Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Whitley]

Sure there is. This assumes TPTB actually tell the truth. And this administration has a major problem with that concept. They could very easily say the ones killed are MIA.

[froot loops]

Whitley you're barking up the wrong tree, please let the Iranians report it was thirty when it is was really zero. It gives everyone a way to save face and de-escalate.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Jesus, a Ukraine Airlines flight crashes not long after takeoff leaving Tehran for Kiev. Most of not all 180 on board feared dead. Going to be a lot of speculation a jumpy Iranian anti aircraft gun shot it down. And Ukraine of all countries!

[Ghengis Jon]

The Iranians are now engaged in Trumpspeak. Claiming 80 US casualties and massive damage to helicopters stationed there. Probably means that all missiles hit empty fields within the confines of the base. Question is whether or not President Shit4Brains allows the situation to de-escalate. He'll be spouting off this morning some time. Will he mock and taunt the Iranian impotent response leading to another round or will he simply bluster and threaten doing his best NoKo imitation for his slack jawed base? Iran has been punched in the nose, they have swung and missed in response. Will Trump allow Iran to declare victory and let the tensions subside? Guess we'll find out this morning when our drooling idiot speaks about their drooling idiot.

[lineygoblue]

I wonder which drooling idiot the Dems will choose to run against the current drooling idiot. Sounds like that's the only qualification to running a country ...

[iam416]

[Ghengis Jon]

Hopefully there were no casualties. No word one way or the other is hard to read but it could indicate only minimal injuries.


It doesn't seem like the Iranians have upgraded their missiles from the Iraq war of the 80's. I'm surprised there's no Patriot batteries at a base that size.

[iam416]

The one thing I do believe, with absolute certainty, is that the Iranians haven't a fucking clue how many people were killed, if any. One thing I know with certainty is that the Iranian STATE TV will say anything at this point to prop up the totalitarian regime it serves.

What I can't figure out, for the fucking life of me, is why any US news organization would tout Iranian State TV numbers as true. I can't believe it. I mean, ok -- I had a hard time stomaching CNN giving Iran's foreign minister a coddled 15 minute interview that amounted to outright propaganda. It was shameful, but it was still an interview with a key figure here (I'm also certain CNN would have done no such favor for Pompeo). But citing casualty numbers from IRAN? I dunno, man -- it's their wishful thinking and it's appalling.

I really do think this amounts to a limp-dick attempt to save face. I think anyone with a head on their shoulders knows that Iran has absolutely zero interest in an asymmetrical tit for tat with the ten thousand fucking pound gorilla. PDJT should claim victory for the US, throw in a few taunts at Iran, assure them that if they strike us again we will take swift action and move on.

Soleimani did way worse to the US over the past few years and we did nothing. It's pretty easy to let this pussy response slide.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well apparently Iraq now says even they had no injuries and that Iran gave them a heads-up before it happened and they then told us. So yeah, a face-saving thing for Iran to put on State TV. But I DO want us to stay alert for a proxy attack in upcoming weeks. This limp-dicked attack is only the "official" response we'll be getting.

As to the plane crash, Ukraine's embassy originally posted something about engine failure but has since deleted the statement. The plane itself was only 3 years old (A Boeing 737-800) and Ukraine Airlines says the pilot had a sterling record. Iran may have accidentally shot it down? Could it be another black eye for Boeing? A bomb on board?

[iam416]

Well apparently Iraq now says even they had no injuries and that Iran gave them a heads-up before it happened and they then told us. So yeah, a face-saving thing for Iran to put on State TV. But I DO want us to stay alert for a proxy attack in upcoming weeks. This limp-dicked attack is only the "official" response we'll be getting.

Yes, but Iran State TV said 30 US dead!

I'm sure proxy fighting will continue on as it has. There's nothing new there. I think to read a proxy attack as a "response" instead of as part of an on-going shitfest is wrong.

It's a little like saying PDJT "destablilized" the Middle East -- as if that shithole was a goddamn paean to stability before the terrorist general was shot.

I'll reiterate this -- I think anyone with a head on their shoulders knows that Iran has absolutely zero interest in an asymmetrical tit for tat with the ten thousand fucking pound gorilla. So even in the proxy sense, they should tread lightly.

Of course, this all assumes that PDJT just laughs at Iran and moves on instead of hitting them back.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Nothing to add ..... carry on.

A dead Iranian terrorist at the hands of the US >>>>>>a puny missile attack by Iran with out dated missiles that land harmlessly on a couple of bases that had advance warning of the attack, an Iranian accidental shoot down of a Ukrainian 737 killing all innocents aboard.

VICTORY! ..... as the slime balls in Iran slink back into the shadows.

[iam416]

I hope PDJT sees the blindingly obvious, too. I mean, Iran even went out of their way to do as little damage as possible.

[Jeff Buchanan]

A detailed look at Iran's ballistic missile capability. "Made in Iran" is the country's by-words. They have some capacity but certain technologies are missing. Iran's missile program is designed to be more of a political tool - and the attack on US bases is exactly that - than a heavy duty tactical weapon to be used on the battlefield against a conventional ground force.

"A slap in the face" per Iranian spokesmen in response to a devastating left hook that knocked the opponent to the mat. I'll take it.

https://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/missile-threat-and-proliferation/todays-missile-threat/iran/

[Jeff Buchanan]

I hope PDJT sees the blindingly obvious, too. I mean, Iran even went out of their way to do as little damage as possible.

He's been remarkably restrained in dealing with Iran. I expect that to continue.

As much as DSL will dispute this, I'm not totally convinced that all the BS about the letter saying US troops were withdrawing from Iraq wasn't "4D Chess" played by the American side as Hanni remarked up thread.

Trump's unpredictability has the potential of paying off here. The Iranian response, IMO, seems to indicate it was carefully calculated to not piss Trump off such that he might order a land assault led by the 2nd Marine Division through Kuwait to establish a wide beach head followed by a division level Mechanized and Airborne Army assault.

This kind of war gaming is done all the time and you can absolutely bet that a contingency plan for such an attack on Iran has been developed and tested and an OPORDER to carry it out is on-hand. Even if you follow the US capabilities to carry out such an operation, like I do simply reading unclassified documents available publicly, you know it can be done, would be devastating for Iran who wants no part of that.

[Dr. Strangelove]

BTW, I saw this morning that Ukraine Airlines has been operating for almost 30 years and this is the first plane it's lost in that time. So a pretty good safety record. They said the pilot was one of their best.

Seems too huge a coincidence for an airline to lose its first plane on the same night Iranian anti-aircraft batteries are on high alert war footing and it NOT have been shot down