UPDATE: President Trump tweeted within the past hour, "While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!" (See tweets below)
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Three days ago the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was attacked by Iraqi militia forces – threatening U.S. citizens and demanding U.S. military forces converge in order to protect U.S. officials. Photographed outside (as shown in the photos released by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the embassy during the attack were the highest level of Iraqi militia commanders.
Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and a declared terrorist since 2005, met with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad this week.
They were both killed early on Friday in an air strike on their convoy at Baghdad airport, an Iraqi militia spokesman told Reuters.
"The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani," said Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesman for Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces umbrella grouping of Iran-backed militias.
After news of the air strike killing the military commanders was learned by Iraqi citizens, there was dancing in the streets, as shown by this video tweeted out by Secretary of State Pompeo:
Iraqis — Iraqis — dancing in the street for freedom; thankful that General Soleimani is no more. pic.twitter.com/huFcae3ap4
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 3, 2020
