US killed top Iranian commander to stop a war, Trump says as 3,000 American troops head to the region - CNN

The US will deploy the troops following a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport that killed military commander Qasem Soleimani, a defense official told CNN.

The troops will come from the Immediate Response Force of the 82nd Airborne Division. CNN has previously reported the forces had been placed on prepare-to-deploy orders.

After hundreds of protesters targeted the US Embassy compound in Baghdad this week, the US sent in 750 troops from the same unit and said additional deployments were possible. The new deployment will encompass the rest of the brigade -- about 3,000 soldiers.

The decision comes after Trump said he ordered the precision strike to kill Soleimani, who was plotting "imminent and sinister attacks" on Americans, adding the decision was one of deterrence rather than aggression.

"We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war," Trump said in a statement from his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday, a day after the airstrike in the Iraqi capital.

Soleimani was the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and became the architect of Tehran's proxy conflicts in the Middle East. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis -- the deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- was also killed.

The Trump administration viewed Soleimani as a ruthless killer, and the President told reporters Friday that the general should have been taken out by previous presidents.

The Pentagon blamed Soleimani for hundreds of deaths of Americans and their allies. "General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region," the Pentagon said, calling the strike "decisive defensive" action aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the strike had thwarted an "imminent" attack in the region, but declined to give any details on the intelligence on which he based his statement.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat and member of the Appropriations Committee, said the strike will increase threats to US interests from across Middle East.

"Today the administration announced we're sending 3,000 more troops to the region," he said. "So clearly the administration recognizes that this action has actually dramatically increased the risks in the Middle East, increased the risks of an attack from Iran and it should be no surprise to anybody who has followed these issues that Iran does mean what it says when it says this is essentially tantamount to an act of war."

Iran says it will fight back

In a letter to the United Nations, Iran described the attack as state terrorism and an unlawful criminal act.

It was "tantamount to opening a war," Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran's ambassador to the UN, told CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront."

"The response for a military action is a military action. By whom? When? Where? That is for the future to witness," he said.

He said the strike had escalated a war that started when Iran pulled out of a nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018.

"The US has started the economic war in -- in May 2018. Last night, they started a military war. By assassinating, by an act of terror, against one of our top generals," he told CNN.

Iran and its allies condemned the strike as an "assassination," while European officials and the UN called for de-escalation.

The Pentagon blamed Soleimani and his Quds Force for recent attacks on coalition bases in Iraq, including the December 27 strike that culminated in the deaths of an American contractor and Iraqi personnel. It also blamed him for the US Embassy attack in Baghdad on December 31.

At least six people were killed in the strike, an Iraqi security source told CNN on condition of anonymity.

Funeral processions will be held for Soleimani in both Iran and Iraq, Iranian state media reported. Iran will hold three days of national mourning, with people also gathering in Baghdad on Saturday to pay tribute to all the officials killed.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed "harsh revenge," according to a statement on his official website.

"His pure blood was shed in the hands of the most depraved of human beings," Khamenei said.

Maj. Gen. Ismail Qaani, who served for years alongside Soleimani, has been appointed as his replacement.

Some US officials are bracing for Iran to retaliate with a cyber attack, but Iran has shown it is also capable of engaging in another form of online warfare: social media disinformation campaigns. Authorities were on Saturday increasing vigilance and fortifying defenses.

CNN's Ryane Browne, Zachary Cohen, Hamdi Alkhshali, Kareem Khadder and Angela Dewan contributed to this report

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2020-01-04 07:14:00Z
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Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian military commander, killed in U.S. airstrike in Baghdad - follow live updates - CBS News

A former U.S. intelligence official described Soleimani as "most experienced guerrilla fighter operating globally," running operations with Iranian forces and proxy militias in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The official described his death as "devastating," and said the "very disruptive" assassination would likely cause a power struggle in Iran.  

Former acting CIA director: There will be “dead civilian Americans” as a result of Qassem Soleimani killing

In April 2019, the U.S. designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the Quds Force, a "foreign terrorist organization." In making the announcement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo singled out Soleimani. 

"With this designation, we are sending a clear signal, a clear message to Iran's leaders, including Qassem Soleimani and his band of thugs, that the United States is bringing all pressure to bear to stop the regime's outlaw behavior," Pompeo said at the time. 

Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser under Barack Obama who was instrumental in the 2014 Iran nuclear deal, said there's "no question that Soleimani has a lot of blood on his hands."

"But this is a really frightening moment," he added. "Iran will respond and likely in various places. Thinking of all US personnel in the region right now." 

More than 700 Army paratroopers are headed to Kuwait, and as many as 5,000 more paratroopers and U.S. Marines were expected to be sent to the Persian Gulf in the coming days.

While speaking to reporters off camera earlier Thursday, Esper said there were indications militias loyal to Iran were planning further attacks against Americans. 

"Do I think they may do something? Yes, and they will likely regret it," he said.

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2020-01-03 15:36:00Z
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Five things to know about Australia's devastating wildfires | TheHill - The Hill

Australian officials have declared a new state of emergency as wildfires ravage the southeastern part of the county, tearing through koala habitat and dense neighborhoods in a region popular with foreign tourists.

Various fires have devastated the states of New South Wales and Victoria since November, tearing across more than 10 million acres, destroying more than 1,000 homes and killing at least 18 people. The state of emergency is the third in as many months.

Here are five things to know about the deadly blazes.

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The fires were started by lightning

The government has blamed a lightning storm for sparking nearly 200 wildfires earlier this week.

But conditions were exacerbated by other unusual weather, including extreme winds, heat and drought.

Temperatures in Australia have been high, even for the summer, soaring above 100 degrees in some parts of the country over the weekend, just days before Australia recorded its hottest year on record.

Intense winds have not only helped the fires spread, they have led to loss of life. In New South Wales, a fire engine was flipped over by high winds, killing a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter.

A severe drought has also played a key role. Last year was the country's driest ever.

Experts say climate change is a factor

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Experts say climate change has exacerbated the fires.

“Australians need only wake up in the morning, turn on the television, read the newspaper or look out the window to see what is increasingly obvious to many – for Australia, dangerous climate change is already here,” Penn State University professor Michael Mann wrote in The Guardian this week.

His comments follow a 2018 government report saying Australia's changing climate could result in natural hazards occurring at an “unimagined scale.”

The following year, a United Nations report said Australia was one of the developed countries most susceptible to climate change.

More recently, former New South Wales Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins wrote in a November opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald that the blazes were “burning in places and at intensities never before experienced.” He blamed “an established long-term trend driven by a warming, drying climate." 

In an interview with The Hill, Stanford University climate professor Noah Diffenbaugh said the high temperatures are drying out vegetation, increasing the risk of wildfires.

“The long-term warming has increased the frequency and severity of severe heat across the world," he said. "When low precipitation conditions do occur, they’re more likely to co-occur with high temperature and that combination...elevates wildfire risk. And that is exactly what we’re seeing in Australia right now.”

University of California, Los Angeles geography professor Glen MacDonald added that higher temperatures also contribute to a longer fire season.

"Particularly in Southeastern Australia, that's definitely been part of it," he told The Hill.

The death toll is rising

People have been killed, gone missing or been displaced because of the fires.

In this week alone, at least seven people have been reported dead, and two were reported missing, in New South Wales. In Victoria, one person died.

This season, at least 1,298 homes have been destroyed, according to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from the most affected areas, while tens of thousands elsewhere were left without power.

In the coastal town of Mallacoota, some 4,000 people headed to the beach to escape the fire, only to be stranded on the shoreline after being cut off by the blaze. The government has since sent a Navy ship to carry people out in batches of about 800 at a time.

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The fires show the potential to wipe out species

Australia's koala population has been one of the hardest hit by the fires, with government officials estimating 30 percent may have died in the blazes.

"Up to 30 percent of the koalas in the region may have been killed, because up to 30 percent of their habitat has been destroyed," Australia's Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. last week.

But it’s not just koalas that face a serious threat. Researchers from the University of Sydney estimated some 480 million animals in New South Wales face death or displacement because of the fires.

The fires show threatened and endangered species are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters that threaten to erase entire species.

The Puerto Rican parrot population has been hit hard by several record-breaking hurricanes, most recently Hurricane Maria in 2017. Scientists worry rising sea levels could harm oysters and mussels that rely on water that isn’t too highly salinic.

Koalas are already facing habitat destruction from growing urban areas, but the massive fires have wiped out even more territory. Experts say restoring that habitat will be key to giving the species a chance to rebound.

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“Habitat protection is not just drawing a line around the minimal habitat needed for the species but making sure they can grow into areas that are protected,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These fires are just an ongoing example of what fires can do not only to people but the wildlife we care about.”

Calls for stronger government response put spotlight on coal industry

How to tackle this blaze and future ones has taken a decidedly political tone in Australia, with some calling for more action from government leaders.

One area of tension has been Australia’s reliance on coal, an industry that employs tens of thousands of people.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last month rejected calls to impose new restrictions on the coal industry, saying, “What we won't do is engage in reckless and job-destroying and economy-crunching target.”

Richard Di Natale, who heads the Australian Greens political party, accused Morrison of “failing in his basic duty to keep our citizens safe from harm through his inadequate response to these fires and his refusal to accept that burning climate changing fossil fuels would lead to more frequent and intense bushfires.”

He also called on Morrison to “declare a Royal Commission into the bushfire crisis.”

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In November, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, called Di Natale and others “inner-city raving lunatics.”

Morrison, who heads Australia’s Liberal party, was heckled this week when visiting a town affected by the fires.

"How come we only had four trucks to defend our town? Because our town doesn't have a lot of money but we have hearts of gold, prime minister,” one woman reportedly said.

There have also been calls to redirect funds toward fighting the fire. A petition that garnered nearly 300,000 signatures called for money spent on New Years’ Eve fireworks to instead go toward combating the fires.

"We need to fundamentally re-think how we prepared for, finance, and respond to disasters like this," Nicholas Aberle, the campaigns manager for Environment Victoria, said in an email to The Hill. "The existing approaches are no longer adequate to deal with the scale of bushfires Australia now faces, nor the increasing scale of fires we will face in future. For example, it is hard to rely on shared equipment across states when every state is on fire simultaneously."

Aberle added that the country's government "has been brought kicking and screaming to engage with the fires in any meaningful way, because they know that climate change is making bushfires worse, and they know in their heart of hearts that Australia is woefully behind the pack when it comes to cutting emissions."

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2020-01-03 11:00:16Z
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Australia fires: Are Australia's wildfires getting worse? 'Too late to leave' - Express.co.uk

Australia is still battling a rash of wildfires at the opening of 2020, as severe heat grips much of the country. Officials have enlisted military aid to tackle the scores of blazes, and some people have had to evacuate.

Are Australia’s wildfires getting worse?

The latest Australian wildfires are some of the worst the country has ever seen, with blazes in every state.

New South Wales has seen some of the worst activity, with more than 900 homes now destroyed by the oncoming flames.

Nationwide, a total of 17 people have died, and authorities are struggling to contain the flames even with foreign aid.

READ MORE: Australia bushfires: Raging infernos ravage homes as fires spread

Authorities have now rated the wildfires the worst on record, and they show no sign of abating.

Continuing hot, dry weather has spurred the flames through the Australian summer, which lasts until February this year.

More than 19,000 square miles of land has burned since before the season began last year.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said fires would likely persist until the country gets “decent rain”.

Flames are just part of the deadly risk the fires pose as they sweep Australia, as smoke has caused air quality to plummet to dangerous levels.

Bushfires on the south coast have poured smoke into Australia’s capital of Canberra, which recently recorded its worst-ever air quality.

Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in the city peaked at 3,463 on Wednesday, far exceeding the baseline “hazardous” rating of 200.

Officials advise those living under a hazardous warning to stay indoors and keep all windows closed.

Speaking to the Guardian, Dr Sophie Lewis, a Canberra-based University of New South Wales climate scientist, said the smoke makes everyone “panic".

She told the publication: “It’s permeating everything. It is the fine particulates that get through everything. This is the worst it has been.

“Last night it started to blow in and you do start to feel quite anxious and stressed.

“Smoke just makes us all panic.”

Animals are particularly suffering from the wildfires, as millions of Australia's native fauna have died as a result of the deadly blazes. 

Ecologists from the University of Sydney estimate nearly half a billion (480 million) mammals, reptiles and birds have died since the fires began. 

Koalas are among the worst-hit species, as the slow-moving creatures make their homes in eucalyptus trees, many of which are in the path of the vicious fires. 

Reports have also surfaced of farmers returning to their land to find their livestock dead, and kangaroos have been spotted fleeing the flames. 

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2020-01-03 09:03:00Z
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Footage shows aftermath of US airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Suleimani - Guardian News

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2020-01-03 09:01:31Z
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2020 Democrats condemn Soleimani before attacking Trump for ordering the airstrike - Fox News

Several Democrats vying for the White House in 2020 condemned Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani before taking aim at President Trump for ordering the deadly airstrike that will escalate tensions in the region and was done so without Congress’ approval.

IRAN VOWS 'HARSH RETALIATION' AFTER US AIRSTRIKE KILLS IRANIAN GEN. QASSEM SOLEIMANI

Former Vice President Joe Biden claimed that by ordering the airstrike Trump “just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox.”

In a lengthy statement, Biden said Trump “owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.

“No American will mourn Qassem Soleimani’s passing. He deserved to be brought to justice for his crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents throughout the region. He supported terror and sowed chaos,” the statement read.

“None of that negates the fact that this is a hugely escalatory move in an already dangerous region. The Administration’s statement says that its goal is to deter future attack by Iran, but this action almost certainly will have the opposite effect.”

Biden also questioned whether the Trump administration considered the “second- and third-order consequences” of Soleimani’s death that now puts the U.S. “on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East.”

“I fear this administration has not demonstrated at any turn the discipline or long-term vision necessary --- and the stakes could not be higher,” he said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, both echoed Biden’s sentiments – and mentioned the financial consequences of a renewed conflict in the Middle East.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the price of oil surged late Thursday after the Pentagon announced Trump had ordered the airstrike that killed the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign wing.

“When I voted against the war in Iraq in 2002, I feared it would lead to greater destabilization of the region. That fear unfortunately turned out to be true,” Sanders said. “The U.S. has lost approximately 4,500 brave troops, tens of thousands have been wounded, and we’ve spent trillions.”

“Trump's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars,” he continues in a second tweet. “Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one.

Two combat veterans running for president --- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Peter Buttigieg – did not immediately issue statements in response to Soleimani’s death as of early Friday morning. Gabbard voluntarily deployed to serve with a field medical unit in Iraq. Buttigieg deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in 2014.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also weighed in on Twitter, calling on the Trump administration to consult with Congress in regards to its strategy moving forward.

“Qassem Soleimani was responsible for directing Iran’s destabilizing action in Iraq, Syria, and throughout the Middle East, including attacks against U.S. forces. But the timing, manner, and potential consequences of the Administration’s actions raise serious questions and concerns about an escalating conflict,” her statement said.

“Our immediate focus needs to be on ensuring all necessary security measures are taken to protect U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in Iraq and throughout the region. The Administration needs to fully consult with Congress on its decision-making, response plans, and strategy for preventing a wider conflict.”

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Speaking to MSNBC, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said, “We have a president who had a failure in his Iranian policy, who has no larger strategic plan and who has made that region less stable and less safe.”

Long-shot Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson took aim at federal laws dating back to 1961 which she says fail to cap spending by the U.S. Department of Defense, and thus allow Trump’s “recklessness” in the Middle East. In a series of tweets, the author, activist and faith leader slammed Congress for passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

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2020-01-03 08:07:32Z
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New York, Los Angeles increase security after U.S. airstrike kills top Iranian general - Fox News

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said late Thursday he’d spoken with top NYPD officials about immediate steps the department could take to protect key areas in the city from a potential retaliatory attack by Iranian after a U.S.-led airstrike that killed a top Iranian general.

IRAN RESPONDS TO GENERAL KILLING

“We will have to be vigilant against this threat for a long time to come,” De Blasio tweeted.

The Pentagon confirmed that President Trump ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force as well as six others at the Baghdad international airport early Friday.

"At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," the agency said in a statement.

TRUMP ORDERS ATTACK THAT KILLS IRANIAN GEN. QASSIM SOLEIMANI, OTHER MILITARY OFFICIALS IN BAGHDAD, PENTAGON SAYS

De Blasio made an earlier statement about the airstrike, saying he's worried about New York City and the U.S. as a whole.

“Without the approval of Congress, the US Government effectively declared war on Iran tonight,” De Blasio tweeted. “The American people had no say in the matter, despite voting time + again to stop endless wars + bring our troops home. This one will not end soon.”

The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement after the attack, saying they are monitoring the events in Iran.

“We will continue to communicate with state, local, federal and international law enforcement partners regarding any significant intel that may develop,” the department wrote on their Twitter account.

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The LAPD added there is no known credible threat to Los Angeles.

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2020-01-03 06:59:57Z
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