Changes

==== Killing of Soleimani ====

==== Killing of Soleimani ====

On 3 January 2020, a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport targeted and killed Iranian Major General [[Qasem Soleimani]] of the IRGC Quds Force. When asked about possible responses by Iran, Mulroy said that the Quds Forces had worldwide reached and could target American civilians. Mulroy, who advocated for the U.S. to utilize irregular warfare tactics, said this strike would increase the likelihood of a vote in Iraq's council of representatives to expel U.S. forces in their country, which did happen. He continued that Soleimani “orchestrated” much of the Iraq insurgency that killed hundreds of U.S. servicemen and women, helped “design and execute” [[Bashar al-Assad]]’s campaign in Syria,  and provided support in Yemen “that made a humanitarian crisis even worse.”

On 3 January 2020, a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport targeted and killed Iranian Major General [[Qasem Soleimani]] of the IRGC Quds Force. When asked about possible responses by Iran, Mulroy said that the Quds Forces had worldwide reached and could target American civilians. Mulroy, who advocated for the U.S. to utilize irregular warfare tactics, said this strike would increase the likelihood of a vote in Iraq's council of representatives to expel U.S. forces in their country, which did happen.<ref name="auto10">{{cite web |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/01/us-prepare-iran-escalation-iraq-troop-expulsion.html |title=US prepares for potential Iranian escalation and Iraq expulsion |last=Detsch |first=Jack |date=January 3, 2020 |website=Al-Monitor}}</ref> He continued that Soleimani “orchestrated” much of the Iraq insurgency that killed hundreds of U.S. servicemen and women, helped “design and execute” [[Bashar al-Assad]]’s campaign in Syria,&nbsp; and provided support in Yemen “that made a humanitarian crisis even worse.”<ref name="auto10" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/irans-2nd-most-popular-man-is-dead/id1355180130?i=1000461459574 |title=Start Here: Iran's "2nd Most Popular Man" is Dead on Apple Podcasts |website=Apple Podcasts}}</ref>

In an article in the Middle East Institute journal, Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich stated that the targeted killing of [[Qasem Soleimani]] was justified and long overdue because he was an enemy combatant who orchestrated a lethal campaign against U.S. military members, diplomats and intelligence officers in Iraq. They also made the argument that the U.S. should have started by targeting Soleimani's subordinates to disrupt their operations and that covert action authority should have been considered to provide some deniability and avoid the possibility of an all-out regional war between the U.S. and Iran.

In an article in the Middle East Institute journal, Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich stated that the targeted killing of [[Qasem Soleimani]] was justified and long overdue because he was an enemy combatant who orchestrated a lethal campaign against U.S. military members, diplomats and intelligence officers in Iraq. They also made the argument that the U.S. should have started by targeting Soleimani's subordinates to disrupt their operations and that covert action authority should have been considered to provide some deniability and avoid the possibility of an all-out regional war between the U.S. and Iran.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mulroy|first1=Mick|last2=Oehlerich|first2=Eric|date=January 13, 2020|title=The killing of Qassem Soleimani: Was there a better way?|url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/killing-qassem-soleimani-was-there-better-way|website=Middle East Institute}}</ref>

=== Iraq ===

=== Iraq ===