Sunday 5 January 2020

Sitrep – Soleimani and Al-Muhandi’s murders

by Aram Mizraei for The Saker Blog

January 04, 2020

Huge crowds of Iraqi mourners join Gen. Soleimani’s Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis funeral procession
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis chanting “Death to America” have joined the funeral procession for Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi anti-terror forces chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad.
The terrorist attack on the two commanders seem to have united Iraqis from all sects and walks of life as former political rivals have set aside their differences to unite against the occupying Americans. As an example, the Sunni grand Mufti of Iraq has called on his forces to join with the Shia Iraqi brothers in violently removing the US forces from Iraq.
The presence of figures such as Sayyed Ahmad al-Safi and Hadi Al-Ameri, who are otherwise rivals, in the funeral procession is a message to Washington that the assassinations have unified the Iraqis more than ever against the US.
The same can be said when Moqtada Al-Sadr who us known to have been opposed to Iranian presence in Iraq, traveled to the home of Soleimani’s family in Kerman to offer his condolences.
Meanwhile, in Iran, the red flag was raised over the minaret of the Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom. It is the first time in history that the red flag has been raised over the minaret of Jamkaran. According to Shia tradition the red flag symbolizes blood spilled unjustly and is also a call for revenge.
Another thing worthy of notice is the visit of Qatar’s foreign minister to Iran in an attempt to mediate between Washington and Tehran. Unconfirmed reports on Twitter claim that the US asked Qatar to mediate with Iran over the retaliation to Washington’s terrorist attack. Deputy PM/ FM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and offered a “nuclear deal” and lifting sanctions in exchange of no response.
It is also worth noticing that Qatar changed the color of its flag from red and white to black and white during the visit. A sign of solidarity with Iran perhaps?
Condemnations and vows for revenge continue to pour in from many parts of the region:
Lebanon: A high-ranking official with the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has strongly condemned the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. Speaking at a memorial ceremony held in Lebanon’s southern town of Doueir, Mohammad Raad slammed  the “US’ cowardly crime” of targeting the top Iranian general, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis stressing that the act will not go unpunished.
“Whoever belongs to the axis of resistance commits himself to participating in the response, because the two martyrs represent every drop of blood that runs through our veins and every breath through which we live. Days are passing by and there is talk of a new war,” Raad, who is also the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc in the Lebanese parliament, pointed out.
Meanwhile, another Lebanese legislator described General Soleimani as a partner in every victory that the anti-Israeli resistance front, Lebanese nation and the peoples of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan have achieved.Speaking during a memorial ceremony held in the southern city of Yater, Hassan Fadlallah said the late Iranian commander’s role was noticeable in humiliation of US and Israeli occupation projects, and in the defeat of Takfiri terror groups like Daesh.
“America, the Israeli enemy and all their allies in the axis of evil are under the illusion that they could weaken this struggle if they killed a commander or a hero of this resistance axis. They do not know the truth of this culture to which we belong. A culture, under which, a combatant may get killed on the ground but emerges victorious in the end,” Fadlallah, who is also a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, highlighted.
He added, “Enemies can target a leader here and a hero there; but at the same time they must know that they cannot weaken or make the axis of resistance retreat. All past experiences have actually proven that the blood of such commanders will further the strength and firmness of the axis of resistance.”
Gaza: Islamic Jihad leader Ahmed al-Modallal said the top Iranian general directly supported the Palestinian resistance front, and he was in charge of providing logistical supplies to Palestinian resistance groups.
“The assassination of General Soleimani increases our determination and adherence to resistance in the face of forces of arrogance. (The Palestinian) resistance movement will stand committed to the blood of their martyrs,” Modallal added.
He then slammed attempts by certain Arab states to normalize diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime, stating that the United States aims to rob Arab and Muslim nations of their wealth and capabilities.
“It is shameful that several Arab countries have opened up their arms to embrace the axis of evil and have deployed troops to kill our people,” Modallal pointed out.
Separately, top Hamas official Ismail Radwan underlined that General Soleimani’s assassination will unite anti-US peoples to stand against the occupation of Arab and Muslim territories.
Yemen: The politburo of Ansarullah in a statement on Friday described the operation as a war crime by the White House against the entire Muslim Ummah, the anti-Israel axis of resistance and the Palestinian cause.
“Washington assumed it could get rid of General Soleimani by means of his targeted killing, but one can rest assured that his blood will chase Americans more than ever,” it said.
On Friday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi offered his sincere condolences over the martyrdom of the two distinguished Iranian and Iraqi military figures in US airstrikes, saying, “The freedom-loving Yemeni nation must know that the enemy targets anyone without exception in its pursuit to control all.”
“The enemy is fairly annoyed, and has resorted to targeted killing because the axis of resistance poses an obstruction for its plots and thwarts them,” Houthi pointed out.
In other places, massive protests have been held in Kashmir, in Afghanistan, in the occupied Gaza strip in solidarity with the martyred General. It seems that Soleimani is viewed as a champion for many of the oppressed people of the world.


River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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