The Evening: Calls for Revenge, Iraq, Soul Rebel and More
January 6, 2020
Calls for Revenge
Hundreds of thousands of people marched through Iran’s capital Monday in a funeral procession for Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as Iranian officials threatened retaliation against the U.S. for the targeted killing of Soleimani, as the WSJ’s Aresu Eqbali and Sune Engel Rasmussen report.
Dive Deeper : “Containing Tehran: Understanding Iran’s Power and Exploiting Its Vulnerabilities,” by CSIS’s Seth Jones.
“The American Threat to America in the Gulf,” by CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman.
“Critical Questions: The Killing of Quds Force Commander Qasim Suleimani,” by CSIS’s Jon Alterman.
“How Will Russia React to the Killing of Soleimani?” by CSIS’s Jeffrey Mankoff.
No Plans to Pull Out of Iraq
The United States has no plans to pull American troops out of Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday, following reports of a U.S. military letter informing Iraq officials about the repositioning of troops in preparation to leave the country, as Reuters reports.
Maduro Tightens Grip
Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, moved on Sunday to consolidate his grip on power by taking control of the country’s last independent institution and sidelining Juan Guaidó who had staked a rival claim to the presidency, as the NYT’s Julie Turkewitz reports.
Meanwhile, as the WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia reports, Vice President Mike Pence spoke by phone with Venezuela’s Juan Guaidó and reiterated the U.S. position that Mr. Guaidó is the country’s “only legitimate” leader.
CSIS Executive Education
Join CSIS March 11-13 for our course, Belt, Road, and Beyond. Work with leading experts and the Reconnecting Asia Project to explore what the BRI is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.
Video Shorts
Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!
In That Number
161
There are approximately 161 fires raging across Australia’s New South Wales and Victoria. Temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the blazes have already destroyed more than 22,000 square miles.
Critical Quote
“God the almighty has promised to get his revenge.”
— Esmail Ghaani, the Iranian general who will succeed General Suleimani as head of the Quds Force
iDeas Lab
Through irregular military means, Iran is attempting to establish a land bridge from Lebanon through Syria, Iraq, and Iran that would enable it to support its proxies throughout the region. Read the CSIS Transnational Threats Project report on Iran’s power and vulnerabilities.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.
Optics
(Photo credit: Medhi Marizad/AFP/Getty Images). Iranians gather around a vehicle carrying the caskets of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani.
Recommended Reading
“Top Risks for 2020,” by Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer and Cliff Kupchan.
This Town Tomorrow
At 9:00 a.m., join CSIS for the second annual Ocean Security Forum, featuring expert conversations on the ways in marine resources disputes, exacerbated by climate change and ecosystem collapse, drive instability in key regions of the globe.
At 10:15 a.m., the Atlantic Council will host Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the current state of U.S.-Greek cooperation and Greece’s role in the transatlantic relationship.
And, at 3:00 p.m., New America will host a discussion on the significance of the recent U.S. airstrike against Iranian IRGC general Qasem Soleimani, including its regional implications legal ramifications.
Video
On December 19, director of CSIS's Africa Program Judd Devermont testified before the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security on “U.S. Counterterrorism Priorities and Challenges in Africa.” Watch him testify here.
Podcasts
Host Beverly Kirk sat down with CSIS experts Kathleen Hicks, Sarah Ladislaw, and Stephanie Segal to discuss the year’s security and foreign policy hot topics and what to expect in 2020.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
Playing For Change dropped its final “Song Around The World” of the decade at the end of 2019 and it’s another legendary, beautiful grove. You’ll recall this is the same organization that recently broke out “The Weight” with Robbie Robertson. This time, Playing For Change tapped reggae original Bunny Wailer for a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel.” Happy New Year indeed.