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A4 UP FRONT
Monday 13 January 2020
threat claim

continued from Front an expected impeach- problems. The strike also
ment trial in the Senate. seemed to divert attention
The plane was downed Many in Congress also are away from domestic unrest
shortly after Iran launches upset over his handling of in Iraq over government
strikes against US bases in Iran, complaining that the corruption, and it intensi-
Iraq in retaliation for Solei- administration did not con- fied efforts by Iraqi politi-
mani's killing. sult them in advance of the cians to expel American
"You can see the Iranian Jan. 3 strike that killed Iran's and other foreign forces.
people are standing up most powerful general, nor But the shootdown of the
and asserting their rights, adequately brief members Ukrainian plane on the
their aspirations for a bet- afterward. Trump compli- night of the Soleimani in this Jan. 8, 2020, photo, national security adviser robert O'Brien,
ter government — a differ- cated the debate by as- strike, killing all 176 people listens as President Donald trump addresses the nation from the
ent regime," Esper said. He serting on Fox News that aboard, opened a new White house on the ballistic missile strike that iran launched
appeared on two Sunday he had to strike quickly be- avenue of pressure for the against iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops in Washington.
news shows while national cause intelligence showed Trump administration. associated Press
security adviser, Robert Iran could have attacked "This was a regime that's denials that it shot down which caused no casual-
O'Brien, was interviewed on four American embassies. reeling from maximum the Ukrainian plane. Vid- ties, was a response to the
three others — pressing the Both Esper and O'Brien pressure, they're reeling eos posted online showed killing of Gen. Qassem Sole-
White House's campaign to said they agreed that Iran from their incompetence protesters shouting anti- imani, Iran's top general, in
bring "maximum pressure" might have hit more than in this situation and the government slogans and a U.S. drone strike in Bagh-
on Tehran to change its be- just the U.S. Embassy in the people of Iran are just fed moving through subway dad.
havior. Iraqi capital. But Esper, up with it," he said, adding stations and sidewalks. Iranians have expressed
O'Brien suggested the when asked whether there that regime change is not Earlier Sunday, Trump anger over the downing
United States sees this mo- was a specific piece of evi- U.S. policy. tweeted his support for the of the Ukrainian flight and
ment as an opportunity to dence, replied: "I didn't see "The people of Iran are Iranian protesters. the misleading explana-
further intensify pressure on one with regard to four em- going to hopefully have "To the leaders of Iran - DO tions from senior officials in
Iran's leaders, with whom bassies.'' And in response to the ability at some point NOT KILL YOUR PROTEST- the immediate aftermath.
the U.S. has been at odds a question about whether to elect their own gov- ERS," Trump wrote on Twit- Later the government took
for four decades. Iran's Trump was "embellishing'' ernment and to be gov- ter Sunday morning. "Thou- the blame for the shoot-
leaders already are under the threat, Esper said, "I erned by the leaders they sands have already been down, saying it was caused
enormous strain from eco- don't believe so." choose," O'Brien said. killed or imprisoned by you, by human error.
nomic sanctions that have After the U.S. killed Solei- In Tehran, Iran's security and the World is watch- Reviewing the dramatic
virtually strangled Iran's mani in Baghdad, it ap- forces deployed in large ing. More importantly, the sequence of events that
main source of income — peared the backlash in Iran numbers on Sunday. Dem- USA is watching. Turn your preceded the downing
oil exports. and elsewhere had helped onstrators defied the heavy internet back on and let re- of the Ukrainian jetliner
Trump himself is under Tehran by shifting the fo- police presence to pro- porters roam free! Stop the Wednesday, Esper justified
great pressure as he faces cus away from its internal test their country's days of killing of your great Iranian the U.S. killing of Soleimani
people! as an act of self defense,
Esper said Iran deserves and he said the U.S. fore-
credit for taking responsibil- sees no more Iranian mili-
ity for the shootdown. tary attacks in retaliation
"My hunch is it was an ac- for that. Even so, the leader
cident," he said, adding of the Lebanese militant
that although Iranian gov- group Hezbollah, which is
ernment officials initially closely aligned with Iran,
blamed American propa- said Sunday that Iran's mis-
ganda, they ultimately "did sile attacks on two bases in
the right thing by admitting Iraq housing U.S. forces last
it." He said they need to al- week were only the start of
low a full investigation. the retaliation.
The Ukrainian plane crash Democratic Sen. Chris
early Wednesday killed Coons of Delaware, a
all 176 people on board, member of the Senate For-
mostly Iranians and Iranian- eign Relations Committee,
Canadians. After initially said he was concerned
pointing to a technical fail- that "Iran has lots of ways
ure and insisting the armed that they can take action
forces were not to blame, against us, both overt and
Iranian authorities on Sat- covert, and I don't think
urday admitted to acci- they're done trying to seek
dentally shooting it down revenge.''
with its air defenses. That Esper spoke hopefully of
acknowledgement came getting the NATO alliance
in the face of mounting ac- more involved in Iraq to
cusations by Western lead- help train Iraqi security forc-
ers. es. He said this could allow
Iran downed the Ukrainian him to reduce the number
flight as Tehran braced for of American troops in Iraq,
retaliation after firing bal- currently numbering more
listic missiles at two bases than 5,200, but he did not
in Iraq housing U.S. forces. say any reduction was in
The ballistic missile attack, the works yet.q