Iran deployed missiles to 'save face' after US killed Soleimani, expert says

When Iran chose to attack U.S. forces at two Iraqi bases on Tuesday, it relied on its missile arsenal, which is considered the largest in the region. The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday evening that Iranian forces fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at the bases, though officials were not able to confirm what types of missiles may have been used. "I don't even know if the people on the ground know that yet," Pentagon spokesman John Supple told the Washington Examiner.

A spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. operations in Iraq, told the Washington Examiner that 10 of the missiles hit Al Asad air base, a joint Iraqi-U.S. facility in western Iraq. Five missiles targeted a base in Erbil in the country's north, but only one successfully hit the base. Pentagon officials could not confirm if the four failed missiles reached their targets or were shot down by air defenses. While Iran has a large and diverse missile arsenal, experts told the Washington Examiner the country likely used what are known as short-range ballistic missiles in the attack, weapons with a range of 620 miles or less. "If I had to guess, Iran relied on the Fateh class or any of its variants here," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who studies Iranian security, said. "As a reminder, the Fateh class are Iran's most accurate missile."

The Fateh, which has been in service since 2004, is also capable of being fired from mobile launch platforms and is powered by solid fuel, meaning it can be quickly deployed. It can carry a payload of more than 1,000 pounds and is capable of carrying a conventional or chemical warhead, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Matthew Kroenig, a former CIA and Department of Defense analyst who studies missile defense at the Atlantic Council, said Iran might have also used Shahab missiles, which have a range of about 800 miles. He added that they were likely to have carried conventional warheads. "No indication that it's a chemical or biological attack, though sometimes it takes a while to tell. Humans have to be infected and then get sick. Depending on what the agent is, it could take a couple of days for something like that to show up," he said. Iran invested heavily in its missile stockpile following the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Decades of international sanctions limited its air force to a handful of archaic jet fighters; instead, it has focused on acquiring a wide range of missiles, some of which are capable of hitting Eastern Europe. "They picked bases that are really big, where you can hit the base without hitting anyone," Michael Pregent, a former intelligence officer who studies the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, told the Washington Examiner. "Talking to people inside government, they're saying that they think that this was a 'save face' gesture by Iran because they picked big bases and they're using missiles that were accurate enough not to hit something."

The Al Asad air base is located in Iraq's western Anbar province and is a large and well-fortified facility. It is primarily used by Iraqi and U.S. forces and was one of the largest bases used during the U.S. occupation following the invasion in 2003. In addition to its three 13,100-foot runways, several U.S. land forces from the Army and Marine Corps have been stationed at Al Asad. Pregent said that both Al Asad and the Erbil bases would likely be prepared for an attack like the one they experienced Tuesday night. "Especially since our special operations missions are conducted out of that Erbil joint base. It's probably going to be the one that's most heavily fortified since it is the closest to the [Iranian] border," he said. Pregent said sources inside the U.S. government have told him that there were no U.S. casualties in the attack, which is why he said he believes the attack was more a "show of force" than an all-out attack. "You hit the Sunni region, where Al Asad is in al Anbar province, and then you hit the Kurds to send a message," Pregent said. Kroenig also noted that a salvo of slightly more than a dozen missiles is relatively small, considering Iran's large stockpile. "So, my read is that this was their attempt at a 'Goldilocks' type strike to show that they were striking back without provoking a major war with the United States," he said.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/iran-used-missiles-on-us-bases-to-save-face-after-us-killed-soleimani

Fateh-110

https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/fateh-110/

House Republican proposes using tax code to combat climate change

Republican Rep. Tom Reed will unveil a bipartisan bill Wednesday to provide federal tax subsidies for “first-of-a-kind” clean energy technologies for combating climate change. “We are putting our thumb on the scale to encourage energy innovation through the tax code,” Reed, a centrist from New York, told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive preview of his bill. Many Republicans have supported providing tax subsidies for renewable energy, but the party has mostly focused on increasing research and development spending to address climate change. Reed's legislation would go beyond what other Republicans have proposed. “Hopefully, this shows there are Republicans who want to come to a compromise position on climate change and use the tax code in a way that can solve this problem,” Reed said of his bill.

Reed’s Energy Sector Innovation Credit is unique in that it is technology-neutral, providing new electricity sector tax credits to use applications rather than specific energy sources. So, while existing clean energy tax policy provides subsidies for wind and solar, for example, Reed’s bill would direct credits to applications such as energy storage, carbon capture for natural gas plants, advanced nuclear reactors, and offshore wind. The existing subsidies for wind and solar have helped drive their costs down and make renewables competitive with fossil fuels. Reed’s credits are intended to similarly boost advanced technologies that are new and not yet proven but would be critical to working with wind and solar to cut emissions. “What I have seen through tax credits is, when you pick winners and losers, it can become heavily distortive,” Reed said. “This is about leveling the playing field by making it technology-neutral and open to reward innovation.” Reed's office has not yet scored the legislation for its effect on government revenue but is in the process of doing so. Reed, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, is introducing the bill with Democrats on the panel, Reps. Tom Suozzi of New York and Jimmy Panetta of California. Democrat Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Republicans Darin LaHood of Illinois and David Schweikert of Arizona are also co-sponsors. “We need an all-of-the-above approach, focusing on every option that can improve energy efficiency for our country,” Gottheimer told the Washington Examiner.

Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, expressed openness to Reed's bill. “The key to tackling climate change is American innovation, not through burdensome regulations and tax hikes,” Brady said. “We also know that any solution must be bipartisan, and I want to applaud Tom for leading the charge on this bill, reaching across the aisle to build consensus and support.” The bill has earned widespread praise, with conservatives, environmental groups, utilities, and clean energy groups all issuing supportive statements. That includes the American Council on Renewable Energy, a trade group that unsuccessfully pushed hard for Congress to extend expiring tax credits for wind and solar as part of December’s year-end spending bill.

Reed’s bill would prevent wind and solar projects that receive existing incentives such as the Investment Tax Credit or Production Tax Credit from using the new subsidy. But it would benefit technologies that complement renewables, such as energy storage, which can provide backup power when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. “We commend Rep. Reed’s commitment to energy innovation and look forward to working with him on the Energy Innovation Credit Act as the legislation moves forward,” said Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/house-republican-proposes-using-tax-code-to-combat-climate-change

>>7748535

Agreed, he should be a demonrat, he's not aligned with Trumps values whatsoever.

>>7748674

Very interesting call sign…Mix of Soleimani & Obama…hmmm