THE STATE DEPARTMENT TELLING AMERICANS TO LEAVE IRAQ FOR THEIR
OWN SAFETY.
RICHARD ENGEL IS THERE
AND HAS THE LATEST.
>> Reporter: THE
AFTERMATH SHOWS AN
ATTACK THAT WAS
DELIBERATE AND
SUSTAINED WITH AROUND
A HALF DOZEN
EXPLOSIONS, THE
AMERICANS FIRING WITH
DRONES CLEARLY DIDN’T
WANT TO MISS THEIR
TARGET.
IRAN’S
TARGET. IRAN’S SOLEIMANI.
IRAN’S SOLEIMANI. HE REPORTEDLY JUST GOT
INTO IRAQ FROM BEIRUT
AND WAS KILLED IN A
CONVEY OF VEHICLES
ALONG WITH A TOP IRAQI
MILITIA LEADER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
TONIGHT.
>> SOLEIMANI WAS
PLOTTING IMMINENT AND
SINISTER ATTACKS ON
AMERICAN DIPLOMATS AND
MILITARY PERSONNEL,
BUT WE CAUGHT HIM IN
THE ACT, AND TERP
TERMINATED HIM.
>> Reporter: THE
IMMINENT ATTACKS
TARGETED U.S.
DIPLOMATS, U.S.
MILITARY PERSONNEL AND
FACILITIES THAT HOUSE
AMERICANS IN IRAQ,
SYRIA, LEBANON AND THE
REGION OF THE MIDDLE
EAST.
A SENIOR STATE
DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL
TOLD REPORTERS TODAY.
QASEM SOLEIMANI WAS NO
ORDINARY GENERAL.
THE U.S. CLASSIFIED
HIM AS A TERRORIST BUT
IN IRAN, HE WAS A
NATIONAL HERO.
HE WAS IN CHARGE OF
SPREADING IRANIAN
INFLUENCE AROUND THE
WORLD, AND HE WAS
EXTREMELY GOOD AT IT.
SMART, CHARISMATIC,
RUTHLESS AND BOLD HE
KNIT TOGETHER A LOYAL
NETWORK OF ARMED
GROUPS FROM IRAQ TO
SYRIA, LEBANON TO
AFGHANISTAN.
ANY TIME IRAN ATTACKED
OIL TANKERS IN THE
PERSIAN GULF F AND
DENIED IT OR OIL
FACILITIES IN SAUDI
ARABIA AND DENIED
THAT, TOO.
U.S. OFFICIALS SAW
SOLEIMANI’S HANDY
WORK.
HIS POWER MADE
IRANIANS PROUD.
TODAY IRANIANS IN THE
THOUSANDS CAME OUT TO
SHOW THEIR LOVE AND
THEIR ANGER.
SOLEIMANI WAS ARGUABLY
IRAN’S MOST POPULAR
LEADER.
FOR YEARS SOLEIMANI
OPERATED IN THE
SHADOWS AND 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 HAS
GOTTEN BOLDER SHOWING
PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIMSELF
ON BATTLE FIELDS
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 I
TOLL
VISITED SOLEIMANI’S
FAMILY AND PROMISED
REVENGE.
THE MOST IMMEDIATE
CONCERN IS IN BAGHDAD
WHERE SHIITE LEADERS
LOYAL TO SOLEIMANI,
THE SAME MA LASHILITIA THAT
ATTACKED THE U.S. EM
EMBASSY WILL TAKE TO
THE STREETS TOMORROW
TO SHOW THEIR RAGE.
>> RICHARD JOINS US
FROM IRAQ WHERE OUR
TEAM IS HEARING LATE
WORD OF ANOTHER AIR
STRIKE.
RICHARD, WHAT DO WE
KNOW?
>> Reporter: AN IRAQI
SECURITY OFFICIAL SAID
ANOTHER CONVEY HAS
BEEN TARGETED BY AN
AMERICAN AIR STRIKE.
THIS CONVOY CARRYING
LEADERS FROM THE IRAQI
SHIITE MILITIA, THE
SAME PROTESTERS
TOMORROW, ANGRY
PROTESTS IN BAGHDAD
NOT FAR FROM THE U.S.
EMBASSY.
SO THIS COULD
ESCALATE, IT COULD
LEAD TO A CYCLE OF