News Digest — 1/7/20
Soleimani Was A Monster, Wanted Atomic Cloud Over Tel Aviv – German Newspaper
Julian Reichelt, the editor-in-chief of best-selling German newspaper Bild, on Friday (3rd) authored a barn-burning commentary praising US President Donald Trump for authorizing a military strike to eliminate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
“President Trump has freed the world of a monster whose aim in life was an atomic cloud over Tel Aviv. Trump has acted in self-defense – the self-defense of the US and all peace-loving people,” wrote Reichelt.
He added that “the Iranian terror godfather Qassem Soleimani stood for a world that no peace-loving person can want: a world in which you can be torn apart by a bomb at any time because you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The commentary singled out Soleimani’s scorched-earth campaign in the Syrian war: “A world in which entire cities are wiped out – like Aleppo. In which bloodthirsty militia go from door to door and execute civilians.”
Reichelt noted the potential of Iran’s regime to carry out terrorism in Germany and Israel, “in which the kindergartens in Germany could burn up in fireballs at any time because its children are Jewish. In which Israel is under threat of extinction every day.”
The title of Reichelt’s commentary was,”Trump Has Freed The World From A Monster.”
The US Pentagon said it took preventive military action against Soleimani because he planned attacks against American diplomats. According to the US State Department, Soleimani oversaw terrorist operations that were “responsible for the deaths of at least 603 American service members in Iraq.”
The US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, wrote on Twitter, “As a diplomat, I believe there isn’t enough media attention on the fact that General Soleimani was planning to attack US diplomats. @realDonaldTrump caught Soleimani in the act, and saved lives by stopping him.”
Reichelt wrote: “Soleimani, the world’s most repelling and bloodthirsty terrorist, who brought suffering and harm over humanity on the mullahs’ behalf, was an enemy of our civilization. He represented the unbearable thought that murderers will live more safely and be more untouchable the more people they kill (with the support of the state).” The editor-in-chief declared that, “His violent and overdue end will not stop global terrorism, but the image of his burned-out car still sends out a powerful message. US President Donald Trump has made it clear that the worst figures in the world, however big-mouthed and ruthless they may be, cannot hide from America’s strength.”
(bild.de; reuters.com; jpost.com)
Soleimani Penned Note Asking God To ‘Accept’ Him Shortly Before Death – Report
Slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani reportedly penned a note shortly before his death in which he asked God to accept and stay by him.
Soleimani left the paper in his room in Damascus on Thursday (2nd) before flying to Baghdad, the country’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
According to the Mehr translation, the handwritten script reads:
“O God!
Don’t leave me alone
O God! Accept me
O God! I love meeting You
The same meeting which made Moses unable to stand and breathe
O God! Accept me
All the praises and thanks be to God who is the Lord of the universe
O God! Accept me purified.”
The US killed Soleimani, other Revolutionary members and a senior Iraqi militia leader in a stunning attack on their convoy, shortly after Soleimani arrived at Baghdad’s international airport early Friday morning (3rd).
Soleimani was the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, and the mastermind of its regional military expansion strategy.
(timesofisrael.com)
Egyptians, Saudis Furious That Hamas Leader Attended Soleimani Funeral
The Egyptians are outraged that Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh attended the funeral of former commander of Iran’s Quds Force Maj. Gen Qassem Soleimani on Monday (6th). Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike early Friday morning (3rd).
Not only did Haniyeh attend the funeral, he also eulogized the late military leader. Speaking in Tehran, Haniyeh said,”We have arrived to console Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic over the death of Soleimani.”
Haniyeh emphasized that “the project of Palestinian resistance will not weaken and will not go backward. The assassinations give us more strength to liberate Jerusalem. Qassem Soleimani devoted his life to resistance, and he is a shahid (martyr) of Jerusalem.”
According to a high-ranking official in Egypt’s intelligence apparatus, Haniyeh was told in no uncertain terms, both by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, that both countries objected to his participation in the funeral ceremony. However, Haniyeh appeared to have ignored the messages.
“Haniyeh’s arrival in Tehran, and his attending the funeral and his words in Soleimani’s memory – in which he called (Soleimani) the greatest supporter of the Palestinian resistance and the Palestinian struggle for national recognition – was a disgrace and nothing less than a shameful attack on Egypt’s national honor,” the official said.
The official went on to attack Haniyeh’s conduct and stressed that “Haniyeh and Hamas have chosen to side with Iran while blatantly ignoring the unmistakable messages from Cairo and other Sunni Arab nations. Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the murder of thousands of Sunni Muslims, including many Palestinians.”
(israelhayom.com)
The Old Foreign-Policy Rulebook Shielded Bad Actors – Jonathan Tobin
Qassem Soleimani was the mastermind of the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. No matter how much mayhem he spread, he believed he was untouchable. And three American administrations run by both Democrats and Republicans validated that belief, forgoing opportunities to kill the man who had the blood of many Americans and countless Syrians, Lebanese, Israelis and others on his hands. But following the orchestration of attacks on American forces in Iraq and an assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Soleimani’s get-out-of-jail free card given by the international community expired.
What happened was more than a settling of scores. It proclaimed that the old rules by which Iran had been able to do its worst against the U.S, Israel and the West – never to face any consequences – were no longer valid. The Foreign-policy rulebook that had restrained America in the past wound up shielding bad actors like Soleimani.
Killing Soleimani won’t start a war; Iran has been waging a hot war against America and its allies for years. The Soleimani operation makes it clear to Iran’s leaders, perhaps for the first time, that the costs of their provocations are now going to be borne by them, and not only their foes. Playing by rules that served the interests of a rogue regime is what endangered American lives and interests by making Iran stronger and feeling less constrained about employing its brutal tactics.
A civilization in which the world’s leading state sponsor of terror is afraid of the U.S. can’t be much worse than one in which the ayatollahs have nothing but contempt for Washington’s resolve to defend American interests.
(jns.org)
Terrorist Who Killed Ari Fuld In Gush Etzion Is Convicted Of Murder
The Israeli military court at the Ofer prison near Jerusalem on Monday (6th) convicted the terrorist responsible for the murder of Ari Fuld, an Israeli-American killed in a terror attack in Gush Etzion in September 2018.
The terrorist, Khalil Yusef Ali Jabarin, an 18-year-old resident of the Palestinian Authority town of Yatta, south of Hebron, was convicted of intentional homicide, the military court’s system’s equivalent of murder, for stabbing Fuld to death in a terror attack outside of a shopping center in Gush Etzion south of Jerusalem. Jabarin, who has been under arrest since the attack, was also convicted of three counts of attempted intentional homicide. The court decision was given behind closed doors, due to the fact that Jabarin was a minor at the time he murdered Fuld.
Miriam Fuld, Ari’s widow, said: “Nearly sixteen months have passed since that horrible day when Ari was cruelly taken from us. Sixteen months after the abominable act, the military court convicts Ari’s murderer. Ari, who loved his people and his land so much, fought to protect them until he breathed his dying breath. Today we see a bit of justice for him. Until we learn to protect our nation, ourselves, and our children, we will not be completely free to live in our land.”
Lieutenant-Colonel Morris Hirsch, who is representing the Fuld family, said: “Ari’s murder was the direct result of wild incitement by the Palestinian Authority’s educational system, and the monthly salaries the PA pays terrorists. We expect the court to hand the murderer a life sentence, so he will not leave prison until he dies.”
Fuld, a 40-year-old father of four, was a member of the rapid response team in Efrat, the town where he lived. After Jabarin stabbed him, Fuld fought back, even shooting at his attacker. However, Fuld had suffered critical injuries and the hospital to which he was taken was forced to declare his death.
Roni Alsheikh, who at the time was Police Commissioner, honored Fuld posthumously with a civilian hero award, recognizing that Fuld’s bravery and courage while fighting the terrorist saved the lives of other civilians.
(israelnn.com)
