Qasem Soleimani on the Cover of American Magazine 'Newsweek'

Previously, it was written about him that "he is both hated and admired" by his enemies (New York Times, September 2013). AFP refers to him as a "mysterious figure" and now the American weekly "Newsweek" quotes a senior Iraqi politician stating that "he is an intelligent person who loves war and knows he is skilled at it." These days, the name Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is heard in various operations in Iraq and Syria and in various media. The latest issue of "Newsweek" features an image of Qasem Soleimani on its cover and has dedicated a special report to Iran's role in Iraq centered around him. The magazine states alongside Soleimani's image on its cover: "First he fought with America, now he crushes ISIS." Newsweek writes that "today in Baghdad, most of the forces standing against ISIS are Shiites" and "a large part of the budget needed for these forces comes from Tehran." The magazine continues that "in addition to this, Tehran sent Qasem Soleimani, its military mastermind, to Iraq. Soleimani is the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, who - according to many military personnel - is a superior commander with high strategic management capabilities. This Iranian commander, who often participates in covert missions, appeared in a new mission in front of cameras and took a photo with Iraqis last September in the operational area of Amerli. This photo carried a clear message to the West that Tehran is fully present on the scene." According to Newsweek: a senior Iraqi politician who wished to remain unnamed said: "He [Soleimani] is often in Baghdad and northern Iraq, and of course, the Iraqi government is aware of this. He is an intelligent person who loves war and knows he is skilled at it." The magazine adds: Sheikh Raad al-Kafji, a former officer in the Iraqi army with artillery expertise, says that after Ayatollah Sistani's fatwa on "defending sacred places," Iraqi men "who sometimes were even 60 years old" volunteered to fight. Sheikh Raad is one of the commanders of the militia group "Kata'ib Hezbollah." "Kata'ib Hezbollah" (Hezbollah Brigades) is a group that Iranian media such as Rajanews describe as "one of the jihadist groups that carried out numerous jihadist operations against the occupiers during their presence in Iraq and has been present since the beginning of the Syrian crisis to defend the shrine of Lady Zainab, holy sites, and Shiite-populated areas in Syria." The issue of Shiite sacred places located in Iraq is considered sensitive for Iranian officials, to the extent that the Iranian president recently mentioned Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and "the sacred shrines, meaning the religious cities of all Shiites and Muslims in the world" as a "red line" for the Islamic Republic in an interview with NBC News. Hassan Rouhani also stated on Monday, September 31, referring to ISIS, that the Islamic Republic of Iran "will put the terrorists in their place." Iranian officials have stated that they have only provided "advisory, training, guidance, and general support" to Iraqi and Syrian forces, but Newsweek reports on substantial "financial payments" to some forces by Iran. The magazine continues its report: residents of Sadr City carry weapons as part of the militia defense forces to defend Baghdad. According to Sheikh Raad, Iran pays some of these individuals "up to $700" a day to fight in Syria, "but in Iraq, the money they receive is much less than that amount. Nevertheless, according to this commander of the Iraqi Shiite militia forces, Iran arms his forces." Soleimani, "the strategist, the operation leader" This week, Al-Manar, the website of the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, also published a report about Qasem Soleimani, parts of which were reflected in AFP news. Hezbollah Lebanon stated on Friday, November 28 (7 Azar) that a senior Iranian military commander has led military operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq. AFP reported quoting Al-Manar that Major General Qasem Soleimani entered Baghdad on June 10 (20 Khordad), hours after the Islamic State group (formerly ISIS) captured Mosul, "at the head of a group of Iranian and Lebanese military experts." The Al-Manar website added that Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, along with Iraqi military personnel and Shiite militias set the strategy for protecting Baghdad and its surrounding areas. At that time, the Islamic State militants were rapidly advancing in Iraqi territory. Al-Manar wrote: "His first order was to protect the communication routes from Baghdad to Samarra in the north of the country. He succeeded in driving the Islamic State militants out of this area, which is one of Iraq's vital arteries." According to the Al-Manar website, "Qasem Soleimani played a significant role in the operations to retake this communication route and has been present in all major battles against the Islamic State group in Anbar province in western Iraq." Al-Manar added that Qasem Soleimani also participated in operations in the Kurdish region of Diyala in the oil-rich Kirkuk province in eastern Iraq and in retaking the Baiji oil refinery. Iraqi officials have not yet confirmed this report. The AFP report continues that Qasem Soleimani is one of the mysterious figures rarely mentioned in Iranian media. He has gained a reputation as one of the most important security figures in the Middle East. In 2008, the U.S. accused him of training Shiite militants in Iraq to fight against Western forces. A senior Iranian judiciary official also confirmed that Qasem Soleimani participated in a military operation near Erbil alongside Kurdish forces in early August. Iranian media regularly report on the deaths of Iranian "volunteers" in the fight against the Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria. Iranian officials claim that these individuals went to these areas voluntarily to defend Shiite sacred places. Qasem Soleimani himself previously stated that "we will not cease supporting the 'resistance' for a moment," commenting on his actions that all efforts against Shiism will fail.