Iran Watch...

[Little John]

America is the center of the most dangerous, murderous empire the world has ever known. Its days as such are now numbered. But, these are dangerous times we live in as it flails about in its death throes.

[vtsnowedin]

America is the center of the most dangerous, murderous empire the world has ever known. Its days as such are now numbered. But, these are dangerous times we live in as it flails about in its death throes.

What makes you think it's days are numbered? If so the number might well be in the millions.

[Little John]

General Soleimani was a hero to his people. His determination to fight and, ultimately, defeat the imperialist Yank stooges in the form of the so-called Islamic State, saved the lives of countless people in Iraq, Syria and, in truth, across the globe.

His assassination by the USA is an act of state terrorism and a war crime. The threats of further terrorist aggression by Trump, should Iran take the natural and logical step to defend itself from attack by the US/Saudi/Israeli/NATO corporate crime network, is itself an expression of blackmail and tyranny.

[PS_RalphW]

Western involvement, especially UK and US has been morally questionable for at least a century, Iran is a very divided country, with a very cultured, educated and liberal middle class suppressed by a brutal theocracy supported by the conservative rural poor and funded by oil for the last 40 years. I met many cultured Iranians at university back in the 80s.

The man assassinated was probably loved and hated in equal measure.

As a tactical move in Trump's pet campaign against Iran, it stinks.

[adam2]

Please keep on the topic of Iran and matters directly related thereto.
Off topic remarks about other empires or other countries are liable to deletion unless DIRECTLY relevant to Iran.

[kenneal - lagger]

Latest news, "USA to send 3,500 more troops to the region" Various news sources report.

Yes they expect some attack in response to his execution. They hope to smash down that attack whenever and wherever it might be to bring the point home. I hope they have all the possibilities covered.

One soldier per possibility, VT?

[stumuz1]

Yes, but internet abusers are ten a penny.

You have decent arguments, let them rise to the top.

[Little John]

I have left in place your remark about the American empire, found at the top of this page, it is indeed somewhat relevant.

Sure. Bashing Americans is a-okay! But the instant we talk about the homeland, time for patriotism to kick in, the hypocrisy of the original statement must not be revealed!!

I was criticizing America as an imperial entity. Americans are not America, People are not ideas. Americans, as it happens, in my personal experience, are generally very good people with a few exceptions. Just like most people anywhere. There is, in my view, a debate to be had about how they have arguably been subjected to the most comprehensive programme of propaganda ever known by their ruling class to justify that ruling class's imperialist foreign policy. But, that is a separate issue.

[kenneal - lagger]

According to this the US has been at it again today killing six Militia commanders.

[Little John]

“We Do Not Seek War,� Says President Who Just Started A War

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2020/01/04 ... ls_oS8UwSU

President Trump has been steadfastly assuring the world that the United States government does not wish to start the war it has already started by assassinating Iran’s top general.

“We are a peace-loving nation and my administration remains firmly committed to establishing peace and harmony among the nations in the world,� Trump said in a speech at his luxury Mar-a-Lago getaway on Friday. “We do not seek war, we do not seek nation-building, we do not seek regime change, but as president I will never hesitate to defend the safety of the American people.�

“We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,� the president added.

To be clear, in no way is any part of this a thing. Assassinating a nation’s most senior military official, and then claiming that you do not wish to start a war with that nation, is not a thing.

America is at war with Iran currently. What that war will end up looking like is anyone’s guess right now, but there is no question that a war has been initiated. If any nation had assassinated a top US general via airstrike and then openly admitted to it, the US would immediately be at war with that nation. Without question. An extreme military retaliation would be in the works within minutes of the announcement, and the entire political/media class would fully support that retaliation in whatever form it took.

This may come as a surprise to some Americans, but that same principle holds true for other nations as well.

“His departure to God does not end his path or his mission, but a forceful revenge awaits the criminals who have his blood and the blood of the other martyrs last night on their hands,� Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement on Friday.

And, I mean, of course. Of course “forceful revenge� from Iran is in the mail. Only by the most bizarre American exceptionalist mental contortions could this not be blindingly obvious. The question isn’t if Iran will retaliate with extreme force, but when and where. Nobody with any functioning matter between their ears would expect anything else.

And of course the US government is now spouting completely unsubstantiated claims about General Qassem Soleimani, and of course the mass media are uncritically repeating those claims as fact, and of course the propagandized masses are regurgitating what their perception management screens have told them to believe. Trump administration officials are claiming without any evidence at all that Soleimani was plotting “imminent attacks on American diplomats and military personnel�, even going so far as trying to marry him to the 9/11 attacks and a host of other unsubstantiated excuses.

Anyone who believes any of this is a brainwashed imbecile. Because of the US government’s extensive history of lying to manufacture support for preexisting military agendas, the only sane response to unsubstantiated US government claims about targeted nations is absolute skepticism. That skepticism should remain in place until mountains of independently verifiable proof of the claims made has been provided. This is the only acceptable level of evidence that critical thinking permits in a post-Iraq invasion world.

This should be extremely obvious to everyone. The fact that it isn’t is the result of generations of increasingly sophisticated propaganda manipulating the way people think about war, what it is, and how it works. My social media notifications are currently flooded with Trump supporters assuring me that Soleimani was a “bad guy� and Trump is therefore a “good guy�, and that assassinating the top military official of a sovereign nation is a perfectly sane and acceptable thing for a government to do.

Don’t do this. Don’t advance war propaganda narratives for the US government.

Those who spread war propaganda are participating in that war just as much as those who actually go and fight in it, only they’re playing a far safer, far more cowardly, and far more dishonest role. A man who flies to Iran and murders Iranians with firearms is at least engaging in the war in a way that he will have to grapple with existentially for the rest of his life. A man who regurgitates Fox News propaganda on Twitter will then eat a pizza, have a wank, go to bed and sleep like a baby. But they both facilitated mass murder based on lies and American supremacist imperialism.

The war that Trump has started must be opposed forcefully and aggressively. Do everything you can to wake people up to what’s going on. This could get very, very ugly.

I’m going to keep following this important story and publishing regular updates as it unfolds. I encourage everyone else to pay close attention to it as well. Trump’s war with Iran should be front and center for everyone who cares about humanity.

Caitlin Johnson

[adam2]

Latest news, "USA to send 3,500 more troops to the region" Various news sources report.

Yes they expect some attack in response to his execution. They hope to smash down that attack whenever and wherever it might be to bring the point home. I hope they have all the possibilities covered.

The American armed forces are numerous and well equipped, however I am not optimistic that they can "have all the possibilities covered".
Previous experience suggests at least two possible modes of attack.
Firstly they could attack oil infrastructure in other mid east countries, such equipment is extensive and it cant all be guarded against both air attack and land based forces with rockets.
Secondly they could attack oil tankers in or near the straights of Hormuz, despite in increase in naval vessels in the area, you cant protect every ship against a determined attack.

We should also be aware that any retaliatory attack might be carried out not by official Iranian uniformed personnel, but by "independent" terrorist groups or militias that have no direct and provable connection with Iranian government.
An American response to such attacks could be a challenge, against whom would they retaliate?
Effective retaliation against a small armed group who are mobile and in an area where the local people may support them is far from easy.
Retaliation against the Iranian government could be criticised on the grounds of there being no proof that they did it.

[stumuz1]

Iran saying the US has gone into barter mode.

From the Guardian,

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... ni-killing

" Meanwhile, Iran claimed that the US had sent a note to Tehran through the Swiss embassy, which acts as an intermediary between the two foes, calling for a “proportional response� to the killing of Suleimani. “The Swiss, who represent US interests [in Iran], brought a very unwise message from the Americans, which received a firm response,� Zarif, said on TV. “The Americans made a wrong move and are now worried about its consequences.�

Wonder how many US citizens dead are acceptable? The last time the US pissed of the Iranians by shooting down an airliner by mistake, the Iranians planted a bomb on a Pan Am 747 killing 259.

[Little John]

George Galloway on current events

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTQXywgPN9U

[ReserveGrowthRulz]

Wonder how many US citizens dead are acceptable? The last time the US pissed of the Iranians by shooting down an airliner by mistake, the Iranians planted a bomb on a Pan Am 747 killing 259.

[stumuz1]

Wonder how many US citizens dead are acceptable? The last time the US pissed of the Iranians by shooting down an airliner by mistake, the Iranians planted a bomb on a Pan Am 747 killing 259.

Are you talking about the 747 that the Libyans blew up? Flight 103?

Iran Air 655 was a US shoot down, and then we paid them off later, couple hundred $1000 for each passenger.

Yes flight 103 was the Iranians.

You will need to read quite widely to gather all the evidence.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews ... r-spy.html

Here's a start for your literature review.