Muqtada al-Sadr reconstitutes Saraya al-Salam

[Recursion]

https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/03/shia-cleric-reactivates-powerful-anti-us-army-airstrike-kills-iran-general-11993996/

Muqtada al-Sadr tweeted that he was reactivating the army this morning following the death of Qasem Soleimani – an assassination that was ordered by Donald Trump.

He said ‘I, as the official of the Iraqi National Resistance, give an order to the readiness of the Mujahideen, especially the Imam Mahdi Army and the Promised Today Brigade and whoever commands our order from the national disciplined factions to be fully prepared to protect Iraq.’

This morning all US citizens were ordered to leave Iraq immediately.

The killing of the general – Iran’s second in command and head of the elite Quds Force – marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Iran, which has careened from one crisis to another since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

My fellow GWOT vets can tell you this is a worthy damn foe

[dalton99a]

1. Pompeo: "I can assure you Americans in the region are much safer today."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7848993/Mike-Pompeo-slaps-aside-French-warning-killing-Qassem-Soleimani-makes-world-dangerous.html

[Dennis Donovan]

2. There's a name from the past!

al-Sadr caused a shitload of hurt during the Iraq war - he's considered a hero to the Iraqi Shia population.

[Mersky]

3. That was my first thought.