Iraqis Bake Cakes Thanking Trump, Dance in Streets Celebrating Soleimani's Death: Report
The body of Qassem Soleimani was hardly cold before the hot takes about why American forces shouldn’t have eliminated the military leader of a terrorist organization started coming out.
Yet, in Iraq, people were happy enough to reportedly be baking cakes thanking President Donald Trump in the wake of the attack.
Obituaries for Major General Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, tended to include the words “beloved” and “revered,” almost as if we’d lobbed a couple of Hellfire R9Xs at the Dwight Eisenhower of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Tweets direly predicted imminent war and were pitched at a febrile level, at least by liberal wonk-scold standards.
Here are some of the tweets, all of which seemed to share a common thread that killing Soleimani was an “act of war” since, by leading the Quds Force, he was a part of the Iranian state:
By what legal authority can US forces kill the head of Iran’s Quds Force?
Does @realDonaldTrump realize the import of this?— Barbara Slavin (@barbaraslavin1) January 3, 2020
This is the thing that hasn’t fully penetrated for people – Soleimani was part of the state. https://t.co/9xHq9xIJFu
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 4, 2020
When we have a president* who thinks he can assassinate at will, what will happen in response? https://t.co/Xg3FRVtitj
— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) January 4, 2020
Unmentioned here was the fact that the IRGC, which Soleimani was part of, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and several other countries.
It’s responsible for much of what we’re always fond of referring to as the Iranian “insurgency,” including many of the IEDs that wounded and killed our troops during the Iraq War.
Qassem Soleimani sowed death and destruction against America and its allies throughout the Middle East for decades. He was behind IED attacks on our troops in Iraq. Good riddance to an evil terrorist who was coddled by Obama. It took a Trump to make terrorists roadkill again.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 3, 2020
If you have seen an American veteran from the Gulf War with a prosthetic limb, or a prosthetic eye or scars from a severe burn, or a traumatic brain injury, odds are good that he is a victim of an IED from Soleimani’s Quds forces.
Think of them tonight.
Great day for justice.
— Larry O’Connor (@LarryOConnor) January 3, 2020
More recently, Soleimani was seen helping direct a brutal crackdown against anti-government protesters in Iraq.
“The day after anti-government protests erupted in Iraq, Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani flew into Baghdad late at night and took a helicopter to the heavily fortified Green Zone, where he surprised a group of top security officials by chairing a meeting in place of the prime minister,” The Associated Press reported in October.
“We in Iran know how to deal with protests,” Soleimani said, according to Iraqi officials at the meeting. “This happened in Iran and we got it under control.”
Yes, and we know how they did: by killing and torturing the protesters.
This isn’t even taking into account the fact that, according to the president’s speech after the airstrike, “Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel.” That’s still in [citation needed] territory, but it’s also something that definitely would have fit the general’s modus operandi.
The point is that we took out a terrorist leader who was responsible for the deaths of untold numbers of innocent civilians and American troops.
Yes, he was part of Iran’s state apparatus — because, lest we forget, Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism.
We’re told by the left that the people in Iran are Very, Very Upset about this. Are you?
Probably not, and neither are plenty of people inside Iraq, according to social media reports:
Iraqis are celebrating the death of #QassemSoleimani.
Let’s not forget. When Iraqi pro-democracy activists were demonstrating Tahrir Square, forces propped up by Soleimani were terrorizing them.
Now, can you blame these Iraqis for celebrating the death of Soleimani? https://t.co/AMUGxqnlo9
— ????? ??????? (@vahid_yucesoy) January 3, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also tweeted that out that video of Iraqis dancing in the streets:
Iraqis — Iraqis — dancing in the street for freedom; thankful that General Soleimani is no more. pic.twitter.com/huFcae3ap4
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 3, 2020
Beyond that, reports say there were even cakes to be had:
Some Iraqis are baking cakes thanking @realDonaldTrump Trump for taking out Qassim Suleimani @SecPompeo #Iraq #Suleimani https://t.co/4xVJLDZOlv
— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil) January 3, 2020
And while pro-government Iranians may be gnashing and wailing over the death of this brutal terrorist, self-described Iranians who oppose the Shiite regime took to to social media to thank Trump:
The murderer of Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians, Israelis, Yemenis, Lebanese, US Soldiers & head of the IRGC’s foreign wing, or Qods Force, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Killed in Iraq.
As an Iranian, I want to thank you with all my heart President @realDonaldTrump ??#TnxPOTUS4Soleimani pic.twitter.com/ZpgvwHle2L
— Saber Bostani-Asl (@S_BostaniAsl) January 3, 2020
As an Iranian, I wanted to thank you with all my heart @realDonaldTrump, for putting an end to #Soleimani. You just made the world a better place to live in#TnxPOTUS4Soleimani#FreeIran2020
— آیدیناتور (@Da_Aidinator) January 3, 2020
#TnxPOTUS4Soleimani #realDonaldTrump …
Behalf of the people of Iran who fighting against the #IslamicRegim ???❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/nYHb4SP4ob— Amin (@amin13626) January 3, 2020
I’m an Iranian
Using Twitter through A VPN and Parody account in order to hide my identity not to be killed by the Ayatollah
But All I put My life in danger was to
Thank President Trump for killing the murderer of Iranian protesters.#TnxPOTUS4Soleimani
— گریگوری.ا.راسپوتین (@rasputiiiiiiin) January 3, 2020
As a Iranian woman who lives in Tehran I must thank president. Trump for killing. Qasem solymani. It was a best new year present to the people in Iran , #TnxPOTUS4Soleimani
— mandana (@mandana35785720) January 3, 2020
THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP…You killed an animal who killed many people. We the iranian people, LOVE you pic.twitter.com/HCqvMRhYou
— Korush Pakzad (@korushpakzad) January 4, 2020
It’s probably wise to remember — as the media won’t — that while Soleimani’s death has geopolitical consequences, at a moral level there should be no compunction about authoring the death of a detestable vessel of state-sponsored wrath and violence.
Yes, Soleimani was a member of the regime in Tehran — the arm of the regime that’s engaged in blatant terrorism, something that deeply qualifies, and likely negates, any protections he has under international law.
Shedding tears over his death or pretending that the reaction in the Middle East has been universally negative is wrong on a profound and strange level.
At the very least, remember that there are people in that part of the world happy enough this monster is no longer blighting the face of this Earth that they’re reportedly baking cakes for Donald Trump.
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