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From statements by President Trump on 3 January, it is well noted that the reason for ordering the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was because he was an “imminent threat.”
Trump tweeted: “General Qasem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more… but got caught!”
Following up, the U.S. Defense Department issued the justification for the order to kill: “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”
On 9 January, Vice President Mike Pence said the administration could not provide Congress with some of the “most compelling” intelligence behind the administration’s decision to kill Soleimani because doing so “could compromise” sources and methods.
The next day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated, “There is no doubt that there were a series of imminent attacks that were being plotted by Qasem Soleimani.”
As recent as 13 February, President Trump tweeted: “The Fake News Media and their Democrat Partners are working hard to determine whether or not the future attack by terrorist Soleimani was ‘imminent’ or not, and was my team in agreement. The answer to both is a strong YES.”
The Big Lie and Biggest Liars
The very next day, however, in a mandated memo to Congress, the White House provided its legal rationale, which contradicted the long-stated reason for the assassination of the Soleimani being and imminent threat:
“The purposes of this action were to protect United States personnel, to deter Iran from conducting or supporting further attacks against United States forces and interests, to degrade Iran’s and Quds Force-backed militias’ ability to conduct attacks, and to end Iran’s strategic escalation of attacks.”
Responding to the memo, Eliot Engel, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, noted, “This official report directly contradicts the president’s false assertion that he attacked Iran to prevent an imminent attack against
United States personnel and embassies… The administration’s explanation in this report makes no mention of any imminent threat and shows that the justification the president offered to the American people was false, plain and simple.”
TRENDPOST: A strong majority of Republicans and Democrats, along with the mainstream media, condoned and supported the Soleimani assassination. As written in the Trends Journal, when Congress voted for a non-binding resolution on 9 January for the President to notify them in the future before any attacks are launched, the resolution began with the condemnation that “Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was the lead architect of much of Iran’s destabilizing activities throughout the world.” Again, claims and justifications for actions are taken and made without providing evidence.
Furthermore, absent from media coverage and never admitted by Congress is that the U.S. has illegally invaded and occupies countries throughout the Middle East; has destroyed entire nations; killed millions; and has sown the seeds of revenge, thus promulgating “radical” Islamist forces.
TREND TRACKING LESSON: The military memo was released by the administration late on Friday, 14 February, at the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend. As Gerald Celente has mentioned many times, this is known as a “news dump” strategy: politicians are aware that Saturday’s papers are the least read, and people are more distracted from world events during a holiday.