After Soleimani's assassination, Mike Pompeo tweets video of 'Iraqis dancing on streets' (Photo Credit: Mike Pompeo/Twitter)
New Delhi:
As the shocking assassination of top Irani General rattled the already precarious peace in the West Asian region, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted a video clip of Iraqis ‘dancing on streets’. While no one has contested the authenticity of the video, the timing shows that US is trying to portray the killing as a good deed. “Iraqis - Iraqis - dancing in the street for freedom; thankful that General Soleimani is no more,” Secretary Pompeo said while sharing a video of people holding a rally. The 22-second video clip showed people running on streets of Iraq at a unspecified location. The assassination will change the equations in the Gulf region. The killing comes a day after the US accused the Iranian leadership of orchestrating the attack on its diplomats at its Baghdad embassy.
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
Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed "severe revenge" after the United States killed the commander of the Islamic republic's Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad on Friday. "Martyrdom was the reward for his ceaseless efforts in all these years," Khamenei said on his Farsi-language Twitter account in reference to Soleimani, also declaring three days of mourning. "With him gone, God willing, his work and his path will not be stopped, but severe revenge awaits the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood and other martyrs' in last night's incident."
The attack in Baghdad sent shockwaves in the US also. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio slammed the Trump administration of ‘declaring war’ against Iran. “Worried for our city + our nation. Without the approval of Congress, the US Government effectively declared war on Iran tonight. The American people had no say in the matter, despite voting time + again to stop endless wars + bring our troops home. This one will not end soon. Have spoken with Commissioner Shea + Dep Commissioner Miller about immediate steps NYPD will take to protect key NYC locations from any attempt by Iran or its terrorist allies to retaliate against America. We will have to be vigilant against this threat for a long time to come,” Bill de Blasio said on Twitter.
