Recently in Middle East Category

Good work Coast Guard - drug bust

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From Task & Purpose:

Coast Guard seizes $20 million in drugs in the Arabian Sea
The U.S. Coast Guard made a major drug bust on Saturday, seizing more than 1,500 kilograms of narcotics from a fishing boat moving through the Arabian Sea. The USCG John Scheuerman was on a routine patrol in the sea when it encountered the vessel.

The fishing ship, sailing with a crew of four, was carrying 1,350 kilograms of hashish, 276 kilograms of methamphetamine and 23 kilograms of amphetamine pills, which the Coast Guard said had a street value of $20 million. It’s unclear how they came to that estimation. A photo shared by the Coast Guard shows service members conducting an inventory of the cargo next to a large pile of bags filled with drugs plus taped bundles of narcotics

They also seized 170 tons of explosive material, and 2,000+ rifles, as well as ammunition, fuel and rocket propellant
Quite the active area.  These people are not our friends.

I remember when we had it on the ropes. They were not going to pursue enrichment.
From Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

Iran Seals Cameras Installed At Nuclear Facilities By UN Watchdog
Iran has collected and sealed cameras used by the UN atomic watchdog to monitor its nuclear program, the Fars news agency reported on July 26, citing the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

On July 25, Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, said 27 cameras installed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would not be reactivated until a deal is reached to restore a 2015 nuclear agreement with global powers.

Iran turned off the surveillance cameras at several nuclear facilities last month in response to a resolution from the IAEA board of governors demanding Iran cooperate with UN inspectors looking into undeclared nuclear sites.

Just wonderful. Just what we need - irrational fundamentalists with a big red button of their very own. They will lose with any scenario - Mecca will be a glass sheet if they try anything but the rest of the world will suffer along.

Afghanistan - going back in

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President Trump had a very solid roadmap for disengaging from the Middle East.
It seems our cultural elites do not want to do this - they like war. It makes their bagmen rich.
Some headlines:

That first link is priceless - Oh Pretty Please.  Please spare our little embassy when you sack Kabul.

The embassy would be the first place I would go - get the names of all of the people still in Afghanistan who helped us.  The tribal leaders who wanted a life of freedom.  The translators, the whistleblowers.  All of those people will be cruelly murdered in front of their family.  If their family is not murdered in front of them first. Taliban is the perfect definition of evil.

And of course, this just turned up:

Actually, given their treatment of their native Muslim population, I would say: "let them have it" - keep them otherwise occupied for the next 20-50 years until they have enough and call it quits.

The people running this administration are incompetent.
I would not trust Pelosi or Schumer to run an ice cream cart let alone a Nation.

Wanna bet it was Lactated Ringer's?

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Iran developing a vaccine?  If I were a drinking man, there would be beer all over my monitor and keyboard.
From Breitbart:

Ayatollah Khamenei Gets Homemade Coronavirus Vaccine on TV
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei received his first dose of “CovIran Barekat,” a Chinese coronavirus vaccine candidate allegedly produced by Iranian scientists, in a ceremony broadcast live on Iranian state television Friday, Iran’s state-run PressTV reported.

“On Friday morning, Ayatollah Khamenei received his first dose of the CovIran Barekat vaccine, which was approved for emergency mass application by the country’s Health Ministry earlier this month,” the Tehran-based news outlet reported.

“After receiving the vaccine, the Leader thanked all those who were involved in the development of the homegrown vaccine, which was produced as part of a project led by the Headquarters for the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order, a charitable organization headed by Mohammad Mokhber,” according to PressTV.

Photo at the site - guy has serious wet noodles for arms. Does he work at all?
A 6-year-old could trounce him at arm wrestling.

Here: Lactated Ringer's - totally safe if you wanted to fake an injection.

Couple hundred comments on the site noting that the one Doctor was wearing his mask wrong and the way the syringe was being held and the shot administered were very very wrong. I don't think I am going to Iran for Medical Tourism anytime soon.

The fun never stops over there - from The Jerusalem Post:

Iran nuclear centrifuge facility substantially damaged in attack - sources
A sabotage operation against one of the buildings of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) caused major damage – despite Iranian denials, The Jerusalem Post learned on Wednesday night.

Although Iran has claimed throughout the day that the sabotage failed and caused no damage or casualties, the Post has been given strong indications otherwise, though it has no way to independently confirm.

The Post also reported that the attacked site was likely one of Iran’s centrifuge manufacturing sites, which meant a major setback for the Islamic Republic’s uranium enrichment program for nuclear weapons.

Heh - they want to get "The Bomb"  Let's give them one - detonated about 80 miles above ground. Shut them down for a while.

Best and brightest - Iran

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It's what happens when you substitute ideology for education. From the London Daily Mail:

Two Iranian fighter jet pilots are killed when ejector seats activate before take-off 'and smash them into hangar roof'

    • Fatal accident happened when the jet's ejector seats malfunctioned, activated
    • Took place at the Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base, 444km south of capital Tehran
    • Iranian State TV identified the F-5 pilots as Kianoush Basati and Hossein Nami

Two Iranian fighter jet pilots were killed on Tuesday when their ejector seats activated before take-off, smashing them into the hangar roof.

State broadcaster IRIB reported the F-5 fighter jet had a 'technical problem' that killed both the pilots, identified as as Kianoush Basati and Hossein Nami.

The report said the incident unfolded at Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base, approximately 270 miles south of the capital Tehran, and near the Iraq border.

According to BBC Persian, ejector seats were 'wrongly activated' for both the front and rear cockpit pilots. Both men 'lost their lives due to a severe impact with the roof of the hangar', the report added.

Quick trip to Allah - hope they enjoy those 72 raisins.

Heh - sucks to be you Iran

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From American Military News:

US seizes Iran’s state TV website, two other Iran-linked media websites
This week the U.S. Justice Department seized the websites of multiple Iranian media sites, including Iran’s state-run Press TV.

Currently, the websites for Press TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting’s (IRIB) Al-Alam TV channel and the Yemeni Al-Masirah TV — which is operated by the Iran-linked Yemeni Houthi movement — all have a Department of Justice disclaimer image announcing the website seizures.

The DOJ disclaimer on each website states the particular domain “has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant issued pursuant to the 18 U.S.C. §§ 981, 982, and 50 U.S.C. 1701-1705 as part of a law enforcement action by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

Surprised that they did not host their own websites or that they did not go with one of the dark web hosts out there.

That has to rankle - they supposedly have some moral "high ground" but they get smacked down and their lunch money stolen by the Great Satan every time they turn around. Sucks to be them.

Wonder how fast it will take for his handlers to capitulate on every demand. From FOX News:

Iran's president-elect won’t meet Biden, demands US ‘lift all oppressive sanctions’
Iran's president-elect said Monday he wouldn't meet with President Joe Biden nor negotiate over Tehran's ballistic missile program and its support of regional militias, sticking to a hardline position following his landslide victory in last week's election.

Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi also described himself as a "defender of human rights" when asked about his involvement in the 1988 mass execution of some 5,000 people. It marked the first time he's been put on the spot on live television over that dark moment in Iranian history at the end of the Iran-Iraq war.

"The U.S. is obliged to lift all oppressive sanctions against Iran," Raisi said at the news conference.

Well, that Orange Man was mean to them.  If we are nice to them, they will be nice to us.
Clueless.

Could not be happening to a nicer regime - from The Jerusalem Post:

Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant has emergency shutdown - state TV
Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant underwent an emergency shutdown, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization reported that a technical defect in the power plant led to the plant being temporarily shut down and disconnected from the national electricity grid, according to the Iranian Fars News Agency. The AEO stated that the plant would be reconnected to the electricity grid in the next few days.

The deputy coordinator of the Iran Power Transmission, Generation and Distribution Company (​TAVANIR) told Fars that the plant was temporarily closed for "technical repairs," which would continue for about three to four days.

Only a few comments at the site but they are spot-on.  This one in particular:

Wait for the right moment and then cut off the wider electricity supply. A few summer days without aircon, refrigeration and other basic necessities might get millions of angry people out onto the street. It could be enough to provoke a 'Ceausescu moment'.

Perfect solution.  The people would be so much better off if they threw off the chains of tyrany and opression. I could not imagine living in a state controlled by terror. They need to join the rest of civilization and enjoy life. Boot the kleptocrats out of office.

More fun in Iran

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Turns out, it is not just the ship and the refinery.
Don Surber puts two and two together - a fun post:

Mossad chief retires. Iranian ship catches fire.
What do you get a spy who is retiring from Mossad after 28 years? A gold watch seems insufficient.

How about a steep drop in Iran's production of enriched uranium?

Or maybe the sinking of an Iranian ship.

Or maybe destroying an Iranian oil refinery.

Can't decide? Do all three.

DEBKA reported, "The nuclear watchdog reported a substantial drop in production at Natanz, Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site on Monday, June 1, at the same time as a farewell event was taking place in Tel Aviv to mark Yossi Cohen’s departure from 28 years as a member of the Mossad spy agency and the last five as its director.

Quite the retirement gift. Interesting that the Mossad chiefs serve a single term of five years.  No entrenchment there.  Our own government could do well by doing this. No term limits is about 80% of how the deep-state stays in power.

Curious - Iran refinery

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Seems to be a bit of a fire problem over there.  From the Associated Press:

Massive fire breaks out at oil refinery near Iran’s capital
A massive fire broke out Wednesday night at the oil refinery serving Iran’s capital, sending thick plumes of black smoke over Tehran. It wasn’t immediately clear if there were injuries.

The fire struck the state-owned Tondgooyan Petrochemical Co. to the south of Tehran, said Mansour Darajati, the director-general of the capital’s crisis management team.

Firefighters believe it struck a pipeline for liquefied petroleum gas at the facility, Darajati told Iranian state television. He did not elaborate.

Associated Press journalists in central Tehran, some 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) away, could see the black smoke rise in the distance. Another AP journalist saw flames shooting into the sky from the site.

Heh - see how you like terrorism now that it is happening to you instead of the other way around.
Sucks doesn't it...

Fun news to wake up to - from FOX News:

Iran's largest warship catches fire, sinks in Gulf of Oman
The Iranian navy's largest warship caught fire and sank Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman, according to reports.

The support warship Kharg sank under unclear circumstances near the Iranian port of Jask, about 790 miles southeast of Tehran, semiofficial news agencies reported.

Firefighters tried to contain the blaze, which ignited around 2:25 a.m., but efforts to save the Kharg – named after the island that serves as the main oil terminal for Iran – were unsuccessful, according to the Fars and Tasnim news agencies.

Just a little spot of bad luck - that's all... 😁

From The Gateway Pundit:

Biden Imports Oil from Iran After Shutting Down Keystone Pipeline and Putting US Oil Workers Out of Work
Canceling the Keystone Pipeline costs over 11,000 construction jobs and 42,100 jobs throughout the US during the construction process according to the US State Department.

Then in May Joe Biden and his handlers waved American economic sanctions on Russia in order to streamline construction on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany.

And then this past weekend we found out Joe Biden imported oil from the terror regime in Iran that is committed to destroying Israel and has murdered tens of thousands of its own citizens.

Iran is a sponsor of terrorism throughout the world. There are laws in place prohibiting any business in the USA from doing business with them and we have very stringent Federal sanctions with them - no foreign aid, no business with them, etc.. Especially, no buying oil from them.

Looks for the Middle East to erupt in violence as more money is put into bombs. 900+ comments. This is evil.

Really bad propaganda. Easily found out. But, it stirs up the emotions of the low-information voters.
The kind that "elected" *Resident Biden. From Greater Than The Sword:

20210523-hamas-01.jpg

There are ten more of these at the site. Lies, all of them.  I remember back in the early 2000's they were claiming that the US and Israel was using Depleted Uranium for bullets and this was causing all kinds of birth defects in their children.  Bzzzzzttt!!!  WRONG.  Yes, we were using DU as it is very heavy (68% denser than lead) and has the ability to penetrate reinforced metal and concrete very well.  It is not highly radioactive - DUH... It is DEPLETED. It has some low level radioactivity but it is all 

Countercurrents had a rather poorly researched and hyperbolic article on the subject.  If you know any of the science, it makes for a fun read. Quite the word-salad. Here is one example of the photos that they used to promote their narrative (caution - not for the faint of heart). Someone tracked the photos of the infants to a German medical textbook from the 1950's that had a section on birth defects.

One of the reasons that DU is used is that once we "clear" an area, it is so benign that our own soldiers can enter the area without needing any sort of protective gear.  Again, it is depleted. What radioactivity remains is just Alpha and Beta - stopped by a layer of clothing or a half-inch of atmosphere.

The terrorists lie and as they are not very smart people (if they were, they would not be terrorists), their lies are equally stupid and transparent. Narrative and nothing more.

Don Surber has an excellent report and analysis of what we will probably see from Israel.
Hint: Hamas getting pounded into the cement with much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the libs.

Biden made himself irrelevant in the Middle East
Hot Air reported, "Netanyahu: We might choose to conquer Hamas if rocket fire continues."

I am not surprised. Bibi knows America and its politics. Biden can beg, threaten, and sob all he wants but Israel no longer listens to Democrat presidents.

Nor should it.

Much more at the site.  Surber weaves together a couple of news items with some history.  Being a Hamas terrorist might not be a good career choice these days.  I think that Israel is going to hit them so hard that even considering aggression will cause an involuntary trickle of warm urine down their collective legs for years to come.

The Israeli people are fed up.

Bonkers.  Consumed by their hate but they are their own worst enemy. From Legal Insurrection:

Hamas Attacks Israeli Truck Convoy Bringing Humanitarian Supplies To Gaza
What just happened at the Kerem Shalom Crossing leading from Israel into Gaza is a pretty good metaphor for the entire psychopathic Hamas and Palestinian terror group pathology.

Kerem Shalom is the main crossing terminal through which commercial trucks and supplies reach Gaza. The crossing had been closed due to the rocket fire from Gaza, but yesterday Israel agreed to reopen the crossing to allow a convoy of 24 trucks to enter Gaza with humanitarian supplies.

But of course:

So what did Hamas do? It launched a mortar attack on the crossing as the trucks were entering Gaza, wounding an Israeli soldier:

The Israel Defense Forces says the person injured in the mortar attack was an IDF soldier assisting in the transfer of humanitarian aid shipments into the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing.

The soldier sustained light injuries and has been taken to Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center for further care, medics say.

And:

Earlier today, Israel temporarily reopened both the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings into Gaza, allowing many truckloads of fuel, medical equipment and animal feed into the enclave, according to Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians.

I feel sorry for the poor people there - they are not being represented by their leaders.  They are being used as pawns in a terrorist war against Western culture and liberty. They have to know that when they throw off their chains, they will be welcomed into the rest of the civilized world. Their situation is a perfect example of why central government run education is a bad bad thing. Propaganda, not enlightenment.

From the New York Post:

If AP really didn’t know it shared space with Hamas, why trust its reporting?
After an Israeli airstrike Saturday destroyed a high-rise office tower on the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press, which had offices there for 15 years, complained, claiming it had no idea the building was also home to Hamas.

If it’s true that AP was so unaware — and the evidence suggests it’s unlikely — how can anyone trust its reporting in the region?

And of course:

Israel later shared some intelligence with the United States. “We showed them the smoking gun proving Hamas worked out of that building,” a source close to Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told the Jerusalem Post. “I understand they found the explanation satisfactory.”

It will be interesting when their evidence becomes public.  Of course the media will never carry it but word will get out through other channels.  The mainstream media are in too deep for their own good.

Great move - Israel

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Perfect fakeout.  From the London Daily Mail:

Israel's deadly deception: IDF TRICKED Hamas into believing a ground invasion was underway... then obliterated tunnel network knowing militants would be hiding underground waiting to ambush tanks

    • There was confusion when the IDF suggested troops were on the ground in Gaza, before retracting the statement and saying that forces attacked Hamas tunnels along the border but did not cross it
    • Turned out to be a well-planned ploy get Hamas to send its fighters into its underground tunnel system beneath Gaza City, before bombarding the area, in the hope of eliminating large numbers of militants
    • Still, fears of invasion remain with thousands of troops moving to the border and 9,000 reservists called up
    • Israel stepped up its attacks on Gaza overnight with more than 1,000 bombs and shells pounding northern and eastern areas in the heaviest attacks of the conflict so far
    • Meanwhile Hamas has continued firing hundreds of rockets at Israel from Gaza and was joined overnight by three rockets fired from Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, though all of them fell short
    • More street clashes took place in Israeli-Arab city of Lod, with fighting reported in Jaffa and Umm al-Fahm
    • Fighting continued this morning as IDF jets struck what they called underground rocket sites and observation posts around Gaza, with Hamas suicide drones sent the other way

The Israel Defence Forces managed to trick Hamas into believing a ground invasion was underway last night and then obliterated their tunnel network knowing militants would be hiding underground waiting to ambush tanks and soldiers, reports in Israel claim.

There was confusion when the IDF said shortly after midnight that ground forces were 'attacking in Gaza', and later suggested that boots were on the ground. A spokesman later retracted that statement - saying that military operations were conducted along the border, but no Israeli troops had crossed it.

However, the announcement was apparently a well-planned ploy to get Hamas to send its fighters into its underground tunnel system beneath Gaza City, before bombarding the area, in the hope of eliminating large numbers of militants in one fell swoop.

Soldiers and tanks with drones equipped with night vision lay in wait for survivors as they surfaced, hitting them with aerial and ground fire. Snipers and missile units were also waiting for them on the ground.

Brilliant.  Israel is very hesitant to send personnel into Gaza as one of Hamas' goals is to capture their soldiers and use them for propaganda.  The corpses are returned but the torture they had been subjected to is inhumane. Why these apes are "heroes" to the left is beyond me.  Just look at their record for treating women and gays. Hypocrites.

And it begins - Israel

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From the London Daily Mail:

Israeli ground troops attack Gaza as air force bombards targets and officials order EVERYONE living within miles of the border to go to bunkers - after tit-for-tat death toll climbed to 110 including dozens of children

    • The Israel Defense Force tweeted tonight: 'IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip'
    • A military spokesman added that 'there are ground troops attacking in Gaza, together with air forces as well'
    • Benjamin Netanyahu said: 'The last word was not said and this operation will continue as long as necessary'
    • It is not clear if the offensive will be to destroy rocket sites or Hamas leaders or extended campaign to invade
    • Israel called up 9,000 reservists to bolster its forces as it deployed troops to the Gaza border for the assault

Israeli ground troops have attacked Gaza as its air force bombarded targets and officials ordered everyone living within miles of the border to go to bunkers amid fears of fierce retaliation from Hamas.

Fears of an all-out war escalated in the early hours of Friday morning as the military said just after midnight that air and ground forces were attacking the Hamas-run enclave. Rocket barrages from Gaza swiftly followed.

Its statement gave no further details but military affairs correspondents who are briefed by the armed forces said it was not a ground invasion, and that troops were firing artillery from Israel's side of the border.

No help or support from us. Shameful lack on our part. Israel is our best friend and staunchest ally in that part of the world.

Hope they enjoy their 72 white grapes of exceptional purity. From Don Surber:

Biden gave Palestinians $235 million; they fired 1,600 rockets at Israel
Follow the money. On April 7, Al Jazeera reported, "The Biden administration has announced plans to resume funding for the United Nations agency that supports Palestinian refugees, which has faced a dire financial situation since former US President Donald Trump cut US assistance in 2018."

President Trump cut off the aid because Palestinian leaders keep terrorizing Israel.

Arab News said the US gift was $235 million. It said, "The plan calls for $150 million through the United Nations relief agency UNRWA, $75 million in US economic and development assistance and $10 million for peace-building programs, Blinken said in a statement."

That is a lot of money to give to Palestinians whose leaders have refused peace settlements for 73 years.

AJ said, "UNRWA provides aid and other services, including healthcare and education, to about 5.7 million Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Jordan – and the agency welcomed the US announcement."

Paying for schools and medical care frees up money for Palestinian authorities to buy rockets.

That one month after Biden released the money, the rocket attack began.

There never were any native palestinians.  The people causing the problems are Hashamite Jordanian.  Jordan doesn't want them.  Nobody wants them. I can see why they are uppity - they used to be the big shizzle.  Now? Nope.

History is fun.  It can also be very inconvenient.  I can see why some people study it and why some people willfully ignore it.

Oh: 72 white grapes or raisins?  A small translation error. I hope that the terrorists enjoy their eternity in hell. Those 72 white grapes of exceptional purity must be really sweet.  Imagine the expression on their faces when they find that they killed themselves over a simple translation error.

A bit of perspective - Israel

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The war that Iran is waging on Israel and the West. Israeli writer Martin van Creveld:

Several factors explain the low number of casualties. First, the rockets coming from Gaza are enormously inaccurate. They hit targets, if they do, almost at random. Second, the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system works better than anyone had expected. The system has the inestimable advantage in that it can calculate the places where the rockets will land. Consequently it only goes into action against those—approximately one in five or six—that are clearly about to hit an inhabited area. The outcome is vast savings; in some cases, realizing that the incoming rockets are not going to hit anybody or anything, the authorities do not even bother to sound the alarm. Third, civil defense seems to be working well; people obey instructions and are, in any case, getting used to this kind of thing. Fourth, as always in war, one needs luck.

In turn, the small number of Arab casualties and the limited amount of damage inflicted has enabled the government of Israel to keep the lid on its own actions in the face of extremist demands. It suggests a degree of control and precision never before attained or maintained in any war in history. But while the Israelis have been extremely effective in avoiding collateral deaths, the impact of their strikes against Hamas’ short-range rockets in particular is limited.

Israel’s lucky run will not last forever. Sooner or later, a Hamas rocket that for one reason or another has not been intercepted is bound to hit a real target in Israel and cause real damage. Imagine a school or kindergarten being hit, resulting in numerous deaths. In that case public pressure on the government and the Israel Defense Forces “to do something” will mount until it becomes intolerable.

This was posted July 2014.  Nothing has changed.  Hat tip to Vox Day for the link.

The history of the Palestinian conflict is interesting - basically, a failed KGB attempt to destabilize Israel starting from the 1950's. Lots of corroborating data here and other sites.  The first "Palestinian"  leader was an Egyptian who spent nine years in Moscow at Patrice Lumumba University and then came to Jordan with a nice fat bankroll and began to "organize".

Iran - two stories

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Two headlines - go and read these. The level of corruption we are dealing with is staggering.
Almost as bad as the utter lack of competence and leadership:

First story - we are dealing with enemies and they are outright showing us that they do not respect us. In the Middle-Eastern culture, families are sacred. For such a "friend" of Kerry (Zarif's son was the best man at Kerry's daughter's wedding; remember?) to say such a thing about the daughter of a sitting President shows what they think of us.

Second story - Kerry's step-son was involved with Hunter Biden in the shady deals.  If Kerry gets busted, he will release all the dirt on Hunter and show how the "big guy" (Joe somebody) is also deeply involved in the corruption.

Both writers did some really good research - the stories are hard to excerpt.  Just go and read them both.

Such wonderful people

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Looks like Iran is being an asshole again.  No strength in the White House, why should they moderate their behavior. Just like a six-year old child. From The Jerusalem Post:

Mediterranean oil spill is ‘eco-terrorism’ by Iran, Israel says
Iran intentionally polluted the Mediterranean Sea and Israel’s shores in an act of ecological terrorism, causing the greatest environmental disaster in Israel’s history, Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said on Wednesday.

“This pollution has people who are responsible for it and have to pay the price. Our nature is damaged, our animals are harmed, thanks to merciless environmental criminals,” Gamliel said.

And of course, Iran is stepping up to the plate and helping to clean this up in 3... 2...  - - crickets - -

And we are back to the endless wars

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Didn't President Trump get us out of the Middle East? Didn't he restore peace over there including four treaties between Israel and Arab Nations?  What the hell are we doing bombing them?
From Haaretz:

U.S. Strikes Iranian-backed Militias in Syria; Sources Say at Least 17 Killed
The United States on Thursday carried out an airstrike in Syria against a structure belonging to what it said were Iran-backed Iraqi militias, at the orders of President Joe Biden, which a militia official said killed one of its members and wounded several others.

A statement from Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed the strike in Eastern Syria "destroyed multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups," naming Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 17 people were killed in the strike, all Iraqi nationals. Local sources and one medical source also told Reuters at least 17 died.

Why do Democrats love wars so much.  Obama had that famous quote: "Turns out I’m really good at killing people"

Less pond scum on the face of this planet. Adding to the two events posted here (here too).
From the London Daily Mail:

30 Taliban militants are killed in explosion during bomb-making class at Afghan mosque
At least 30 Taliban fighters have been killed in an explosion at a mosque in Afghanistan during a bomb-making class.

The 209th Shaheen Corps - part of the Afghan National Army - said in a statement that 30 fighters including six foreign nationals who were expert mine makers, had been killed in an explosion on Saturday morning.

The blast happened at a mosque in the village of Qultaq in the Dowlatabad district of Balkh province.

The statement said the bodies of the six foreign nationals could not be identified because of damage caused by the blast.

Over 400 comments and you can guess the general level of sorrow and prayer.

I have zero problem with Islam.  Terrorists are a different story.  Christianity had a very dark side but we went through a reformation.  It is way past time for Muslims to do the same thing and grow up. Become world citizens.

Posted about it here: Two workplace accidents 
From One America News Network:

Afghan, Iranian Authorities Probe Fuel Tank, Say Terror Attack ‘Possible’
Iranian and Afghan authorities are investigating a major explosion at their shared border. On Sunday, Iranian rescue teams arrived at the Afghan border checkpoint, just hours after a fuel tanker reportedly exploded and set hundreds of other vehicles on fire.

The blast took place while the tanker was going through customs proceedings at the checkpoint. Officials said it’s still not clear what caused the explosion and they are not ruling out the possibility of it being terror-related.

As of Sunday evening, at least 500 other fuel tankers have burnt as a result of the initial blast.

“People have suffered millions of dollars in damages,” stated Afghani truck driver Mohammad Daud. “The losses are endured by people and traders, not the government…all the burnt tankers belonged to people and nobody cares about it.”

I hope that the terrorists enjoy their eternity in hell. Those 72 white grapes of exceptional purity must be really sweet.  Imagine the expression on their faces when they find that they killed themselves over a simple translation error.

Two workplace accidents

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Could not be happening to nicer people.  The first - from Northern Iraq's BasNews:

21 IS Militants Killed When Suicide Bomber Toots Farewell Horn
At least 21 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed after a suicide bomber blew his car-bomb’s horn in farewell to other jihadists in a remote area of Samarra, Salahaddin province.

Commander of Samarra Operations Command, Jabbar Daraji, said the suicide bomber and his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) were prepared for an attack on a police checkpoint.

“The suicide bomber blew a horn to say goodbye to the other IS militants, and this detonated the bombs,” the commander explained.

IS has recently carried out several devastating attacks on both civilians and security forces of Iraq. The largest of which was a twin suicide bombing in central Baghdad last month which killed 32 people and injured more than 100.

And the second seems to be just an accident but a horrific one - from Zero Hedge:

"Powerful Enough To Be Spotted From Space": Fuel Tanker Convoy Explodes At Afghan-Iran Border
A fuel tanker truck explosion on the Iran-Afghanistan border on Saturday caused a chain reaction of blasts so large it could be observed from space.

According to the Associated Press, "Two explosions at the border crossing were powerful enough to be spotted from space by NASA satellites. One blast erupted around 1:10 p.m. Afghan time (0840 GMT), the next around a half hour later at 1:42 p.m. local (0912 GMT)."

Iranian state TV is reporting that over 500 trucks transporting natural gas and fuel caught fire as the explosions intensified.

The blaze continued through the day at the Islam Qala border crossing, which is among the busiest border and commercial transit routes connecting Iran and Afghanistan.

While multiple injured have been rushed to the hospital, emergency workers have struggled to assess casualties given the blaze's intensity made the whole area difficult to access.

I can not imagine the stupidity of bunching up 500 fuel trucks together like that. Prayers going out to the drivers, the customs officials, the other travelers trying to get clear.  Talk about a catastrophe.

My money is on Israel

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No brainer - from Breaking Defense:

Israelis Say They’ll Attack Iran If US Eases Sanctions
Israel has said openly that it will attack Iran if the U.S eases sanctions against the Shiite regime and agrees to go back to the nuclear agreement the Jewish state claims is “the biggest hoax in recent history.”

“Israel needs to know — and fast — whether Washington plans to stop Iran’s race to the bomb or take some action to do this,” a source told BD.

Israeli intelligence is closely watching the Iranian nuclear facilities. “The people who need to know are updated by the hour” the source said.

Iran is one of the few remaining state sponsors of terror.  They need to be bottled up until they see the light. It is too much to hope for that John Forbes Kerry is kept far away from the reigns of power in this administration.  The guy is an idiot and a buffoon. A dolt. A moron and that is insulting a lot of wonderful morons out there.

If Israel sees the need to attack Iran, we are looking at the world's first sixty-second war. Start to finish.

Or just poor maintenance of their infrastructure.  I would actually bet on the latter.  From Al Jazeera:

‘Countrywide blackout’ plunges Pakistan into darkness
A breakdown in Pakistan’s national power grid plunged the country into darkness on Saturday night, according to officials, leaving tens of millions of people without electricity in all main cities including the capital, Islamabad.

The electricity distribution system in the nation of more than 210 million people is a complex and delicate web, and a problem in one section of the grid can lead to cascading breakdowns countrywide.

“A countrywide blackout has been caused by a sudden plunge in the frequency in the power transmission system,” Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan said on Twitter.

Just single point of failure (bad engineering) and dominoes.  Unlike five years ago:

In 2015, an apparent rebel attack on a key power line plunged around 80 percent of Pakistan into darkness.

No news either way.

Peace in the Middle East - Morocco

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Brokered by the United States.  From Dan Bongino:

Morocco to Normalize Relations With Israel in U.S. Brokered Deal
Another day, another U.S.-brokered peace deal.

Following United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco has become the fourth country since August to normalize relations with Israel in a U.S. brokered deal. Including the Serbia-Kosovo economic normalization, that makes five historic deals just this year.

From President Trump's twitter account:

Do you seriously think that Joe Biden would have done this?

Iran in the crosshairs

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Interesting development after the targeted assasination of their top nuke scientist - from The Daily Wire:

U.S. Sends Air Craft Carrier To Persian Gulf As Iran Vows Retaliation For Killing Of Scientist
The U.S. ordered the U.S.S. Nimitz and its strike group to return to the Persian Gulf to serve in a defensive capacity as U.S. forces in the region continue to drawdown during the final weeks of the Trump administration. The action coincides with rising tensions in the region between U.S. allies and Iran after a top Iranian nuclear scientist was taken out in a highly coordinated hit this week.

“There were no specific threats that triggered the return of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group,” Commander Rebecca Rebarich, spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, said in a statement. “This action ensures we have sufficient capability available to respond to any threat and to deter any adversary from acting against our troops during the force reduction.”

“The official said the move was decided before news came of the assassination of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist. But the movement of the US forces is an increased deterrence message to Iran regardless the official noted,” CNN reported. “The movement puts increased American military firepower and thousands of personnel into the region through the end of the Trump Administration. It may be up to President-elect Joe Biden to decide when to withdraw them.”

President-elect Biden? Of course it would be CNN saying that.  They do not know their Constitution.
And then, there is this bit of news from Breitbart:

Taliban: War with America ‘Will Resume’ if Biden Undoes Trump Peace Deal
A spokesman for the Taliban told Afghanistan’s Khaama Press in an interview published Thursday that the terrorist group’s “war against the United States will resume … until they leave Afghanistan” if Joe Biden walks back President Donald Trump’s attempts to withdraw U.S. forces from the country.

Trump initiated talks including both the Taliban and the legitimate government of Afghanistan this year to come to an agreement that would result in the end of the American military presence in the country. Afghanistan is America’s longest war, launched in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Trump administration has sought assurances from the Taliban that it would not harbor terrorists seeking to harm American interests – such as the architects of the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda – in exchange for America not continuing to attack the jihadist group.

Biden (rather, his handlers) would roll us back to John Forbes Kerry's disasterous Iran Deal and it would be business as usual for the arms brokers. How many more billions are we going to send over there. The Taliban are - in effect - acting as peacemakers by being the strongman in an area of the world that respects strongmen. They are not stupid and will serve to moderate the more extreme.

Peace in the Middle East

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From Associated Press:

Reports: Israeli PM flew to Saudi Arabia, met crown prince
Israeli media reported Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which would mark the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi officials.

The reported meeting was the latest move by the Trump Administration to promote normalized ties between Israel and the broader Arab world and reflected the shared concern of all three nations about Iran.

The Israeli news site Walla, followed quickly by other Hebrew-language media, cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying that Netanyahu and Yossi Cohen, head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, flew to the Saudi city of Neom on Sunday, where they met with the crown prince. The prince was there for talks with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

John Kerry said that there would never be peace in the middle east. President Trump said: "Hold my beer"

A buffoon - John Forbes Kerry

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To think that this jackass thought he could be our President. Couldn't even be Secretary of State. Clueless:

This is from just four years ago. As President Trump said: "Hold my beer and watch this."  I love too that the palestinians are fading into irrelevance.  Good for them. They played their hand wrong every time and are paying for it now.

Peace is breaking out

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President Trump is the first president in a long time to not start any new wars. Quite the opposite. From FOX News:

Trump announces peace deal between Sudan and Israel, says more nations will normalize relations
President Trump on Friday announced a peace deal that would normalize ties with between Israel and Sudan, claiming there "would be many more peace deals to come in the Middle East."

Trump invited reporters into the Oval Office while he was on the phone with the leaders of Israel and Sudan to discuss the latest U.S.-brokered deal in the run-up to Election Day.

"Three months ago, no one thought this was possible. Even Bibi didn't know if this was possible, right Bibi?" Trump asked his ally, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump said Sudan had demonstrated a commitment to battling terrorism. "This is one of the great days in the history of Sudan," Trump said, adding that Israel and Sudan have been in a state of war for decades.

Nobel Peace Prize anyone?

Now this would be delightful - from Al-Masdar Al-'Arabi:

Muammar Gaddafi’s cousin to sue Hillary Clinton for ‘destroying Libya’
The political official of the Libyan National Struggle Front, Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam, began on Monday, the first steps to sue former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on charges of spreading destruction and supporting terrorism in Libya.

The cousin of the late Libyan president, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, said in an exclusive interview with Sputnik that he had assigned his legal team to sue the former U.S. Secretary of State.

Gaddaf al-Dam added that he provided the legal team with other documents not released by the U.S. State Department to prosecute Hillary Clinton on charges of spreading destruction and supporting terrorism in Libya.

A bit more - the history:

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi was forced to abandon Tripoli and take refuge near the city of Sirte, where he was later captured by anti-government forces and subsequently killed by his captors in 2011.

Gaddafi had given up all of his weapons of mass destruction and was complying with the United States and NATOs wishes.  Hillary wanted to start a war and she did.  She got what she wanted, not what was good for everyone. Tip of the hat to Don Surber for the link.  Don had this to say: I hope the Libyans clean her clock and bankrupt her. I agree totally.

Curious - from The Jerusalem Post:

Saudi ex-intel chief slams Palestinian's criticism of UAE-Israel deal
Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, slammed the Palestinian leadership for criticizing the decision of some Gulf states to normalize ties with Israel.

In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television aired on Monday, the prince labeled the Palestinian authorities' criticism a "transgression" and "reprehensible discourse."

"The Palestinian cause is a just cause but its advocates are failures, and the Israeli cause is unjust but its advocates have proven to be successful. That sums up the events of the last 70 or 75 years," he said in the first of a three-part airing of the interview.

"There is something that successive Palestinian leadership historically share in common: they always bet on the losing side, and that comes at a price."

Much more at the site. Heh - got to love the coment: "they always bet on the losing side" They could have had their own Nation and they could have had peace with Israel at any time. Israel was more than willing to accomodate them.  Instead, they thought that they were relevant and they thought that they could get everything they asked for. They used terrorism as a negotiating tactic.

Now, watch their power and their relavence melt away into the sand.  A bunch of has-beens.  The origin of their claim is interesting.  Yasser Arafat was an Egyptian who studied in Moscow for nine years.  The palestinian conflict was a KGB dirty trick.

From the last headline:

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets into Israel on Tuesday, wounding two people in an attack that was apparently timed to coincide with the signing of normalization agreements between Israel and two Arab countries at the White House.

The Palestinians are opposed to the agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, viewing them as a betrayal of their cause by the Arab countries, which agreed to recognize Israel without securing territorial concessions.

Heh - the "palestinians" just got marginalized back to the stone age. They were used to being a key player in the strife between Israel and the Arab world. That strife just evaporated and with it, their entire raison d'être.

They are getting squeezed out of the spotlight and do not like it. They have been playing the perpetually aggrieved and anti-Israel card since their founding in 1960's by the Russian KGB with Yasser Arafat as titular head. Arafat spent nine years in Moscow being trained at Patrice Lumumba University

From Jewish News Syndicate:

Palestinian Authority recalls Bahrain envoy following deal with Israel
The Palestinian Authority recalled its envoy to Manama after Bahrain and Israel announced a U.S.-brokered peace deal on Friday, undoing a decades-long policy not to establish ties with the Jewish state until a Palestinian state is created.

Bahrain followed the United Arab Emirates, which agreed last month to normalize ties with Israel.

“The UAE and Bahrain are contributing to Trump’s presidential campaign at the expense of the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine. The normalization race is not the answer to the achievement of Palestinian freedom and independence,” tweeted Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary-General Saeb Erekat. “It’s an affirmation to the Palestinian leadership and people, in Palestine and around the world, of their approval of normalizing Israel’s annexation of occupied Jerusalem and the reality of apartheid it has created in Palestine.”

They could have had lasting peace 20 years ago if they gave up their support of terrorism. Their people would be so much better off - culturally, economically, all ways.

Fifteen Minutes? From Andy

Bahrain is the second nation to agree to full diplomatic relations with Israel. From President Trump's twitter account:

Meanwhile, the media? Nothing but crickets...

Rapidly losing relevance - "palestine"

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They should have moved away from terrorism and pressed for peace years ago. Now, they are just a marginalized bitter failed plot of the KGB. From Israel National News:

Arab League rejects PA demand to condemn Israel-UAE deal
The Arab League on Wednesday failed to pass a resolution proposed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) which would have condemned the normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Times of Israel reports.

“After a three-hour debate, some Arab countries refused to include [a] statement condemning [the UAE] for abandoning Arab decisions. Additionally, they struck out a clause which discussed the trilateral agreement” between the UAE, the US, and Israel, the PA representative to the Arab League, Muhannad al-Aklouk, was quoted as having told the Ma’an news agency.

Senior Arab League official Hussam Zaki said, “Discussion around this point was serious and comprehensive. But it did not lead to agreement over the resolution proposed by the Palestinians.”

Zaki said the PA representatives had insisted they would either accept a condemnation of the agreement or no statement on the issue at all.

“A number of amendments were proposed, and then counter-amendments…and we were at a point in which Palestinian demands had not been realized, and the Palestinians preferred it not to pass rather than have it pass in a manner which they believed to be inadequate,” Zaki said.

Heh - they have always been having these non-negotiable demands and have never gotten anything for them. Israel has bent over backwards giving them the Gaza strip and all sorts of concessions. They have not given anything back.

Now, it is Door. Ass. Bang.  /  So sad. Too bad.  /  Turn out the lights when you leave.

Nice to see the rest of the Arab world recognizing Israel as a good friend and business partner.

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