The force that through the green fuse drives the flower / Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees / Is my destroyer. / And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose / My youth is bent by the same wintry fever¡¦.by Dylan Thomas
br74441oke 2020-01-04 (15:29) IP address :46.244.29.244
What was Gen Soleimani doing in Iraq? What does the Iraqi government say about this? - Tom
It's not clear what precisely the general's business was in Iraq. But Iran supports a variety of influential Shia militia groups there and the man who was killed alongside him, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis - was the leader of Kataib Hezbollah (the group said to be responsible for recent rocket attacks on È«ÄáÀ̹ÌÅ×À̼ǼîÇÎ=È«Äá¼îÇÎ À̹ÌÅ×À̼ǼîÇθô À̹ÌÅ×ÀÌ¼Ç US bases) and the deputy commander of a coalition of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
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The Iraqi prime minister's office condemned the killing of Soleimani, and described him and the militia leader killed alongside him as "martyrs" behind the "great victories against IS". The Iraqi government also insists that the US acted way beyond the terms of the agreements under which it operates in the country.
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Media captionTrump - À̹ÌÅ×À̼ǻçÀÔ=À̹ÌÅ×À̼ǻçÀÔ We took action to stop, not start a war
And the opportunity presented itself - a further demonstration of the accuracy and reach of US intelligence - which, while far from infallible, is a factor that the Iranians will need to contend with in deciding upon any response.
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In an election year, President Trump's main concern is to avoid the loss of US lives in the region.
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This dramatic strike seems in some way out of character for a president who, while talking tough, has been characterised by remarkable caution in terms of actions.
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As Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison toured a bushfire-ravaged town on Thursday, he was loudly heckled by locals. The anger towards him in Cobargo, New South Wales, was palpable. But most awkward - and attention-grabbing - were two quieter encounters.
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In one, Mr Morrison approached a woman and asked "how are you?". When she failed to meet his hand, he reached down and lifted hers for a limp handshake.
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Mr Morrison was criticised online for lifting the woman's hand
After a firefighter separately refused to shake his hand, Mr Morrison said to his aides: "Tell that fella I'm really sorry, I'm sure he's just tired." A local official responded: "No, no, he lost a house."
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has asked Mr Johnson to confirm what the UK was told before the airstrike.
In a letter to the prime minister, he asked whether, if it had been informed in advance, the government had expressed its opposition to the attack.
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He also requested an urgent meeting of the privy council to discuss the airstrike's consequences, and asked what the government was doing to ensure the safety of UK nationals.
h1o2me3123 2020-01-04 (15:09) IP address :46.244.29.244
Fires as big as small countries
Since September, blazes across Australia have killed 20 people, razed more than 1,200 homes and scorched millions of hectares. Though much attention has centred on worst-hit NSW, every state and territory has been affected.
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Public gratitude has been ·¹Çø®Ä«½Ã°è=·¹Çø®Ä«½Ã°è boundless for the fatigued firefighters - overwhelmingly volunteers - who have battled blazes as big as small countries. Three have died on duty. Fire service chiefs, such as Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons in NSW, have often been the face of the crisis.
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A visual guide to the bushfire crisis
A close call: Stories of survival from Mallacoota
The sacrifices of Australia's volunteersÀ̹ÌÅ×À̼dz²¼º½Ã°è=À̹ÌÅ×À̼dz²¼º½Ã°è
To critics of Mr Morrison, those chiefs have provided a stark contrast in leadership. On Friday, a high-profile member of Mr Morrison's own party made a withering critique.
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"The only two people who are providing leadership at this stage are Shane Fitzsimmons and [NSW Premier] Gladys Berejiklian," Andrew Constance, the state transport minister, told Seven News.
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Of the heckling, Mr Constance added: "To be honest the locals probably gave him the welcome he probably deserved."
Irani1an33 2020-01-04 (15:02) IP address :46.244.29.244
President Donald Trump has said the US killed Iran's top military commander Qasem Soleimani "to stop a war, not to start one".
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He said Soleimani's "reign of terror is over" after the strike at Baghdad airport in Iraq on Friday. Soleimani spearheaded Iran's Middle East operations as head of the Quds Force.
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Iran has vowed "severe revenge" on those responsible for his death.
The killing marks a major escalation in tensions between the two counties.
US officials have said 3,000 additional troops will be sent to the Middle East as a precaution.
Iraqi state television says there has been another air strike in the country, 24 hours after the killing of Soleimani. However, there has been no comment on this from Washington.
An Iraqi army source told Reuters news agency that six people have been killed in the fresh strike, which hit a convey of Iraqi militia in the early hours of Saturday morning (local time).
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What did President Trump say?
Speaking at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Mr Trump said of Friday's attack: "The United States military executed a flawless precision strike that killed the number one terrorist anywhere in the world Qassem Soleimani."
What is Trump's strategy on Iran?
'Sorry Iran', escalation fears and other US reaction
He said: "Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel but we caught him in the act and terminated him."
ta4k3331ing 2020-01-04 (14:58) IP address :46.244.29.244
What has prompted the anger?
Early in the crisis, criticism centred on Mr Morrison's reluctance to discuss how climate change is exacerbating bushfires - a link acknowledged by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.
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A group of ex-fire chiefs has argued a new long-term firefighting strategy is needed, but they have criticised Mr Morrison for refusing to meet them.
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What does Morrison say?
After initially saying the firefighters "want to be there", the prime minister recently pledged compensation for volunteers who miss work to fight fires, and an additional A$11m (¡Ì5.8m; $7.7m) for firefighting aircraft.
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He has resisted calls for further funding, but frequently paid tribute to firefighters. He has emphasised a prolonged drought as a key reason for causing dry conditions which fuel fires.
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Australians should be assured every possible resource is being committed to fighting these fires and supporting the communities affected in every possible way we can. We will get through this but we need to stay strong and stay together.
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When asked on Friday why he had been heckled, he told 3AW radio: "Because people are hurting and angry. Whether they are angry with me or angry about the situation, all I know is they're hurting."
He has maintained that Australia will meet its climate commitments - an assertion disputed by the UN and others - but that deeper action would not take precedence over "reckless" cuts to jobs in fossil fuel industries.
Mr Morrison has called on Australians not to panic and to pull together. He has repeatedly said it is up to each state to arrange their emergency response - the best tactic is to let them get on with their job, he has said.
His supporters say he can't be held responsible for the sort of natural disaster which has always struck Australia, nor fix it by knee-jerk policy U-turns.
u1nfol333ded 2020-01-04 (14:33) IP address :46.244.29.244
Top Iranian general killed by US in Iraq
LIVE: Reaction as tensions escalate
Who was Iran's Qasem Soleimani?
Why kill Soleimani now and what happens next?
Meanwhile Tory MP Tom Tugendhat said there was a "pattern" from the current White House not to share details with its allies, which was a "matter of concern".
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The former chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee added: "I have long believed the purpose of having allies is so we can surprise our enemies, not each other."
The death of Gen Soleimani "will certainly be a huge blow to the Iranian regime", but will "doubtless have consequences" elsewhere, Mr Tugendhat told BBC News.
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Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab did speak to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, although the time of the call is not known.
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'Aggressive threat'
Mr Pompeo tweeted that he was "thankful that our allies recognise the continuing aggressive threats posed by the Iranian Quds Force".
Mr Raab also issued a statement, urging "all parties to de-escalate" after the killing of Gen Soleimani.
He said the UK "recognised the aggressive threat" Gen Soleimani posed, but "further conflict is in none of our interests".
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned British nationals to avoid any rallies, marches, or processions in Iran over the three days of national mourning the country has called for Gen Soleimani.
As well as troops, there are around 400 British personnel based in Iraq - where the strike took place.
1155ss 2020-01-04 (14:23) IP address :46.244.29.244
Is it legal to kill someone like this under international law? - Eamonn Donaghy
The US would argue that Soleimani was responsible for unprovoked attacks on American forces in Iraq. Those forces were there at the request of the current Iraqi government.
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Soleimani was a man whom Washington believed already had the blood of many US personnel on his hands. Meanwhile the Quds organisation he headed was seen by the US as a terrorist organisation. So his killing may follow a US legal narrative.
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"The use of a drone to kill Iranian Gen Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad was not in response to an armed attack on the United States. Iran has not attacked the sovereign territory of the United States," she said.
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"In this case, the United States has not only committed an extrajudicial killing, it has carried out an unlawful attack within Iraq."
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Where does the UN stand on these killings? - Sara
Beyond the stated views of individual representatives, it is hard to say what the UN view is, since there really is no such thing.
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Does one, for example, mean the considered view of the UN Security Council? That is likely to be divided and unable to reach consensus.
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Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned by the rise in tensions in the Middle East.
"This is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint. The world cannot afford another war in the Gulf," his spokesman, Farhan Haq, said in a statement.
2st554ralia 2020-01-04 (14:17) IP address :46.244.29.244
The killing of Gen Soleimani marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "severe revenge awaits the criminals" behind the attack, but a statement from the Pentagon said Gen Soleimani "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region".
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'Closer to the brink'
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said earlier that the "US assassination" was an "extremely serious and dangerous escalation".
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Mr Corbyn said the UK "should urge restraint" from both Iran and the US - and called for the government to "stand up to the belligerent actions and rhetoric coming from the United States".
He added: "All countries in the region and beyond should seek to ratchet down the tensions to avoid deepening conflict, which can only bring further misery to the region, 17 years on from the disastrous invasion of Iraq."
The acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, said Iran was governed by "a brutal regime", but accused President Trump of "yet again radically and recklessly escalated tensions in an area where peace-keeping was already on a knife edge".