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It's worrying how some people fall for the media narrative so much. It's even more worrying how some people take it to an even dumber level on their own.

Soleimani's not some new figure - he's been doing this for decades. The US, UK, and Israel have all had the opportunity to kill him at various times - they've all had restraint. Why? Really think long and hard about why even Israel, who've lost far more Israelis to Hezbollah attacks, would opt for restraint rather than go after this guy. Sun-Tsu once said, "if you're going to surround your enemy, leave them an escape route" - because when you've got someone feeling cornered, they'll react dangerously. I'd argue if Iran aren't cornered now, they're very fucking close to being cornered. The US-Iran tensions being ratcheted up like this started a few years back with a move from the US that did absolutely nothing for stability in the Middle East and has been consistently stoked by both sides. Both sides keep escalating, but this is an unprecedented move. And it's an option that other world leaders have had the opportunity to act on... but refrained because the risk of blowback from that move is too great. There's a reason why every world power involved in the Middle East is urging calm from Iran right now, while the orange guy is just saying "DON'T RETALIATE OR WE DO AGAIN" - Iran can't do anything meaningful to hurt the US, but Iran can do a lot to throw the region into even more chaos. Not wanting to go to war with Iran = hating Jews? In any case, this is bad for any Persian in the world who'd have hoped to see Iran open up to the rest of the world. Because what this ultimately does is tell Iran: get nukes ASAP. Iran only has to look at North Korea to see, a nuclear nation will not be bullied easily. The reformers in Iran are so badly politically damaged now, some are probably going to be barred from running for office by the Guardians Council. They're seen as the politicians that hurt Iran by sitting to the table to negotiate with the West, while the other side was saying "you can't trust the west, they'll break the deal." Hardliners are vindicated and political support for a nuclear Iran will be at an all time high. And a nuclear Iran means the Islamic Republic of Iran is here to stay for eternity.

That's managers telling the media to fuck off because they don't want to criticise their players publicly (unless they're Mourinho, in which case they have a bus they'll be pushed in front of when it's not parked).

There's not going to be a nuclear war or even a major conventional war. The Iranian regime may be run by zealots, but they're not insane - in fact if either side can be accused of a religiously fanatical, apocalyptic worldview, it's the Americans. Any major conflict would result in hundreds of thousands of not millions of deaths, and they would overwhelmingly be Middle-Eastern. The Americans would be overjoyed with that result. The Iranians, not so much. The Iranians will have to respond somehow to save face, but they'll do so in a way which does not play directly into the Americans' hands. The Americans are throwing their weight around and needling their enemies into gestures of resistance, which they can then frame as aggression.

That's why i named it ' The Big Middle Eastern Thread ' we post here any little or major event that happens there.

Adarabioyo if I remember correctly.

Quite a few. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6048922/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_6 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3420504/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_5 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6878306/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_4 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3704428/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_3 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2123969/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7405458/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1

I also agree with this. Whenever there's criticism directed to him a lot of it revolves around what he does (or doesn't) do on the pitch and religion is never mentioned. A lot of it revolves around his attitude when playing and not living up to the hype surrounding him. Nothing to do with religion when that's discussed.

There isn’t a back handed agenda. I couldn’t give a fuck about his religion. He’s a shit cunt that plays his agent off against his club and galavants all over the world whilst ‘injured’. Crying racism because of that picture is hilarious. They’ve showed pictures of him playing basketball and at his brothers testimonial without any issue. They got the same response. He’s a cancer at the club that needs removing and it’s nothing to do with Islam.

Both sides have been escalating since Trump stupidly decided to pull out of the nuke deal and reimpose sanctions as a way to get Iran to come back to the negotiating table. To which Iran responded, "fuck off, we're not negotiating with people that don't honour their deals, AGAIN." The issue here is, Iran's government is going to feel like it has to respond. Suleimani was someone people were saying the Guardians Council might pick to be Khameini's successor - this guy wasn't just an important military general to Iran, he was politically popular amongst the Iranian hardliners (who've grown in power after the US backing out of the nuclear deal). They don't want to look weak in the region, they want to remain a power player in the Middle East, and they don't want to look weak to the Iranian public - who've already broken out in massive protests against the government several times in the last few years. But I agree with this statement regarding the UK & getting involved in this shit: We're going to have other issues to sort out and BoJo will want to make the most of that big majority he's just won - I think that's why that stuff with Northern Rail is happening, he'll want to capitalise on winning in areas Tories haven't won so he can count on them again in the future.

In fairness, it's every 'great power' foreign policy. Throughout history the ones with power have manipulated, deceived and betrayed supposed allies when they saw fit. It's the way of the world. The UK just needs to keep its beak out, we are no longer an important power and just need to accept retirement. Hopefully meaning none of our young men needlessly dying.

Think you misunderstood my point regarding a sympathy piece. It’s not a sympathetic article it clearly lets you know who he is and what sort of strings he was pulling. It “sympathy piece” remark was because in lieu of the events you usually get counter pieces from folk who’re more concerned with attacking Trump than giving facts. Case in point, you have #ww3 trending and people calling Trump a warmonger & posts about distractions from impeachment. That’s farcial the Americans won’t tolerate attacks on their embassies, they consider it their soil and any attack upon it gives them a green light to take “defensive” action (bit 1984). Iran will respond but that won’t be for some time the snake has had its head cut off and it’s immediate focus will be who fills the military power vacuum left within the regime. Then it’s responses will be proxy wars by sponsoring insurgents and terror offences against US interests throughout the Middle East. Pretty much the status quo as is within the Middle East anyway, US is backing the Saudis they always will There’s no threat of WW3 because militarily nobody can compete with US drone capabilities.