KARACHI: Cynics go haywire wondering whether President Donald Trump attacked Baghdad to evade impeachment the way Bill Clinton did?
While there are protests ongoing in over 70 American cities today (Sunday 5th day of January, 2020) following the drone strikes that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, Trump took to the Twitter threatening to hit 52 Iranian targets in response to any retaliation from Tehran:
“Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian protesters. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years.
“Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!They attacked us, & we hit back.
“If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before! The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World! If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way and without hesitation!”
Iran’s Information and Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi took to the Twitter to hold: “Like ISIS, Like Hitler, Like Genghis! They all hate cultures. Trump is a terrorist in a suit. He will learn history very soon that NOBODY can defeat the Great Iranian Nation & Culture.”
Responding to Trump’s threat apropos hitting 52 Iranian target, Iran’s army chief, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi stated: “In a potential conflict in the future, which I don’t think they have the courage to carry out, there it will become clear where the numbers five and two will belong.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised on Friday (3rd day of January, 2020) that Iran would seek harsh revenge for the assassination of head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has asked Iran’s foreign minister by phone today to work to de-escalate the situation and invited him to Brussels to discuss ways of preserving world powers’ 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Iraqi law-makers say there is no need for the US forces in Iraq:
A member of Iraqi parliament’s legal committee Ammar al-Shibli maintained: “There is no need for the presence of American forces after defeating IS (Daesh). We have our own armed forces which are capable of protecting the country.”
Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mohammed Halbusi proclaimed: “The parliament has voted to commit the Iraqi government to cancel its request to the international coalition for help to fight IS.”
It may be noted that 5,200 US soldiers are deployed at Iraqi bases in order to assist local troops prevent a resurgence of IS. They are stationed as part of the broader international coalition, invited by Iraq back in 2014.
UK says de-escalation of the situation required:
British foreign minister Dominic Raab stated: “There is a route through which allows Iran to come in from out of the international cold. We need to contain the nefarious actions of Iran but we also need to de-escalate and stabilize the situation.”
Pakistan will not allow its land to be used against any country:
Commenting on the state-of affairs Director General Inter Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor has said Pakistan would not allow its land to be used against any country.
DG ISPR made it clear that Pakistan, that stood for peace, would not become part of any action that undermines the regional stability. Reminding that Pakistan had played a significant role in Afghan reconciliation process he stated that the country was making all out efforts for regional peace.
Maintaining that the situation had changed after the US attack that claimed seven lives including that of General Qasem Soleimani, Major General Asif Ghafoor informed that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held telephonic communication with COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa in which the army chief emphasized to reduce tensions between regional countries.
Newspakistan.tv
