RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN, THE UNITED STATES AND THE BORDER

UNITED STATES AND THE BORDER REGION?

REGION? >> SO QASEM SOLEIMANI IS THE

>> SO QASEM SOLEIMANI IS THE GENERAL IN CHARGE OF IRAN'S AL

GENERAL IN CHARGE OF IRAN'S AL QUDS FORCE AND HE IS PERHAPS THE

QUDS FORCE AND HE IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER INSIDE THE

MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER INSIDE THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS OUTSIDE.

COUNTRY AS WELL AS OUTSIDE. WHY?

WHY? BECAUSE HE CONTROLS ESSENTIALLY

BECAUSE HE CONTROLS ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE COUNTRY'S SECURITY

ALL OF THE COUNTRY'S SECURITY FORCES, SERVICES INTERNALLY AS

FORCES, SERVICES INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY.

WELL AS EXTERNALLY. HIS SIGNIFICANCE IS FELT ACROSS

HIS SIGNIFICANCE IS FELT ACROSS THE REGION BECAUSE HE WAS THE

THE REGION BECAUSE HE WAS THE MAIN STRATEGIST, THE MAIN

MAIN STRATEGIST, THE MAIN ARCHITECT WITH THE NEIGHBORING

ARCHITECT WITH THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND THE PROXIES THAT

COUNTRIES AND THE PROXIES THAT IRAN SUPPORTED FROM COUNTRIES

IRAN SUPPORTED FROM COUNTRIES LIKE LEBANON WITH HEZBOLLAH,

LIKE LEBANON WITH HEZBOLLAH, YEMEN AND ELSEWHERE.

YEMEN AND ELSEWHERE. IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW

IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW IMPORTANT HE WAS THAT HE

IMPORTANT HE WAS THAT HE TRAVELED TO MOST OF THE

TRAVELED TO MOST OF THE COUNTRIES IF NOT ALL OF THEM AND

COUNTRIES IF NOT ALL OF THEM AND MET WITH THEM OPENLY TALKING

MET WITH THEM OPENLY TALKING ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIES, POLICIES

ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND TELLING THEM ABOUT WHAT IRAN

AND TELLING THEM ABOUT WHAT IRAN EXPECTED FROM THEM IN ADDITION

EXPECTED FROM THEM IN ADDITION TO GIVING THEM THE MILITARY AND

TO GIVING THEM THE MILITARY AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT THEY NEEDED.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT THEY NEEDED. SOME SAY THAT HE SINGLE-HANDEDLY

SOME SAY THAT HE SINGLE-HANDEDLY TURNED THE TIDE IN THE CIVIL WAR

TURNED THE TIDE IN THE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA WHEN THE GOVERNMENT OF

IN SYRIA WHEN THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ASSAD WAS COMING UNDER

PRESIDENT ASSAD WAS COMING UNDER PRESSURE, IT WAS SOLEIMANI WITH

PRESSURE, IT WAS SOLEIMANI WITH HIS RESOURCES AND FORCES THAT

HIS RESOURCES AND FORCES THAT TRAVELED TO THE COUNTRY AND

TRAVELED TO THE COUNTRY AND HELPED THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT

HELPED THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT THAT WAS EMBATTLED FIGHT OFF THE

THAT WAS EMBATTLED FIGHT OFF THE REBELS THAT WERE TRYING TO

REBELS THAT WERE TRYING TO OVERTHROW THAT GOVERNMENT.

OVERTHROW THAT GOVERNMENT. SO MANY SOME WAYS HE'S CREDITED

SO MANY SOME WAYS HE'S CREDITED WITH SAVING THE SYRIAN

WITH SAVING THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IN DAMASCUS AND

GOVERNMENT IN DAMASCUS AND FIGHTING OFF AL QAEDA AND SO YOU

FIGHTING OFF AL QAEDA AND SO YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW MUCH OF A

GET A SENSE OF HOW MUCH OF A WARRIOR HE WAS FROM THE IRANIAN

WARRIOR HE WAS FROM THE IRANIAN PERSPECTIVE.

PERSPECTIVE. FROM THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE HE

FROM THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING ALL

WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING ALL OF THE PARAMILITARY MILITIAS IN

OF THE PARAMILITARY MILITIAS IN IRAQ RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING

IRAQ RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING HUNDREDS OF SERVICE MEN AND

HUNDREDS OF SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN DURING THE IRAQ INVASION.

WOMEN DURING THE IRAQ INVASION. BUT FROM AN IRANIAN PERSPECTIVE

BUT FROM AN IRANIAN PERSPECTIVE THERE IS'S NO OTHER SINGLE

THERE IS'S NO OTHER SINGLE FIGURE THAT SAT AT THE NEXUS OF

FIGURE THAT SAT AT THE NEXUS OF BOTH POLICY AND STRATEGY THE

BOTH POLICY AND STRATEGY THE SAME WAY THAT QASEM SOLEIMANI

SAME WAY THAT QASEM SOLEIMANI DID.

DID. EVEN THE RITUAL LEADER OF IRAN,

EVEN THE RITUAL LEADER OF IRAN, AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI IS AN

AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI IS AN IDEOLOGICAL FIGURE.

IDEOLOGICAL FIGURE. THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE, BUT

THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE, BUT IN TERMS OF A PERSON WHO SAT AT

IN TERMS OF A PERSON WHO SAT AT THE NEXUS OF SECURITY, STRATEGY,