AS I SEE IT
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
One week after the United States military used a drone strike to kill Qassim Suleimani, Iran’s terror mastermind, the big question that reverberated around the world was would this action escalate into a major Middle East conflict. And those concerns only heightened when Iran immediately launched a missile attack on two U.S. military bases in Iraq.
But since then tensions have significantly lessened as Iranian officials have indicated that their missile launch, which resulted in no American injuries, was going to be their only response to the death of Suleimani. If that statement is to be trusted, then that is good news.
While there are those that will argue that the killing of Suleimani was unwarranted, the drone strike that took him out was in line with other U.S. military actions that have led to the death of other terrorists who have sought to kill Americans and other innocent people.
General Suleimani was the man behind countless attacks by Iran’s proxy forces in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. It is without question that he was the responsible party who directed a recent rocket attack that killed an American and wounded others, as well as the attempted storming of the United States embassy in Baghdad. And without question, he was also planning more and more attacks on Americans and their allies in the Middle East.
Did the free world mourn the death of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attack of the United States on Sept. 11? It did not. And the free world is not going to mourn the death of Suleimani following the decision by President Trump to rid the world of this terrorist who played a key role in the Iranian nuclear-weapons and missile programs and is responsible for the death of thousands of Americans, Muslims and Iranians.
In the weeks and months ahead, as America pushes for more economic sanctions against Iran, it will be seen whether or not that country’s leadership will back away from promoting terrorism in the Middle East and around the world and move away from developing a nuclear arsenal.
But for the country’s leadership, they must now fully realize that America is watching and is willing to take immediate and decisive actions to prevent attacks on Americans and their allies.
For the time being the answer to the question as to whether or not the world is a safer place with the killing of Suleimani is yes. America’s military has proven itself to be very adept at targeting and eliminating terrorist targets. And the Trump administration has also shown that it is willing to use deadly force to eliminate those who champion and direct terrorist activities in the Middle East.