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European allies ‘haven't been helpful' after killing of Iranian general: Pompeo
 They might rejoice, but easier to let Uncle Sugar take the backlash. "Don't kill us!" [NY Post] Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States' European allies were not as helpful as he was hoping following the US strike in Iraq on Thursday that killed Iran's top military commander, Qassem Soleimani. "Frankly, the Europeans haven't been as helpful as I wished that they could be," Pompeo said in an interview late Friday on Fox News. The Secretary of State tweeted comments about speaking with a wide range of foreign leaders in the past few days, including the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the United Arab Emirates' Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pompeo tweeted that he thanked the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan region of Iraq "for his steadfast partnership. We agreed on the need for continued, close cooperation." His tweets about European allies hinted at a cool response. "Countering the Iranian regime's malign activity is a shared priority with our European allies. Our resolve to protect our people & our interests is unwavering," Pompeo tweeted after his conversation with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. After speaking with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Pompeo commented, "Germany is also concerned over the Iranian regime's continued military provocations. The U.S. remains committed to de-escalation." British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, who spoke with Pompeo on Friday, in a statement likewise urged "all parties to de-escalate." Raab said the U.K. "recognized the aggressive threat" that Soleimani posed, but "further conflict is in none of our interests," the BBC reported. Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "The escalation of tensions in the Middle-East isn't inevitable." He focused instead on supporting Iraq's sovereignty and security, "as well as the region's stability; the fight against [ISIS} terrorism." Pompeo said European allies should remember that Soleimani led assassination campaigns in Europe along with in the Middle East. "The Brits, the French, the Germans all need to understand that what we did, what the Americans did, saved lives in Europe as well," Pompeo said. "We're trying to get Iran to simply behave like a normal nation." Posted by: Frank G 2020-01-05 |
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