memeorandum: Stop saying Biden is the ‘most electable’. Trump will run rings round him (Nathan Robinson/The Guardian)

1:55 PM ET, January 5, 2020

Top Items:

The Latest: Iraq parliament votes to expel US military — BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on U.S.-Iran tensions (all times local): — Iraq's parliament has voted to expel the U.S. military from the country. — Lawmakers voted Sunday in favor of a resolution that calls for ending foreign military presence in the country.

Discussion: The Hill and The Week

New York Times:

As Tensions With Iran Escalated, Trump Opted for Most Extreme Measure — While senior officials argue the drone strike was warranted to prevent future attacks, some in the administration remain skeptical about the rationale for the attack. — WASHINGTON — In the chaotic days leading …

Discussion: Mother Jones, Vanity Fair, Common Dreams, Shadowproof, Raw Story, Slate, The Hill, CNBC, middleeastmonitor.com, Just Security, Alternet.org, Radio Free Europe, OZY, Daily Kos, Mediaite, HuffPost, New York Post and Yahoo Finance

Erin Cunningham / Washington Post:

Iraq's prime minister says ‘urgent measures’ should be taken to remove foreign forces — ISTANBUL — Iraq's prime minister Sunday urged parliament to take “urgent measures” to force the withdrawal of foreign forces following a U.S. drone strike that killed a senior Iranian commander and key Iraqi militia leader in Baghdad last week.

Discussion: Politico, Mother Jones, Breitbart, IRNA English, YouTube and Axios

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

HUGE — BREAKING NEWS: Iranian Regime Offers $80 MILLION for President Trump's Head! —VIDEO — On Friday morning the United States killed General Qassim Soleimani, a top commander of Iran's al-Quds Force, in an airstrike at Baghdad's International Airport.

Discussion: Jihad Watch

New York Times:

Iran and U.S. Updates: Iran Ends Its Commitment to 2015 Nuclear Deal — Many in Iraq considered America's killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, a top Iranian commander, in Baghdad as an assault on its sovereignty. — RIGHT NOW Tehran said in a statement that it would no longer abide by the limits of the 2015 agreement.

New York Times:

U.S.-Led Coalition Halts ISIS Fight as It Steels for Iranian Attacks — American forces in Iraq and Syria will now focus on protecting themselves. — WASHINGTON — The American-led coalition in Iraq and Syria has halted its yearslong mission of attacking the Islamic State and training local forces …

New York Times:

Iraqi Lawmakers Urge End to U.S. Troop Presence as Iran Mourns a Slain General — The vote in Parliament, after the U.S. killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani of Iran in Baghdad, is not final until Iraq's prime minister signs the bill. — BAGHDAD — Lawmakers in Iraq voted on Sunday …

Discussion: Vox, Al Jazeera, Outside the Beltway, RT Arabic, Washington Monthly, The Independent and Radio Free Europe

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

In confrontation with Iran, Trump wrestles with the shadow of Obama, ‘the metric he has to beat’ — As President Trump's allies rushed to defend his decision to authorize a drone strike that killed Iran's top military commander, many have focused less on Qasem Soleimani than another once-prominent actor …

Discussion: Breitbart, Associated Press and One America News Network

CNN:

Exclusive: Supreme Leader's military adviser says Iran's response will be ‘against military sites’ — Tehran, Iran (CNN)The military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader said Sunday that his country's response to the killing by the United States of one its most influential commanders will certainly …

Discussion: Vox, Axios, Alternet.org, UPI, NBC News, KTLA, The Hill, New York Times and Associated Press

Greg Miller / Washington Post:

Trump faces Iran crisis with fewer experienced advisers and strained relations with traditional allies — Presidents on the brink of war tend to rely on an array of Oval Office assets: teams of experienced advisers, trusted sources of intelligence, strong ties with U.S. allies and credibility with the broad American public.

Lara Seligman / Foreign Policy:

Pentagon Chief Kept Tight Circle on Suleimani Strike — Sources say senior officials who would normally be consulted were left out of the loop. — In the hours leading up to the U.S. drone strike that killed Qassem Suleimani, Defense Secretary Mark Esper kept President Donald Trump's decision …

Zachary Cohen / CNN:

Skepticism mounts over evidence of ‘imminent’ threat that Trump says justified Soleimani killing — Washington (CNN)Top US national security officials continue to defend the Trump administration's claim that it killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in response to an imminent threat …

Discussion: Al Jazeera, Breitbart, Talking Points Memo and HuffPost

The National: Iraqi parliament votes to end US troop presence

Liz Sly / Washington Post:
Iran has vowed revenge against the U.S. But it seems to be in no hurry.

Discussion: Althouse and Stars & Stripes

Aya Batrawy / Associated Press:
Trump's threats draw Iran's cultural sites into tensions

Discussion: Axios

Isabel Coles / Wall Street Journal: Iraqi Parliament Votes in Favor of Expelling U.S. Troops

Associated Press:
Iran takes general's body on unprecedented public mournings tour

Discussion: Washington Times

Rebecca Klar / The Hill:
Schiff: I haven't seen intelligence that ‘taking out’ Soleimani would ‘stop the plotting’

Discussion: NBC News and Breitbart

ABC News:
World is safer because of Iranian commander's death: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Discussion: CNN, Politico, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Fox News, Bloomberg, Mediaite, The Week and The Hill

Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast: Mike Pompeo Insists U.S. Safer but There May Be a ‘Little Noise’ in Interim

Spencer Kimball / CNBC:
Iraqi parliament passes resolution calling for US troops to be expelled

Discussion: Townhall

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Why lying about an ‘imminent’ attack would matter

Discussion: Raw Story, Reason, Slate and HuffPost

Sun-Sentinel: As tensions with Iran escalated, Trump opted for an extreme measure. Pentagon officials were stunned.

Ben Kamisar / NBC News:
Pompeo says administration would have been ‘culpably negligent’ not to launch Soleimani attack

Discussion: Politico, New York Post, Associated Press and Mediaite

Associated Press:
Trump says 52 targets already lined up if Iran retaliates

Discussion: ABC News, ABC13, One America News Network, The Hill, Breitbart, Raw Story, Washington Post and Axios

David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
Conflict With Iran Threatens Fight Against ISIS

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

CBS News:

Sanders starts 2020 in strong position in Iowa and New Hampshire — CBS News Battleground Tracker — The New Year opens with Bernie Sanders in his best standing yet against the field in Iowa and New Hampshire. He's in a first-place tie with Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg in Iowa.

Discussion: The Hill, Common Dreams, No More Mister Nice Blog, Axios and The Week

Elena Schneider / Politico: Iran situation casts Buttigieg's candidacy in a different light

Harry Enten / CNN: It's not just the polls that show Biden and Sanders leading the primary

Trent Spiner / Politico: Flush with cash, Yang wrestles with where to spend it

Michael Scherer / Washington Post:
Crowded Democratic presidential field sprints toward ‘jump ball’ in crucial Iowa caucuses

Discussion: The Atlantic, Axios, Fox News, Blue Delaware and Breitbart

Allan Smith / NBC News:

Dems say no rush to turn over articles of impeachment, but wait won't be ‘indefinite’ — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told ABC that “the focus will be on four Republican senators” once the articles are transmitted. — As Congress prepares to return amid a weeks-long impasse …

Discussion: Politico, Fox News and The Hill

Matthew Daly / Associated Press: Small cracks have appeared in GOP unity on impeachment trial

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

Enter here to explore the alternate universe of right-wing media — Howard Polskin woke up the day after President Trump's election with a powerful feeling that he had missed something important. — “I thought I was a smart guy, but I felt very dumb on Nov. 9, 2016,” he told me.