who exactly is qasem soleimani? the history of iran's most powerful general. >> reporter: qasem soleimani was known as the shadow commanded because of the long shadow he cast outside iran's borders without anyone knowing much about him. here's what we know about him. the 62-year-old was designated a terrorist by the us in 2005 but he has been the leader of iran's delete intelligence wing since 1998. the special force quietly operated iranian proxy campaigns made of 20,000 militia fighters across the middle east and some analysts say he was attempting to spread iran's islamic revolution from baghdad to damascus and all the way to beirut where they would be considered a direct threat to israel. qasem soleimani is responsible for killing 600 american troops during the iraq war. to put that into perspective, 17% of all us deaths in iraq from 2003-2011 were orchestrated by this man. >> is responsible for killing many americans. i would say the last two years i was here the majority of our casualties came from the surroga

qassim soleimani is somebody who is well-known in russia. he's sum here a couple times to deal with issues like arms procurement, foreign policy, coordination on the ground between russian and iranian military personnel in syria. and so, it's entirely expected that the news that he'd been killed by the united states would be criticized by russia. and there have been some very sharp and critical comments issued by various departments of the russian administration, the russian foreign minister, saying russia's mood is fraught. and the russia defense ministry saying the act was short-sighted and will bring consequences to the entire international security system. i mean, blah the russians are most concerned about is that this could launch a spiral of retaliation which draws the united states and iran into a direct confrontation, which could lead to the iranian government being toppled. regime change taking place. the russians have seen it take place in iraq, in libya, in other countries awell where they've been closely aligned to. you can city

soleimani was a well-known figure in russia. he was the point man on the ground in syria, in charge of iranian forces and iranian proxies that the russians would have dealt with regularly. and his killing would have created a vacuum in syria, where russia is engaged in the civil conflict there, to back its ally, the president of syria, bashar al assad. that's a vacuum that the russians may fill and use it to tighten their grip on the leads of power in syria. it's li ee's likely to be tempo. soleimani was a sovereign-backed man of power. he had a deputy. the deputy replaced him in the leadership. any hiatus in places like syria, will be short-lived. >> what goes on in the middle east doesn't stay in the middle east, of course. matthew chance, in moscow. thank you. >>> all right. still to come on the program, we will continue our special coverage of the killing of qasem soleimani. first, a stranger changing course on how it's responding to the worst wildfires in decades. we'll be in one of the worst-hit areas as flame inch closer

has had a number of opportunities to go after soleimani. you said that you reread the article that general stanley mcchrystal wrote a year ago saying that he had a shot at soleimani back in 2007. he opted out of that. maybe he's questioning that. i'm quoting here. he said and he's writing, all - >> your thoughts on this kind of back and forth and whether he should have been targeted in the past, michael. >> a great article, trace, by general mcchrystal that affected the ambivalence that a lot of decision makers lad a chance to take a shot at soleimani. as the american of americans that are dead because of weaponry shipped into iraq or elsewhere from the quds force that soleimani headed, as these transgressions mount up in number and the amount of blood spilled got to the point that we felt we couldn't take it any longer. obviously the recent attacks on u.s. bases in iraq and the pros respects of more in the future became a tipping point for president trump. i'm not a big fan of president trump's foreign policy but i don't disagree with this

qasem soleimani was no ordinary foe. for a generation, he was probably america's most capable enemy. his death delivers a blow to the heart of the iranian regime. for many years, soleimani built up iran's power outside its borders and made it, and himself, a major player in iraq, syria and lebanon. he was a talisman for iranian hardliners who have been rocked to their core. they will want to get even — perhaps more than that. last sunday, american air strikes killed 25 members of kata'ib hezbollah, an iraqi militia armed and trained by soleimani's quds organisation, after an american contractor was killed in a militia attack. the militiamen, undoubtedly on soleimani's orders, marched on the us embassy in baghdad and attacked its perimeter. the militias he created were a vital part of the fight against thejihadists of islamic state but they are also one way that iran projects power abroad. the huge american compound is a fortress and it wasn't breached but the attacks goaded and threatened the trump administration. the

but given that israel held soleimani responsible for iran's aggression, its strategy in syria, soleimani was really public enemy number one for israel. >> yeah. who knew what and when? oran, thank you for that. oren is on the israeli/lebanese border as we keep our eye or eyes on funeral processions in iraq. our special coverage of the killing of iran's qasem soleimani continues. my colleague senior international correspondent sam kiley with me here in abu dhabi for analysis. what does happen next? that up after this. balances skin's microbiome. so skin looks like this and you feel like this. aveeno® skin relief. get skin healthy™ here, it all starts withello! hi!... how can i help? a data plan for everyone. everyone? everyone. let's send to everyone! wifi up there? uhh. sure, why not? how'd he get out?! a camera might figure it out. that was easy! glad i could help. at xfinity, we're here to make life simple. easy. awesome. so come ask, shop, discover at your local xfinity store today. supporters of the iranian military commander and others killed in a u.s. strike on friday are gather

officials saw soleimani's handiwork. his power made iranians proud today iranians in the thousands came out to show their love and their anger. soleimani was arguably iran's mose shadows and he spilled he was the secret architect of a long campaign against u.s. troops in iraq after the 2003 invasion, killing hundreds back then his face was barely known, but over the last few years soleimani has gotten bolder, showing photographs of himself on battlefields around the middle east, issuing statements his pride and increasing profile may have made him easier to track down and kill there was talk in iran soleimani might be a future president or perhaps even a supreme leader today the man who has that role, iran's top ayatollah, visited soleimani's family and promised severe revenge. the most immediate co idad where shiite militia leaders loyal to soleimani the same militias that for days attacked the u.s. embassy will take to the streets tomorrow is hearing d show late word of another airstrike. richard, what do we know >> re

it was the hometown of qasem soleimani. the e supreme leader of iriran, ayatollah khamenei, has dececlad three days of mourning and hasas vowed d to take what he calls severe revenge. reporter: with the blue and red --hts flashing, and it was and arrive at baghdad international airport, the scene of the deadly missile attack. these are the firirst photos of the damage caused by the u.s. airstrikes which have killed seveveral people includiding g l qasesem soleimanani, the leaderf the elite quds force, and the deputy c commander of the tehran-backed militias known as the popular mobilization forces. cells said that the airstrikes struck near the cargo terminal with one senior politician adding that the airstrike occurred as soon as soleimani stepped off the plane which had brought him from either lebanon or syria. his body was apparently identified by the ring he was wearing. in response, the u.s. president has simply tweeted an image of ,he stars & stripes flag while the pentagon says donald trump personally ordered the kil

do you really believe that the killing of soleimani -- general soleimani here in the balance is going to save lives as those who have defended the president's action have said? >> well, there is a possibility that it could both save lives and at the same time cost other lives, and there's no doubt that qasem soleimani, for many years, was a key actor in the attacks on not just americans but syrians, lebanese, iraqis and iranians, and he's got lots of blood on his hands, and the -- we can debate the justification for killing him and the way that the trump administration did, but at the same time, we have to look at the administration's rationale and listen to when they say that they believe that this act will de-escalate the crisis and then look at what's going on in the region and have a safe prediction that actually this act will escalate the crisis and what we see in terms of the reaction in iraq, in iran and all over the region is a promise of revenge, a promise of retaliation. so, it's not about, you know, whether or not this was -- we had the right to do this. it's about whether

decided to kill soleimani now. nick, there are likely to have been opportunities in the past for the u.s. to target iran's military chief. they didn't, so why now? >> well, clearly they publicly say that the case was the disputable, that they could not abide taking the risk of allowing him to continue with the plans they say were imminent against u.s. assets in the region here. now, they won't really go into exactly the level of detail these u.s. officials who have been briefing on this topic about where the plots precisely were aimed, how lethal they were. a senior state department official said they were concerned about attacks potentially in iraq, syria and lebanon against u.s. diplomatic and military personnel. now, in syria they really only have military personnel and in here in lebanon they really only have a dip plumatic presence at the embassy in beirut. so you get a possible idea as to what may have been the focus here in lebanon, certainly. but there's a big amount the u.s. simply won't say, and that is t

this is all soleimani's handwork. then we watch and see what's continuing the terror campaign in the region. we know what happened at the end of last year in december. ultimately leading to the death of an american. if you are looking for immanence, look no further. than the days that led up to the strike that was taken against soleimani. then in addition to that, you have what were continuing efforts on behalf of this terrorist to build out a network of campaigns that would lead potentially to the death of many more americans. it was the right decision. we got it right. the department of defense did excellent work and the president had an entirely legal, appropriate and a basis, as well as a decision that fit perfectly within our strategy and how to counter the threat of malign activity from iran more broadly. reporter: two questions. iran's foreign affairs minister granted an interview saying that soleimani was on a diplomatic visit to iraq and that the u.s. strike to take him out was state terrorism. that president

>> so let's not underestimate soleimani's role. he was obviously a mastermind and played a crucial part. in what this network of shiia militia became. he was not the only person. there was an organization. he created the organization. it will survive his death. and just ask the israelis who tried time and again to get rid of the leadership of hezbollah, hamas, and similar organizations. they are replaceable even if you get rid of the person who seems irreplaceable, ultimately the organization survives. which raises another question about why we think this is really going to lead to a safer region. you get rid of soleimani, you embolden or you motivate the people behind them to try to retaliate and he will be ultimately replaced. >> appreciate both of you joining us. i enjoyed that discussion. >>> up next congress is back in session facing crises abroad and impeachment apparently in limbo here at home. what are the chances for a quick ending to the impasse over that impending impeachment trial? you're watching "hardball." that's why

rob: qasem soleimani breaking down who qasem soleimani was and why his death is so important. jillian: democrats already counting on the president's move. let's begin in jordan with the latest. what can you tell us? >> reporter: overnight the united states assassinating the leader of iran's revolutionary guard qasem soleimani. this is a major development in the region. we talked a lot yesterday about iran and the united states preparing for a direct military confrontation. this conflict has entered a new phase. after last night, drone strike targeted a car outside baghdad international airport that qasem soleimani was riding in. additionally a senior official in a top iranian militia targeted and killed outside the airport last night. today iran vowing to respond, rouhani tweeting out the great nation of iran will take revenge for what he is calling a heinous crime. the ayatollah implementing a 3 day morning period vowing to respond. qasem soleimani responsible for a number of proxies in places like lebanon, the gaza strip, iraq and syria so his death is a major escalation and

the invasion helped soleimani to consolidate control and his home base in iran was soleimani was head of the elite branch of the quds force to iraq where he directed iranian backed militias and imported bombs responsible for the deaths of hundreds of americans. in syria he was largely responsible for the survival of bashar al assad providing troops and supplies and in lebanon he helped develop and prop up the group and in yemen in the devastating civil war which has been first and foremost ruthlessly pursued by saudi arabia, soleimani helped prop up the houthi rebels. the person overseeing this whole project of extending the force with qassem soleimani and now the united states has killed him. i'm joined by by dexter. what was the quds force and the role soleimani played? >> it was huge. it all goes back to the end of the iranian iraq war. a million people dead in that war. >> a complete -- house for everyone involved. >> totally. and at the end of that war it basically ended as a stalemate and the iranians said we're not going to let that happen again and essentially created what you

soleimani, so he's someone who's beenin soleimani, so he's someone who's been in the islamic revolutionary guard corps for a number of years now since the beginning, essentially, and who has been involved in various operations in iran and the border regions in iran, and throughout the region. so, he is very well—versed in the operations and strategies are pursued by the islamic revolutionary guard corps, and in particular iran more generally. so i think that this will bea generally. so i think that this will be a fairly smooth transition. that said, ithink be a fairly smooth transition. that said, i think it's also important to recognise that he doesn't have the same name recognition, the same charisma, the same relationships that soleimani has, so there will be a bit ofa that soleimani has, so there will be a bit of a learning curve, but i expect it to be a fairly smooth transition for him a. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. indonesian authorities are turning to the technique of cloud seeding to try to stop more rain falling in the flood—hit capitaljakar

because the goal of iran, of qasem soleimani, was not only a security goal. i mean, you keep telling me about all the concerns you had as ambassador, and that continue, about iran's various leverages inside iraq. is it not your concern and the truth that the killing of qasem soleimani has actually strengthened iran's hand in iraq? it has made it much more difficult for your us troop presence to continue. it has made it more difficult for those allies of the united states inside iraq to have their voices heard. and what we see is an iran which over the next few months and years has every prospect of projecting more power and control over iraq. what i think the killing of qasem soleimani has done has a short—term impact that is sort of what you describe. it is clear that those in iraq who would like to see a continuation, an increase, of iranian influence in the country now have more enthusiasm for that point. it also has a short—term benefit to — or i should say provides an opportunity to an iraqi government that wants to be more independent of tehran, a

soleimani is a bad actor. soleimani killed americans. debate.ot the the debate is whether america another war in the middle east or whether we a real e focused on competition which is china. world's g.d.p.he china, our competition for the 15%.century, is g.d.p. .44% of china hasn't been in a war since 1979. 40 conflicts. future historians will ask, why ere we so obsessed with a region, the middle east, 3.5% of .d.p., when we should be focused on investing in our country to build the future to century?1st i don't think staying out of bad wars that cost this country of dollars is a democratic issue or a republican issue. rankly, the president ran on this. and my hope -- i know leader for thy says this is a malt. under the -- formality. powers act we are supposed to have a concurrent resolution. i yield the gentleman another 15 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. khanna: i appreciate that. final point. this shouldn't be partisan. here's what i would love to see. says in future -- in the future he won't get int

for the past 11 years soleimani operated -- in that role, soleimani was believed to be a patron of the shia militia that attacked u.s. troops during the iraq war he appeared he was also a major player in syria during their civil war as well as in the campaign against isis. he was little known to the american public, soleimani was among the most famous living figures in iran a

qasem soleimani was no ordinary foe. for a generation, he was probably america's most capable enemy. his death delivers a blow to the heart of the iranian regime. for many years, soleimani built up iran's power outside its borders and made it, and himself, a major player in iraq, syria and lebanon. he was a talisman for iranian hardliners who have been rocked to their core. they'll want to get even — perhaps more than that. last sunday, american air strikes killed 25 members of kata'ib hezbollah, an iraqi militia armed and trained by soleimani's quds organisation, after an american contractor was killed in a militia attack. the militiamen, undoubtedly on soleimani's orders, marched on the us embassy in baghdad and attacked its perimeter. the militias he created were a vital part of the fight against thejihadists of islamic state but they are also one way that iran projects power abroad. the huge american compound is a fortress and it wasn't breached but the attacks goaded and threatened the trump administration. the am

so would you consider soleimani a terrorist? >> look, there's no question he's a bad actor and he was involved in those kinds of attacks, but the real question that i think everyone has to ask is whether or not we have increased the chances of war with iran as a result of what happened. and i don't think there's any question the chances for war are more serious now than they have been in the last 40 years, that we could ultimately escalate what's happening now into a full-scale war with iran. >> secretary panetta, i appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. >> there's a lot more in the second live hour of "360." we have some top military minds joining us with their perspective on the strike and how the u.s. might prepare on what could be the next steps from iran. and a live report from the only western tv crew in iran tonight. that and more when we continue. for your worst sore throat pain, try vicks vapocool drops. it's not candy, it's powerful relief. ahhh vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops and try new va

soleimani was using a commercial jet. seems like he took precautions going to this trip in baghdad. >> trace, it's well-known this is a man that lived by the sword and expected to die by the sword. he had written a handwritten note to his wife setting out what his funeral should be like or what his burial site should be liked. he talked about it to his family coming out. so this is a guy that is -- he knew there was a target on his back. >> trace: we talked about it earlier. earlier this year or last year, the drone strike. the iran drone strike on the american drone, the attacking of the oil tankers and the oil fields. is it your opinion that the president holding restraint? >> not just president trump but success of american administrations have shown a great deal of patience. you know, a person of iranian heritage, it breaks my heart now considering what could happen if got forbid there's a outbreak of a serious conflict, that would mean for iran's security and territorial integrity. you know, what has to be made clear

who was qasem soleimani? >> reporter: i think that description kind of comes from the consistent nature of qasem soleimani's presence here over the decades. not only fought in the iran and iraq war, but then found itself it seems supplying technology from iran that assisted the insurgents in iraq against the u.s. military presence there, even possibly in afghanistan too. that is where you get that sort of career sense of enmity from many u.s. officials who speak about qasem soleimani. the head of the quds force, the foreign part if you like of the islamic revolutionary guard corps of iran. the people who essentially were tasked with going abroad to fulfill iran's policy objectives in the region. very successful frankly, bringing iran to -- at the height of its powers for quite some time in about sort of 2015 or '16 or so. then also, too, being part of the iranian bid to assist iraq and parts of the syrian regime too in pushing back isis in that fight as well. so a man of incredible influence, operating in the

soleimani was a designated terrorist. he was sanctioned by the u.s., the e.u., the united nations, and when nancy pelosi said that it was disproportionate -- >> laura: tonight. when she says tonight, needless provocations from the administration. at that point we didn't know if there were american casualties. >> i would like to ask her, at what point is it proportionate when you have 600 u.s. troops who get killed and thousands more that get wounded, and she calls it disproportionate to take out the person who is responsible for it customer to go one trip to walter reed where we serve with brian masse. you have these young men, young women who have their whole lives in front of them and because of soleimani, the end of wounded permanently. i'm happy he can rot in hell with al baghdadi bin laden. >> laura: i think nancy pelosi's comments were disgusting. disgusting. to in any way tiptoe to the edge of what trump did here. unbelievable. >> you and your last segment raised at the right question. what now customer quote is th

qassem soleimani was no ordinary foe. for a generation, he was probably america's most capable enemy. his death delivers a blow to the heart of the iranian regime. for many years, soleimani built up iran's power outside its borders and made it — and himself — a major player in iraq, syria and lebanon. he was a talisman for iranian hardliners, who've been rocked to their core. they'll want to get even, perhaps more than that. last sunday, american air strikes killed 25 members of an iraqi militia armed and trained by soleimani's quds organisation — after an american contractor was killed in a militia attack. the militiamen — undoubtedly on it soleimani's orders — marched on the us embassy in baghdad and attacked its perimeter. the militias he created were a vital part of the fight against thejihadists of islamic state, but they're also one way that iran projects power abroad. the huge american compound is a fortress and it wasn't breached, but the attacks goaded and threatened the trump administration. the americ

tehran had cultivated soleimani's image at home. the supreme leader, in a rare display, awarded him high military honors. the regime was reinforcing his status as not just a war hero but a national hero. there is no one with his iconic status waiting in the wings to replace him. iran is weakened without him. they have replaced him with his deputy but he doesn't appear to have that same charisma. think of soleimani in this wa, , he was the point man from tehran to moscow to convince the russians to get involved in the war in syria. he wasn't just a battlefield commander. he was so much more. >> nick robertson, thank you so much. let's talk further about all of this now with cnn contributor and co-author of the book "agent storm", tim lister with me now. good to see you, tim. just on that point that nick made, what kind of impact might the killing of soleimani have on the entire region since he was involved in so many things? >> i think a huge impact because there was no one quite like him in the iranian apparatus. he had been the lea

soleimani was our leader. now why was soleimani in iraq and the first place? you think may be to lead the efforts against our embassy, and to kill americans? and by the way, that would be why the president responded once that american contractor was, in fact, killed. military personnel were wounded. that happened a week ago. remember, it was soleimani responsible for over 600 deaths of american soldiers. many other injured, orchestrating attacks on coalition bases all over iraq hd beyond. he has done this for years. look at this, own state department, 17% of all deaths of u.s. personnel in iraq from 2003 to 2011 were orchestrated by soleimani. it was soleimani who reportedly helped plan the benghazi attack that killed four americans. soleimani has been feeling proxy conflicts and a reign of terror against the u.s. and their allies for decades. of course, backing anti-american militias in iraq, directing syria 'assad and his, don't forget the 1980s, he was backing militias that eventually took over lebanon as has below. he directed resources to hamas, places li

for the past 11 years soleimani operated -- in that role, soleimani was believed to be a patron of the shia militia that attacked u.s. troops during the iraq war he appeared he was also a major player in syria during their civil war as well as in the campaign against isis. he was little known to thehe american public, soleimani was among the most famous living figures in iran and also one of the most powerful. second only to the supreme leader.

should have killed general soleimani a long time ago. was that ever under serious consideration during your tenure during the obama administration? >> during my tenure as national security advisor we didn't have the opportunity, to my knowledge. had we had the opportunity, we would have given it obviously very careful consideration weighing the pros and the cons. frankly, then as now, it's not clear that when you look at the strategic landscape and the costs and consequences of such an action whether the benefits outweigh the real risks. the most important thing, wolf, we took these serious situations under careful consideration. we would way deliberately the risks and benefits and considered the second and third order consequences and most importantly, we would have made very sure before we took such an action that would undoubtedly lead to escalation we put in place preparations to protect and defend american personnel in the region. >> you new clearly, qasem soleimani was responsible for hundreds of deaths of u.s. military personnel i

qasem soleimani was in the special operations unit. he died as the convoy left baghdad international airport this morning. oren liebermann is on the ground in lebanon. he decided to cut short his visit to greece today. what more can you tell us about the concern in israel for possible iranian-backed military action against israel? >> reporter: wolf, it would be very easy to see a situation where iran decides not to retaliate against the u.s. but instead points its anger, it's retaliation here in israel, the u.s. maj u.s.'s major ally in the region. that's why benjamin netanyahu cut short his time in greece. it has to be noted there are no restrictions or limitations along the northern border. praise for donald trump's decision to carry out the death of qasem soleimani has been echoing around the world. >> the united states has the exact same right for self-defense. qasem soleimani is responsible for the deaths of many american citizens and innocent people. president trump deserves all the credit for acting quickly, swifting, forcefully

custom soleimani was not ordinary foe. for generation, he was probably america's most capable enemy. hiseath delivers a blow to the heart of the iranian regime. in many years, soleimani built up iran's power and made himself a major player in iraq, syria, lebanon. they will want to get even, perhaps, more than that. less than it, american airstrikes killed 25 members of kataib, a malarkey -- an iraqi militia. after a contractor -- after an american contractor wa killed. they then marched tthe u.s. embassy. the malicious he created were a vital part of the fight against the jihadist state,ut there are one way that iran protects it abroad. theom huge americanund is a fortress and it was not breached, but the attacks goad it and threatened the trump administration. the americans rushed in reinforcements to the embassy. it isn't clear when the decision to assassinate soleimani was taken. once it hpened, president trump tweeted in triumph. general kass soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of americans over an extende

qasem soleimani was no ordinary foe. for a generation, he was probably america's most capable enemy. his death delivers a blow to the heart of the iranian regime. for many years, soleimani built up iran's power outside its borders and made it, and himself, a major player in iraq, syria and lebanon. he was a talisman for iranian hardliners who have been rocked to their core. they'll want to get even — perhaps more than that. last sunday, american air strikes killed 25 members of kata'ib hezbollah, an iraqi militia armed and trained by soleimani's quds organisation, after an american contractor was killed in a militia attack. the militiamen, undoubtedly on soleimani's orders, marched on the us embassy in baghdad and attacked its perimeter. the militias he created were a vital part of the fight against thejihadists of islamic state, but they're also one way that iran projects power abroad. the huge american compound is a fortress and it wasn't breached, but the attacks goaded and threatened the trump administration. the a

it is the goal qasem soleimani long had in mind. the prime minister is calling for an emergency parliamentary session to put a end to the us presence in iraq, and designs on launching cyberattacks on the us power grid, us banks and classified government computer system, something mike pompeo raise red flags about early this morning. >> there is always risk of cyberattacks. we certainly consider that risk. >> national security forces say iran is considering options for asymmetric attacks on us interests like targeting oil supplies or terror attacks on americans abroad. >> is $2,020 the man who will preside over and impeachment trial is concerned not necessarily about the historic proceeding but how social media is working on what americans know about current eventss and how our government really works. >> reporter: it was one line a 7-page your end summary of the judiciary but chief justice john roberts made clear public confidence in the federal judiciary was at stake. in an age when social media can instantly spread rumor and false

he has killed soleimani. there are a lot of people at the pentagon and the white house patting themselves on the back and president trump has taken a victory lap with supporters saying he killed the al qaeda leader and the isis leader and now he killed this iranian top general, so he's the one with bringing decisiveness back to america and pride back to america and there are plenty in the middle east who say that they don't know where this is going to go, that iran is going to respond, at a time and in a way of its choosing, and that might be now, and it might be in a year, we really don't know. and it could be cyber. it could be through one of the mish yas. this he could try to take an attack on a u.s. naval vessel. could, could, could, could. we frankly don't know. and i think that's why, when iran says maybe it is one of these misha, we can't take responsibility. we can be unpredictable, too. they're deliberately selling that ambiguity about how and when they respond. >> absolutely. and overwhelmingly, we

now there is a new general in place of qasam soleimani. we have to see how they deal with the iraq as a neighbouring state or as a backyard. 0n the other hand, some of the militias have been issuing warnings to stay 1000 metres or one kilometre away from us targets in iran because they seem to be planning to conduct attacks on them, but again all of this is up in the air at the moment. we have not seen an iranian reaction yet oran iranian we have not seen an iranian reaction yet or an iranian response to the killing of qasam soleimani. we have to see what kind of response that will be and if this response will ta ke will be and if this response will take place on iraqi soil or not. a number of fresh bushfires have taken hold in the australian state of new south wales, even as older ones continue to spiral out of control. fire services in the state have warned residents in some areas that it is too late to leave — they have been advised to seek shelter instead. this all comes as the nation has experienced another day of extreme heat, with

that killed soleimani and nine others. meanwhile, soleimani's body returned to his home country of iran today. thousands of mourners filled the streets, and outrage was also felt in iran's parliament. lawmakers were seen chanting, death to america, during a session in tehran. iranian officials are telling cnn that they are planning a response to the u.s. against military sites. this as president trump is warning against any iranian retaliation. in a series of tweets, president trump revealed that the u.s. is prepared to target 52 iranian sites, some of which hold cultural significance. the warning comes as his administration faces questions here in the u.s. about the timing of the attack on soleimani, and if trump was planning or, rather, if soleimani was planning an imminent attack himself, which the u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo did not answer completely this morning when he spoke to cnn's "state of the union." >> if you're an american in the region, days and weeks, this is not something that's relevant. we have to

there are so many areas where qasem soleimani was present and there was a lwa ys soleimani was present and there was always an airof soleimani was present and there was always an air of mystery around him. whenever there was a major operation, you would see on social media saying, where is qasem soleimani? and he would suddenly appear taking selfies with chips at the front and he would send barbs on social media, sometimes seeming to almost taunt the united states and even president trump directly as if to say, come and get me. and it wasn't just on the to say, come and get me. and it wasn'tjust on the military battlefield. in iran, he was a significant political force, seen as second only to the all—powerful supreme leader ayatollah khamenei. he was in effect iran's real foreign minister when it came to matters of war or peace across the region. lyse, thank you very much. that was our international correspondent in kabul. we have just our international correspondent in kabul. we havejust had our international correspondent in kabul. we have just had a statement from the labour leade

>> well, look, soleimani was a terrorist. he is the cause directly and indirectly for the loss of hundreds of american troops through their surrogates and through the development of ieds that killed americans, soldiers in iraq. i'll shed no tear for him. but the question that two previous administrations, republican and democrat both faced is targeting soleimani and taking him off the battlefield more valuable than the consequences that flow from that decision? and both president bush and president obama came to a different conclusion. so the question isn't whether or not we weep for soleimani. we don't. the question is, what unfolds now is in the national interest and security of the united states. >> do you know what secretary of state mike pompeo plans to say at 10:00 a.m.? >> i don't. i don't. i have not talked to the secretary. we've reached out for the state department, but i have not talked to the secretary. i don't know if it's about his political ambitions or whether it's about iraq. >> that would be interesting if h

qasem soleimani. so his brazen assassination at the baghdad airport, while he was with other shia militia leaders, now opens a number of questions. how will iran respond? and iranian officials have already said they're going to respond. the new replacement for qasem soleimani said that they will be -- be patient i think was the quote. there will be bodies of americans in the middle east. so they are -- they are promising blood for blood. but it's unclear when. it's unclear how. most likely, carried out by one of its proxies but not necessarily. iran has some capacity to act unilaterally. but it could be just threats. it could be posturing. iran could decide to -- the best approach is to serve revenge as -- as a cold dish. so we -- we will really see over the next, i think, 24 to 48 hours. officially, this is what is supposed to happen. tomorrow, in baghdad, there is an official mourning ceremony. they're going to have the bodies. there are going to be a lot of militiamen out on the streets. the embass

that is the case for qasem soleimani, who is the case for qasem soleimani, who is normally based in iran. david willis, interesting to speak to you. thank you. let's speak now to our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet. thank you forjoining us. obviously big making news, there is. how significant is the story, do you think, for us — iran relations and the region at large? it is impossible to exaggerate the significance of the killing of qasem soleimani, the head of iran's elite quds force. there is already a major and growing crisis between iran and the us, which is playing out in an ever more volatile region. the killing of their top commander for iran would have been a red line. in iran would have been a red line. in iran he is regarded as the most significant personality beneath iran's all—powerful supreme leader, ayatolla h iran's all—powerful supreme leader, ayatollah muhammad ali. there are so many ways in which qasem soleimani has been described in the middle east, and certainly by cia officials, as the most powerful operative in the region. he was seen as the mas

soleimani was arguably iran's most popular leader for years soleimani operated in the shadows and he spilled a lot of american blood. he was the secret architect of a long campaign against u.s. troops in iraq after the 2003 invasion, killing hundreds back then his face was barely known but over the last few years soleimani had gotten bolder showing photographs of himself on battlefields around the middle east, issuing statements his pride and increasing profile may have made him easier to track down and kill there was talk in iran soleimani might be a future president or perhaps even a supreme leader today the man who has that role, iran's top ayatollah, visited soleimani's family and promised severe revenge. the most immediate concern is in baghdad where shiite militia leaders loyal to soleimani, the same militias that for days attacked the u.s. embassy, will take to the streets tomorrow to mourn and show their rage. >> richard joins us now from iraq where our team is hearing late word of another airstrike. richard, what do we know >> reporter: an iraqi security official told us ano

soleimani was unique. there is no other iranian wh his experience, with his intelligence, his insight, his contacts. the fear that he bred throughout iraq, syria, lebon, elsewhere. removing him is a big blo to iran. the iraqis may not be as ready to ejict us with him -- evict ui him gone. the fact that we've now killed soleimani may give them pause. they may fear we might kill somebody else as well. >> thanks for being with us. you're watching bbc world news america. still to come on tonight's program, fleeing the fires in australia. we look at t struggles of those on the ground and the officials trying to contain the disaster. ♪[music] >> several high temperature records have broken in the u.k., between 2010nd 2019, making the last decade the second hottest in 100 years. british weather experts say last year alone, fouror new r were set, including the highest winter and summer temperatures ever recorded in the united kingdom. here's our analyst. >> the u.k.'s hottest day on record came in cambridge last

if we have a floor debate about whether to kill soleimani, we'll not be able to kill soleimani. so people that are clutching their pearls right now because we didn't have a floor debate in congress about this, i think that's disingenuous. but now where we're at, brief congress on what you can. there are a lot of people that leak stuff out of those classified briefings even in congress. >> the reason some people think whether or not there was an imminent threat matters here is because it gets to the legal justification of this action, right? there's no question about what soleimani has done in the past. but to take this kind of action, which is an action of war without explicit congressional approval, there would need to be an imminent threat, a specific attack. do you want to see the evidence of that specific attack that iran was planning? >> i'd always love to see the evidence of that, sure. of course, a lot of it is what is imminent? is it an hour? a week? let's think about the basics here. soleimani was in iraq. he was in iraq, immediately after this breaching of the u.s. emb

they mourn soleimani more than the gold star families that suffered under soleimani. >> the only ones mourning the loss of soleimani are our democrat leadership and our democratic presidential candidates. they also supporter or lists apparently because so many of them think killing soleimani was a terrible idea. >> of those three, only the first, congressman doug collins has apologized for his comments. those are not arguments, they're smears. they would get you disqualified from a junior high debate contest. blind faith in our leaders in matters of life and death for our service members, for the american people, that's false patriotism and as samuel johnson wrote, such a false patriotism is, quote, the last refuge of a scoundrel. let's try to keep this debate at a level worthy of the dignity of the service members who are in harm's way. thanks for spending your sunday morning with us. fareed zakaria picks it up next. vo: 700,000 more new yorkers have health care coverage because mayor bloomberg got it done. he'll build on obamacare with universal coverage and lower the cost of prescr

because the goal of iran, of soleimani, was not only a security goal. i mean, you keep telling me about all the concerns you had as ambassador, and that continue, about iran's various leverages inside iraq. is it not your concern and the truth that the killing of qasem soleimani has actually strengthened iran's hand in iraq? it has made it much more difficult for your us troop presence to continue. it has made it more difficult for those allies of the united states inside iraq to have their voices heard. and what we see is an iran which over the next few months and years has every prospect of projecting more power and control over iraq. what i think the killing of qasem soleimani has done has a short—term impact that is sort of what you describe. it is clear that those in iraq who would like to see a continuation, an increase, of iranian influence in the country now have more enthusiasm for that point. it also has a short—term benefit to — or i should say provides an opportunity to an iraqi government that wants to be more independent of tehran, a

soleimani deserved his fate. the question is whether it served u.s. interests and made us safer. the administration argued it was taken in self-defense to disrupt imminent attacks on was necessary to stave -- to save lives. comment by the secretary of defense sunday appear to contradict that action and it appears the action was taken to iranians.sage to the if that is the case, our partners and allies will view it as a violation of international law. action would predictably be perceived by iran as an effective declaration of war by the u.s. directly following the strike, we sent thousands of additional troops to the region to defend our people and assets, in light of an ongoing spots to the therebyof soleimani, putting more americans in harm's way. we brought the fight against standstill,rtual nato suspending its mission on the ground in iraq, and the ejection of our troops from the country. we have lost standing in the region. and iran announced it will move further away from the deal by restarting additional e

>> so let's not underestimate soleimani's role. he was obviously a mastermind and played a crucial part. he was not the only person. there was an organization that created the organization, it will survive his death. and just ask the israelis who tried time and again to get rid of the leadership of hez bella, and similar organizations. they are replaceable even if you get rid of the person who seems irreplaceable, ultimately the organization survives. you get rid of soleimani, you embolden or you motivate the people behind them to try to retaliate and he will be ultimately replaced. >> appreciate both of you joining us. >>> up next congress is back in session facing crises abroad and impeachment apparently in limbo here at home. what are the chances for a quick ending to the impasse over that impending impeachment trial? you're watching "hardball." t impending impeachment trial? u're watching "hardball. do you have concerns about mild memory loss related to aging? prevagen is the number one pharmacist-recommended memory support bra

strike that killed soleimani. pelosi said in a written statement, "the full congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region." well, joining me now from los angeles, michael is the president of the global policy institute at loyola marymount university. nancy pelosi right there issuing concern that congress was not informed before the president took this action. it sounds like this could be another chasm between the white house and democrats. >> well, president trump has expressed pretty much disdain for congress, and while he has some authority under the war powers act to move in this direction, he has not, as far as we know, set into motion the war powers act. so congress is rightly concer d concerned. you're supposed to be a -- talking with congress, this is supposed to be a three-part government, and the congress has been left out in the cold.

drone killed soleimani outside a baghtd airport. over the weekend with president trump delivered a specific threat tweeting let this serve as a warning that if iran strikes any americans or american assets, we have targeted 512 iranian sites, some at ary high level and important to iran and the iranan culture those targets and iran itself will be hit very fast and very hard. international lawyers say targeting cultural sites would be illegal under international law, but president trump repeated the threat on sunday. "they're allowed to kill our people. they're allowed toorture and maim our people. they're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. and we're not allowed to touch their cultural sites? it doesn't work at way." the president also threatened iraq." if they dosk us to leave, if we don't do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they've never seen before. it'll make iranian sanctions look somewhat tame." the president was responding to a non-binding iri parliament resolution passed sunda