No to War with Iran! The Wounded Beast Syndrome…U.S. Assassinates Iranian General Qassim Suleimani in a Heliocopter Attack – 4 – Waste Deep in the Big Muddy

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Waste deep in the Big Muddy, but the big fool said to push on

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Again as a reminder – just a daily update – of a mix of reflections on the heightening tensions triggered by the U.S. assassination of Iranian al Quds leader, Qassim Suleimani, that is being condemned more and more widely as an “act of war” (which it was).

First off, initial reports from friends in Minneapolis, New York City suggest that anti-war demonstrations in other places in the United States had a similar tone (youth led, angry, militant, anti-imperialist) as yesterday’s Denver demonstrations, and that the Denver was not unique. It probably helps that the maniac/moron/gangster Trump is the President Although peaceful and non-violent, the old “love your enemies” stuff just doesn’t seem to wash anymore.

What comes to mind today are three points.

First that the Trump Administration has gone on the defensive internationally trying to tone down the impact of the assassination. Secondly that the American military has become “fair game” all over the region… and it can be expected that there will be a “tick up” in the number of military personnel (and private contractors) returning home in coffins and body bags. Thirdly that the p. r. effort – crafted by organizations such as the Israeli-connected Foundation for the Defense of Democracy – to vilify Qassim Suleiman with the same brush as Saddam Hussein or Muammar Khadaffi is going nowhere abroad and fast unraveling after three days here in the United States.

1. Concerning Trump on the defensive…

In response to the overwhelmingly negative international opinion to the assassination, the Trump Administration is already, clearly on the defensive, so much so that Trump has asked for help from the same allies that he likes to shit on, the Europeans in particular, to act as mediators between Teheran and Washington.

– A veritable diplomatic stampede: Swiss, German, Omani, Kuwaiti, Qatari diplomats (and who knows? probably others) have been trying to intervene on Trump’s behalf in Teheran to no avail.

– According to one report, ever the deal maker, Trump has notified the Iranians that Washington would “accept” some kind of retaliatory attack “as long as it was proportional, ie, the assassination of an American of equal stature to Suleimani. Another report related a meeting between Qatari Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Abdulrahman al Thani and his Iranian counterpart, suggesting that Washington was offering “a nuclear deal” and lifting sanctions in exchange for no response.

Mixing the proverbial stick with the unconvincing carrot – and giving what is classic example of a mixed message – at the same time, should the Iranians refuse to negotiate Trump has threatened to bomb 52 cultural sites in Iran. As Jake Johnson noted in a post at Common Dreams:

Ordinary Iranians on Saturday responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s monstrous threat to strike sites “important to Iran and the Iranian culture” with an outpouring of photos highlighting their favorite mosques, museums, monuments, and other stunning architecture.

2. Iran has refused to respond to any of these “offers” and has instead “raised the red flag” over its religious sites throughout Iran. In Shi’ite tradition”raising the red flag” symbolizing blood spilled unjustly and serves as a call to avenge the person slain.

What might that mean?

Frankly it is rather clear: all American military personal, as well as private contractors limited to the the broader region of the Middle East, have, over the past few days, become targets. Already there have been several missile attacks on U.S. positions in northwestern Iraq seemingly as a result. Only fools, members of Congress (both parties), the neo-Cons advising Donald Trump and the mainstream America media would ignore – or downplay – the warnings herein.

So…. get ready, get ready.

3. The rationale for the targeted assassination of Suleimani is unraveling and as one source puts it, is little more than a fairytale. After asserting that Suleimani was planning “imminent attacks” on U.S. military personnel or its interests in Iraq, more thoughtful commentators have noted that Washington, once again, has provided no evidence. More than likely because there is none.

The vilification of Suleimani – which has some traction in the U.S media – has virtually no support outside of the United States. Widespread media attempts to paint him as some kind of fanatic or mass murderer – another justification for the assassination – are going nowhere beyond the borders of the United States and are backfiring. Attempts to put him in the same category as Saddam Hussein or Muammar Khadaffi are not flying and will not – even if some left and peace movement types in the United States have bought in to this particular brand of cool aid.

To the contrary, the assassination has done what Washington has long feared: created a martyr and not just among Shi’ites for whom martyrdom has a special place (as it does, if you have forgotten, among Christians).

Hold on to your seat belts…

Anti-war protest sign. Denver, Colorado. January 4, 2020