Influential Iranian general says Islamic State is ‘nearing the end’

[DonViejo]

Source: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

An influential Iranian general who has reportedly been near the front line against the Islamic State group was quoted Thursday saying the jihadists are “nearing the end of their lives”.

General Qassem Suleimani, the once rarely seen commander of the powerful Quds Force, has become the public face of Iran’s support for the Iraqi and Syrian governments against jihadists.

He has frequently been pictured on social media in Iraq with pro-government forces, including Kurdish fighters and Shiite militia units in battle areas.

“Considering the heavy defeats suffered by Daesh and other terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, we are certain these groups are nearing the end of their lives,” Suleimani was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

His extremely rare published remarks came in a speech made Wednesday in his home province Kerman to mark the 36th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/influential-iranian-general-says-islamic-state-is-nearing-the-end/

[yellowcanine]

1. So he sees light at the end of the tunnel?

Where have we heard that before? Vietnam, 1968; Iraq, 2003? Generals and politicians should just stop making predictions about insurgencies.

[Fred Sanders]

2. Kobani is liberated and Mosul is on the brink, so no one has heard that before. The media lies.

And how dare an Iranian general in the middle of the battle against ISIL say that America's enemy will be defeated, that is up to America to decide.

[Baclava]

3. maybe not - 'Al Qaeda supporters in Yemen pledge allegiance to Islamic State'

DUBAI (Reuters) - A group of Islamist fighters in Yemen renounced their loyalty to al Qaeda's leader and pledged allegiance to the head of the Islamic State

Militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Libya have also joined Islamic State, signaling a competition for loyalty among armed Islamists battling states in the Mideast and North Africa.

http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-supporters-yemen-pledge-allegiance-islamic-state-070123718.html

[MADem]

4. Depending upon his audience, I'd believe him--he's got considerable experience in the theater of

operations. He's no armchair general, and he's a bit of a badass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasem_Soleimani

Soleimani has been nicknamed by Western media sources as the Shadow Commander[3] because of his clandestine military operations, his behind-the-scenes political achievements in Iraq, and his inconspicuous demeanor. Soleimani has been a guiding player in strengthening and directing Hezbollah, and shaping the post-war political landscape in Iraq. Soleimani also masterminded the strategy that helped Bashar al-Assad turn the tide against opposition forces in the Syrian Civil War—recapturing strategic positions, towns, and cities from rebel factions. His involvement helped blunt the expansion of the Islamic State in Iraq in the Iranian-led intervention.....In 2009, a leaked report stated that General Soleimani met Christopher R. Hill and General Raymond T. Odierno (America’s two most senior officials in Baghdad at the time) in the office of Iraq’s president, Jalal Talabani (who has known General Soleimani for decades). Hill and General Odierno denied the occurrence of the meeting.[11]
On 24 January 2011, Soleimani was promoted to major general by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.[7][12] Khamenei is described as having a close relationship with him, helping him financially and has called Soleimani a "living martyr".[4]
Soleimani has been described as "the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today" and the principal military strategist and tactician in Iran's effort to combat Western influence and promote the expansion of Shiite & Iranian influence throughout the Middle East.[4] In Iraq, as the commander of the Quds force, he is believed to have strongly influenced the organization of the Iraqi government, notably supporting the election of previous Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki.[4][13]
According to some sources, Soleimani is the principal leader and architect of the military wing of the Lebanese Shia party Hezbollah since his appointment as Quds commander in 1998.[4]