In an interview with TBN that airs in full Tuesday night, a preview of which has been released exclusively to The Daily Wire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed President Trump’s decision to target Iran’s top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force. The removal of Soleimani, said the Israeli leader, is a “tremendous achievement” that accomplished two key priorities at once.
Asked how Soleimani’s death will “change the Middle East,” Netanyahu told TBN Television Networks President Matthew Crouch that he believes that, first of all, &#8220;it sends a message of American determination and American strength — it’s a deterrence, a very powerful one.&#8221;
“Secondly, Soleimani himself was the architect and the generator of Iran’s empirical [goals], the Iranian empire,&#8221; Netanyahu continued. &#8220;Iran is predominantly Shiite. [Soleimani] would go into a neighboring country, say Iraq, and he would find Shiites and would create Shiite militias … manned by Iraqi Shiites but commanded by his own officers, Iranian officers. The same he would do in Syria, same he would do in Yemen.&#8221;
“He was beginning to choke the Middle East,” the prime minister stressed. “He wanted to conquer the entire Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and ultimately destroy Israel. He was beginning to push his forces right next to Israel in Syria — and we responded to them very forcefully, we hit back.”
“But it is important to understand that Iran’s expansion into this horrible empire that brings misery and death to untold numbers of people in the Middle East—by the way, Jews and Arabs alike, Christians Muslims Jews, everyone,” said Netanyahu. “This man was an engine of destruction and conquest and subjugation. And his removal, I think, helps roll back these forces of tyranny.”
“It’s a tremendous achievement,” the prime minister added. “It both strengthens American deterrence but also pushes back Iran’s aggression.”
Video of Netanyahu’s comments below (full interview airs on TBN Tuesday night at 8/7c):
<iframe title="PRAISE | Israel Special Report | Tomorrow Night at 8/7c" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vb-rj7OwANU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
According to a press release issued by TBN Monday, in the 24-minute interview Netanyahu discusses a wide range of topics, including &#8220;Israel’s role as the Middle East’s sole democracy, its determination to aggressively defend itself against Iran and others intent on its destruction, and the important commitment of President Trump and America’s conservative and Christian community to stand in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.&#8221;
In response to the Trump-ordered strategic airstrike that took out Soleimani, Iran targeted two Iraqi bases where U.S. personnel were stationed. The next day, President Trump gave a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-addresses-nation-after-attack-no-lives-lost-iran-appears-to-be-standing-down">televised address</a> in which he announced that the strikes resulted in no U.S. or Iraqi deaths and that Iran had signaled that they were “standing down.” In the address, Trump reiterated his commitment to pushing back against Iran’s aggression in the region, particularly as orchestrated by Soleimani.
“As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump declared. “I am pleased to inform you, the American people should be extremely grateful and happy: No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases. Our great American forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned, and a very good thing for the world.”
“For far too long, all the way back to 1979, to be exact, nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East. Those days are over,” Trump stated. “Iran has been the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world. We will never let that happen.”
&#8220;As the head of the Quds Force, Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the absolutely worst atrocities,&#8221; the president explained. &#8220;He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region. He viciously wounded and murdered thousands of U.S. troops, including the planting of roadside bombs that maim and dismember their victims. Soleimani directed the recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq that badly wounded four service members and killed one American, and he orchestrated the violent assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. In recent days, he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-sent-messages-through-three-back-channels-to-u-s-after-attack-to-say-they-were-done">Iran Sent Messages Through ‘Three Back Channels’ To U.S. After Attack To Say They Were Done</a>

Benjamin Netanyahu

WATCH: Netanyahu On Trump Taking Out Soleimani: ‘A Tremendous Achievement’ That Accomplished Two Key Goals

Donald Trump

Iran

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

Israel

Qassem Soleimani

<div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--sourced-paragraph">
More details have begun to emerge about Iran&#8217;s ballistic missile attack on two Iraqi bases Tuesday, including what was reportedly going on behind the scenes almost immediately after the strikes. According to CNN&#8217;s sources, soon after the strikes were over, Iran reached out to the U.S. &#8220;through at least three back channels&#8221; to make clear that their &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irans-foreign-minister-we-do-not-seek-escalation-or-war-irans-supreme-leader-military-actions-not-enough">fierce revenge</a>&#8221; for the killing of Iran&#8217;s top military leader was over.
&#8220;Iran initiated contact through at least three back channels starting late Tuesday, including through Switzerland and other countries,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/08/politics/iran-messages-us-response/index.html">CNN</a> reports. &#8220;There were &#8216;multiple messages and they were all the same,&#8217; a person familiar with the matter said. Iran wanted to convey their retaliatory action had ended — and was waiting to see how the US would respond.&#8221;
&#8220;The back-and-forth communication came as American officials were still determining the extent of the Iranian attacks, and were formulating plans for a response,&#8221; the network explains. &#8220;In response, the US sought to communicate to Iran that its proxies in the region were of equal concern as the activities of the Iranian state, the person familiar said.&#8221;
The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement that its diplomatic channel has been used multiple times prior to the incident Tuesday to exchange messages between the U.S. and Iran and urged &#8220;maximum restraint&#8221; from both sides.
&#8220;Switzerland is deeply concerned about the heavy tensions between the U.S. and Iran and the latest cycle of violent confrontations in Iraq,&#8221; the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement reported by CNN. &#8220;We call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation. Switzerland stands ready to support initiatives of the international community that seek de-escalation in the region.&#8221;
Along with reportedly communicating through back channels that it sought to de-escalate, Iran&#8217;s foreign minister issued a public statement Tuesday night indicating that the strikes would be the only military actions the regime undertook for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, head of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
“Iran took &amp; concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens &amp; senior officials were launched,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif <a href="https://twitter.com/JZarif/status/1214736614217469953?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> after the attack Tuesday night. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”
As CNN notes, some Trump administration officials increasingly believe that Iran deliberately missed areas populated by U.S. personnel.
Trump revealed in his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-addresses-nation-after-attack-no-lives-lost-iran-appears-to-be-standing-down">televised statement</a> Wednesday that &#8220;no Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime.&#8221;
&#8220;We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases,&#8221; said the president, adding later, &#8220;No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well.&#8221;
Trump also announced that Iran appeared to be &#8220;standing down,&#8221; which he described as &#8220;a good thing for all parties concerned, and a very good thing for the world.&#8221;
In the address, the president announced new economic sanctions on Iran that would be imposed &#8220;immediately.&#8221; He also made clear that the status quo from Iran in the region was unacceptable.
&#8220;For far too long, all the way back to 1979, to be exact, nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East. Those days are over,&#8221; Trump asserted. &#8220;Iran has been the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world. We will never let that happen.&#8221;
</div>

Iran Sent Messages Through ‘Three Back Channels’ To U.S. After Attack To Say They Were Done

Iraq

In a televised statement Wednesday, President Trump addressed Iran&#8217;s attack on two military bases in Iraq and announced that no U.S. or Iraqi personnel were killed and that Iran &#8220;appears to be standing down.&#8221; The announcement sent stocks soaring, both the Nasdaq Composite and the S&amp;P 500 reaching all-time highs, while the Dow Jones jumped over 250 points.
&#8220;I am pleased to inform you, the American people should be extremely grateful and happy: No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime,&#8221; President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-addresses-nation-after-attack-no-lives-lost-iran-appears-to-be-standing-down">told</a> the nation Wednesday morning following the Tuesday night attacks by Iran (video of address below). &#8220;We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.&#8221;
&#8220;Our great American forces are prepared for anything,&#8221; said the president, adding later that no lives were lost &#8220;because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well.&#8221;
After launching the missile strikes, which Iran declared a retaliation for the Trump-ordered airstrike that took out Iran&#8217;s top military leader, General Qassem Soleimani, Iran has indicated that it wants to de-escalate, a point that Trump stressed in his statement. &#8220;Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned, and a very good thing for the world,&#8221; he said.
As reported by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/08/stock-markets-today-us-futures-fall-following-attack-in-iraq.html">CNBC</a>, the stock market responded with a &#8220;sigh of relief&#8221; to Trump&#8217;s announcement. &#8220;Stocks rose sharply on Wednesday after President Donald Trump spoke about an attack by Iran on an Iraqi airbase that houses American troops, which had led to a massive sell-off in overnight trading,&#8221; CNBC reported Wednesday. &#8220;The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 255 points, or 0.9%. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1% and hit an all-time high. The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.8% and hit a record high as well.&#8221;
In his statement Wednesday morning, President Trump made clear that his administration will not allow Iran to continue to carry out its &#8220;destructive and destabilizing behavior&#8221; in the region, saying &#8220;those days are over,&#8221; but also indicated that he does not intend to escalate the situation through further military action, instead announcing new economic sanctions on Iran.
As Trump referenced, Iran has signaled that it hopes to de-escalate, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif issuing a statement late Tuesday stating that Iran does “not seek escalation or war” and suggesting that the missile attack on the two Iraqi bases was the extent of its “proportionate” response.
“Iran took &amp; concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens &amp; senior officials were launched,” Zarif <a href="https://twitter.com/JZarif/status/1214736614217469953?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> after the attack Tuesday night. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”
In his televised statement, Trump also took time to defend his decision to order the strike that took out Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-iranian-general-killed-in-u-s-strike-responsible-for-17-of-american-deaths-in-iraq">responsible</a> for killing hundreds of Americans during the Iraq War.  
“Last week, we took decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist from threatening American lives,” Trump explained. “At my direction the United States Military eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qassem Soleimani. As the heads of the Quds Force, Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the absolutely worst atrocities. He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region. He viciously wounded and murdered thousands of U.S. troops, including the planting of roadside bombs that maim and dismember their victims. Soleimani directed the recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq that badly wounded four service members and killed one American, and he orchestrated the violent assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. In recent days, he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LIVE: President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> Addresses the Nation <a href="https://t.co/vRH9gVAD0N">https://t.co/vRH9gVAD0N</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1214946620053184513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shapiro-trumps-iran-policy-isnt-the-problem-barack-obamas-was">SHAPIRO: Trump’s Iran Policy Isn’t the Problem. Barack Obama’s Was.</a>

Stock Market Indexes Hit All-Time Highs After Trump Announces Iran ‘Standing Down’

Economy

Stock Market

On Tuesday night, MSNBC shared unverified Iranian propaganda with their viewers on American casualties in the midst of Iran firing more than a dozen missiles at two Iraqi military bases at Al-Assad and Irbil, which host U.S. military and coalition personnel.
Joining MSNBC host Chris Matthews, NBC News&#8217; Tehran bureau chief and correspondent Ali Arouzi said 30 Americans were killed in the missile strikes, citing Iranian state media.
&#8220;Iran state media is claiming that 30 U.S. soldiers have been killed in this attack,&#8221; Arouzi told MSNBC viewers in the midst of the attacks.
&#8220;This is not confirmed, this is just coming from Iranian media, but we have just stepped over the precipice, Chris. We have entered a very unpredictable time,&#8221; the reporter said. &#8220;We have to see what the response is going to be from the United States, but this is undoubtedly the most serious moment between Iran and America in the last 40 years. It&#8217;s very, very tense here.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re just getting reports here that Iran has deployed its entire air force,&#8221; Arouzi continued. &#8220;They are saying that if they are retaliated against (for) these attacks, they will launch attacks against the Emirates and Dubai.&#8221;
MSNBC was quickly hit with backlash from politicos for sharing the unverified Iranian propaganda with their viewers. (Currently, the Pentagon has said there are zero casualties from the Iranian strikes.)
&#8220;MSNBC just touted from their NBC News Tehran bureau chief a totally unverified claim from Iranian State TV about a death toll of U.S. soldiers,&#8221; said NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck. &#8220;Totally irresponsible.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MSNBC just touted from their NBC News Tehran bureau chief a totally unverified claim from Iranian State TV about a death toll of U.S. soldiers.
Totally irresponsible.
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1214711405158514690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sharing totally random supposed casualty figures is not only bad in terms of spreading misinformation,&#8221; commented popular political Twitter account @Neontaster. &#8220;Think of the relatives of soldiers stationed there reading tweets about dozens of deaths. Are their hours of terror now worth your Twitter engagement?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sharing totally random supposed casualty figures is not only bad in terms of spreading misinformation. Think of the relatives of soldiers stationed there reading tweets about dozens of deaths. Are their hours of terror now worth your Twitter engagement?
&mdash; neontaster (@neontaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1214711821212553219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;MSNBC is literally doing the work of the Iranians by airing completely unverified, untrustworthy Intel about US casualties,&#8221; said TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. &#8220;The Pentagon has not reported on any lives lost. Why would the Media air what is so blatantly Iranian propaganda? Absolutely disgusting reporting.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MSNBC is literally doing the work of the Iranians by airing completely unverified, untrustworthy Intel about US casualties
The Pentagon has not reported on any lives lost
Why would the Media air what is so blatantly Iranian propaganda?
Absolutely disgusting reporting <a href="https://t.co/UvzBwWF2cX">pic.twitter.com/UvzBwWF2cX</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1214741217801465856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;MSNBC brought us far closer to the brink of war with this stunt than anything President Trump has done,&#8221; Human Events Editor-in-Chief Will Chamberlain posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MSNBC brought us far closer to the brink of war with this stunt than anything President Trump has done <a href="https://t.co/0A1kZTmhRd">https://t.co/0A1kZTmhRd</a>
&mdash; Will Chamberlain 🇺🇸 (@willchamberlain) <a href="https://twitter.com/willchamberlain/status/1214754519684390912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;MSNBC helped Iran push the false claim that 30 U.S. soldiers were killed tonight in their attack,&#8221; conservative Jason Howerton wrote. &#8220;Zero were killed. This isn&#8217;t just fake news, this is so damn disrespectful to the family members of those deployed. Do better or delete your network.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MSNBC helped Iran push the false claim that 30 U.S. soldiers were killed tonight in their attack. Zero were killed.
This isn&#39;t just fake news, this is so damn disrespectful to the family members of those deployed.
Do better or delete your network.<a href="https://t.co/2l9KzsNPc5">pic.twitter.com/2l9KzsNPc5</a>
&mdash; Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) <a href="https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1214757820790296576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Donald Trump Jr. posted: &#8220;They sound like they were actually hoping for that outcome. I guess they too were really upset about their loss this weekend too.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
They sound like they were actually hoping for that outcome. I guess they too were really upset about their loss this weekend too. <a href="https://t.co/AcdJjwQUvk">https://t.co/AcdJjwQUvk</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1214910114634850305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Iranian ballistic missile strikes come in the wake of a Trump-ordered kill of terrorist and Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irans-foreign-minister-we-do-not-seek-escalation-or-war-irans-supreme-leader-military-actions-not-enough">The Daily Wire</a> on Wednesday morning, &#8220;American officials say there were no reported casualties and the damage to the bases was minimal. Now Iran’s foreign minister is signaling that the country hopes for de-escalation, though Iran’s supreme leader is sending another message: the missile strikes are &#8216;not enough.'&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Iran War" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y0OIxTLOkx4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irans-foreign-minister-we-do-not-seek-escalation-or-war-irans-supreme-leader-military-actions-not-enough">Iran’s Foreign Minister: ‘We Do Not Seek Escalation Or War’; Iran’s Supreme Leader: Military Actions ‘Not Enough’</a>

Chris Matthews

‘DELETE YOUR NETWORK’: MSNBC Shares Iranian Propaganda On American Casualties, Gets Ripped

MSNBC

Journalist Yashar Ali, who closely follows Middle East affairs, cautioned those who think that the United States came out on top on Tuesday night after Iran&#8217;s missile attack on bases in Iraq caused minimal damage. Iran is most likely going to seek revenge through non-conventional means of warfare and on their own timeline, Ali warned.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/world/middleeast/iran-fires-missiles-us.html?action=click&amp;module=Top%20Stories&amp;pgtype=Homepage">reported</a> Tuesday on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps&#8217; announcement of the beginning of its &#8220;fierce revenge&#8221;:
<blockquote>“The fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards has begun,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement on a Telegram messaging app channel.
Iraqi military officials said that Iran had fired 22 missiles at two military bases in Iraq where American troops are stationed. United States officials initially said there were no immediate indications of American casualties, and senior Iraqi officials later said that there were no American or Iraqi casualties in the strikes.</blockquote>
Ali, whose family is from Iran, wrote in a lengthy Twitter thread that he is concerned that America might get distracted by Iran&#8217;s attack on Tuesday and be lulled into thinking that Iran just wanted to save face knowing that it could not enter a full-scale military conflict with the U.S.
&#8220;I want to express this carefully cause I don&#8217;t want to minimize anything that results in loss of life. But missiles flying back/forth in Mid East is all too common (something US can handle) &amp; not what makes me nervous about the Soleimani situation,&#8221; Ali <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214712056147922944">wrote</a>.
Ali posted a link to Wall Street Journal report that he said highlighted his concerns.
&#8220;What makes me nervous is illustrated in the WSJ story. The Iranian government has always operated on its own timeline. If you think Iran lobbing missiles over the border is the kind of revenge they ultimately have in mind, you&#8217;re wrong,&#8221; Ali wrote. &#8220;Example: In 2012, assassins kill an Iranian nuclear chemist (likely directed by Israel). Iran promises revenge. Where does the ultimate revenge take place? A month later in Georgia, India and Thailand where Israeli diplomats are targeted with bombs.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
3. Example: In 2012, assassins kill an Iranian nuclear chemist (likely directed by Israel). Iran promises revenge. 
Where does the ultimate revenge take place? 
A month later in Georgia, India and Thailand where Israeli diplomats are targeted with bombs<a href="https://t.co/qeL7jkzQhd">https://t.co/qeL7jkzQhd</a> <a href="https://t.co/qEkQP7ddG4">pic.twitter.com/qEkQP7ddG4</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214712057448189953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Example: In 1992, IDF killed the Sec General of Hezbollah. Where did Iran retaliate? In Buenos Aires with a truck bomb driven into the Israeli embassy. That attack killed 29 people. Another attack two years later took place at the Jewish Community Center killing 85 people,&#8221; Ali continued. &#8220;Those examples are pretty tight timelines for Iranians. The Iranian gov sees revenge as almost a generational thing&#8230;their timeline can be in months/years. Revenge always doesn&#8217;t come via a show of force they take PUBLIC credit for.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
5. Those examples are pretty tight timelines for Iranians. The Iranian gov sees revenge as almost a generational thing&#8230;their timeline can be in months/years. Revenge always doesn&#39;t come via a show of force they take PUBLIC credit for.
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214712059448815620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So what I&#8217;m saying is all these people with their chest thumping, I would be cautious about what you see as Iranian revenge and unfortunately prepare yourselves for the kind of attacks that are unexpected, that don&#8217;t follow a tight timeline, and show up where you least expect,&#8221; Ali continued. &#8220;If people think that this is it&#8230;that Iran has chosen to retaliate against the US for killing the second most powerful man in Iran, by lobbing some missiles across the border that didn&#8217;t result in US casualties then I have a bridge to sell you.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
7. If people think that this is it&#8230;that Iran has chosen to retaliate against the US for killing the second most powerful man in Iran, by lobbing some missiles across the border that didn&#39;t result in US casualties then I have a bridge to sell you <a href="https://t.co/urRMsYhZji">https://t.co/urRMsYhZji</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214738485552152576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I can&#8217;t believe I&#8217;m seeing people saying that this was a face saving move by Iran and now that there haven&#8217;t been any US casualties, that we should move on. The level of naivety is astonishing. Do people really think this is how Iran is going to retaliate?&#8221; Ali concluded. &#8220;The problem is so many people have thought about this situation through the lens of conventional warfare. So they believe if there is no conventional warfare that the situation has deescalated. But conventional warfare should have never been the concern!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
9. Read Jake’s tweet&#8230;for those of you thinking this is just a weak response from Iran &amp; that they’re terrified of the US mil, ask yourself if this how a nation that has funded attacks globally would respond to the killing of its most important General<a href="https://t.co/Tg8Ra6YLRg">https://t.co/Tg8Ra6YLRg</a> <a href="https://t.co/aSDXWQquHv">https://t.co/aSDXWQquHv</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214742577418661890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
11. The problem is so many people have thought about this situation through the lens of conventional warfare. So they believe if there is no conventional warfare that the situation has deescalated. 
But conventional warfare should have never been the concern!
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214750309433479176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

LEBANON-BEIRUT-SOLEIMANI-RALLY

Top Journalist Warns That Iran Firing Missiles At U.S. Troops Is Not How They’ll Retaliate

Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terrorist organization, released a statement late on Tuesday night claiming responsibility for firing multiple missiles at U.S. troops throughout Iraq.
According to Axios, the IRGC <a href="https://www.axios.com/iran-rocket-attack-al-asad-soleimani-78d00f09-1208-491d-b382-f0c6e1fb5da9.html">said</a>, &#8220;The brave soldiers of IRGC&#8217;s aerospace unit have launched a successful attack with tens of ballistic missiles on Al Assad military base in the name of martyr Gen. Qasem Soleimani. &#8230; We warn all allied countries of the U.S. that if attacks are launched from bases in their countries on Iran, they will be a target of military retaliation.&#8221;
Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-multiple-missiles-from-iran-hit-air-base-in-iraq-housing-american-troops-reports-say">reported</a> on Fox News late on Tuesday, “I’m talking to a well placed source in the U.S. military, on the ground in Iraq, and that source tells me that these are multiple tactical ballistic, or cruise missiles that are being fired from Iran at multiple U.S. bases and U.S. targets inside Iraq. They are under fire right now, I asked if they had any plans to evacuate, remember there are 5,000 American troops in Iraq and I was told ‘no, we are defending.’ So, expect an American response.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that in recent days IRGC General Hossein Salami threatened action against the U.S. homeland if America responded to Iran&#8217;s attack.
“And if they make a subsequent move, we will set fire to the place they love,” Salami said.
Journalist Yashar Ali, whose family is from Iran and who follows developments in the country closely, wrote on Twitter: &#8220;Dr Saeed Jalili, a member of Iran&#8217;s Expediency Council and an advisor to Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader, tweets out the Iranian flag after Iran launches a missile attack on an air base in Iraq used by the US Armed Forces.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSaeedJalili?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrSaeedJalili</a>, a member of Iran&#39;s Expediency Council and an advisor to Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader, tweets out the Iranian flag after Iran launches a missile attack on an air base in Iraq used by the US Armed Forces. <a href="https://t.co/44GIHNmqob">https://t.co/44GIHNmqob</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1214697725532368896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It is worth noting that Iran has a vast network of terrorist proxy groups that they use around the world to carry out terrorist attacks. One of the most prolific terrorist groups that Iran backs is Hezbollah, which is an Islamic terrorist organization.
The U.S. federal government was involved in a massive 8-year investigation mapping out Hezbollah&#8217;s terrorist network, which included cells in the U.S., when former President Barack Obama killed the investigation to secure his now-failed Iran nuclear deal. Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was funneling cocaine into the United States, according to a POLITICO investigation.
The campaign, dubbed Project Cassandra, was launched in 2008 after the Drug Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities. &#8230;
But as Project Cassandra reached higher into the hierarchy of the conspiracy, Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way, according to interviews with dozens of participants who in many cases spoke for the first time about events shrouded in secrecy, and a review of government documents and court records. When Project Cassandra leaders sought approval for some significant investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, officials at the Justice and Treasury departments delayed, hindered or rejected their requests.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/">Read Politico&#8217;s full report here</a>.

IRAQ-IRAN-US-CONFLICT-FUNERAL

Iran Releases Statement Claiming Responsibility For Attacks, Makes New Threats Against U.S. Homeland

A new survey from progressive outlet HuffPost found that more Americans agree with President Trump&#8217;s decision to take out Iran&#8217;s top military leader than disagree with him.
The new <a href="https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/athena/files/2020/01/06/5e132ad9c5b6b5a713bddb44.pdf">HuffPost-YouGov</a> survey found that a plurality of Americans, including nearly half of registered voters, approve of Trump ordering a strategic airstrike on General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. 
The poll, which gauged the opinions of 1,000 U.S. adults between Jan. 3 and Jan. 5, found that 43 percent of respondents approve of Trump&#8217;s order to kill Soleimani, including 30 percent who say they &#8220;strongly&#8221; approve of it and 13 percent who say they &#8220;somewhat&#8221; approve.
A slightly lower number, 38 percent, disapprove of the order, with 26 percent saying they strongly disapprove and 12 percent saying they somewhat disapprove. Slightly less than a fifth, 19 percent, say they are unsure.
The split is similar among registered voters: 47 percent approve (35 percent strongly, 12 somewhat) and 42 percent disapprove (30 percent strongly, 12 percent somewhat), while 12 percent are unsure.
Unsurprisingly, opinion is largely divided along party lines. While an overwhelming majority (86 percent) of Republicans agree (67 percent strongly and 19 percent somewhat), a slightly less strong majority of Democrats disagree (69 percent; 49 percent strongly, 20 percent somewhat).
Similar to the overall percentage, Independents lean toward Trump, with 40 percent approving (26 percent strongly, 14 percent somewhat) and 32 percent disapproving (21 percent strongly, 11 percent somewhat). A little less than a third, 29 percent, of Independents say they are unsure.
Asked if they think the strike makes conflict with Iran &#8220;more likely than before,&#8221; &#8220;less likely&#8221; or &#8220;neither more or less,&#8221; 57 percent of respondents say more likely, 8 percent say less, and 20 percent say neither. Fifteen percent are unsure. Registered voters feel slightly more strongly that conflict is now more likely, with 62 percent saying it is, 9 percent saying less, and 22 percent saying neither.
<div id="dfp-ad-incontent_desk_1-wrapper" class="dfp-tag-wrapper wrapper">
As noted by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/476971-poll-43-percent-approve-of-trump-strike-on-soleimani">The Hill</a>, the survey found that while a plurality of Americans agree with Trump&#8217;s decision, a plurality also suspect that he &#8220;did not plan carefully enough.&#8221; A total of 43 percent say he went in without enough planning, while 35 percent express confidence in his planning. The responses are again split largely along party lines, 72 percent of Democrats saying he didn&#8217;t plan enough and almost the exact same percentage of Republicans, 74 percent, saying he did. Independents lean more toward the &#8220;unplanned&#8221; option, 37 to 30 percent, respectively, with 30 percent unsure.
After an airstrike took out Soleimani in Baghdad early Friday morning, the U.S. Defense Department issued a statement confirming his death and laying out the Pentagon&#8217;s rationale for targeting the general. &#8220;General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more. He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-obamas-dhs-secretary-debunks-dems-claim-trump-didnt-have-authority-to-kill-soleimani-now-hes-under-fire-from-left">WATCH: Obama’s DHS Secretary Debunks Dems’ Claim Trump Didn’t Have Authority To Kill Soleimani; Now He’s Under Fire From Left</a>
</div>

President Trump

More Americans Side With Trump On Soleimani Strike: Poll

Professional human rights champion Colin Kaepernick went to social media this week to protest the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a man whose only crime was loving too much and murdering thousands of human beings. Kaepernick took a break from selling his new Nike shoe, which can be purchased now for the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/colin-kaepernick-x-air-force-1-low-07-qs-cq0493-001?utm_source=google_int&amp;utm_medium=google_shopping_int&amp;utm_campaign=2070028993_82049328608&amp;utm_content=368056751951_1o1&amp;utm_term=193154673289&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA9dDwBRC9ARIsABbedBPNlQkItGwIY2hGwJ6IYEKuv9H2YrklyjhqJ1KZbRnKH33bbZYMC9IaAtiiEALw_wcB">low price of $135</a>, to point out how America is extremely unfair to black and brown people like himself.
&#8220;America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad,&#8221; the shoe model tweeted. &#8220;America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world.&#8221;
It should be noted here that Kaepernick&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/Kaepernick7">Twitter page</a> is adorned with no fewer than eight photos of himself. In each photo, he has the same pensive and persecuted look, as if to say, &#8220;I am pensive and persecuted eight times more than the average person.&#8221; Frankly, I think he understates the case. The world has not seen a man treated with such brutal unfairness since William Wallace was drawn and quartered.
<iframe title="Media Continues To Mourn Beloved Terrorist | The Matt Walsh Show Ep. 399" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gCF7TLEvlTA?start=795&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Kaepernick, of course, pounces on every opportunity to highlight the systemic racism and bigotry in our culture. But now he has taken a look at the problem with a wider lens and discovered that America is plundering the world by killing a war criminal. His accusation of imperialism is especially appropriate here, given that Iran was an imperialist empire for 15 centuries — and through proxies, still pursues its imperialistic ambitions today. This is all the fault of the United States, for reasons that are simply too obvious to bother explaining. Indeed, even the Persian invasion of Greece in 492 can be tied back to America. Ours is a country so meddlesome that it manages to meddle even when it doesn&#8217;t yet exist.
If any of these claims seem dubious to you, remember that Kaepernick is an authority on persecution and you are not. Kaepernick was, to use his phrase, &#8220;sanctioned and besieged&#8221; with an NFL career that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colin-kaepernick-record-49ers-contract-2017-8">paid him almost $40 million</a>. When he left, he was further sanctioned with a <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2794022-report-colin-kaepernicks-nike-contract-worth-millions-will-get-branded-line">multi-million dollar Nike contract,</a> which was exacerbated by the added insult of a <a href="https://theweek.com/speedreads/824104/colin-kaepernicks-nfl-collusion-settlement-potentially-60-million-80-million-range">$60 million payout from the NFL</a> and a <a href="https://pagesix.com/2017/10/24/colin-kaepernick-lands-million-dollar-book-deal/">million dollar book deal</a>. Truly, his plight makes the life of a <a href="https://qz.com/1042298/nike-is-facing-a-new-wave-of-anti-sweatshop-protests/">low-wage Nike factory worker in Vietnam</a> look positively glamorous, by comparison.
Imagine what it must be like to walk in his shoes. Well, not his actual Nike shoes. You probably can&#8217;t afford those. I mean, imagine what it is like to walk in his metaphorical shoes. To be rich, famous, celebrated across the media and in Hollywood. No doubt when his book is released and then turned into a movie and he rakes in millions from the royalties and movie rights, the anger he feels about his victimization will reach righteous new heights.
I cannot explain why Kaepernick should be so angry, or why his story is proof of America&#8217;s racism rather than proof that you calling America racist is a profitable business (which it wouldn&#8217;t be if America were actually racist), or why anyone would spend $135 on a football player&#8217;s shoe — especially when that football player isn&#8217;t even a football player anymore and his career completion percentage was less than 60%. But that&#8217;s only because of my own internalized bigotry.
At least that&#8217;s what Kaepernick would tell me.
Editors’ Note: Because the internet is filled with foolish and utterly dishonest people, the editors of The Daily Wire wish to note that this column utilizes a literary device called sarcasm.

Colin Kaepernick

WALSH: Please Stop Persecuting Colin Kaepernick

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Leftism

Nike

Progressivism

Social Justice

The New York Times caught heat on Tuesday after posting its sanitized obituary for terrorist Iranian general Qassem Soleimani — especially in comparison to an obituary the news outlet recently posted for a football coach who kept a female reporter out of the men&#8217;s locker room.
Blurbing the obituary for Soleimani on Tuesday, the Times simply captioned and headlined the obit: &#8220;Qassim Suleimani, Master of Iran’s Intrigue and Force, Dies at 62.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Qassim Suleimani, Master of Iran’s Intrigue and Force, Dies at 62 <a href="https://t.co/POoNRnRz26">https://t.co/POoNRnRz26</a>
&mdash; NYT Obituaries (@NYTObits) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTObits/status/1214467726695120898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
By comparison, when the Times posted an obituary for former NFL coach Sam Wyche, the publication felt it necessary to highlight Wyche &#8220;barring a female reporter from the team’s locker room.&#8221;
&#8220;Sam Wyche, who was the last coach to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl, but who was later fined by the National Football League for barring a female reporter from the team’s locker room, has died,&#8221; said the caption of the obituary, which was first published on Friday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sam Wyche, who was the last coach to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl, but who was later fined by the National Football League for barring a female reporter from the team’s locker room, has died <a href="https://t.co/A2cnDDYbQu">https://t.co/A2cnDDYbQu</a>
&mdash; NYT Obituaries (@NYTObits) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTObits/status/1214551524115922944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The two posts were published on Twitter less than seven hours apart.
Politicos online noticed the Times&#8217; differing posts on the two very different men and took the outlet to task.
&#8220;Six hours apart,&#8221; conservative writer and podcast host Stephen Miller captioned two screenshots of the Times&#8217; obituary posts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Six hours apart. <a href="https://t.co/rLgIGgPmtv">pic.twitter.com/rLgIGgPmtv</a>
&mdash; Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1214568383129112576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Popular conservative Twitter account &#8220;neontaster&#8221; mocked, &#8220;Did Soleimani ever bar a woman from a locker room? Check mate, neocons.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Did Soleimani ever bar a woman from a locker room? Check mate, neocons.
&mdash; neontaster (@neontaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1214571905627443203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sometimes the sins of the recently departed are worth highlighting. [S]ometimes they aren’t,&#8221; snarked the Washington Examiner&#8217;s Becket Adams.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
sometimes the sins of the recently departed are worth highlighting. sometimes they aren’t. <a href="https://t.co/cYHnVVLBwZ">pic.twitter.com/cYHnVVLBwZ</a>
&mdash; 𝚒&#39;𝚖 𝚊 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚜𝚊𝚛 (@BecketAdams) <a href="https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/1214565985287458820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The New York Times gives more favorable PR to a brutal terrorist than to a football coach,&#8221; Daily Wire contributor Harry Khachatrian said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The New York Times gives more favorable PR to a brutal terrorist than to a football coach <a href="https://t.co/7YY682KI5L">https://t.co/7YY682KI5L</a> <a href="https://t.co/NxCWKCyGij">pic.twitter.com/NxCWKCyGij</a>
&mdash; Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) <a href="https://twitter.com/Harry1T6/status/1214586120035540992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Soleimani was strategically killed early Friday by a Trump-ordered airstrike near Baghdad International Airport. He was the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans.
“Soleimani was the head of the Iranian and Iranian-backed forces carrying out those operations killing American troops” during the Iraq War, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-iranian-general-killed-in-u-s-strike-responsible-for-17-of-american-deaths-in-iraq?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">Fox News</a> reported. “According to the State Department, 17% of all deaths of U.S. personnel in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 were orchestrated by Soleimani.”
Soleimani was in the process of “coordinating” attacks on U.S. personnel, according to the State Department.
“We can confirm that in the past several days, General Soleimani had been traveling in the Middle East coordinating further imminent large-scale attacks against U.S. diplomats and service members. These threats were highly credible and the intelligence is sound,” the State Department said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
State Department: “We can confirm that in the past several days, General Soleimani had been traveling in the Middle East coordinating further imminent large-scale attacks against U.S. diplomats and service members. These threats were highly credible and the intelligence is sound”
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1213192132581720065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-times-runs-piece-lionizing-soleimani-trump-administration-miscalculated">The Daily Wire</a>, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/podcasts/the-daily/trump-iran-soleimani.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">Times</a> also published a piece lionizing Soleimani on Tuesday:
<blockquote>The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/podcasts/the-daily/trump-iran-soleimani.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">ran a piece</a> titled, “Why Iran Is In Mourning,” in which the Times attempted to put the best face on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, opining of his funeral that there was a “unified national outpouring that is reserved for a small handful of figures in any country, I mean a beloved president, a civil rights leader like Martin Luther King in the United States…” The Times reporter  theorized that the Trump administration had “miscalculated the level of admiration” that Iranians had for Soleimani, claiming that opposition figures who had been jailed by the Iranian government had said, “He was a national hero.”</blockquote>

New York Times Ripped For Soleimani Obituary Post In Comparison To Brutal Obit For ‘Sexist’ Football Coach

Foreign Policy

Middle East

New York Times

A security incident at Donald Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago resort Monday night has triggered a criminal investigation by the Secret Service in conjunction with the Palm Beach Police Department.
A police department spokesman revealed to reporters early Tuesday afternoon that an &#8220;open and active criminal investigation&#8221; is underway related to an incident that occurred Monday night and that no arrests have been made, but declined to provide further details. However, the department did provide what <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article239028168.html#storylink=cpy">The Miami Herald</a> describes as &#8220;a nearly completely redacted incident report showing officers were called around 7 p.m. to &#8216;assist&#8217; another law enforcement agency.&#8221;
The Herald provides scant details on the case, only that it is a joint criminal investigation and that the &#8220;unspecified&#8221; incident took place around 7 p.m. &#8220;Michael Ogrodnick, a police spokesman, declined further comment Tuesday, citing the investigation,&#8221; the outlet reports. &#8220;But the department did provide a nearly completely redacted incident report showing officers were called around 7 p.m. to &#8216;assist&#8217; another law enforcement agency. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s resort has been on heightened security in recent weeks after a series of security breaches, some of which have made national news. The property, which Trump has jokingly referred to as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/media-slams-trump-for-mar-a-lago-visit-amid-attack-on-embassy-trump-fires-back">The Southern White House</a>,&#8221; has reportedly tightened security even more over the last few days as a result of the president ordering a strategic airstrike that killed Iran&#8217;s top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
<div>
<div>
In response to the increased threat of retaliation from Iran-backed entities, the Department of Homeland Security issued an update on its National Terrorism Advisory System on Saturday. Below is the full text of the <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/ntas/alerts/20_0104_ntas_bulletin.pdf">advisory</a>:
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<ul>
<li>The United States designated Iran a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” in 1984 and since then, Iran has actively engaged in or directed an array of violent and deadly acts against the United States and its citizens globally. The United States designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a Foreign Terrorist Organization on April 15, 2019 for its direct involvement in terrorist plotting.</li>
<li>On January 2, 2020, the United States carried out a lethal strike in Iraq killing Iranian IRGC-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani while Soleimani was in Iraq.</li>
<li>Iranian leadership and several affiliated violent extremist organizations publicly stated they intend to retaliate against the United States.</li>
<li>At this time we have no information indicating a specific, credible threat to the Homeland. Iran and its partners, such as Hizballah, have demonstrated the intent and capability to conduct operations in the United States.</li>
<li>Previous homeland-based plots have included, among other things, scouting and planning against infrastructure targets and cyber enabled attacks against a range of U.S.- based targets.</li>
<li>Iran maintains a robust cyber program and can execute cyber attacks against the United States. Iran is capable, at a minimum, of carrying out attacks with temporary disruptive effects against critical infrastructure in the United States.</li>
<li>Iran likely views terrorist activities as an option to deter or retaliate against its perceived adversaries. In many instances, Iran has targeted United States interests through its partners such as Hizballah.</li>
<li>Homegrown Violent Extremists could capitalize on the heightened tensions to launch individual attacks.</li>
<li>An attack in the homeland may come with little or no warning.</li>
<li>The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with our federal, state, local, and private sector partners to detect and defend against threats to the Homeland, and will enhance security measures as necessary.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-iranians-were-blocked-by-u-s-border-officials-officials-thats-not-what-happened">Report: Iranians Were Blocked By U.S. Border Officials; Officials: That’s Not What Happened</a></div>

Donald Trump Melania Trump

DEVELOPING: Secret Service Conducting ‘Criminal Investigation’ Into Security Breach At Mar-A-Lago

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh returned Monday from &#8220;one heck of a Christmas break&#8221; to help parse the panic and outrage among the left following President Trump&#8217;s game-changing airstrike on Iran&#8217;s top military leader, General Qassem Soleimani, the slain head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
&#8220;So what happened?&#8221; Limbaugh <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/01/06/american-left-sides-with-iranian-terrorists-over-their-own-country/">began</a>. &#8220;The president kills a well-known terrorist who is responsible for the death of hundreds of Americans, including uniformed military personnel, and the left melts down. The left has a breakdown.&#8221;
The source of the meltdown, Limbaugh suggested, can be traced back to the fateful day that a business mogul and former reality TV star descended down an escalator in one of his many properties and said a bunch of things he&#8217;s not supposed to say, most importantly that America is &#8220;great.&#8221;
&#8220;If anybody is puzzled by this, all you have to do is go back to when Trump came down the escalator on June 15th of [2015] and announced his slogan Make America Great Again,&#8221; Limbaugh said. &#8220;Remember how controversial that was? Make America Great Again, what’s controversial about that? What in the world is controversial about America first?&#8221;
&#8220;But it is to the American left,&#8221; the host stressed. &#8220;And therein lies the explanation for all this.&#8221;
Limbaugh began his lengthy breakdown of his premise by doing something rather surprising for him: he praised Twitter, which, he explained, is helping to fully expose the left.
&#8220;Twitter, in my mind, has become useful,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Now, Snerdly and the gang on the other side of the glass are looking perplexed and puzzled because it is well known that I think of sewer and Twitter as inseparable. But Twitter is highly useful right now. Twitter is allowing the left and today’s Democrats and the media to show normal people how freaking insane they are.&#8221;
&#8220;As I watch this display, as I watch the left melt down over the death of a genuine enemy of the people of this country and side with an enemy nation over their own country and president, I wonder how many Americans, independents, what have you, who are on the fence see this and are shocked and surprised by it,&#8221; he mused.
&#8220;Why is the left being so blatant in their support for an enemy nation? Why is the left, why is the Democrat Party going out of its way to tell everybody that they actually prefer the mullahs in Iran and this dead terrorist, Qassem Soleimani?&#8221; Rush asked. The answer, he said, is found in their outrage over Trump&#8217;s slogan.
&#8220;To normal, decent, common citizen Americans, what in the world is controversial about that: Make America Great Again? The answer is very simple,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are a lot of people in the Democrat Party that don’t think America ever has been great, do not think America can be great (because of our founding), don’t believe America deserves to be great and, in fact, thinks America’s guilty — and they have now become the mainstream media of the Democrat Party.&#8221;
&#8220;Madeleine Albright’s out there teaching young skulls full of mush there’s nothing special about America — it’s just a coincidence, just an accident — and that the United States as a singular superpower is a destabilizing element in the world,&#8221; he said, referencing Bill Clinton&#8217;s Secretary of State.
&#8220;That view, that America alone as a superpower is destabilizing is a view widely held in the civil service throughout the State Department,&#8221; said Rush.&#8221;It’s not an obscure view. It’s not a minority view. It took me a long time to learn this, long time to believe it, long time to understand it, long time to accept it.&#8221;
&#8220;A lot of people don’t want to accept that in our own government, there are people who do not believe in the goodness of the United States, the concept of America as the good guys,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But you’re looking at it! In every bit of this opposition to what Trump has done, you’re seeing it.&#8221;
Obama shared the same grim view of America&#8217;s role in the world as Albright, said Limbaugh, which resulted in his deal with Iran.
&#8220;Obama had the same view of the Middle East that he and Madeleine Albright and all the rest of them have of the United States,&#8221; said Limbaugh. &#8220;The Middle East was destabilized when only Israel was an economic and military power&#8230; One of the reasons the Obama administration entered into the Iran deal, one of the reasons that they engaged Iran, one of the reasons that Obama dropped off $150 billion in cash on the tarmac in Tehran — and don’t think that some of it didn’t get to Qassem Soleimani.&#8221;
Rush then paused for a moment to underscore that the Obama administration absolutely knew that some of their money was going to Soleimani and the terrorist operations he oversaw. &#8220;They were making deals with this guy,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They knew exactly who he was. Obama believed that empowering Iran would stabilize the Middle East, provide a counterbalance to Israel. Because once again, the Israelis are not seen as the good guys, even though they are a United States ally.&#8221;
When the left sees Trump taking out Soleimani, they see &#8220;an assault on Obama, an assault on Obama’s foreign policy, an effort and an attempt to unravel and unwind it.&#8221;
&#8220;And they’re right,&#8221; said Rush. &#8220;Trump is unwinding it, unraveling a horrible Middle Eastern policy from the Obama administration,&#8221; because, as Limbaugh emphasizes, he actually believes that America is great and its role in the world is the same role its held for decades: the promoter and defender of freedom and democracy.
Transcript via <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/01/06/american-left-sides-with-iranian-terrorists-over-their-own-country/">RushLimbaugh.com</a>

Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh: Why The Left Sides With Iranian Terrorists Over America

Barack Obama

A viral video purports to show the temporary coffin holding slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani placed across multiple seats in the coach section of a Mahan Air plane bound for Iran out of Iraq.
The video, posted by self-described defense analyst, author and freelance writer Babak Taghvaee and picked up by multiple outlets, reportedly shows a temporary coffin holding the remains of Soleimani – the former head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, who was killed in a strategic U.S. airstrike early Friday – being flown out of Iraq back to Iran.
In his caption for the video, Taghvee, who has tweeted extensively on the fallout from the killing of Soleimani, writes: &#8220;An Airbus A300-603R of Mahan Air transported corpses of [Qassem Soleimani] &amp; Abu-Mahdi Al-Muhandis from [Masshad] to [Mehrabad] Intl Airport, [Tehran]. Their coffins were put on the passenger seats instead of being loaded in cargo/baggage compartments!&#8221;
On a television screen in front of the cardboard coffin plays a &#8220;tribute video,&#8221; as <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/01/06/qassem-soleimanis-dead-body-flies-coach-back-to-iran/">The New York Post</a> notes. &#8220;The recording shot aboard a Mahan Air flight and posted on Twitter appears to show Soleimani’s coffin and those of others killed in the attack on an Airbus from Mashhad to Mehrabad Airport in Tehran — as a tribute video plays on one of the plane’s screens,&#8221; the Post reports.
&#8220;The coffins bear the images of Soleimani, the leader of the elite Quds Force, and Abu-Mahdi Al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iranian-supported militia group in Iraq,&#8221; the Post points out.
<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7854875/Millions-march-slain-general-Qassem-Soleimani-body-flown-hometown-funeral.html">The Daily Mail</a> also reported on the video and provided some further details. &#8220;A video of the journey posted on social media on Sunday showed five cardboard boxes resting on seats in the cabin of a passenger jet rather than being loaded into the cargo or baggage compartments,&#8221; the outlet reports. &#8220;Once Soleimani&#8217;s remains arrived in the capital, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prayed over them at Tehran University before he was taken to the holy city of Qom for a ceremony at Masumeh shrine, ahead of a funeral on Tuesday in his hometown of Kerman.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: An Airbus A300-603R of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahanAir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahanAir</a> transported corpses of Qasem <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Soleimani?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Soleimani</a> &amp; Abu-Mahdi Al-Muhandis from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mashhad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mashhad</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mehrabad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mehrabad</a> Intl Airport, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tehran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tehran</a>. Their coffins were put on the passenger seats instead of being loaded in cargo/baggage compartments! <a href="https://t.co/NnmKBvL8KB">pic.twitter.com/NnmKBvL8KB</a>
&mdash; Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1213928154655539201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Taghvaee has since posted a series of tweets and retweets on the current situation in Iran, including another Soleimani video, this time purportedly showing IRGC personnel &#8220;stealing the dirt&#8221; from his grave because they believe it is holy.
&#8220;Watch [IRGC] Personnel stealing the dirt from grave of [Qassem Soleimani] in [Kerman] because they believe the dust and dirt from that grave is holly and can cure any deceases,&#8221; he wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IRGC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IRGC</a> Personnel stealing the dirt from grave of Qasem <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Soleimani?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Soleimani</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kerman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kerman</a> because they believe the dust and dirt from that grave is holly and can cure any deceases. The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a>&#39;s Islamic Republic is based on baseless superstitions. <a href="https://t.co/ne3O5bz1bI">pic.twitter.com/ne3O5bz1bI</a>
&mdash; Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1214554938350551041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The authenticity of either of the videos has not been confirmed.
Qassem&#8217;s funeral Monday was attended by hundreds of thousands, some on the ground reporting that the theocratic Iranian government threatened citizens to attend. At the event, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei openly cried.
&#8220;Oh Allah, they are in need of your mercy, and you are exalted above punishing your servants,&#8221; said an emotional Khamenei, standing over Soleimani’s ceremonial casket.
&#8220;Khamenei’s voice cracked under the weight of the moment during a funeral procession unlike any in Iran’s recent history,&#8221; <a href="https://apnews.com/14792cc1d7f73ffec8f8c425b73b44fb">The Associated Press</a> reported.
The solemn ceremony was followed Tuesday by the slain general&#8217;s funeral procession, which turned disastrous when a stampede broke out, resulting in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/soleimani-funeral-halted-after-stampede-results-in-mass-injury-deaths">dozens reportedly killed and hundreds injured</a>.
In a statement issued shortly after the strike, the U.S. Defense Department said Soleimani was &#8220;actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.&#8221; In a separate statement, the State Department, citing &#8220;highly credible&#8221; intelligence, said in a statement following the strike on Soleimani that he &#8220;had been traveling in the Middle East coordinating further imminent large-scale attacks against U.S. diplomats and service members.&#8221;

Viral Video: ‘General Soleimani’s Body In Cardboard Coffin’ Flying Coach In Plane

As many as 40 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured at funeral procession for terrorist and Iranian general Qassem Soleimani on Tuesday, reports say.
&#8220;Soleimani&#8217;s burial was postponed after as many as 40 people were killed and more than 200 injured during the crush in his hometown of Kerman, an emergency services official told Iran&#8217;s semiofficial Fars news agency,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/funeral-iran-s-soleimani-postponed-after-dozens-killed-stampede-emergency-n1111651">NBC News</a> noted on Tuesday morning.
Soleimani was the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans. The terrorist was strategically killed early Friday by a Trump-ordered airstrike near Baghdad International Airport.
“Soleimani was the head of the Iranian and Iranian-backed forces carrying out those operations killing American troops” during the Iraq War, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-iranian-general-killed-in-u-s-strike-responsible-for-17-of-american-deaths-in-iraq?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">Fox News</a> reported. “According to the State Department, 17 percent of all deaths of U.S. personnel in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 were orchestrated by Soleimani.”
Soleimani was in the process of “coordinating” attacks on U.S. personnel, according to the State Department.
“We can confirm that in the past several days, General Soleimani had been traveling in the Middle East coordinating further imminent large-scale attacks against U.S. diplomats and service members. These threats were highly credible and the intelligence is sound,” the State Department said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
State Department: “We can confirm that in the past several days, General Soleimani had been traveling in the Middle East coordinating further imminent large-scale attacks against U.S. diplomats and service members. These threats were highly credible and the intelligence is sound”
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1213192132581720065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<div data-google-query-id="CI36g__N8eYCFRGLaQodO-IPPQ">
“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” reads a statement from the Defense Department on the general&#8217;s death. “General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more,” the statement continued. “He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.”
“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” the statement adds. “The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.”
Responding to the Soleimani kill on Friday, President Trump tweeted, “General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more…but got caught! He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself.”
</div>
<div data-google-query-id="CI36g__N8eYCFRGLaQodO-IPPQ">
“While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country,” the president continued. “They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#8230;.of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself. While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1213096352072294401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
</div>
On Monday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei openly cried over the death of Soleimani during the funeral for the general.
&#8220;At Soleimani’s state-organized funeral Monday, Khamenei, who worked closely with the general for decades, uttered an emotional prayer,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-personal-iranian-supreme-leader-cries-over-trump-killing-soleimani">The Daily Wire</a> reported. “Oh Allah, they are in need of your mercy, and you are exalted above punishing your servants,” Khamenei said.
“Khamenei’s voice cracked under the weight of the moment during a funeral procession unlike any in Iran’s recent history,” <a href="https://apnews.com/14792cc1d7f73ffec8f8c425b73b44fb">The Associated Press</a> reported, noting, “The funeral showcased the depth of the bond Khamenei had with the slain general and gave insight into how Soleimani’s death is being felt personally by the supreme leader. It could also impact how Khamenei responds to the United States.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-lays-out-case-for-killing-iranian-general-taunts-tehran">Trump Lays Out Case For Killing Iranian General, Taunts Tehran</a>

Soleimani Funeral Halted After Stampede Results In Mass Injury, Deaths

On Sunday, The New York Times reported on &#8220;extremely troubling&#8221; claims by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials detained &#8220;dozens&#8221; of Iranian-Americans attempting to return to the country through a Washington State-Canadian border crossing. But CBP says that the premise of the &#8220;troubling&#8221; claims about their alleged handling of Iranian-Americans is &#8220;false.&#8221;
According to CAIR, over 60 Iranian-American travelers attempting to return to the United States from Canada over the weekend were detained for several hours for additional questioning, and some allegedly were even turned away by officials, at least initially.
The claim comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran after President Trump ordered a strategic airstrike last week targeting Iran&#8217;s top military leader, General Qassem Soleimani, who headed up the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
&#8220;More than 60 of the travelers, many returning from work trips or vacations, were trying to come home to the United States on Saturday when agents at the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Wash., held them for additional questioning about their political views and allegiances, according to advocacy groups and accounts from travelers,&#8221; the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/05/us/politics/iranian-americans-border.html">reported</a> Sunday. &#8220;Most of the travelers were released after the extra scrutiny, according to administration officials, although advocates said some were denied entry into the United States.&#8221;
CAIR Washington Executive Director <a href="https://cairseattle.org/our-team">Masih Fouladi</a> told the Times that some of those detained were held for questioning for as many as 10 hours, while others were initially denied entry and told to come back at another time.
&#8220;Later on Saturday night, when others who had just attended a concert in Canada by an Iranian pop star were trying to cross back into the United States, they were denied entry and told to come back later, Mr. Fouladi said,&#8221; the Times reports.
According to Fouladi, one CBP officer allegedly told a family member when asked why they were being detained, &#8220;This is a bad time to be an Iranian.&#8221;
<div class="css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn">
<div class="css-53u6y8">
&#8220;These reports are extremely troubling and potentially constitute illegal detentions of United States citizens,&#8221; said Fouladi.
But CBP says the claims are not accurate, and any cause for delay had more to do with a high number of travelers and low staffing over the holidays than heightened security concerns.
&#8220;Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false,&#8221; CBP said in a tweet posted Sunday afternoon. &#8220;Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false. Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false.
&mdash; CBP (@CBP) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBP/status/1213951246463328256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The real issue at the Blaine port, CBP told the Times, was that processing times were &#8220;increased by four hours because of the high number of people entering and staffing shortages from the holiday season.&#8221;
The Times, however, suggests that a recent Department of Homeland Security advisory change in response to the increased threat from Iran may have prompted more thorough scrutiny of those with Iranian heritage. &#8220;While border officers are not permitted to refer someone for what is known as a &#8216;secondary screening&#8217; of questioning based solely on national origin, it is one of multiple factors they are directed to consider, in addition to travel documents, travel history or suspicious behavior when choosing whom to refer for additional scrutiny,&#8221; the Times reports, noting that this sort of additional scrutiny takes place &#8220;daily.&#8221;
Given the current circumstances, a former CBP official told the Times, it is likely that those with Iranian heritage &#8220;would be sent to secondary as a result of the increased tension with that country.&#8221;
On Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security updated its National Terrorism Advisory System in response to the increased threat of retaliation by pro-Iran entities for the killing of Iran&#8217;s top military leader. Below is the full text of the <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/ntas/alerts/20_0104_ntas_bulletin.pdf">advisory</a>:
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<ul>
<li>The United States designated Iran a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” in 1984 and since then, Iran has actively engaged in or directed an array of violent and deadly acts against the United States and its citizens globally. The United States designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a Foreign Terrorist Organization on April 15, 2019 for its direct involvement in terrorist plotting.</li>
<li>On January 2, 2020, the United States carried out a lethal strike in Iraq killing Iranian IRGC-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani while Soleimani was in Iraq.</li>
<li>Iranian leadership and several affiliated violent extremist organizations publicly stated they intend to retaliate against the United States.</li>
<li>At this time we have no information indicating a specific, credible threat to the Homeland. Iran and its partners, such as Hizballah, have demonstrated the intent and capability to conduct operations in the United States.</li>
<li>Previous homeland-based plots have included, among other things, scouting and planning against infrastructure targets and cyber enabled attacks against a range of U.S.- based targets.</li>
<li>Iran maintains a robust cyber program and can execute cyber attacks against the United States. Iran is capable, at a minimum, of carrying out attacks with temporary disruptive effects against critical infrastructure in the United States.</li>
<li>Iran likely views terrorist activities as an option to deter or retaliate against its perceived adversaries. In many instances, Iran has targeted United States interests through its partners such as Hizballah.</li>
<li>Homegrown Violent Extremists could capitalize on the heightened tensions to launch individual attacks.</li>
<li>An attack in the homeland may come with little or no warning.</li>
<li>The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with our federal, state, local, and private sector partners to detect and defend against threats to the Homeland, and will enhance security measures as necessary.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn">
<div class="css-53u6y8">

</div>
</div>

Menu