And who might they be . . . A few client states of Iran and Democrats of course
Meant to Cripple Iran’s Clout; US Strike Unites its (Iran’s) Allies
“The strike unified the resistance forces and made combatting the United States a priority,” said Qassem Qassir, a Lebanese expert in Islamic movements.
“The assassination was a strategic mistake, and the response will be across the region — not just limited to Iraq,” said Qassir.
Who else, except the DC Establishment, along with Yahoo would take such great satisfaction in this headline? As if ‘Iran’s allies needed “uniting” to continue the war against the US!
Baghdad (AFP) – The US killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was meant to cripple Tehran’s clout in the Middle East, but analysts see the allies of the Islamic Republic closing rank instead.
As the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, Soleimani oversaw Tehran’s interventions in regional power struggles from Lebanon and Iraq to Syria and Yemen.
Washington had hoped his killing in a Baghdad drone strike Friday would deal a blow to Iran and its network of proxies — but the plan appears to have backfired by uniting pro-Iran factions under an “axis of resistance”.
“The strike unified the resistance forces and made combatting the United States a priority,” said Qassem Qassir, a Lebanese expert in Islamic movements.
“The assassination was a strategic mistake, and the response will be across the region — not just limited to Iraq,” said Qassir.
Indeed, pro-Iran factions in Iraq have seized on the strike to secure a political and popular revival.
Kataeb Hezbollah, a vehemently anti-American armed faction in Iraq, said the strike was “the beginning of the end of the US presence in the region”.
Iraqi populist cleric Moqtada Sadr swiftly reactivated his Mahdi Army, the notorious militia that fought US troops after the American-led invasion of 2003.
“The Iraqi factions of the resistance must hold an immediate meeting to form the International Resistance Regiments,” he tweeted, telling his fighters to “be ready”.
– ‘Turn the skies to hell’ –
Qais al-Khazali, a paramilitary leader and bitter rival of Sadr’s, echoed his calls for fighting units to mobilise following the strike on Soleimani.
Khazali also threatened US troops who have been stationed across Iraq since 2014 as part of the global coalition battling the Islamic State group.
On Sunday, Iraq’s parliament voted in favour of ousting US troops although the decision rests with the government.
“If you don’t leave, or if you procrastinate in leaving, you will find a strong Iraqi response that will shake the ground beneath your feat and turn the skies above you into hell,” Khazali warned.
Even Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, broke with standard protocol to mourn Soleimani.
