Qassem Suleimani: the Iranian general 'secretly running' Iraq and syria

dani67

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Dec 21, 2015
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Qassem Suleimani is less camera-shy than just about any covert operative on earth.

As head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, Suleimani is responsible for coordinating the activities of Iran's various proxy militias around the Middle East. This is a particularly important job nowadays, thanks in no small part to Suleimani himself.

Iranian-allied Shi'ite militant groups are dominant in four Arab countries. Hezbollah is Lebanon's strongest military and political actor. Syria's Bashar al-Assad wouldn't be in power without Iranian-backed militias. Shi'ite rebels just overthrew the government of Yemen. And the Iraqi state has more or less owes its continued existence to a constellation of Tehran-backed armed groups.

The Quds Force has helped orchestrate Iran's strategic triumph, and Qassem Suleimani has been sure to take as much credit for it as possible.
more:
The myth behind Iran's military mastermind is getting out of control

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Reuters: Iranian General Soleimani has convinced Russia to start bombing Syria



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The commander of an elite unit of the Iranian «al-Quds» General , Qassem Soleimani, who, according to press reports, twice recently flew on secret negotiations in Moscow, has played a key role in planning Russia’s military operation in Syria. It was his first visit to the Russian capital persuaded the country’s leadership in the need for air strikes in Syria in support of Assad regime. This writes the Agency Reuters citing informed sources. Russian authorities previously denied reports about the arrival of Soleimani.

According to the Agency, the General at the meeting in Moscow «opened a map of Syria» and explained to their Russian colleagues, «as a series of failures of President Bashar al-Assad may turn with the help of Russia in the victory». At the meeting the General has outlined a deteriorating situation in Syria due to the advancement of the rebels to the Mediterranean coast, where Russia is a point of material security of the Navy in Tartus.



«Sulejmani was deployed on the table a map of Syria. The Russians were very concerned and understood the real danger to Assad’s regime. The Iranians assured them, that there is still an opportunity to rectify the situation», — quotes Agency the words of his source. «At the moment Soleimani convinced them that all is not lost», he added.



Russia and Iran, according to Reuters, has been planning its operation for several months. It was about the application of Russian air force strikes on rebels in Syria from the air and the involvement of Iranian intelligence on the ground. Agency sources stress that the Iranian General had taken control of a ground operation against the rebels in Syria, and now participates in the development of the «new Russian-Iranian operation», writes Reuters.



As told to the Agency three high-ranking source in the region, Soleimani trip in July was preceded by a Russian-Iranian consultations on the high level, during which the parties came to political agreement on the need to intensify support for Assad. Another source told the news Agency that the decision on the joint Iranian-Russian military support for Assad was taken at a meeting of the Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov and the Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a few months ago. «Soleimani, appointed Khamenei responsible for the Iranian part of the operation, traveled to Moscow to discuss the details. Since then he has also travelled to Syria several times,» said the official.



In September, the Lebanese newspaper «As-Safir» arguedthat at the beginning of the month, the commander of an elite unit of the Iranian «al-Quds» Qasem Soleimani is the second time recently visited Moscow. The edition refers to the information of some Arab source suggested that Russia and Iran agree on joint work on Syria. «According to Arab sources, the Iranians and the Russians share a common vision», — stated in the material edition.

Then it was reported also that soon in Syria were to commence deliveries of attack helicopters Mi-28 «Night hunter», armed with anti-tank missiles «Storm» and «Attack». According to «Al-Safir», Damascus was hoping to get 20 of these helicopters, and the Russians agreed in the coming months to deliver to Syria eight helicopters Mi-28. In publishing the Lebanese publication mentioned and the presence near the Syrian Latakia at least seven Russian tanks T-90 «Vladimir» and artillery.

The article is about a proposed visit Soleimani to Russia was posted on the front page of a Lebanese newspaper. It is believed that «Al-Safir» supports Assad and has reliable sources in Tehran, notesNEWSru Israel.

The Iranian military from «al-Quds», according to Reuters, help to President Assad at least since the beginning of 2014. In the summer of 2015 the press wrote about the landing in Syria 15 thousand Iranian military, who supposedly landed near Damascus and Latakia (this is stated, in particular, the material of the middle East news Agency Albawaba).

In August, Fox News channel, citing data from Western intelligence reported about the first alleged visit of Qassem Soleimani in the Russian Federation. Topics that were discussed at this meeting, is not known. However, notable is the fact that Soleimani is included in the black list of Nations suspected of involvement in the development of the nuclear program of Tehran and travel outside of Iran is prohibited. Thus, if Russia really took Soleimani, it is a violation of the UN resolution.

The Russian authorities all reports of Soleimani travel to Moscow then denied. Initially, Dmitry Peskov, press Secretary of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the laconic «no» answered the question whether information about the meeting of the head of state with an Iranian General actually. Then in the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia gave a more detailed comment on this issue. «Such reports are, quite frankly, have caused us great surprise . Mr. Soleimani in Moscow was not», — said, in particular, the Russian Foreign Ministry concerning reports of visits Soleimani.
 

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