WASHINGTON – American military forces reportedly carried out a failedterror attack against another Iranian commander in Yemen the same day theyassassinated Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and other Iranian and Iraqi militaryofficers in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Quoting anonymous American officials, *Washington Post* and other US-basednews outlets reported Friday that the unsuccessful US terror attack inYemen targeted Abdul Reza Shahlai, identifying him as a “top militarycommander for Iran’s Quds Force” based in Yemen and active in helpingYemeni forces defend against persisting military aggression by US-backedSaudi kingdom.
A *New York Times* report further pointed out that the Trump administrationhad offered a $15 million reward for information about Shahlai, alsoaccusing him of involvement in a shadowy and unsubstantiated plot in 2011to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
According to the reports, the second terror mission by American forces – iftrue — would raise questions on whether the assassination of Soleimani waspart of Trump administration’s bid to take down the leadership of Iran’sQuds Forces of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) or prevent whatthe White House has claimed as “an imminent attack on Americans” by Iranian.
The report came as US lawmakers from both dominating political parties haveharshly criticized the rationale offered by Trump administration officialfor launching the terror attack against the senior Iranian militaryofficial.
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This is while hawkish US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tried to dodgequestion on Friday morning inquiring about the specifics of the “imminentattack” claim and other contradictory official statements, which Americanlegislators have dismissed as “insufficient” and unconvincing.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Thursday passed a resolution tolimit Trump from ordering further military action against Iran, though thevote was largely symbolic and done mostly along party lines.
On January 3, US assassination drones killed Lieutenant General QassemSoleimani, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis,the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), amongothers, after targeting their vehicles in Baghdad. The terror attack tookplace under the direction of Trump, with the US Department of Defensetaking responsibility for the strike. – Press TV
