Two American military personnel and one from United Kingdom were killed in a rocket attack on a military camp in Iraq, where coalition troops are stationed, on Wednesday.
Two United States officials told Reuters, 15 small rockets hit Iraq’s Taji military camp, north of Baghdad, killing three military personnel from the U.S. and UK and wounding about a dozen. Although the U.S. officials told Reuters that it was too soon to assign the blame, there are indications that this was an attack by Iran-backed militias.
In this regard, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, wrote on Twitter: “Today’s deadly attack on Iraq’s Camp Taji military base will not be tolerated. Dominic Raab [UK Minister of Foreign affairs] and I agree those responsible must be held accountable.”
Today’s deadly attack on Iraq’s Camp Taji military base will not be tolerated. @DominicRaab and I agree – those responsible must be held accountable.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 12, 2020
Morgan Ortagus, the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, also wrote on Twitter: “Secretary Pompeo and Dominic Raab spoke today about the attack on Camp Taji military base, which resulted in several casualties. The United States condemns the deadly attacks against Coalition personnel.”
.@SecPompeo and @DominicRaab spoke today about the attack on Camp Taji military base, which resulted in several casualties. The United States condemns the deadly attacks against Coalition personnel. pic.twitter.com/GvPfxsRQRC
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) March 12, 2020
Although the U.S. elimination of the Iranian regime’s terror mastermind, Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force, in January, was a major blow to the Iranian regime, it has not ended the regime’s institutionalized terrorism.
Iran-backed paramilitary groups have regularly launched rocket attacks on military bases in Iraq that host U.S. forces and the area around the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
Several days before the recent attack, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the regime’s Supreme National Security Council, went to Iraq in order to try to control Iraq’s political future, as the nationwide protests in Iraq continue against the regime’s meddling in Iraq. In a similar development, Esmail Ghaani, Soleimani’s successor, was in Syria, according to state-run media. A picture of Ghaani alongside a cleric in Syria was published by an account on social media, known as the “Commander Ghaani.”
After the elimination of Qassem Soleimani, the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, appointed Esmail Ghaani Akbarnejad to replace Soleimani. Ghaani was for years Soleimani’s deputy in the terrorist Qods Force.
“#Soleimani was immediately replaced by another criminal #IRGCTerrorists, Esmail Ghaani.”
“Like his ruthless predecessor,Ghaani has taken up the post of Commander in Chief of the #TerroristQudsForce, the extra-territorial wing of the #IRGC,” wrote Mr.@STRUANSTEVENSON #FreeIran— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 17, 2020
He was placed on the U.S. terrorist blacklist in 2012 after 13 shipping containers destined for the Gambia, labeled as containing packages of glass wool and pallets of stone, were intercepted in Nigeria and found to hold 107 mm Katyusha rockets, rifle ammunition and other weapons,
Ghaani is among the most criminal commanders of the IRGC, who for the past 40 years has played the most significant role in the suppression of the Iranian people and the massacres in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and other regional countries.
In other words, the regime is trying to rebuild its hegemony in the region following the death of Qassem Soleimani. Therefore, giving any concessions to the regime will only embolden it.
Engulfed with international and domestic crisis, such as the coronavirus outbreak in Iran and its rising death toll due to the authorities’ inaction and cover-up, the regime is desperate to find a breakthrough.
