all the same

Why makes anyone think that this isn’t murder ?

Instigated by the orangemanchild himself. So, blame anyone… blame him.

Be interesting to see how the upcoming election polls read after this “show of force” and whether Americans vote “it” in again.

If the Iraqi government vote to expel the US from Iraq today as is likely then Soleimani will of achieved his end goal. Trump has been saying for years he wants out of Iraq so this wouldn’t be the end of the world from a PR point of view but having invested trillions in Iraq in the last two decades and countless lives, surely it can’t be see as a win as it will hand Iraq over to being a vassal state of Iran for all intense and purposes.

Why makes anyone think that this isn’t murder ?

If you consider all warfare to be murder then yes it was a murder. How smart it was politically, we shall see.

US election year innit.
I don’t believe for one second the great orange statesman has some magic insight into the Middle East.

Dubbaya had himself a war in Iraq, and got himself a second term…

Illegal murder or justifiable homicide using a “self defence” defence?

Not saying I know which it is – depends if there really is reasonable evidence that he was in charge of imminent anti-US operations that will be halted following his death.

I suspect whichever it was, it will not improve the situation

So yeah ISIS must be pleased with all this

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/05/anti-isis-coalition-suspends-operations-as-iraqi-mps-vote-to-expel-us-troops

US election year innit.

Yes, I think it is blatantly obvious that the assassination is a response to the heat from the impeachment and the approaching election. Trump has shown very little interest to date in engaging seriously in world politics, unless it benefits him personally.

Raab Urges Iran to use Diplomatic means ????? Does that mean that the UK will arrest Trump (assuming he ever comes here again) and drag him in front of a court in the Hague ? Yeah right.

Hmm how well would it go down if Dominic Rab was rocketed by a drone whilst sat on a Spanish beach.

I’d be strangely comfortable with it.

how well would it go down if Dominic Rab was rocketed by a drone whilst sat on a Spanish beach.

Is this a question or a kickstarter marketing spiel?

Is this a question or a kickstarter marketing spiel?

Crowdfunding Page?

Patreon?

Justgiving?

Someone should start it, I reckon within 20mns we’d have £350m and we could make a poster and put it on Bus.

Hmm how well would it go down if Dominic Rab was rocketed by a drone whilst sat on a Spanish beach.

As long as it’s not one of the beaches near my flat…

Is this a question or a kickstarter marketing spiel?

If we reach and surpass the initial amount can we have a bonus of including ugly betty aka priti patel in the drone strike?

I would go for Priti Patel first. Raab is a big **** but she is an even bigger one.