Arch Terrorist or Inadvertent Ally? Three Times Soleimani Saved American Lives

Arch Terrorist or Inadvertent Ally? Three Times Soleimani Saved American Lives

US officials including President Trump have formally justified the drone strike assassination of Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in part on the basis of the “imminent threat” he allegedly posed to US interests and service members overseas. But do these claims really line up with reality?

Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani was appointed commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force in the late 1990s, taking command of the elite, best-of-the-best special operations force charged with Iran’s military operations abroad. Since then, his forces have provided weapons, training, tactical and strategic assistance to a host of forces across the Middle East who share a common enemy with the United States – radical Sunni Islamist terrorists.