A catastrophic bushfire conditions are back. Plus 100. 00 babies dead in a month well look at the reasons behind the unusually high Child Mortality rate at a Public Hospital in india. We begin with developments of iraq state t. V. Is reporting new u. S. Air strikes have targeted the commander of an iranian backed Iraqi Paramilitary group the attack happened near a camp in taji thats just north of baghdad the Reuters News Agency is reporting 6 people were killed after 2 of their vehicles were targeted is Al Jazeera Osama bin laden with the latest updates from baghdad. 2 probably good and herman are completely and selections in the Popular Mobilisation courses that there has been a strike on iran north of baghdad people who work at least to me. Correlation pacifically theyre not not u. S. Forces they say this is this is a base that is home because you found him and other Coalition Members who. Are in action pretty rocky courses that they physically applied to speak of a coup because the product of on that it is but clear who was in belgrade or of any people who were killed but there d is a lot of speculation that the members of. A fraction of the Popular Mobilization course of one of the militia cannot be a part of the record the president can come to court to appeal but its going to be able to get more the provisions well a little earlier the us President Donald Trump said his forces acted to stop a war with iran not start one by assassinating the top iranian come on the Major General customs and an army he added that the u. S. Is prepared for any reprisals so the money lead irans elite could forces died in an air strike in baghdad alongside a commander of iraqs Popular Mobilisation forces the recent attacks on u. S. Targets in iraq including rocket strikes that killed an american and injured 4 American Servicemen very badly as well as a violent assault on our embassy in baghdad were carried out at the direction of selling maney cell m 80 made the death of innocent people his sick passion contributing to terrorist plots as far away as new delhi and london. Today we remember and honor the victims of solemn a knees many atrocities and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over solemn a he has been perpetrating acts of terror to destabilize the middle east for the last 20 years what the United States did yesterday should have been done long ago a lot of lives would have been saved just recently salim 80 led the brutal repression of protesters in iran where more than a 1000 innocent civilians were tortured and killed by their own government we took action last night to stop a war we did not take action to start a war well irans Supreme Leader the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of severe revenge for in his words the criminals responsible for somalis killing iranians protesting tof to friday prayers chanting death to america horror on has told the u. N. Security council that it was serves the right to selfdefense so the millions killing iraqs Prime Minister says you sense the nation will light the fuse i think destructive war and as other leaders around the world expressed concern and condemnation the u. S. Has ordered all of its citizens to leave iraq immediately and its military personnel have been put on high alert thats going to laces from baghdad his simona 14. Heartbreak in the upper ranks of the Iranian Military at the official announcement of the death of Major General custom so in money the commander of irans courts force the revolutionary guard unit responsible for foreign operations so the money was killed in a u. S. Drone strike in baghdad. And a spontaneous outbreak of joy in iraqi cities over the passing of a man many see as the embodiment of irans meddling here i sure wish i didnt have to listen to me i feel happy about killing solo money the reason is because of his foreign interference in iraq would you accept that our intervening in all the families issues everything has been trees. In the early hours of friday morning shortly after arriving at Baghdad International airport a u. S. Strike targeted a convoy of silly money and his close ally hondas the deputy head of the iraqi Popular Mobilization forces an iranian backed part military group other members of the group were also killed for irans Supreme Leader ayatollah ali common a solemn mani was a trusted confidant a member of his inner circle and he warned there will be revenge the cruelest people on earth assassinated the honorable commander who courageously fought for years against the evils and bandis of the world sulaimani is martyrdom well make iran more decisive to resist americas expansionism and to defend our values with no doubt iran and other freedom seeking countries in the region will take his revenge. While there is talk of revenge many iranians dont want to see war hero with us support them and it will definitely increase violence but i fundamentally disagree with violence and conflict i believe people moving toward peace in negotiations with the goals is much better soleimani enjoyed some support when he led the charge to displace islip from iraq a strong. Holds but many iraqis now blame iran for instability and interference in their country and soleimani directly for a violent crackdown on antigovernment protests which began in october the us assassinations are the most extreme escalation in tensions between to hit on in washington in recent years and many in baghdad fear it will continue to play out on iraqi soil and if an indistinct has she you may say are we condemned this its unacceptable for Something Like this to be happening in our country its a tween america and iran and in the end we will be hurt our situation is already not stable many iraqis oppose iranian and american interventions alike. Earlier this week mohandas himself let a crowd of Popular Mobilization forces supporters as they attacked and besieged the u. S. Embassy in baghdad he walked alongside. Another senior military leader of the pro iran group who has now called on his followers to take up arms against the american presence iraqs caretaker Prime MinisterAbdullah Abdullah the to condemn the u. S. Strike as a violation of iraqs sovereignty and the rules of engagement of the american presence here he called the death of mohandas an aggression against the iraqi state. Parliament is due to hold an emergency session on sunday but analysts say the government beleaguered and divided after 3 months of antigovernment protests will struggle to mount a decisive response Iraqi Government is very weak for the time being there will be no more than statements coming out of the. Caretaker Prime Minister or from the ministry of Foreign Affairs other than that i dont expect anything from the Iraqi Government but probably the Iraqi Parliament will. Call for an immediate session and do will discuss the current. Americans in iraq agreement and probably they will ask for the department of the American Forces from iraq. Whether their response to u. S. Presence in iraq will be political or military the assassinations have put an end to a precarious balance of power that had just far accommodated both u. S. And iranian interests in iraq the iraqi capital already a battleground for tensions between the u. S. And iran is bracing itself for the aftermath of the biggest escalation yet with both u. S. And iranian backed troops on the ground the country risks being caught in the middle of a military fallout between washington and tehran similar 14 aljazeera but that well irans foreign minister says americas actions hurt the entire region and appropriate retaliation is imminent. Me in half the Islamic Republic of iran holds the right to respond any time and in any manner and it will we will not be involved in americas smear campaigns and their blackmailing we will give a proper response in any manner in time we will as stated by the Supreme Leader. Well in the United States reaction to cinnamon is assassination has been split between the Major Political parties Donald Trumps republicans praising his actions while democrats are questioning why the president did not consult congress before approving the strike heidi jocasta reports from washington. President donald trump tried to justify his decision to order the killing of Iranian Revolutionary guard commander qassam sulaimani by claiming that cilla money had been planning eminent and sinister attacks on americans in the region we took action last night just stop a war the us president said sulaimani was responsible for the deaths of thousands d of American Service people over 2 decades solemn 80 has been perpetrating acts of terror to destabilize the middle east for the last 20 years what the United States did yesterday should have been done long ago trumps republican allies in congress agreed or to a law this evil man operated without them strike and countless and often have suffered for now his terrorist leadership has been and democrats a trump order the drone strike that also killed the leader of tehran back Iraqi Militia groups without Consulting Congress and warned of serious consequences this is the equivalent of the iranians assassinating the u. S. Secretary of defense i do not believe the administration has gamed out. How very badly this could go for the us and our interests this action may well have brought our nation closer to another endless war exactly the kind of endless war the president promised he would not drag us into. Iran has promised retaliation the Us State Department issued a security alert urging all american citizens to leave iraq immediately despite the secretary of states claims on u. S. Media that americans in the region are now safer after sunni manis demise while no one is accusing president shrub of ordering fridays drone strike for political purposes and does overshadow all political headlines in the u. S. Including trumps impending impeachment trial the u. S. Senate was to begin this new year by taking on that as their 1st order of business and instead senators are preparing for briefings on the u. S. Military strike and whatever response it may bring heidi joe castro aljazeera washington gabriel is joins us live from washington so weve got this letter from the Iranian Ambassador whats in it. Yeah this is the letter just came over just a few minutes ago and ive been going through it its pretty long its about a page and a half im not going to read the whole thing of course but i want to summarize it because what iran is doing here is reminding the secretary general a few things here and also laying out the case that iran has within its legal rights internationally to respond and defend itself in the letter iran mentions that solo mani was the commander of the codes force of the republican the revolutionary revolutionary guard a legitimate and official branch of the Iranian Military and saying that he was clearly assassinated in baghdad which is against International Law in the letter in the letter the the Ambassador Says by any measure it is an obvious example of state terrorism and a criminal act constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of International Law in this letter as well he says that he was actually helping fight against terrorists in many countries including i so terrorists that were dead terrorist groups that were designated as such by the u. N. Security council and then ins the letter again with saying that. Under the rights of International Law iran reserves the right to respond as it sees fit in selfdefense so i think what youre seeing here is the u. N. Mission at the u. N. Basically telling the sick secretary general that laying out the case. That there could be a response and laying out the case for how that could be in the context of International Law gape witness to from was talking a little earlier today what 2 hours 3 hours ago now in florida he was talking about imminent attacks as justification for the assassination of custom so the money do you have any more details about what he means by imminent. No and thats where the big question thats been hanging over washington and really around the world today is were not getting a lot of clear picture of what exactly was this socalled imminent threat and you know we heard from the National Security advisor Robert Obrian he had a call with with journalists and normally it would fall to him perhaps to give some of these more details all he would say is that the u. S. Said that some of the money came to baghdad from damascus but when he was pressed on that and when he was pressed on details of how they were able to do this he didnt give any of those details saying for Operational Security measures but clearly theres a theres a lot of skepticism in some quarters of what was the real evidence of this socalled imminent threat gabriel thank you very much ok lets return to the latest development of iraq reports of new u. S. Strikes in a camp in tod she just north of baghdad iraqs Popular Mobilisation forces say the strikes hit a convoy it was medics and not any of its Senior Leaders likely go some up in debate is on the line from the iraqi capital with some of what else do we know. But according to vault remobilization forces the paramilitary wings of the Iraqi Government weve heard that. Force is very silly in that convoy. That was targeted. This is a road which leads to words encouraging ridges hold their coalition base there was really a speculation that there was. One of the brigade who was in the. Convoy criticize it allegedly by u. S. But so far the popular politician forces saying that. This was a method. Which was targeted so attention to move in or are considered. To be seen in the last few hours more barracks for streets we close in baghdad ahead of this theater concession or are. You to take this in the 10 local t. V. So it is a tense laid there is lots of speculation on social media about the strike. But so far this one happening with the problem of leveson forces saying that it was a convoy of medics not any of their leader osama thanks very much lets talk now to nuggets about jolie an assistant professor of middle east studies at Johns Hopkins university and author of iran reframed anxieties of power in the Islamic Republic she joins us on skype from washington nuggets budgeted welcome to aljazeera the last fall kassim of the mani what does that do to his organization. Well actually he was a very important commander of course but one thing that i think folks misunderstand about the revolutionary guards Leadership Structure is that it is quite ad hoc in nature and so although he was a very important commander there are other there their leadership ranks go quite deep within the forces and so you know very quickly his successor was announced and i actually dont think that theres going to be much. Difference and what it will mean for the Police ForcesGoing Forward but doesnt it mean a difference for the the upper echelons of the regime in tehran given that this man according to some claims today analysts that weve been talking to here on aljazeera was saying he was maybe even being groomed to be the next Supreme Leader and now that he wasnt being groomed to be the next supreme i mean i disagree with that analysis he was a very powerful figure within iran however you really need to understand the ways in which the revolutionary guard reforms there may information came in the iran iraq war in which they were fighting asymmetrical warfare against iraq that was being backed severely by the United States and western powers at the time in the 1980 s. What that meant is that they had to fight in an asymmetrical way and throughout the years what they developed it was a system by which they they created ad hoc Leadership Structures i studied them for 10 years in iran and i saw whether they were functioning within the irans borders are outside of its borders there are many people within the revolutionary guard who have the ability to make decisions who have the ability to make and create relationships and maintain them across iran is borders so this was in no way something that was something only that so they money could do. Donald Trumps Administration<