U.S. Secretary of state and former CIA Mike Pompeo was one of the main supporters of the elimination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and for several months has urged President Donald trump the need for such an operation. It is reported, citing a senior anonymous sources, the Washington Post.
on the night of January 3 the United States conducted in the area of Baghdad international airport operation against the Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and Deputy head of the Iraqi Shiite militia, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, which Washington believes was involved in the attack on the American Embassy in Baghdad December 31, 2019.
According to the newspaper, Pompeo spoke about the elimination of Soleimani a few months ago, but neither trump nor the Pentagon did not want to approve such an operation. A few days ago, Pompeo began to actively convince trump to kill Soleimani. According to a source publication, the Secretary of state discussed this opportunity with the President several times a day.
December 28, the U.S. Central command announced that a rocket attack on a military base near the Iraqi Kirkuk, which killed an American contractor and injured several soldiers. USA blamed that attack the Hezbollah, which sponsors they consider to be Iran.
the next day, December 29, discussed the possible US response to the shelling of the base. Pompeo, the Secretary of defense mark Esper and the Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, mark Milly went to a private club, trump in Florida, where the President was presented presented possible options of response to the aggression of Iran. According to the WP, among these options were the elimination of Soleimani.
Previously, the newspaper the New York Times reported that the option with the elimination of the süleymaniye was the most extreme of the proposed Trump by the military as a response to the wave of violence in Iraq. The Pentagon did not think he would choose this WARiant: during the wars after September 11, 2001, they have often invited the presidents extreme scenarios, to make more attractive other, more reasonable means.
Initially, trump rejected the proposal to eliminate Soleimani, writes the NYT, and then, barely restraining himself, watched the TV reports about the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. By the evening of Thursday 2 January, the President of the United States is ripe for extreme measures.
the Pentagon, according to the NYT, was stunned. According to WP, the solution trump was a surprise to many senior politicians amid fears of the Pentagon on the deteriorating relations in the region and the reluctance of the US President to use military force against Iran.
Farewell to slain captain of Iranian Americans held in Tehran. On the streets of the Iranian capital left hundreds of thousands of people. Led a ceremony of farewell to the spiritual leader of the country Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
