Politics

[wesheltonj]

I hate to be morbid, but Ginsburg’s cancer has returned. If that does not get you to vote for a second term, nothing will.

 

[cpr0312]

 

[cpr0312]

 

[nztimb]

Unexplained explosions and fires all over Iran. Some locations tied to nuclear industry. Wonder which of three interested countries could jam/mask radar and pull this off. Oh yea. Probably any of the three.

Complications

Iran’s Military Alliance with China Threatens Middle East Security

The prospect of a new Iran-China military alliance taking shape in the Indian Ocean is a development that will be taken with the utmost seriousness by the U.S. military, which is already concerned about Iran’s attempts to spread its influence throughout the region. Pictured: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 23, 2016 in Tehran. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

• Announcing Iran’s intention to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the naval attachment of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the base would be used to protect fishing and commercial vessels from piracy and “foreign ships”, a reference to the US-led multinational naval task force that is currently protecting Gulf shipping from Iranian interference.

• As part of the deal negotiated with Beijing, China is to be allowed access to a number of Iranian ports, including Chabahar, with the Chinese reported to be planning to build a new military base in the vicinity of the port.
• The construction of such a base would enable the Chinese Navy to monitor the activities of the U.S. Navy in the area, in particular the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, which is permanently deployed to protect shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important economic waterways.
• Any expansion in Iranian and Chinese military activity in the region would also have an impact on the jointly-administered U.S.-UK base on the island of Diego Garcia, one of the Pentagon’s most important military assets in the region.

The U.S. faces the prospect of a serious escalation in tensions with Iran after Tehran’s announcement that it intends to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean by the end of the year.

The Iranian announcement, moreover, comes at a time when Tehran is on the point of signing a $400 billion trade deal with China, which will include closer military cooperation between the two countries in the region in an attempt to counter Washington’s traditional dominance.

Under the terms of the deal, details of which have been published in the New York Times, Iran could receive as much as $400 billion in Chinese investment over the next quarter of a century.

The agreement, which a senior aide to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says should be signed by March next year, also encompasses closer military cooperation between the two countries, including weapons development, combined training and intelligence sharing in order to combat "the lopsided battle with terrorism, drug and human trafficking and cross-border crimes."

As part of the new era of cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, concerns have been raised by Western security officials that this could lead to the two countries forming an alliance to bolster their presence in the Indian Ocean, thereby challenging America's long-standing dominance in the nearby Gulf region.

Announcing Iran's intention to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the naval attachment of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the base would be used to protect fishing and commercial vessels from piracy and "foreign ships", a reference to the US-led multinational naval task force that is currently protecting Gulf shipping from Iranian interference.

Iran has so far given no indication as to where it intends to build its new base. At present Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman, which is used, among other activities, for shipping goods to Afghanistan, is the nearest base Iran has to the Indian Ocean.
As part of the deal negotiated with Beijing, China is to be allowed access to a number of Iranian ports, including Chabahar, with the Chinese reported to be planning to build a new military base in the vicinity of the port.

The construction of such a base would enable the Chinese Navy to monitor the activities of the U.S. Navy in the area, in particular the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, which is permanently deployed to protect shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important economic waterways.

Any expansion in Iranian and Chinese military activity in the region would also have an impact on the jointly-administered US-UK base on the island of Diego Garcia, one of the Pentagon's most important military assets in the region.

Earlier this year Washington dispatched a fleet of B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia following the sharp rise in tensions with Tehran in the wake of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the IRGC commander who headed the elite Quds Force.

The prospect of a new Iran-China military alliance taking shape in the Indian Ocean is certainly a development that will be taken with the utmost seriousness by the American military, which is already concerned about Iran's attempts to spread its influence throughout the region.
U.S. Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, warned in a recent interview that Iran posed the greatest threat to regional security and stability.

"Iran actively stokes instability and is intent on degrading security all over the region," McKenzie said. "They use proxies and violence to push other nations in the region to their agenda."

Any future military alliance between Tehran and Beijing would only strengthen Iran's determination to expand their malign activities in the region, thereby raising the prospect of a further escalation of tensions with the U.S. and its allies.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16252/iran-china-military-alliance

 

[Red Leg]

Just a guess, but I don't think jamming/masking radar was required. Probably cyber attacks and/or some inside jobs. There are lots of Iranians that are not happy with the country's leadership.

Kinetics leave readily identifiable debris. I too am guessing cyber plus local dissidents.

 

[Royal27]

Unexplained explosions and fires all over Iran. Some locations tied to nuclear industry. Wonder which of three interested countries could jam/mask radar and pull this off. Oh yea. Probably any of the three.

Isn't it also interesting how quiet the media is about this and yet it's been going on for quite some time.

 

[Red Leg]

Complications

Iran’s Military Alliance with China Threatens Middle East Security

The prospect of a new Iran-China military alliance taking shape in the Indian Ocean is a development that will be taken with the utmost seriousness by the U.S. military, which is already concerned about Iran’s attempts to spread its influence throughout the region. Pictured: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 23, 2016 in Tehran. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

• 
  
  
  • Announcing Iran’s intention to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the naval attachment of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the base would be used to protect fishing and commercial vessels from piracy and “foreign ships”, a reference to the US-led multinational naval task force that is currently protecting Gulf shipping from Iranian interference.

• 
  
  
  • As part of the deal negotiated with Beijing, China is to be allowed access to a number of Iranian ports, including Chabahar, with the Chinese reported to be planning to build a new military base in the vicinity of the port.
  • The construction of such a base would enable the Chinese Navy to monitor the activities of the U.S. Navy in the area, in particular the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, which is permanently deployed to protect shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important economic waterways.
  • Any expansion in Iranian and Chinese military activity in the region would also have an impact on the jointly-administered U.S.-UK base on the island of Diego Garcia, one of the Pentagon’s most important military assets in the region.

The U.S. faces the prospect of a serious escalation in tensions with Iran after Tehran’s announcement that it intends to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean by the end of the year.

The Iranian announcement, moreover, comes at a time when Tehran is on the point of signing a $400 billion trade deal with China, which will include closer military cooperation between the two countries in the region in an attempt to counter Washington’s traditional dominance.

Under the terms of the deal, details of which have been published in the New York Times, Iran could receive as much as $400 billion in Chinese investment over the next quarter of a century.

The agreement, which a senior aide to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says should be signed by March next year, also encompasses closer military cooperation between the two countries, including weapons development, combined training and intelligence sharing in order to combat "the lopsided battle with terrorism, drug and human trafficking and cross-border crimes."

As part of the new era of cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, concerns have been raised by Western security officials that this could lead to the two countries forming an alliance to bolster their presence in the Indian Ocean, thereby challenging America's long-standing dominance in the nearby Gulf region.

Announcing Iran's intention to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the naval attachment of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the base would be used to protect fishing and commercial vessels from piracy and "foreign ships", a reference to the US-led multinational naval task force that is currently protecting Gulf shipping from Iranian interference.

Iran has so far given no indication as to where it intends to build its new base. At present Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman, which is used, among other activities, for shipping goods to Afghanistan, is the nearest base Iran has to the Indian Ocean.
As part of the deal negotiated with Beijing, China is to be allowed access to a number of Iranian ports, including Chabahar, with the Chinese reported to be planning to build a new military base in the vicinity of the port.

The construction of such a base would enable the Chinese Navy to monitor the activities of the U.S. Navy in the area, in particular the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, which is permanently deployed to protect shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important economic waterways.

Any expansion in Iranian and Chinese military activity in the region would also have an impact on the jointly-administered US-UK base on the island of Diego Garcia, one of the Pentagon's most important military assets in the region.

Earlier this year Washington dispatched a fleet of B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia following the sharp rise in tensions with Tehran in the wake of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the IRGC commander who headed the elite Quds Force.

The prospect of a new Iran-China military alliance taking shape in the Indian Ocean is certainly a development that will be taken with the utmost seriousness by the American military, which is already concerned about Iran's attempts to spread its influence throughout the region.
U.S. Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, warned in a recent interview that Iran posed the greatest threat to regional security and stability.

"Iran actively stokes instability and is intent on degrading security all over the region," McKenzie said. "They use proxies and violence to push other nations in the region to their agenda."

Any future military alliance between Tehran and Beijing would only strengthen Iran's determination to expand their malign activities in the region, thereby raising the prospect of a further escalation of tensions with the U.S. and its allies.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16252/iran-china-military-alliance

I don't suspect anyone in the Pentagon or CENTCOM is losing much sleep over the Iranian Navy or Air Force attempting to project power into the Indian Ocean. Frankly even the Chinese trying to operate in the Gulf would be more amusing than threatening. And I assure you the Chinese realize that as well.

The writer of this piece has a flair for the dramatic. The thought of a worn out Iranian destroyer posing any sort of threat to Diego Garcia is laughable - wherever or however it might theoretically be based in or near the Indian Ocean. Frankly, the Chinese Navy itself can't pose much of a threat. And a "fleet" of B-52's? The Air Force sent six.

 

[Brent in Az]

Trump is living, full time & rent free, in the Medias talking heads. To actually talk about real news, would be too much of a distraction for those mental midgets.

Isn't it also interesting how quiet the media is about this and yet it's been going on for quite some time.

 

[nztimb]

I don't suspect anyone in the Pentagon or CENTCOM is losing much sleep over the Iranian Navy or Air Force attempting to project power into the Indian Ocean. Frankly even the Chinese trying to operate in the Gulf would be more amusing than threatening. And I assure you the Chinese realize that as well.

The writer of this piece has a flair for the dramatic. The thought of a worn out Iranian destroyer posing any sort of threat to Diego Garcia is laughable - wherever or however it might theoretically be based in or near the Indian Ocean. Frankly, the Chinese Navy itself can't pose much of a threat. And a "fleet" of B-52's? The Air Force sent six.

Appreciate the clarification on the dramatics of the writer. I read that with another scenario in mind.

 

[Chukar]

I don't suspect anyone in the Pentagon or CENTCOM is losing much sleep over the Iranian Navy or Air Force attempting to project power into the Indian Ocean. Frankly even the Chinese trying to operate in the Gulf would be more amusing than threatening. And I assure you the Chinese realize that as well.

The writer of this piece has a flair for the dramatic. The thought of a worn out Iranian destroyer posing any sort of threat to Diego Garcia is laughable - wherever or however it might theoretically be based in or near the Indian Ocean. Frankly, the Chinese Navy itself can't pose much of a threat. And a "fleet" of B-52's? The Air Force sent six.

I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the the ability of the Iranians or the Chinese to project effective power in the Indian Ocean. Too much sea, not enough effective boats...

What are your thoughts on Chinese naval build up for the South China Sea?

I'm currently reading Crashback, authored by Michael Fabey. It's a bit dated, 2017... But documenting the rise of the Chinese in current naval warfare, especially around the South China Sea. But if they are effective in that, can they project from there?

Just my simple rumblings.

 

[Ray B]

With regard to China's military asperations in the Western Pacific, about 20 years ago I was involved with a construction project on the island of Tonga, which is the last decent sized island east of Fiji and northeast of New Zealand. the next Island of reasonable size going east is Tahiti. Tonga is a kingdom of several islands of which the main island has an airport suitable for mid-sized jets and a deep water harbor. A military force that controlled that facility would dominate the South Pacific. The government has a king and royal family. When I was there, the "red Chinese" were lobbying one of the princesses very heavily and trying to make in-roads into the possibility of Chinese access to the various facilities. As noted, I haven't been to Tonga for more than short visits since 2002 so I'm not sure what the Tonga-Chinese relationship presently is, but it would be a point of interest for anyone monitoring Chinese aggressive intentions.

 

[Hogpatrol]

It's all Trump's fault.

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

 

[cpr0312]

 

[tigris115]

It's kind of a shame no one knows that Sahara dust is actually a good thing. Tho I guess Saharan dust being a bad thing fits into the narrative of 2020 shitting the bed so hard that the whole bedroom reeks of diarrhea.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddar...-how-much-saharan-dust-feeds-amazon-s-plants/

 

[Ray B]

Considering that the nutrients in Brazil breakdown rapidly in the soil, it's good that new nutrients come in- I wonder if the local nutrients consider the new nutrients African-Americans?

 

[wesheltonj]

I found some bar wear today.
https://patriotscave.com/collection...kKYPVwr7oD0SZwsZz_d1YXfrYqeudtzn3-x0i_bY_OFY8

 

[JimP]

 

[Bullthrower338]

I’m waiting for her to deliver a package to Epstein’s old lady!

 

[Ray B]

Maybe I'm old, but I prefer to reserve the F-word as a highly specialized word, used only under very specific circumstances. To reduce it to common usage destroys its position and power.