Author: RT

Kicking all US troops out of Middle East will be Iran’s ‘final answer’ to Soleimani’s assassination – Rouhani Expelling the US military from Iraq and the surrounding region will be Iran’s ultimate goal, in retaliation against the killing of a commander Qassem Soleimani, President Hassan Rouhani has said. Soleimani fought a heroic anti-terror campaign against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and Al Qaeda, Rouhani tweeted on Wednesday, adding that European nations “would be in great danger now” if it wasn’t for the Iranian commanders efforts. “Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region,” he vowed. Also on rt.com Iran launches 'SECOND WAVE' of retaliation strikes against US a...

Netanyahu threatens Iran with 'crushing blow' if Israel comes under attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a deadly retaliation if Iran attacks Israel as part of its response to the US assassination of commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last week. "We're standing steadfast against those who seek to kill us. We're standing with determination and with force. Whoever tries to attack us will suffer a most crushing blow," the Israeli leader declared at a conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Netanyahu alleged that Soleimani was personally responsible for the deaths of "countless innocent people," destabilizing "many" countries and spreading "fear and misery and anguish." He argued that US President Donald Trump should be applauded for orderi...

Spain pulls some of its troops from Iraq over security concerns Spain has announced that some of its forces stationed in Iraq have left the country, describing the decision as a security precaution. Around 500 Spanish troops were deployed to Iraq as part of a US-led coalition formed to combat Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). The soldiers, who helped train Iraqi security forces, were stationed in Besmayah, Taji, and Baghdad. It’s not yet clear how many Spanish military personnel were ferried out of the country. Iraq’s parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for the withdrawal of all foreign following the US assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last week. Germany announced yesterday that some of its troops would le...

Putin spends Orthodox Christmas in Damascus, visits ancient church & historic mosque (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) Russian President Vladimir Putin spent his Christmas day in Damascus, a city that is closely tied to early Christianity, home to Syria’s oldest Orthodox Church and a mosque that keeps the relics of John the Baptist. Putin’s plane touched down in Syria on Tuesday, to everyone’s surprise, as the president was last spotted in St. Petersburg the evening before, attending the Orthodox Christmas Eve service. His unannounced trip included not only talks about fighting terrorism with Syrian President Bashar Assad, but also visits to the city’s historic religious sites. After the talks, Putin and Assad took a walk through the center of Damascus, stopping a...

Iraqi militias threaten to send US troops home in coffins & target civilians if they re-elect Trump The US public must persuade Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from Iraq or become the target of retaliation, Iraqi militias, whose commander was killed in the airstrike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, warned. The deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was among the Iranian and Iraqi officials killed in a US operation in Baghdad on Friday. And PMF, which unites some 40 militias and has around 150,000 members, promised that they won’t let American “criminals” get away with murder. “All retaliation options are on the table… no red lines shall hinder our revenge,” Jawad Al Telbawi, a commander of...

Trump follows Pentagon and State Department lead, says he wants US troops out of Iraq eventually – but not just yet While he would like to bring the US troops home at some point, President Donald Trump ruled out leaving Iraq at this time, claiming most Iraqis support ongoing US presence and that pulling out would lead to an Iranian takeover. “It’s something ultimately that I want to see, we can’t be there forever,” Trump said Tuesday, asked if he would pull out troops from Iraq. “Eventually, we want to be able to let Iraq run its own affairs… but this isn’t the right point,” he quickly added. If we leave, that means Iran would have a much bigger foothold. The president’s words echoed the rhetoric coming from the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Mar...

Canadian troops ‘temporarily’ pulling out of Iraq ‘for safety reasons’ Some Canadian troops stationed in Iraq are being moved “temporarily” to Kuwait “for safety reasons,” defense chief Jonathan Vance has announced. Iraq's parliament recently called for all foreign troops to leave the country. The move was made public in a letter to the families of Canadian soldiers in and near Iraq, posted to Twitter on Tuesday. Canada has about 500 troops in Iraq, out of 800 in total in the region, and it's not clear how many are leaving or for how long. A letter from General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, to Canadians about our deployed personnel in the Middle East. #OpIMPACT pic.twitter.com/Y0IdmZdo9f— Canadian Forces (@CanadianForces) Ja...

‘What next? British air?’ Baffled Brits bash Co-Op supermarket chain over boast about ice cubes made with ‘British water’ Bewildered Brits are pouring scorn on the Co-Op food store chain after it took the peculiar decision to boast that its bags of ice cubes contain “British water”. With the UK still reeling from more than three years of debates about Brexit, even simple packaging can set off hair triggers, with some fearing any expression of national pride. Also on rt.com No Big Ben bong to celebrate Brexit day after House speaker rejects Tory MPs’ proposal In this feverish environment a picture of a Co-Op ice cube bag emblazoned with a British flag and the words “made with British water” has sparked a meltd...