Carmine Sabia January
2, 2020
“…We are not afraid of any war
and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation. We have the
power to break them several times over and are not worried,”
The United States and Iran
appear to be on a collision course towards an all-out armed conflict in the
Middle East as tensions mount.
Attack And Counterattack
The latest escalation in the
conflict between the two nations began on Friday when pro-Iran militia Kata’ib
Hezbollah launched at attack on a US base near Kirkuk, Iraq, known as K1.
The attack took the life of a
U.S contractor and wounded U.S. military on the base, the United States has
claimed.
The United States military
then responded to the attack by striking back at the militia in an attack that
killed 25 of its fighters, the militia said.
This caused a heavy protest in
Iraq at the U.S. embassy, the largest in the world, having more square footage
than all of Vatican City.
Violent Protests
Protesters breached the walls
of the compound, getting to the Compound Access Control facility and starting
fires.
The demonstrators launched
Molotov cocktails into the facility as its Ambassadors and staff huddled in
safe rooms.
President Donald Trump sent
Marines and Apache helicopters to assist Iraqi forces in protecting the
embassy, very aware of the Benghazi attack and not wanting one on his watch.
His response drew praise from
one of his staunchest allies, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
“Very proud of President
@realDonaldTrump acting decisively in the face of threats to our embassy in
Baghdad. He has put the world on notice – there will be no Benghazis on his
watch,” he said on Twitter.
“To the Iranian government: Be
careful what you wish for — a country that depends on the ability to refine oil
for its existence needs to be cautious.
“President Trump, unlike
President Obama, will hold you accountable for threats against Americans and
hit you where it hurts the most. Choose your battles wisely.
“To our Iraqi allies: This is
your moment to convince the American people the US-Iraq relationship is
meaningful to you and worth protecting. Protect our American personnel. You
will not regret it,” he said.
But Democrats saw the embassy
protests as an indictment of the president’s Middle East policies.
Trump’s reckless decisions to
walk away from the Iran Deal and now to launch airstrikes in Iraq without Iraqi
government consent have brought us closer to war,” Sen Elizabeth Warren said.
Moving Towards War
The rhetoric from President
Trump and Iranian leaders after the attacks and embassy protests are increasing
in intensity as both are sabre rattling.
“Iran will be held fully
responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities,” the
president said on Twitter. “They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a
Warning, it is a Threat.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami said his nation does not want war
but will not back away from a fight.
“We are not leading the
country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak
correctly with the Iranian nation. We have the power to break them several
times over and are not worried,” he said, Reuters reported.
His words were an echo of
Iran’s Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi who said that his troops
were ready for a fight.
“Our armed forces … monitor
all moves, and if anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively
react, and if the situation heats up, we will show our abilities to the enemy,”
he said.
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