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A8 NATION/WORLD East Oregonian Saturday, January 4, 2020 Iran vows to respond for Soleimani killing By QASSIM ABDUL- ZAHRA AND ZEINA KARAM Associated Press BAGHDAD — Iran vowed “harsh retaliation” for a U.S. airstrike near Bagh- dad’s airport that killed a top Iranian general who had been the architect of its inter- ventions across the Middle East, and the U.S. announced Friday it was sending more troops to the region as ten- sions soared in the wake of the targeted killing. The killing of Gen. Qas- sem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Wash- ington and Iran, which has careened from one crisis to another since President Don- ald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions. The United States said it was sending nearly 3,000 more Army troops to the Middle East and urged Amer- ican citizens to leave Iraq “immediately” following the early morning airstrike at Baghdad’s international air- port that Iran’s state TV said killed Soleimani and nine others. The State Department said the embassy in Baghdad, which was attacked by Iran- backed militiamen and their supporters earlier this week, is closed and all consular ser- vices have been suspended. Around 5,200 American troops are based in Iraq to AP Photo This photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Offi ce shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, early Friday. The Pentagon said Thursday that the U.S. military killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump. train Iraqi forces and help in the fi ght against Islamic State group militants. Defense offi cials, who made the announcement about the new troops, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a deci- sion not yet announced by the Pentagon. U.S. embassies also issued a security alert for Americans in Lebanon, Bah- rain Kuwait and Nigeria. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned “harsh retaliation is waiting” for the U.S. after the airstrike, calling Solei- mani the “international face of resistance.” Khamenei declared three days of public mourning and appointed Maj. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, Solei- mani’s deputy, to replace him as head of the Quds Force. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the killing a “heinous crime” and vowed his country would “take revenge.” Iran twice sum- moned the Swiss envoy, the fi rst time delivering a letter to pass onto the United States. Thousands of worshippers in the Iranian capital Teh- ran took to the streets after Friday Muslim prayers to condemn the killing, wav- ing posters of Soleimani and chanting “Death to deceitful America.” The targeted strike, and any retaliation by Iran, could ignite a confl ict that engulfs the whole region, endanger- ing U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Over the last two decades, Soleimani had assembled a network of heav- ily armed allies stretching all the way to southern Lebanon, on Israel’s doorstep. However, the attack may act as a deterrent for Iran and its allies to delay or restrain any potential response. Oil prices surged on news of the airstrike and markets were mixed. The killing promised to further strain relations with Iraq’s government, which is allied with both Washing- ton and Tehran and has been deeply worried about becom- ing a battleground in their rivalry. Iraqi politicians close to Iran called for the country to order U.S. forces out. The Defense Department said it killed the 62-year-old Soleimani because he “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” It also accused Soleimani of approving the orchestrated violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The strike, on an access road near Baghdad’s airport, was carried out Friday by an American drone, according to a U.S. offi cial. Soleimani had just disem- barked from a plane arriving from either Syria or Lebanon, a senior Iraqi security offi - cial said. The blast tore his body to pieces along with that of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Ira- nian-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobi- lization Forces. A senior pol- itician said Soleimani’s body was identifi ed by the ring he wore. Iran’s state TV said Fri- day 10 people were killed in the airstrike, including fi ve Revolutionary Guard mem- bers and Soleimani’s son-in- law, whom he did not identify . ‘Millions of sparks’: Weather raises Australia’s fi re danger By SHONAL GANGULY AND STEVE MCMORRAN Associated Press SYDNEY — Wildfi res raging across Australia have prompted one of the largest evacuations in the country’s history, as what is already the worst season on record is likely to become even more devastating due to hot weather and strong winds. More than 200 fi res were burning, and warnings of extreme danger to come Saturday prompted mass evacuations. Traffi c was gridlocked as people fl ed and fi refi ghters escorted convoys of evacuees as fi res threatened to close roads. Navy ships were called in to pluck hundreds of people stranded on beaches. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews declared a disas- ter across much of the east- ern part of the state, allow- ing the government to order evacuations in an area with as many as 140,000 perma- nent residents and tens of thousands more vacationers. “If you can leave, you must leave,” Andrews said. The early and devastat- ing start to Australia’s sum- mer wildfi res has already burned about 12.35 million acres of land, left at least 19 people dead, and destroyed more than 1,400 homes. That’s more acres burned in Australia than any one year in the U.S. since Harry Tru- man was president. In South Australia state, fi re offi cials said the weather conditions were cause for concern because fi res were still burning or smoldering. “The ignition sources are already there,” Country Fire Service chief offi cer Mark Jones said. “There are mil- lions of sparks out there ready to go if they break containment lines.” This week, at least 445 homes were destroyed on the New South Wales south- ern coast and dozens were burned in Victoria. Ten deaths have been confi rmed in the two states this week, and Victoria authorities also said 28 people are missing. Fires are also burning in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. The navy evacuated hun- dreds from Mallacoota, a coastal town in Victoria cut off for days by wildfi res that forced as many as 4,000 res- idents and tourists to shelter on beaches. Landing craft ferried people to the HMAS Choules offshore. Evacuees waiting to board the ship described smoke and embers fl ying everywhere when the fi res were at their worst. “It’s just scary waiting,” Dani Barmeister told Chan- nel Nine. Choules Commander Scott Houlihan said 963 people had signed up for AP Photo/Rick Rycroft A fi refi ghter covers his face to block smoke as he battles a fi re near Bendalong, Australia, on Friday. evacuation by sea and more had been airlifted to safety. In New South Wales, a state of emergency and a total fi re ban were in place. State Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers urged people to not wait to leave, noting four people in the state died in their cars as they made late attempts to fl ee. “We know people have got a little bit of fi re fatigue. They’ve been dealing with this now for months,” Rog- ers said. “But we need peo- ple to stay focused. Tomor- row is not the day to drop your guard.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was inclined to cancel a sched- uled trip to India later this month because of the wild- fi res. In December, he cut short a family holiday in Hawaii in the face of public anger at his absence. He made the remarks in Bairnsdale, Victoria, where he received a warmer wel- come than he had in another wildfi re-ravaged town a day earlier. Morrison cut short Thursday’s visit to Cobargo in New South Wales when locals yelled at him, called him an “idiot” and criti- cized him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fi res in town. In a radio interview, Morrison said he under- stood the anger of people affected by the fi res. “People are angry and people are raw and peo- ple are upset,” he said. “Whether they are angry with me or they are angry about the situation, all I know is they are hurting and it’s my job to be there to try and offer some com- VISIT US ON THE WEB AT EastOregonian.com at the Museum Kirkman House Museum, Walla Walla This murder mystery game is loosely based on Clue™ but to solve the mystery you must search the house... in the dark... with only a lantern to guide your search for clues... Scary? You Bet! A fun group activity for 5 to 8 people. Check the web site for days and times. Available for private parties. Tickets and more information at: kirkmanhouse.org $20 per person fort and support.” In an interview late Fri- day with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s “A Current Affair,” Morri- son was defensive about his handling of the crisis. He denied ignoring the warn- ings of fi re chiefs that Aus- tralia was heading into a catastrophic fi re season. “I listen to the fi re chiefs that are in their jobs now,” he said. “They provided those exact same warnings and prepared our services to deal with the situation.” He has repeatedly asserted the fi res are a natu- ral disaster, not the result of climate change exacerbated by Australia’s dependence on coal and other fossil fuels. Experts say climate change has exacerbated the unprecedented wildfi res around the world, including those in California. Smoke from the wild- fi res has choked air quality and turned daytime skies to near-nighttime dark- ness in the worst-hit areas. The smoke has also blown across the Tasman Sea into New Zealand, where skies are hazy and glaciers have turned a deep caramel brown. The color change may cause more melt- ing since the glaciers will refl ect less sunlight. 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