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US officials celebrate Baghdad strike while critics warn of war

The US killing of two key Iraqi and Iranian militia leaders was applauded by many US officials and commentators on Friday, but opposition democrats and analysts warned that the action could trigger a major conflict in the Middle East with unforeseen consequences.
The head of Iran’s elite Quds Forces Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Units, were killed in a US bombing of Baghdad airport overnight.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared a video on Twitter of Iraqis allegedly dancing in the streets in celebration.
https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1212955403077767168
Republican Senator Ted Cruz took to Twitter to say: “The end of Qassem Soleimani is welcome and long-overdue justice for the thousands of Americans killed or wounded by his Iranian-controlled forces across the Middle East, and for the hundreds of thousands of Syrians and Iraqi Sunnis ethnically cleansed by his militias.”
The Pentagon confirmed that strikes killed eight people, including Soleimani and al-Mohandes, and were the latest in an escalating tit-for-tat fight with Iranian proxy militias in Iraq, which killed an American in a rocket attack on an Iraqi airbase one week ago.
The US Department of Defense justified the attack saying that it “was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans”.
“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more,” it said in a statement.
Opposition Democrat Joe Biden said no American would mourn the death of Soleimani. However, he added a warning on the consequences of such a high-profile assassination.
“President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plans to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here and abroad. … We could be on the brink of major conflict in the Middle East.”
“I hope the administration has thought through the second- and third-order consequences of the path they have chosen.”
Richard N Haas, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent US think tank, wrote on Twitter: “Make no mistake: any war with Iran will not look like the 1990 Gulf war or the 2003 Iraq wars. It will be fought throughout the region with a wide range of tools vs a wide range of civilian, economic and military targets. The region (and possibly the world) will be the battlefield.”
source: Tamara Abueish
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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