From the BBC – Qasem Soleimani: Why his killing is good news for IS jihadists:

The Islamic State (IS) group has welcomed the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the head of the elite Quds Force.

In a statement, it described the general’s demise as an act of divine intervention that benefited jihadists. However, it made no mention at all of the US, which carried out the deadly drone strike against Soleimani in Baghdad on 3 January.

President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Gen Soleimani set off a chain of consequences – one of the first was on the unfinished war against jihadists.

From Juan Cole – “Don’t close your eyes, American troops in Iraq” – provoked by Trump’s crazed attack, Shiite militias threaten US military. The Iranian government responded in a very measured way to the death of their general. but the Iraqi militias are going to want American blood for the death of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

US dismisses Iraq request to work on a troop withdrawal plan

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s caretaker prime minister asked Washington to start working out a road map for an American troop withdrawal, but the U.S. State Department on Friday bluntly rejected the request, saying the two sides should instead talk about how to “recommit” to their partnership.

The US took unilateral action on foreign soil without any consultation with the government of Iraq, there is no partnership to talk about. Trump wants NATO to do more, but there was no consultation with the commanders of NATO forces on the ground before the assassination took place. Now Canada and Germany are reviewing their efforts in Iraq. Trump has already abandoned the Kurds, so there is no one left who wants to be a partner with the US.

Meanwhile Trump’s BFF Vlad has his navy play bumper cars with US vessels:

(CNN) — A Russian warship “aggressively approached” a US Navy destroyer while it was operating in the North Arabian Sea Thursday, ignoring warnings from the US vessel and increasing the risk of a collision, the US Navy said Friday.

Trump has managed to alienate everyone that we need to accomplish stated US goals around the world while sucking up to people and governments who want to see us fail.