On Friday night Jan 3, 2020, America killed IRGC Commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport. Just who was Qassem Soleimani?
FACT: Soleimani was commander of Iran’s Quds Force. He had been commander of the Quds Force for more than two decades.
FACT: Iran is the biggest supporter of state-sponsored terrorism in the world. Soleimani was the architect of Iran’s foreign policy and strategy as principal adviser to the theocratic leadership.
FACT: In 1983, Soleimani was involved in the Beirut barracks bombing. Acting in the mullah regime’s interests, his idea was to drive U.S. forces out through use of Iran’s little pawn, Hezb’allah. Hezb’allah had been created by the Quds Force.
Beirut barracks bombing
FACT: In 1996, Soleimani and his buddies sent in a truck bomb to blow up the Khobar Towers to advance Iran’s interests. Iran had a problem with the U.S. teaming up with the Saudis to fortify the nation from extremist attacks. Twenty mostly American troops were killed and nearly 500 were injured.
Khobar Towers
The casualties might have been much higher except for action of Staff Sergeant Alfredo R. Guerrero, who was stationed atop the Towers. He recognized the vehicles as a threat and led a floor-by-floor evacuation of the building. As a result many of the evacuees were in the stairwell when the bomb went off. The stairwell was constructed of heavy marble and was located on the side of the building away from the truck bomb, perhaps the safest location in the building.
FACT: Soleimani went after American civilians, too, and anyone associated with them. This is evident in his twin bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, killing 224 innocents, mostly Africans. 4,000 more were injured. Al Qaida got most of the blame, but Soleimani was the state sponsor for al-Qaida.
FACT: Most of the world agrees that land mines and chemical warfare are out of bounds. Not Soleimani. His death resurrected discussions about his legacy, the EFP.
An EFP is an explosively formed penetrator, a weapon of Iranian engineering that Soleimani salted across battlefields wherever Iran-backed Shiite militias and fighters gathered.
Shaped like a coffee can but a little smaller, with a slightly concave end, the device is packed with plastic explosives that turn a copper plate into molten slugs that can barrel through several inches of armor, sending molten shards tumbling through bodies and vehicle parts.
These weapons killed many US service members as well as resulting in a high number of amputations during the war.
FACT: Soleimani as responsible directly or indirectly for almost all rocket assaults on Israel. This was open warfare on a civilian population.
Soleimani increased Iran’s efforts to strike at Israel in the last year. In August, he oversaw the movement of “killer drones” near the Golan Heights, including a thwarted attempt to use them.
Soleimani said that these were the “last struggles” Iran would have with Israel. In September Soleimani said that destroying Israel was no longer just a dream.
FACT: Soleimani’s terrorism career extended across the world. Soleimani was involved in attacks in many countries including the brutal repression of dissent in his own country. Over the last year there have been thousands of Iranians killed for protesting their government’s policies. The Quds Force has been at the center of these killings.
FACT: In Syria, Soleimani’s activities on behalf of Bashar al Assad, Iran’s puppet, helped lead to the country’s 225,000 dead and 6,000,000 refugees.
Soleimani was evil personified. To quote Secretary Pompeo who repeated this several times on Sunday, “The world is a safer place today.” Iraqi’s, Iranians, Lebonese, Saudi’s and others agree as they are dancing in the streets in celebration of his demise.