Iran

[willedoo]

The latest tanker incident off Oman looks to be shaping up to be another classic false flag attack. As usual, the U.S. is accusing Iran, with Pompeo offering no evidence other than it's based on U.S. intelligence (that's got to be an oxymoron if there ever was one).

 

There's a possibility they could be right. With Shinzo Abe in Iran for talks to try and improve relations between Iran and the U.S., the obvious thing for Iran to do would be attack two ships carrying Japanese cargoes, then rescue the crews and remove and disarm the remaining limpet mines. The U.S. is claiming they rescued the crews; not sure why they disguised themselves as Iranians and took the rescued sailors to the port of Jask in Iran, though. That one's still a mystery.

 

 

[facthunter]

Pompeo and Bolton are two of the biggest warmongers you could find plus Murdoch has Trump's ear. We followed US into Iraq based on LIES about WMD's and there were none. Are we going for a repeat? The US has run out of legitimacy. Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

It's a bit like insane people are running the world. Even Hollywood couldn't make this stuff up.

 

 

[facthunter]

You are correct there..... except it's more than a BIT . effing CRAZIES ready to destroy the world. Trump doesn't have to put up a good argument . He just threatens to wipe you out in a Blinding flash in an instant. Put a ban on you trading with anyone or whack import duties on you till you do what HE says. Is this a gangster movie or something?

 

Wouldn't that be" Demanding with Menaces" which is surely a crime.. I would like to see his Tax Returns and have him do a Psych test for mental stability . I reckon that would be the end of the DON. Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

Just as an update, it looks like one crew was rescued by the Iranians. Centcom says a U.S. warship rescued the other crew. Other reports say a Dutch ship rescued them, but it's also possible they were offloaded from the Dutch vessel to the U.S. ship.

 

The interesting thing with any crime is motive. Iran has the least motive and the rebels in Yemen have nothing to gain from it. No terrorist organizations have claimed these attacks or the previous ones. So who does that leave? That part of the world gets curiouser and curiouser.

 

 

[facthunter]

There's at least 2 countries who would want a giant fight with Iran and both get US weapons Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

You're right Nev, I forgot about them. Both quite capable of doing it, and with motive.

 

 

[Yenn]

See my comment in the I like Donald part of this forum.

 

When the USA says XXX is responsible I would suggest that you take it with a big grain of salt, but I know our PM will be there saying can we join your fight, or better still fight it for you.

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

I was reading the other day that the US intelligence suggested the tanker was hit by torpedoes, but afterwards, the crew said they were hit with airborne munitions.. Hmmm.. Seems very disconerting...

 

 

[facthunter]

and the US says the Iranians were removing unexploded Limpet mines. I would trust the word of the Japanese in this one more than others. and they operate the affected ships. Nev

 

 

[Litespeed]

And why would you mine a ship above the waterline?

 

Seems like any story to approve war.

 

 

[willedoo]

An interesting development with the drone shoot down. The press tonight are saying Trump ordered a strike on Iran but ordered them to stand down in the early stages when aircraft were already in the air.

 

He might have got some sensible advice for a change, possibly to cool it and evaluate the situation a bit better. Very embarrassing for the U.S. to lose a 120 million dollar drone that was designed for high altitude flight specifically to avoid such a situation. It seems like they've finally realized that Iranian domestically made air defense systems have strong capability. The one they used can reach 80,000 feet. An air strike with loss of U.S. aircraft might not be what Trump wants at this stage.

 

The Iranians are saying they will take it to the U.N. and that they have concrete proof that the drone was in Iranian airspace. Hopefully both parties will have some sense in this.

 

 

[facthunter]

The two that Trump hired are itching for a fight and Murdoch does as well. and he's getting plenty of access to this president.. It's far too easy to start WW3..Trump promised his supporters he would get out of the ME. but He wants to sell plenty of arms to the Saudi's and the Israelis.. . Trump unilaterally pulled out of the deal with IRAN and wants everybody else to do so as well OR ELSE (for them) They behave like the biggest bully boy on the block and.answer to no one.. Nev

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Trump said the drone was in international waters. Well it wan't, but it is now.

 

 

[facthunter]

Anyhow he cancelled it because of the lives that would be lost (150) when he found out and said it was disproportionate for an unmanned drone against the wishes of the three advisors. That sounds fair enough but he will be targeted as indecisive and not tough enough by the warmongers. I think that's already started, but it could be that faced with facts which he found overwhelmingly convincing, HE DID respond and in a short time. Brinksmanship has it's dangers. People may call your bluff or mistakes get made. WW1 being an example. Nev

 

 

[Yenn]

Well it is a lot less than the cost of a U2, which also was designed to be unable to be downed. Gary Powers found out differently and did the wrong thing when he allowed himself to be captured. Of course when it was first revealed by the Russians, the US declared it couldn't be an American plane.

 

Why would the Yanks be flying a spy plane drone in International waters. They could see what they want much easier if over Iran and you could not believe that they were not spying. In the same way that it is hard to believe they are telling the truth.

 

 

[Bruce]

I agree Yenn, they have lots of satellites.

 

 

[willedoo]

The Iranians can have a sense of humour at times. I remember in 2011 when they captured the American Sentinel stealth drone. The CIA drone over Iranian territory was hacked by the Iranian cyber security forces and landed intact. Over the next few days, the U.S. denials were quite amusing and as usual, changing by the day. After a week, President Obama asked for his drone back. The Iranians made a 2' long model of it and offered it to him. Obama was not amused.

 

 

[willedoo]

Trump said the drone was in international waters. Well it wan't, but it is now.

On Twitter he said it was flying in international waters, so perhaps a hovercraft drone. He also said it was an unmanned drone. Lucky for them they didn't send a manned drone (no windows for them to look out of anyway).

 

Someone posted this on his Twitter:

 

[ATTACH]50139._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

[Marty_d]

Don't know what the text means but yes, pretty fair representation of the situation over there I reckon.

 

 

[Yenn]

US Navy downs Iranian airliner.

 

 

[willedoo]

US Navy downs Iranian airliner.

The 29th. anniversary a couple of weeks ago. Here's the Iranian viewpoint on it; well worth a read.

 

PressTV-The ‘forgotten’ US shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655

 

 

[willedoo]

An Iranian fighter jet went down near the Persian Gulf today. Hard to tell from the photo, but it looks a bit like a Phantom. Except the vertical tail looks too pointy.

 

Edit: 7/8/19 The website 'Fighter Jets World' is saying it was an F-4E Phantom.

 

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[Litespeed]

Meanwhile back at the nut farm......

 

US wants us to blockade / protect oil shipments from Iran "aggression".

 

And to place med range missiles in NT.

 

Missiles banned by treaty.

 

 

[facthunter]

Another Western Oiltanker seized today at Hormuz.. Nev