Iran's Missile Launch Against Two U.S.
Bases in Iraq Calls Trump's Bluff
By Moon Of Alabama
January 08, 2020 "Information
Clearing House" -
Last night Iran fired 22 Qiam missiles towards two U.S.
bases in Iraq. Between 1:45 and 2:15 local time (~22:00
UTC) seventeen missiles hit the Ain al Assad airbase
west of Ramadi. Five missiles were aimed at Erbil
airport in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq. There
were no casualties.
The Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents the
U.S., was warned at least one hour before the attack
happened. Around 0:00 UTC the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration
issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) which prohibited
civil U.S. flights over Iraq, Iran, the Persian Gulf and
the Gulf of Oman.
This attack was the "open" and "proportional"
response for the U.S. assassination of Major General
Qassem Soleimani which Iran's Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei had promised. It will certainly not be the only
response but represents the opening shot of a long and
much more silent campaign to kick the U.S. out of the
Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who
had threatened to destroy 52 targets in Iran
including cultural sites if Iran would take any revenge,
seems to have understood that this attack was
intentionally limited to avoid a larger war:
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump -
2:45 UTC · Jan 8, 2020
All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two
military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of
casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so
good! We have the most powerful and well equipped
military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be
making a statement tomorrow morning.
The Qiam missiles Iran launched are a derivative of
the Soviet Scud type. They are liquid fueled with a
warhead of about 700 kilogram. They have a range of some
800 kilometer. Iran has more capable and precise solid
fueled missiles it could have used.
The Ain al Assad airbase which was hit is where the
drones that killed Soleimani and the Iraqi leader Abu
Mahdi al-Muhandis were launched from. Erbil airport is
the logistic center for the U.S. forces in Syria.
Videos show the
launch and the
impact of the missiles.
No U.S. air or missile defense against the incoming
projectiles was observed.
