US carries out retaliatory strikes against militias and Iranian assets in Iraq and Syria – National & International News – FRI 2Feb2024

GA: Trump election fraud DA admits affair with prosecutor.

US carries out retaliatory strikes against militias and Iranian assets in Iraq and Syria.

NATIONAL NEWS

GA: Trump election fraud DA admits affair with prosecutor

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has admitted to having an affair with one of the lead prosecutors in the election fraud case Willis is leading against former President Trump and 17 codefendants. News of the affair surfaced several weeks ago, allegations which Willis initially dismissed as politically-motivated but did not deny. In a court filing, Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade have admitted to a romantic affair which they say began in 2022, after Willis hired Wade to lead the prosecution of the Georgia election fraud case. The attorney for one of Trump’s codefendants contends that Willis and Wade’s affair predates the prosecution.

Willis and Wade have filed a motion with Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, seeking a dismissal of a motion by Trump and one of his codefendants to have Willis and Wade removed from the case. In the filing, Willis denies allegations that her personal relationship with Wade compromised their ability to prosecute the case. She also denied charges that she had personally profited by hiring Wade as a special prosecutor, which could present a conflict of interest. There will be a hearing on the matter on February 15. McAfee previously issued subpoenas to Willis and Wade to testify at that hearing, but today’s filing suggests they intend to file a motion to quash those subpoenas.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US carries out retaliatory strikes against militias and Iranian assets in Iraq and Syria

US Central Command announced that the US military has carried out more than 85 air strikes in Iraq in Syria in retaliation for an air strike in Jordan earlier this week that killed three US Army reservists. The targets included “command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities”. These assets belong to independent militias affiliated with Iran as well as assets of Iran’s standing army, the Revolutionary Guard. So far, 13 people have been reported killed in the strikes. US officials say they do not intend to carry out strikes in Iran itself.

The killings of the three soldiers on Sunday were the result of a drone strike. US officials believe the attack was carried out by one of the largest independent militias in the Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah. Since October 17th, 2023, there have been around 170 rocket and drone attacks against military bases in Iraq and Syria by various militias. The three soldiers killed on Sunday were the first US fatalities in any of these attacks, although there have been dozens of reported injuries.

The attacks were carried out because of the US’ unconditional military support for Israel, which is currently carrying out what the International Court of Justice found

to be a ‘plausible’ genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This fact is acknowledged by US officials, who say that a ceasefire in Gaza would be key to de-escalating tensions in the region. During the weeklong Gaza ceasefire in late November, all attacks on US bases by these militias ceased.

Earlier this week, a Kataib Hezbollah leader issued a statement saying that the group would cease all attacks on US bases and encouraging other militias in the region to do likewise. The statement from Kataib Hezbollah Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi said specifically that it was halting hostilities to “prevent embarrassment of the Iraqi government”. Al-Hamidawi’s statement also states explicitly that Iran did not direct the attacks. He also called on other militias to defend themselves if attacked by the US but not to retaliate.