The Big Middle Eastern Thread

[Dr. Gonzo]

4 hours ago, Spike said:

Sometimes I think the USA secretly runs on a war economy.

I don’t think it’s that secret tbh

[6666]

Iraq tell US troops to leave, Iran end all commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal, knowing Trump, his response will be completely rational and he'll tweet about carpet bombing both countries. Think he's already bragged about how much resources the US wastes on its military.

Edited January 5, 2020 by 6666

[Fairy In Boots]

 

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/iran-past-the-paranoia/

A 12 year old Peter Hitchens article that I read today. 

[Michael]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51001167

As was kind of expected, Iran is no longer going to follow the restrictions imposed by the 2015 Nuclear deal which they had. So Iran will now resume it's nuclear programme.

[Machado]

12 hours ago, Spike said:

Sometimes I think the USA secretly runs on a war economy.

 

[Michael]

Second day of the funeral procession and there is still a huge turnout. There have been plenty of burnings of the US and Israeli flags as well. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Michael

[Harry]

 

[Panflute]

On 05/01/2020 at 15:05, Spike said:

Sometimes I think the USA secretly runs on a war economy.

What do you mean 'secretly'? 

[Dr. Gonzo]

5 hours ago, Harry said:

 

Straight out of the taliban playbook. All of these right wing extremists are the fucking same.

[Dr. Gonzo]

23 hours ago, Fairy In Boots said:

 

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/iran-past-the-paranoia/

A 12 year old Peter Hitchens article that I read today. 

It's an interesting article. Peter Hitchens (and his late brother, Christopher) are two very smart people that were capable of navigating around complex thoughts. Even if I don't/didn't always agree with them. And I'm not surprised, because if you read up on them... they themselves are/were (weird using present & passed tense, but ya know... with Christopher dead I do have to) pretty complicated people. I think you have to be a pretty complex person to go from being an atheist to finding God in the modern era, for instance - because that's mental, but I don't think Peter Hitchens is crazy. He's also a Conservative with views on Brexit that I could have gotten behind - but that's besides the point.

I think that article does a good job of showing how complex Iran is, societally and politically. For people who only know of Iran and Iranians as embassy storming, DEATH TO AMERICA, radicals... I think reading that article may be a good idea. It's a humanising article about a part of the world and a country that the media's done a good job of dehumanising over the decades that have passed.

Sadly, I think this was written in a time where the JCPOA probably wasn't contemplated. Which is a shame, because I'd like to have seen his thoughts on what he would have thought about getting the Islamic Republic to the negotiating table and actually being able to participate more in the global economy would have meant. And I think that certainly means the deterioration of Western-Iranian relations after Trump pulling out of the JCPOA & the escalation in tensions we've seen wasn't contemplated... nor was Iran holding out on hoping the US would come back to the deal, up until the Suleimani assassination and them deciding "fuck this, we're going back to building nukes."

I just hope war is avoided. But the rollercoaster ride of tension since 2015 makes me wonder: will Iran ever willingly sit back to negotiate with the US or west ever again after this debacle with the US abandoning the JCPOA?

[Harry]

Still so much depends on trump and how his presidency ends. If it doesn't end in terrible fashion with people on both sides seeing it was wrong then America is in big trouble.

Don Jr is currently a favoured candidate to run in 2024. 

[Azeem]

Countries whose major oil supplies come from Strait of Hormuz are China, Japan and India, if a war happens and the Strait of Hormuz is blocked these countries would be effected the most. US doesn't depend on the Strait as much as it used to do maybe that's why they decided to take the step when they will not be as effected by the blockage.

If it happens then Port of Adan would be the best option and Japan has already sent their troops to protect their oil tankers.

[Dr. Gonzo]

47 minutes ago, Harry said:

Don Jr is currently a favoured candidate to run in 2024. 

Jesus fucking Christ what in the fuck is wrong with the American right?

[Harry]

4 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Jesus fucking Christ what in the fuck is wrong with the American right?

My guess is the ones from lower socioeconomic demographics are angry and rebelling from years of being treated with contempt.

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 hour ago, Harry said:

My guess is the ones from lower socioeconomic demographics are angry and rebelling from years of being treated with contempt.

So they’re going for candidates born into wealth that aren’t really relatable to them at all?

[Harry]

21 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

So they’re going for candidates born into wealth that aren’t really relatable to them at all?

They are going for candidates that have as much contempt for government and establishment and Democrat as they do themselves.

[Harry]

Gotta hand it to George Conway for his tweets.

 

[6666]

14 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

So they’re going for candidates born into wealth that aren’t really relatable to them at all?

Well that's how things work in the UK...

[Harry]

On 06/01/2020 at 04:02, Azeem said:

Iraqi Prime Minister said in the parliament that Saudis had offered to defuse the tensions and lower the proxy wars with Iran and Soleimani was carrying a message from the Iranian leadership in response to the offer from Saudi Arabia when America killed him.

 

[6666]

Like we're supposed to trust one of Trump's goons..?

Anyway, Iran launched a few missiles at a base in Iraq where there are US troops. Iraq is basically just a battlefield for two other countries now.

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 hour ago, Harry said:

 

Pompeo's a twat that's wanted war with Iran for decades & almost everything that comes out of the Trump administration is bullshit though. I'd be inclined to go with what the Iraqi PM, who has to work with both sides, says.

Unfortunately, I think shits about to get a whole lot worse because Iran has launched a dozen ballistic missiles at 2 US military bases in Iraq.

[Berserker]

Now confirmed by the Pentagon, it has started.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I'm scared for my family that's there  

[Harry]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Pompeo's a twat that's wanted war with Iran for decades & almost everything that comes out of the Trump administration is bullshit though. I'd be inclined to go with what the Iraqi PM, who has to work with both sides, says.

Unfortunately, I think shits about to get a whole lot worse because Iran has launched a dozen ballistic missiles at 2 US military bases in Iraq.

I still haven't seen the comments of the Iraq PM reported in any western media source. I'd say Pompeo has marginally more credibility than the Iran Foreign Minister. But that's a huge indictment of how bad things are under trump. Normally you would believe your own secretary of state as correctly relaying the intelligence provided by their intelligence community.

1 hour ago, Berserker said:

Now confirmed by the Pentagon, it has started.

Haven't the been rockets launched by Iran previously? What's different here?

[Berserker]

4 minutes ago, Harry said:

I still haven't seen the comments of the Iraq PM reported in any western media source. I'd say Pompeo has marginally more credibility than the Iran Foreign Minister. But that's a huge indictment of how bad things are under trump. Normally you would believe your own secretary of state as correctly relaying the intelligence provided by their intelligence community.

Haven't the been rockets launched by Iran previously? What's different here?

As far as i know it's the first time Iran has attacked an US base.