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Iraq |
12 jan 2020
NBC News says Jerusalem 'helped confirm the details' of Iran's general secret flight from Damascus to Baghdad, where his vehicle was struck by drones upon arrival; earlier, top IDF official claimed Israel was 'not the story' of the operation
Israeli intelligence was used by the United States in a mission to assassinate a top Iranian general, NBC News reported Sunday.
Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in an airstrike a week ago near the Iraqi capital's international airport.
Iran struck back at the Americans days later by firing a series of ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops. There were no reported American casualties.
According to the report, Israeli intelligence "helped confirm the details" of Soleimani's Cham Wings Airbus A320 flight from the Syrian capital of Damascus to Baghdad on January 3.
Neither Soleimani nor the soldiers were registered on the passenger manifesto, according to a Cham Wings airline employee.
Despite the high level of secrecy, once the general had landed in Iraqi capital, rockets fired from a U.S. drone killed him as he left the airport in a convoy of two armored vehicles.
Citing interviews with two officials with direct knowledge of the operation, NBC News says that initially informants at the Damascus airport provided intelligence on Soleimani's flight to Baghdad.
In Iraq's capital, American spies pinpointed the location of the jet carrying Soleimani, his meeting with an Iraqi ally at the runway broadcast live for U.S. officials across the globe to watch.
At this point, three U.S. drones were already hovering up above, armed with Hellfire missiles and ready to eliminate a man who, according to President Donald Trump, was planning attacks on four U.S. embassies.
With little traffic on Baghdad's roads, Soleimani's convoy - one sedan carrying the general and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (founder of Kata'ib Hezbollah militias) and a minivan with their entourage - headed out and went up in flames after four missiles were launched from the drones.
The report gave no further details on the extent of Jerusalem's alleged involvement in the operation.
GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi last Monday distanced Israel from the killing of the general, saying Israelis “are not the story here.”
Israeli intelligence was used by the United States in a mission to assassinate a top Iranian general, NBC News reported Sunday.
Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in an airstrike a week ago near the Iraqi capital's international airport.
Iran struck back at the Americans days later by firing a series of ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops. There were no reported American casualties.
According to the report, Israeli intelligence "helped confirm the details" of Soleimani's Cham Wings Airbus A320 flight from the Syrian capital of Damascus to Baghdad on January 3.
Neither Soleimani nor the soldiers were registered on the passenger manifesto, according to a Cham Wings airline employee.
Despite the high level of secrecy, once the general had landed in Iraqi capital, rockets fired from a U.S. drone killed him as he left the airport in a convoy of two armored vehicles.
Citing interviews with two officials with direct knowledge of the operation, NBC News says that initially informants at the Damascus airport provided intelligence on Soleimani's flight to Baghdad.
In Iraq's capital, American spies pinpointed the location of the jet carrying Soleimani, his meeting with an Iraqi ally at the runway broadcast live for U.S. officials across the globe to watch.
At this point, three U.S. drones were already hovering up above, armed with Hellfire missiles and ready to eliminate a man who, according to President Donald Trump, was planning attacks on four U.S. embassies.
With little traffic on Baghdad's roads, Soleimani's convoy - one sedan carrying the general and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (founder of Kata'ib Hezbollah militias) and a minivan with their entourage - headed out and went up in flames after four missiles were launched from the drones.
The report gave no further details on the extent of Jerusalem's alleged involvement in the operation.
GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi last Monday distanced Israel from the killing of the general, saying Israelis “are not the story here.”
9 jan 2020
The legislation puts into law 'Memorandum of Understanding' reached between Israelis and Americans 4 years ago; the bill was rushed due to growing tensions in the Mideast and includes provision that bans boycotting Israel
Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday to provide $3.3 billion in annual aid to Israel, seeking to put into law an aid agreement between the two countries reached in 2016 amid concern over rising Middle East tensions.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Chris Coons co-sponsored the bill, a standalone provision of a broader measure that stalled a year ago.
The measure that stalled last year included some provisions broadly supported by members of both parties, including the aid, but it also included a plank that would have let state and local governments punish Americans for boycotting Israel.
Opponents, including many Democrats, saw that provision as an impingement of free speech.
Rubio and Coons introduced the bill amid increased tensions in the Middle East after President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and Tehran retaliated with a missile attack on an Iraqi base housing U.S. soldiers.
On Thursday, the region remained on edge as Iran spurned Trump's call for a new nuclear pact and its commanders threatened more attacks.
The bill would put into law a "Memorandum of Understanding" reached between Israel and the Obama administration from four years ago that was the biggest pledge of U.S. military assistance made to any country.
In statements emailed to Reuters, Rubio said Israel faces "unprecedented threats" and Coons said: "The events of the past few days are a stark reminder of the importance of U.S. assistance to Israel's security."
Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday to provide $3.3 billion in annual aid to Israel, seeking to put into law an aid agreement between the two countries reached in 2016 amid concern over rising Middle East tensions.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Chris Coons co-sponsored the bill, a standalone provision of a broader measure that stalled a year ago.
The measure that stalled last year included some provisions broadly supported by members of both parties, including the aid, but it also included a plank that would have let state and local governments punish Americans for boycotting Israel.
Opponents, including many Democrats, saw that provision as an impingement of free speech.
Rubio and Coons introduced the bill amid increased tensions in the Middle East after President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and Tehran retaliated with a missile attack on an Iraqi base housing U.S. soldiers.
On Thursday, the region remained on edge as Iran spurned Trump's call for a new nuclear pact and its commanders threatened more attacks.
The bill would put into law a "Memorandum of Understanding" reached between Israel and the Obama administration from four years ago that was the biggest pledge of U.S. military assistance made to any country.
In statements emailed to Reuters, Rubio said Israel faces "unprecedented threats" and Coons said: "The events of the past few days are a stark reminder of the importance of U.S. assistance to Israel's security."
5 jan 2020
PM says the move to eliminate Iran's hardline general is 'worthy of all appreciation,' adding the head of Quds Force 'planned and carried out many terror attacks' in the Mideast and beyond
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says President Donald Trump is "worthy of all appreciation" for ordering the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in an airstrike early Friday near the Iraqi capital's international airport that has caused regional tensions to soar.
Netanyahu told his cabinet Sunday that Soleimani "initiated, planned and carried out many terror attacks" in the Middle East and beyond. Israel has long accused Soleimani of being the mastermind of Iran's belligerency in the region.
"Qassem Soleimani brought about the death of many American citizens and many other innocents in recent decades and at present," Netanyahu said. "President Trump is deserving of all esteem for taking determined, strong and quick action."
Netanyahu said Israel "fully stands" alongside the United States in its current campaign against Iran.
Netanyahu has been among the strongest voices against Iran's Islamic rulers in recent years. The Israeli leader pushed hard against the nuclear deal Western powers signed with Tehran in 2015 and which Trump later reversed.
The United States killed Soleimani in a drone airstrike at Baghdad's international airport early Friday. The Iranian commander was widely seen as the architect of Tehran's proxy wars in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says President Donald Trump is "worthy of all appreciation" for ordering the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in an airstrike early Friday near the Iraqi capital's international airport that has caused regional tensions to soar.
Netanyahu told his cabinet Sunday that Soleimani "initiated, planned and carried out many terror attacks" in the Middle East and beyond. Israel has long accused Soleimani of being the mastermind of Iran's belligerency in the region.
"Qassem Soleimani brought about the death of many American citizens and many other innocents in recent decades and at present," Netanyahu said. "President Trump is deserving of all esteem for taking determined, strong and quick action."
Netanyahu said Israel "fully stands" alongside the United States in its current campaign against Iran.
Netanyahu has been among the strongest voices against Iran's Islamic rulers in recent years. The Israeli leader pushed hard against the nuclear deal Western powers signed with Tehran in 2015 and which Trump later reversed.
The United States killed Soleimani in a drone airstrike at Baghdad's international airport early Friday. The Iranian commander was widely seen as the architect of Tehran's proxy wars in the Middle East.
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