Top Iranian general assassinated in Iraq

[230RN]

"Please don't throw me into that briar patch ! "  --Br'er Rabbit.

Terry, 230RN

[Angel Eyes]

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-006a

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is sharing the following information with the cybersecurity community as a primer for assisting in the protection of our Nation’s critical infrastructure in light of the current tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States and Iran’s historic use of cyber offensive activities to retaliate against perceived harm. Foremost, CISA recommends organizations take the following actions:

Adopt a state of heightened awareness. This includes minimizing coverage gaps in personnel availability, more consistently consuming relevant threat intelligence, and making sure emergency call trees are up to date.

Increase organizational vigilance. Ensure security personnel are monitoring key internal security capabilities and that they know how to identify anomalous behavior. Flag any known Iranian indicators of compromise and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for immediate response.

Confirm reporting processes. Ensure personnel know how and when to report an incident. The well-being of an organization’s workforce and cyber infrastructure depends on awareness of threat activity. Consider reporting incidents to CISA to help serve as part of CISA’s early warning system (see Contact Information section below).

Exercise organizational incident response plans. Ensure personnel are familiar with the key steps they need to take during an incident. Do they have the accesses they need? Do they know the processes? Are your various data sources logging as expected? Ensure personnel are positioned to act in a calm and unified manner.

Okay, my awareness has been heightened.  Now what?

[Ben]

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-006a

Okay, my awareness has been heightened.  Now what?

https://youtu.be/Vywf48Dhyns?t=142

[bedlamite]

[WLJ]

Spoiler alert: It's all Trump's fault. Everything was bed and roses before Trump

How to Talk to Your Kids About the Situation With Iran
https://time.com/5760199/how-to-talk-kids-iran-soleimani/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_term=world_&linkId=80220737

[MechAg94]

Have any of you known parents who would actually refer to Time magazine to see how to explain something to their kids?

[dogmush]

Have any of you known parents who would actually refer to Time magazine to see how to explain something to their kids?

Sadly, yes.

[French G.]

Sadly, yes.

Those poor kids.

 I grew up in a map dot named Syria. Imagine my 3 year old concern that tanks were coming to my house when I saw the TV in 1978. That's where I would start explaining it to my kid, go back a bit for our propping up of the Shah, drop back a few centuries for why muslims are so cranky etc. But in my lifetime it has been non-stop. If a Trump-like figure had been there instead of Carter we might not still be screwing with them. But instead we got exported missiles and terror, the tanker war, USS Stark, USS Samuel B. Roberts, an Iranian airliner shot down, lots of dead troops from Quds force meddling, etc. Even in "peacetime" I was way too close to the Iranian navy a lot.

[WLJ]

He misspelled Obama in the first one

[TommyGunn]

Well,  hell has been unleashed,  U. S. Defense Dept. says 12+ missiles were launched by Iran and have hit facilities used by American forces in Iraq.  Atleast two Iraq bases have been hit.
According to Fox News,  this has been expected and preps were undertaken when Iran's head terror-master was blown to smithereens this past weekend.

[WLJ]

So far I've not seen any indication they hit anything but sand but it's early. Hopefully no casualties

[T.O.M.]

CNN is reporting up to 30 ballistic missiles launched. Prayers for our troops with boots on the ground, and anyone in uniform if this keeps escalating.

And with reports/fears is sleeper cells...heads on swivels boys and girls.  Lube your carry guns, and carry spare mags.

[WLJ]

U.S. Air Force performs huge show of strength with 52 fully-armed F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters - the same number of Iranian targets Trump has announced - taking off in a single wave from Utah base
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7858943/U-S-Air-Force-launches-F-35A-Lightning-II-stealth-fighters-Utah.html

[AZRedhawk44]

I've bowed out of paying attention to ME politics for a few years in general disgust at US politics and screaming beardism.

But someone please explain for me:

How can a uniformed general of sovereign nation 1 (Iran), there at the behest and acknowledgement of sovereign nation 2 (Iraq), be droned by sovereign nation 3 (US)... and that general is labeled a "terrorist" by nation 3?

Weren't all his attacks against nation 3 directed against uniformed soldiers of nation 3 or clearly designated agents of nation 3?

This seems to be encroaching on language manipulation here, redefining what "terrorist" has meant for a good while.

[Angel Eyes]

Adding to the fun:  apparently a 737 crashed in Iran shortly after takeoff, with 180 aboard:

https://twitter.com/davidinglestv/status/1214750797998649344?s=21

Could just be a coincidence, of course ...

[WLJ]

Initial assessments showed "no U.S. casualties," a U.S. military official in Baghdad told Fox News.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/missile-attacks-target-us-forces-in-iraq-senior-military-source-says-iran-suspected

[TommyGunn]

I've bowed out of paying attention to ME politics for a few years in general disgust at US politics and screaming beardism.

But someone please explain for me:

How can a uniformed general of sovereign nation 1 (Iran), there at the behest and acknowledgement of sovereign nation 2 (Iraq), be droned by sovereign nation 3 (US)... and that general is labeled a "terrorist" by nation 3?

Weren't all his attacks against nation 3 directed against uniformed soldiers of nation 3 or clearly designated agents of nation 3?

This seems to be encroaching on language manipulation here, redefining what "terrorist" has meant for a good while.

The "uniformed general"  has been engaged in terrorist activity for over three decades in the mideast,  that's "how come."

[dogmush]

I've bowed out of paying attention to ME politics for a few years in general disgust at US politics and screaming beardism.

But someone please explain for me:

How can a uniformed general of sovereign nation 1 (Iran), there at the behest and acknowledgement of sovereign nation 2 (Iraq), be droned by sovereign nation 3 (US)... and that general is labeled a "terrorist" by nation 3?

Weren't all his attacks against nation 3 directed against uniformed soldiers of nation 3 or clearly designated agents of nation 3?

This seems to be encroaching on language manipulation here, redefining what "terrorist" has meant for a good while.

No.

[dogmush]

Well,  hell has been unleashed,  U. S. Defense Dept. says 12+ missiles were launched by Iran and have hit facilities used by American forces in Iraq.  Atleast two Iraq bases have been hit.
According to Fox News,  this has been expected and preps were undertaken when Iran's head terror-master was blown to smithereens this past weekend.

So far Hell is pretty anti-climactic.  It's not even that hot right now.  2/5 would not recommend.


Seriously though, right now we are all kinda waiting to see what CinC wants us to do, and whether Tehran can keep a leash on the *expletive deleted*it Militia Groups, who still want blood.

[K Frame]

Makes me want to create a Facebook page for him and mark it "Quesem Solimani has been marked NOT SAFE from Reaper Drones...

[MikeB]

I've bowed out of paying attention to ME politics for a few years in general disgust at US politics and screaming beardism.

But someone please explain for me:

How can a uniformed general of sovereign nation 1 (Iran), there at the behest and acknowledgement of sovereign nation 2 (Iraq), be droned by sovereign nation 3 (US)... and that general is labeled a "terrorist" by nation 3?

Weren't all his attacks against nation 3 directed against uniformed soldiers of nation 3 or clearly designated agents of nation 3?

This seems to be encroaching on language manipulation here, redefining what "terrorist" has meant for a good while.

The “Uniformed General” was not allowed to leave Iran per UN directive for being a terrorist as acknowledged by UN directive. He also was responsible for terror and Jihadic Militia violence in probably every country in the Mid East. This wasn’t just a US thing with him. Also he was apparently responsible for the recent killing and wounding or US soldiers and a US citizen contractor. Then the attack on the embassy in Iraq.

I’m not particularly interested in a war with Iran, but I would shed not tears if some sites in their country were hit by many large bombs. They have been a bad actor around the world since the “revolution”. Also it wasn’t like there was a single provocation recently. There was kidnapping our soldiers/sailors in the Hormuz Straights no too long ago. Seizing various commercial vessels in the same area. Continued arming and support of various terrorist organizations. Rocket attack against Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Etc., etc. I’m probably forgetting or unaware of many many more incidents. Much of these were supposedly directed by the “Uniformed General” himself.

Oh and last but not least he supposedly killed a few thousand Iranian protestors too. Probably why the western MSM is treating him like Che Guevera. Their version of Che, not the real version.

[Ben]

From the armchair (and news reports), it would appear this was more of a typical ME "saving face" attack. We know that Iran can do precision strikes, but they pretty much couldn't hit the broad side of a barn here and AFAIK, no casualties.

Culturally, they need to show they are tough dogs. Practically, I don't think they want to face upscaled retaliation resulting from the death of even one US citizen.

[Ben]

Oh, also: MSNBC had an Iranian news source tell them 30 Americans were killed. They also had official US sources tell them zero Americans were killed. Guess which one they went with in their headlines?

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2020/01/07/shocker-msnbc-helped-spread-baseless-iranian-propaganda-about-u-s-military-deaths-from-missile-strikes/


EDIT: Also, CNN says, "hello and hold my beer".

https://twitchy.com/brads-313037/2020/01/07/cnn-turns-to-iranian-hostage-taker-to-serve-as-on-air-expert-of-the-mid-east-conflict-and-be-critical-of-president-trump/

[dogmush]

From the armchair (and news reports), it would appear this was more of a typical ME "saving face" attack. We know that Iran can do precision strikes, but they pretty much couldn't hit the broad side of a barn here and AFAIK, no casualties.

Culturally, they need to show they are tough dogs. Practically, I don't think they want to face upscaled retaliation resulting from the death of even one US citizen.

I would not draw that conclusion.  They fired a limited number of projectiles at a large target.  The accuracy wasn't as bad as the pundits have made it seem.

Imagine if you fired a 00 buck round at a 2'x2' piece of plywood from 50 yds.  You could hit the target with 10 f 12 pellets and not do catastrophic damage to the plywood.

[Perd Hapley]

Oh, also: MSNBC had an Iranian news source tell them 30 Americans were killed. They also had official US sources tell them zero Americans were killed. Guess which one they went with in their headlines?

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2020/01/07/shocker-msnbc-helped-spread-baseless-iranian-propaganda-about-u-s-military-deaths-from-missile-strikes/

That's odd. I didn't know MSNBC wanted us to wage war on Iran.