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U.S. Military Kills More Top Iranian-Backed Terrorist Leaders; WATCH: Iraqi Citizens Dance in the Street ‘for Freedom’ After U.S. Airstrike Kills Iranian Terrorist Leader

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By Daily Wire. The United States reportedly took out more top Iranian-backed terrorist leaders in Iraq late on Friday night in airstrikes in northern Baghdad.

The Associated Press reported: “Iraqi official says airstrike hits cars carrying Iran-backed militia north of Baghdad.”

“Air strikes targeting Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping of Iran-backed Shi’ite militias near camp Taji north of Baghdad have killed six people and critically wounded three, an Iraqi army source said late on Friday,” Reuters reported. “Two of the three vehicles making up a militia convoy were found burned, the source said, as well as six burned corpses. The strikes took place at 1:12 am local time, he said.” (Read more from “U.S. Military Kills More Top Iranian-Backed Terrorist Leaders” HERE)

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Video: Iraqi Citizens Dance in the Street ‘for Freedom’ After U.S. Airstrike Kills Iranian Terrorist Leader Soleimani

By The Blaze. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted a video from his official account showing Iraqi citizens dancing and celebrating in the streets after a U.S. rocket strike took out top Iranian military commander and terrorist leader, Qassem Soleimani.

“Iraqis who have demonstrated for months against a government they see as beholden to Iran broke into song and dance Friday after a U.S. strike killed a top Iranian commander,” the AFP reported.

“Oh, Qasem Soleimani, this is a divine victory,” the crowds cheered in Baghdad’s iconic Tahrir Square.

“This is God’s revenge for the blood of those killed,” one person added, according to the AFP, referring the hundreds killed during the demonstrations.

(Read more from “Video: Iraqi Citizens Dance in the Street ‘for Freedom’ After U.S. Airstrike Kills Iranian Terrorist Leader Soleimani” HERE)

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Iran Promises Revenge for Leader’s Killing

By AP. Iran promised to seek revenge for a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport that killed the mastermind of its interventions across the Middle East, and the U.S. said Friday it was sending thousands more troops to the region as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing. The death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Iran . . . (read more from this story about Iran’s promised revenge for the killing of terrorists leaders HERE)

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Iraqi Militant Leader Warns of ‘Upcoming Battle’ With U.S., Promises ‘Great Victory’; U.S. Sending Thousands of Troops to Middle East in Response to Iran Threat

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By Daily Caller. The new leader of the pro-Iranian Iraqi militant force who is believed to be the author of last week’s attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad is calling Friday for an “upcoming battle” with Americans in Iraq.

Qais al-Khazali said that he is putting his militia on “high alert” following a U.S. attack ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, formerly the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi paramilitary group with terrorist designs.

“All fighters should be on high alert for upcoming battle and great victory. The price for the blood for the martyred commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis is the complete end to American military presence in Iraq,” local TV channel al-Ahd, which maintains connections to his militant force, quoted Khazali, according to The New York Times. (Read more from “Iraqi Militant Leader Warns of ‘Upcoming Battle’ With U.S., Promises ‘Great Victory’” HERE)

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U.S. Sending Thousands of Fort Bragg Troops to Middle East in Response to Iran Threat

By McClatchy DC. The U.S. is deploying around 3,500 additional soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C., to the Middle East to protect American personnel, bases and interests after Iran promised to retaliate for the Thursday drone strike that killed one of its top generals.

The troops are from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division Global Response Force brigade. The brigade is specialized to have its first units deploy within 18 hours in response to any threat and have the full complement of forces deploy within 96 hours. (Read more from “U.S. Sending Thousands of Fort Bragg Troops to Middle East in Response to Iran Threat” HERE)

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Guess Who Obama Hosted at the White House? Hint, He’s a Terrorist Connected to the Recent U.S. Embassy Attack

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By Townhall. It turns out $400 million in cash, delivered by an unmarked plane in the middle of the night on palettes and a nuclear deal that eventually leads to a bomb, aren’t the only things President Obama gave to the murderous Iranian regime during his tenure in the White House.

Earlier this week Iranian backed militia leader Hadi Al-Amiri, who is also an Iraqi government official, participated in the attack against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. . .

In 2011, Al-Amiri visited the White House. Not only that, he made it into the Oval Office.

(Read more from “Guess Who Obama Hosted at the White House? Hint, He’s a Terrorist Connected to the Recent U.S. Embassy Attack” HERE)

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Aircraft Carrying U.S. Troops Take off From East Coast Bases After Drone Strike Kills Top Iranian General

By Newsweek. United States Air Force aircraft with combat troops and special forces on board took off from bases on the East Coast Thursday night after President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, military officials told Newsweek. The officials could not say where the transport aircraft were headed.

U.S. military Patriot anti-Missile batteries also were put on alert in Bahrain, headquarters of the Navy’s 5th Fleet. The Green Zone in Baghdad, where the U.S. embassy is located, is on lockdown, sources told Newsweek.

The president was briefed at Mar-a-Lago and ordered the strike from the Florida resort, sources told Newsweek.

It was unclear Thursday whether Congress was notified of the strike or the deployment. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined by email to answer whether McConnell was notified. (Read more from “Aircraft Carrying U.S. Troops Take off From East Coast Bases After Drone Strike Kills Top Iranian General” HERE)

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Democrats, Media Attack Trump for Killing Terrorists Responsible for Killing U.S. Soldiers; Senator Signals America’s Next Move Against Iran

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By Daily Wire. Democrats and journalists attacked President Donald Trump on Thursday for killing a notorious terrorist who was responsible for murdering hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq.

“U.S. forces killed Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Qod’s Force — which is a designated terrorist organization — in an airstrike in Baghdad as he was traveling to Baghdad International Airport,” The Daily Wire reported. “Also killed in the strike was top Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, who headed the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces.”

Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson noted that U.S. government statistics indicate that Iran was responsible for killing at least 608 U.S. troops during Iraq War and that Soleimani led all Iranian and Iranian-backed forces in those operations.

Numerous Democrats and journalists rushed to attack Trump for his decision to launch the strike, which was confirmed by the Department of Defense.

Socialist Democrat presidential candidate Bernie Sanders responded by tweeting, “Trump’s dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars. Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one.”

(Read more from “Democrats, Media Attack Trump for Killing Terrorists Responsible for Killing U.S. Soldiers” HERE)

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Lindsey Graham Signals America’s Next Move Against Iran

By Daily Wire. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham signaled the United States’ next move against the Islamic Republic of Iran late on Thursday night, warning the Iranian oil refineries may be the next targets.

“U.S. forces killed Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Qod’s Force — which is a designated terrorist organization — in an airstrike in Baghdad as he was traveling to Baghdad International Airport,” The Daily Wire reported. “Also killed in the strike was top Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, who headed the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces.”

Graham responded to the news by tweeting, “If Iranian aggression continues and I worked at an Iranian oil refinery, I would think about a new career.”

Graham’s remark came in a series of tweets which began by him writing, “Wow – the price of killing and injuring Americans has just gone up drastically. Major blow to Iranian regime that has American blood on its hands. Soleimani was one of the most ruthless and vicious members of the Ayatollah’s regime. He had American blood on his hands.”

(Read more from “Lindsey Graham Signals America’s Next Move Against Iran” HERE)

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WATCH: Here’s an Update on How Trump Admin Plans to Deal With Attack on Embassy in Iraq

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday night that the Trump administration will not be backing down in Iraq after the attack this week by Iranian-backed terrorists on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Appearing on Fox News’s “Special Report” with guest host Mike Emanuel, Pompeo said that the administration has no plans to evacuate the embassy in Baghdad and no plans to withdraw the troops that are in Iraq.

“This is 40 years of the Islamic Republic of Iran engaged in global terror campaigns, nuclear weapons dreams, and nuclear enrichment capability to existing today,” Pompeo said. “We came in when the previous administration had provided lots of money, lots of money that was used for that nuclear program, lots of money that had been used for terror all around the world develop their missile program.”

“The Trump administration’s taking a very different view,” Pompeo continued. “We put real pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran. We will continue to do so and we saw the president say today we will continue to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable wherever we find their malign activity, and we’ll make sure we have the resources to do so.” . . .

“We’ve imposed an incredible economic burden on the regime,” Pompeo said. “We’ve watched the Iranian people demand that their leaders behave differently. You’ve seen the protests. Unfortunately, Iranians responded by killing hundreds of their own citizens.”

(Read more from “Here’s an Update on How Trump Admin Plans to Deal With Attack on Embassy in Iraq” HERE)

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Trump Drops Big Statement About Attack in Iraq; U.S. to Deploy 750 Troops After Embassy Attack; Protesters Break Into U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Following American Airstrikes (VIDEO)

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By Daily Wire. American military forces arrived on scene at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday to stop a terrorist attack against the embassy that was being carried out by thousands of attackers.

President Donald Trump announced that Iran would be held “fully responsible” for any lives lost or damage to the facility and that they would pay “a very big price.”

“The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site,” Trump tweeted. “Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!”

The terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy started early on Tuesday morning when thousands of supporters of the Kataeb Hezbollah terrorist organization attacked the facility in response to U.S. forces killing dozens of terrorists from the organization just a few days ago. (Read more from “Trump Drops Big Statement About Attack in Iraq” HERE)

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Pentagon: U.S. to Deploy 750 Troops After Embassy Attack in Iraq

By Breitbart. Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Tuesday evening that he has approved the deployment of 750 U.S. soldiers to the Middle East following an attack by pro-Iran forces on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

Esper wrote in a trio of tweets that the troops will be deployed “immediately,” and additional forces are prepared to follow if needed.

(Read more from “Pentagon: U.S. to Deploy 750 Troops After Embassy Attack in Iraq” HERE)

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Protesters Break Into U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Following American Airstrikes, Gunshots Reportedly Heard

By Daily Caller. Protesters stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Tuesday, getting through a main gate amid demonstrations against recent American airstrikes in Iraq on an Iran-backed militia group.

As hundreds protested against the airstrikes from Sunday, some began to try and break into the embassy according to CNN, who cited two sources at the scene. Security personnel used tear gas to prevent anyone from entering the building. The protestors scaled the walls of the compound, the outlet added. . .

The protesters who broke in could be seen breaking embassy windows and security cameras, drawing graffiti on the walls and burning items just outside of the building. Some were heard shouting “death to America!” as well, according to the Washington Post.

They were about 200 meters from the main building and separated from the embassy’s security staff by glass windows, the Associated Press reported.

(Read more from “Protesters Break Into U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Following American Airstrikes, Gunshots Reportedly Heard” HERE)

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Attack on U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Exposes the Farce of Our Support for the Baghdad Government

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The Iraq war was a colossal mistake that strengthened Iran beyond belief. There was never any realistic chance of installing a pro-American government in Shiite-dominated Baghdad. Our forces are eternally on the hook both for the Iranian-backed Shiite attacks and the Sunni insurgencies, in response to the Shiite hegemony threatening our forces and assets in the country. This is the enduring lesson our policymakers refuse to understand as they continue to grope in the darkness, perpetuating policies in the Middle East based on illusions. In the case of Iraq, there is this illusion that Baghdad is somehow our ally, when in fact it is perpetually an ally of Iran. This is painfully obvious from the developments today in Iraq.

Our continued presence in Iraq and support for the Baghdad regime are actually harming our deterrent against Iran and preventing us from countering it directly in the Straits of Hormuz and through more robust sanctions. Because of our fear that Iran will retaliate against our forces in Iraq, our government has largely held back from destroying Iran’s naval piracy operations in the Persian Gulf, which, unlike the Iraq nation-building mission, actually affects our strategic interests.

This fear came to fruition last Friday when an Iranian-backed Shiite militia attacked our base in Kirkuk with rockets, killing one contractor and wounding several U.S. soldiers. U.S. forces responded by launching air strikes against the Kata’ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) militia in five locations throughout Iraq and Syria, killing dozens of their fighters. This set off a protest/attack against the U.S. embassy in Baghdad today that is close to spiraling out of control.

While everyone is focusing on the actual sacking of the U.S. embassy, the most important observation is the fact that these militias were able to breach the Green Zone security perimeter controlled by the Iraqi government. It’s evident that the Baghdad government itself is not just unreliable, but is controlled by these very forces.

Thus, once again, we are paying for the rope to hang ourselves in the Middle East. We fought together with some of these same militias in 2016 to bail out a Shiite pro-Iran government from the Sunni insurgency, aka ISIS. Now they are attacking us. How about we finally step outside the dumpster fire of tribal warfare and take a more holistic approach to the Middle East? We should draw a security perimeter around our maritime assets, zap anything that challenges them with our air and naval assets, and leave the land-based tribal wars to the Islamists.

This notion that we must remain in Baghdad to fight off Iranian influence is the most circular argument imaginable. The Shiite population is already going to side with Iran in perpetuity, and it will forever spawn endless rounds of Sunni insurgencies. We will never be able to fix the constituencies that these terrorist actors represent. The best we can do is free ourselves from this entanglement, so that we can confront Iran directly from a position of strength.

We have pumped endless funds into the “Afghan government,” the “Iraqi government,” and the “Lebanese armed forces.” In the case of the latter two, we as may as well hand the checks straight to Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just signed off on $115 million in aid to Lebanon’s armed forces, even as a Hezbollah member, Hassan Diab, was chosen by the Hezbollah-dominated parliament to be the new prime minister.

Our policies are built on the illusion of governments in the Middle East distinct from the terrorist actors or the insufferably fractured constituencies they represent. That fantasy is getting our people killed and harming our deterrent in the theaters that actually matter in the Middle East.

Foreign policy hawks will call for a robust response to Iran for attacking our embassy. But we need to also think strategically in the long term. On behalf of whom are we fighting in Baghdad? Why are we backing a government led by Adil Abdul-Mahdi, a man who worked closely with Iran while in exile under Saddam Hussein? That question must finally be answered after two decades of failure. We have nothing to show for the war other than tens of thousands of dead and wounded Americans, Iranian hegemony, the Sunnis fueling more terrorism, and 200,000 unvetted immigrants we’ve taken in from Iraq – equally divided between Sunnis and Shias.

What our policymakers refuse to understand is that the Middle East is not like a game of Risk with different pieces on the board representing different leaders or terror groups. There are multiple warring tribes of Islamists in all of these countries, and in places like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, there really is no “country” to speak of. The State Department said yesterday, “We are standing with the Iraqi people.” But who are those people? Which ones? On behalf of which government over which territory that can be held, and in what way?

To recognize that the Baghdadi government is an enemy of the United States is to acknowledge that not only was the Iraq war a mistake, but that its outcome was a boon for Iran. The same failed generals and civilian leaders who led us into this are not going to readily admit that. Trump himself must finally rectify these mistakes and make this coming decade an America-first decade, where we only fight and die for our own interests at our own border and for strategic assets elsewhere. It’s time to fight to our own strengths rather than to the strengths of our enemies. (For more from the author of “Attack on U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Exposes the Farce of Our Support for the Baghdad Government” please click HERE)

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U.S. Targets Five Facilities Controlled by Iranian-Backed Militias in Drone Strikes

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U.S. forces conducted strikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria that were believed to be operated by Iranian-backed militias in the region.

This operation, which was announced by Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Hoffman on Sunday, was the first combative effort against the militias who have been responsible for attacks on U.S. troops in recent weeks. The militia, Kata’ib Hezbollah, was given lethal aid from the Iranian government, which was used in attacks on an Iraqi base that killed an American contractor and injured four servicemen, according to the Defense Department.

Americans have been stationed in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government to assist in the battle against ISIS. Several non-American members of the coalition have also been killed or injured in the attacks by Kata’ib Hezbollah.

The strikes, two of which were in Syria and three in Iraq, took out control centers and weapons storage facilities that have been key in the attacks on coalition bases. (Read more from “U.S. Targets Five Facilities Controlled by Iranian-Backed Militias in Drone Strikes” HERE)

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Iraqi Catholic Official Who Survived 5 Assassination Attempts: ‘Jesus Told Me Not to Fear’

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Assyrian Iraqi Christian Pascale Warda was not deterred when would-be assailants tried to kill her five times, vowing instead to bring the light of good governance to her nation stricken by the aftermath of war. . .

Speaking to the Register on Nov. 27 in Budapest, where she was attending the Second International Conference on Christian Persecution, Warda recounts those attempts on her life, explains how her faith helped her get through them, and how her “apostolic formation” equipped her to battle against corruption against all odds.

What exactly happened when attempts were made on your life, and how much did your faith help you through those times?

It’s important to see faith is a part of you; it’s not something you can take or leave from somewhere. It’s your life. It’s not a question of: “Ah, I will be Christian or not Christian; I’m very Christian now, and afterward I’m not a Christian.” No, no — even when I don’t speak about Christianity or Christian issues, what I do or say has a Christian perspective, even subconsciously, because I’ve grown up like that. I grew up Christian and was educated a Christian.

A French journalist was staying with me and writing a “day in the life” of me as a minister. We got in the car with many bodyguards, and he said: “You’re in danger! How do you feel? You are not afraid?” I said: “Afraid, yeah, maybe, but to stop, no. Nothing will stop me.” “How can you go?” he asked, and he was afraid to go with me. I said, “As you like, you can stay at home. I will go.” “What is making you go?” he asked. “Nobody is making me go, just this: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and I go. Jesus told me not to fear, and so I will not fear. If I’m ever called to be a martyr, so be it. I am here for that. If Jesus wants that, I’ll be in the service of all these people who are living in great darkness, bringing them a little of his light.” “No one speaks like this,” he said. “I said, ‘Yes they do, and yet you’re French, but you say this as though it’s from the 13th century. Well, it’s our life today.’”

(Read more from “Iraqi Catholic Official Who Survived 5 Assassination Attempts: ‘Jesus Told Me Not to Fear'” HERE)

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U.S. Officials Warn of Uncontrollable Escalation With Iran in Iraq

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US military officials have escalated their warnings to Iran that a military conflict could be looming between the countries in Iraq due to incessant attacks on US-linked targets blamed on Tehran-backed militias. . .

Washington has expressed mounting concern about the flurry of attacks on US bases and diplomatic missions, several of which it has blamed on Shiite militia groups trained by its foe and rival for influence Tehran.

Tensions between Iran and the US have soared since Washington pulled out of a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran last year and reimposed crippling sanctions.

Baghdad — which is close to both countries and whose many security forces have been trained by either the US or Iran — is worried about being caught in the middle. . .

A senior official was quoted Wednesday by the Reuters news agency as warning the escalation could become uncontrollable and that “no one will like the outcome.” (Read more from “U.S. Officials Warn of Uncontrollable Escalation With Iran in Iraq” HERE)

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