The War & Peace Newsletter from Antiwar.com

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January 9, 2020

Iran Gave Advance Notice of Missile Attacks on US

US officials have confirmed that they were given advance notice Tuesday night before Iranian missile strikes against bases hosting US troops, part of what is seen as a concerted effort to avoid casualties.
Iranian FM Javad Zarif said the advance notice was provided to the Iraqi government, citing respect for Iraqi sovereignty. Iraq told the US, giving time to get people out of the way of the attack.

- By  Jason Ditz

During more than a half-century of Washington watching we have seen stupidity rise from one height to yet another. But nothing - just plain nothing - compares to the the blithering stupidity of the Donald's Iran "policy", culminating in the mindless assassination of its top military leader and hero of the so-called Islamic Revolution, Major General Qassem Soleimani.

- By David Stockman

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Don't buy the hype 1.0: Look, the administration, Fox News, and a Twitter army of Trumpsters are about to unleash a wave of propaganda. The president was right to assassinate Soleimani all along, they'll say. The Iranian missiles fired on Tuesday night missed all American targets - perhaps on purpose - resulting in zero U.S. military casualties. Trump must've known the Iranians would flinch, we'll be told. His hard line, his provocative escalation, was all part of a grand strategy - the master dealmaker strikes again!

- By Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.)

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Key Iraq Cleric Sadr Says Militias Should Stand Down

Influential Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the largest bloc in parliament, has issued a statement Wednesday calling on all Shi'ite militias to "stand down" as the US and Iran work to deescalate tensions.

Sadr also said that the militias should not start any new military actions, and should refrain from any extremist rhetoric within their ranks. Sadr also called for a new, stronger Iraqi government to protect the nation's sovereignty.

- By Jason Ditz

Report: US Drone Strike Kills 60 Afghan Civilians, Taliban Commander

An unconfirmed number of Afghan civilians, reportedly more than 60, were killed along with the regional leader of a splinter Taliban faction and dozens of militants in a US drone attack in Herat province on Wednesday.

- By Brett Wilkins

The U.S.A. has been bombing Iraq for 29 years. And it looks like it's not over yet:

Iraq War I: January-February 1991 (aka The Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, liberation of Kuwait)

Iraq War I 1/2: February 1991-March 2003 (The rest of Bush I, Bill Clinton years, economic blockade and no-fly zone bombings)

- By Scott Horton

 NEWS FROM THE GALLERY 

Anti-War Conservatives Join Protests Against Trump's Iran Confrontation

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