Qods Force commander Soleimani’s carelessness put him in the U.S. military’s crosshairs

IRGC-QF chief Qassem Soleimani, middle, with Harakat al Nujaba head Akram al Kabi, left, and AAH commander Mohammad-Bagher Soleimani, right, in Aleppo, Syria, November 2015.

The US military’s ability to kill Qassem Soliemani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – Qods Force, was the result of his complacency and carelessness while traveling to and from Iraq.

That’s because Soleimani became a public figure inside Iraq and acted as if he did not fear US action, US military officials familiar with his routine told FDD’s Long War Journal.

Soleimani was killed along with Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, the leader of the Hezbollah Brigades and deputy leader of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and five others in a US military airstrike while traveling in a convoy from Baghdad International Airport last night. The Pentagon said that Soleimani “approved the attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad” and was plotting further strikes against American interests in Iraq.

As the head of Qods Force, the special operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps which directs insurgencies and terror operations outside of Iran, Soleimani had a significant amount of blood on his hands. His actions have put him in the crosshairs of multiple intelligence services.

In Iraq alone, Soleimani’s backing of Shia militias and death squads made him responsible for the deaths of more than 600 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, soldiers and police. His support of Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad has enabled a perpetual war between Israel and Lebanon, and the Palestinians. Tens of thousands have died in those conflicts. In Yemen, Soleimani’s support of the Houthis has ensured the country has remained in a state of civil war. In Syria, Soleimani stood up Shiite militias, some from Iraq and Afghanistan, to battle the Islamic State and prop up the murderous Assad regime.

Despite his activities, Soleimani became “complacent” inside Iraq, a US military official told FDD’s Long War Journal. His outsized influence with many of Iraq’s political, military, and religious gave him a sense of importance and confidence. Sources said he felt he was “untouchable” as the “viceroy of Iraq.”

“He no longer feared us,” the military official who wished to remain anonymous said. “We designated him [as a terrorist] and listed Qods Force as a terrorist organization, yet we did nothing. Over time, he felt secure, he became complacent” while traveling in Iraq.

“More than a decade ago, Soleimani wouldn’t have flown into Baghdad International Airport,” another military official said. “He used to be more careful than that.”

Soleimani started to become careless after the US withdrew from Iraq, officials said, and particularly when he supported the Popular Mobilization Forces’ war against the Islamic State. The PMF is made up a Iraqi militias but is dominated by those backed by Soleimani and Iran. Muhandis, who was killed along with Soleimani, was the deputy head of the PMF and the leader of Hezbollah Brigades, a US-designated terrorist organization that is a key element of the PMF.

After Iraqi security forces collapsed in western, northern and central Iraq during the Islamic State’s onslaught culminating in the June 2014 takeover of Mosul, Soleimani and Iran capitalized on the situation. Soleimani, along with Muhandis and other key militia leaders, organized the PMF and took the fight to the Islamic State. The PMF spearheaded many operations to retake key Iraqi cities.

Soleimani became particularly emboldened when the US military ignored his growing influence and instead launched airstrikes against the Islamic State as the PMF and Iraqi forces went on the offensive.

The Qods Force leader soon began appearing in public while touring key battlefields. Soleimani would be photographed numerous times while meeting with PMF leaders and encouraging PMF fighters to take the battle to the Islamic State.

Yesterday’s strike ended more than a decade of frustration among many military officers and enlisted personnel.

“We often knew where he was and where he was going, we could track his movements at times,” a military officer said. “But we were never given the go ahead to take him out. Until now.”

Photographs of Qassem Soleimani touring battlefields in Iraq and Syria

Qods Force chief Qassem Soleimani, left, Ground Forces chief Mohammad Pakpour, middle, and commander Shaban Nasiri. Date unknown, but Pakpour was spotted with Soleimani near Fallujah in June 2016.
Qassem Soleimani allegedly near the Syrian border with the Iraqi PMF.
Qassem Soleimani with Iraqi Shiite militia commanders including his deputy Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, right.
Qassem Soleimani inspecting Harakat al Nujaba position in southern Aleppo, Syria.
Qassem Soleimani near Fallujah, Iraq.
Qods Forces Commander Qassem Soleimani (green hat) and Popular Mobilization Forces operational commander Abu Mahdi al Muhandis (black hat), in Iraq.
Qassem Soleimani in Anbar province, Iraq.
Qods Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad with Popular Mobilization Committee chief Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and Imam Ali Brigade leader Shebl al Zaydi in Baghdad, Iraq in 2015.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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Qods Force commander Soleimani’s carelessness put him in the U.S. military’s crosshairs Qods Force commander Soleimani’s carelessness put him in the U.S. military’s crosshairs Reviewed by Unknown on 08:46:00 Rating: 5

3 comments:

  1. US assassinates Solomon-I, in Iraq, in a Quasi-Shia State, in the wee hours of the morning - Part 1

    Y would a Iranian Gen – who is anti-Israel and America, fly from a Commercial/Military Airport in Iraq – when the US embassy was firebombed just a few days ago ? He would have known that all his e-signatures would be tracked by the Americans,second by second,and there would be no dearth of spies at the hangar,ATC,Airport who would ply the Americans with precise coordinates of the General’s flight patterns ?

    Surely after the US embassy bombing the Good General would have been told by his team to exit Iraq ? Could a general be so careless or foolish – that he would think that he could exit from a designated airport,after the US embassy escapade – and with another designated terrorist (designed by USA) – with makes it a double prime target – and with no collateral baggage ? In ISIS days – he was fighting with the Americans – and those days are over.

    Persian Shia’ism is not a suicide cult – it appears to be one – but it is not.So the general was misled into complacency and entrapped by some , in the Iraqi state, to take that flight – and the US embassy firebombing might also have been a false flag operation as the US troops shot no one – id.est., no firebomber was killed.But the sons of Xerxes and Cyrus cannot be so naive and foolish.The General would not have boarded that plane unless he was secured by the Russians and Tehran.2000 years ago, the Jews inserted a fake verse into the Old Testament and Talmud – to state that Cyrus was the messiah- and showed it to Cyrus – who like a fool, believed it, and rebuilt the Temple !The General had read the Torah,Talmud,Hebrew Bible and the History of the Jews and the Nassara

    CNN portrays the killing as a “Trump rash reaction” – but it is not.Ultimately,the USA will go to war with Iran – as the Americans do not trust the Persian Shias – on the N-Bomb,and the Persians do not trust the Jews or the Nassara. Soleimani was just the catalyst to push the Persians into the N- Suspension, and go full N-throttle – which is what the Persians have done – and which is what the Americans wanted.

    Iraqi govtt will kick out the US troops and the US troops will not leave – as that is what the Americans (and Kurds,Nassara,Sunnis) really want.To be precise, the Kurds,Suniis do not want the Yankii to leave – but that they be asked to leave – so that their mortal fears of living under Persian Shias is brought to the fore – for a partition of the Iraqi state

    What the Americans want is to trifurcate Iraq – which will happen inevitably post Soleimani – and which is what the Persians also seek,although the Persians would like to Shia-ise the whole of Iraq.Persian security interests are preserved by destabilising and burning Iraq to create a “sea of fire” between them and the US/Israel and satellite Hezbollahs all over the Gulf,especially encircling the Saudis (The Soleimani Doctrine).But now,they will be happy with a trifurcation

    After trifurcating Itaq the Persians will export their franchise and the brand to all Shia regions in GCC and Africa (where the USA has lesser troops and even lesser interest).Even the EU/PRC will be pleased – and this will look like an amicable solution (already crafted) – after creating a well planned disaster (assassinating Soleimani)dindooohindoo

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  2. Soleimani - Part 2

    There was no inpending attack by Soleimani – just lies and deception of the American state.There are many heads of Terror Groups in the Gulf who can be killed, with or w/o collateral impact – but they are never taken out – not even by Israel or ISIS (Israel Secret Intel Service).The Americans chose a Persian Shia,when the whole Sunni world hates Persia and the Persia Shian, and killed him in a Quasi Shia State – and so there is no empathy or support for the Persians – even after the assassination – not even from Russia and PRC.

    Obviously,the Russians,PRC,EU would have known – and they did not tip off the Persians and the Americans shot off 4 Hell Fire’s – and THERE WAS NO COLLATERAL PRESENCE AT THE AIRPORT AT THAT TIME. A marked man would travel in the presence of ample collateral baggage – like the Hamas and Hezb, do in Gaza – to provoke Collateral damage,and then the Christian empathy,by Amanpour on CNN

    The Persians have launched a muffled attack at a site which it knows, hosts no Americans, using missiles which have the capacity to hit US barracks,and knowing that the site hosts Iraqis – where the Iranians had ample intel and time to affix missile coordinates for the terminal descent – and they did not.The Persians used BM with intent, SO THAT THE AMERICANS could track their launch and loading and set up – AND THE AMERICANS did NOT TAKE OUT THE LAUNCHERS AND SILOS – before take off.

    Not only that,the American ADS did not intercept the missiles - via BMD or Interceptor aircrafts. They say that they believed that the Persians would NOT hit the US Army barracks ! Is this love or a dream ? Or a Happy ending - Bangkok style ? Not 1 Iraqi killed ! The BM flew over LONG Distances - to give enough time for the Yankii to
    triangulate the possible targets - and still the Yankii did not shoot it down !What is GOING ON HERE ! We have a Hollywood movie here !

    The whole story stinks and if it ends with the Persian missile strike – it will stink even more.Odds are there will be more strikes by the Persians and US will make 1 strike (at least) on Persian soil – to further aggravate the Persians into the N-Bomb – and then disaster will come when either side hits civilians by plan or strategy

    What is the Shia thinking here ? What is to stop the USA to take out more Iranian Generals and leaders outside of Iran and then as the US polls get close,the Mossad and CIA will have the same car/bike bonbs INSIDE IRAN to kill Iranian N-Scientists and leaders and then provoke a Tehrir square ?

    A few days ago,the Iranian media mentioned the US blowing up of a Iranian Airliner long ago.Coincidentally,a NATO nation – Article 5 nation – had its commercial aircraft blown up in Tehran- with no survivors – at take off time – with all tanks full,Ukraine is a nation that Trump and the USA have sworn to protect.

    Just providence of coincidence and incidence.No one is reporting on the passenger list – surely there would no Shias on the plane.Now it seems that the Persians shot down the plane via ADS at Tehran.They say that they thought it was a Cruise missile (low altitude missile!).More lies .The Cruise missile would cross the land border
    of Iran and so would be detected 4-500 kilometers away - flying at Mach 4 to 8.A plane at take off stage would be at sub Mach 1 ( a sitting duck).dindooohindoo

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  3. Soleimani - Part 3

    The Hindoo vermin also shot down their own military chopper using their own ADS in the heat of the Pakistani air strike on Indian soil.The Persians think that the Hindoos are their strategic partners - to stand till death ? What is wrong with the Persians ? There is a stink in the Ukranian story. The Iranians COULD NOT HAVE believed that it was a Cruise - unless some one hacked into their ADS or EW units - or there was no manual override in the ADS.And of course the Iranians are embarrassed to admit it,PERHAPS.The Americans and Israelis and possibly the French,have in the past infected the Iranian nuclear plants with a virus - so they can do anything.Hacking into missile coordinates,Jamming GBR/ABR and Aircraft radars,Tripping Power Grids,Accidental discharge of missiles and Nukes,Meltdowns in Nuke reactors .. it is endless.The Persian way is asymmetric and saturaion by air and land - the persian evolution and innovation.

    The place to hit is Goa - Plenty of high rise buildings and a RPG will be enough to take down a plane at take off and landing and it is a military airport - so the plane may crash into a Fuel or Ammo dump.Inshallah !

    The Nassara do not understand 1 simple thing.For the Persians and also the Sunnis,the path to salvation and evolution, as per Shia Theology and Philosophy – goes via the Bed of Armageddon – as that is when the Mehdi will return

    As an aside, the Hindoos sent a terror-spy to Pakistan, via Iran, on the cover of a port project.The spy was busted in Pakistan.Hindoo History and Persian History shows that whenever, the Persians support the Hindoos or Indians – some disaster occurs.Soleimani supported the Indian Terror-Spy.

    The wisdom of the “children of Cyrus,Darius and Xerxes”,encapsulates the “transcendence of Human thought”, the “Deuterosis of the Dindoo”, as under:

    A “Persian dictionary”,titled “Lughet-e-Kishwari”,published in Lucknow in 1964,gives the meaning of the word Hindu as “chore [thief], dakoo [dacoit], raahzan [waylayer], and ghulam [slave].

    Evidently the Gates of Hell are ajar.In essence,the world is overpopulated.If The Indians and South East Asians (besides Thai women) were to disappear,the Garden of Eden would return.Then there are Arabs,who allow Hindoos in their nation and let them build temples in Arab nations and extol Hindoo Gods – such vermin should also die.dindooohindoo

    And then there are Muslims – who will not answer 1 simple question – Was Soleimani a Mujahid and now a Shaheed.Soleimani- the Persian,named after Solomon-the son of David-David the messiah of Israel.

    Solomon bore the Curse of Allah on the Jews – as per the Hebrew Bible – id.est the Jews are cursed by Allah,due to the sins of Solomon.

    Y did the Russians and Tehran not protect Soleimani ? They allowed him to be killed .dindooohindoo

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