Patrick Cockburn discusses the recent killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani at an airport in Baghdad. Cockburn is surprised by the boldness of the move, and thinks Iran will respond, though not necessarily in a dramatic or immediate way. More likely, he says, Iran will try to increase its influence in Iraq and force the U.S. out, which should be easier now that the killing of Soleimani—generally unpopular with Iraqis—has actually made him a martyr of American authoritarianism.

Discussed on the show:

• “Iraq’s worst fears have come true – they are now at the centre of a proxy war between the US and Iran” (Independent)

Patrick Cockburn is the Middle East correspondent for The Independent and the author of The Age of Jihad and Chaos & Caliphate.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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