Iran war: from the Middle East to America, history shows you cannot assassinate your way to peace

This is next for me, after I get done with the lastest Ask the Inspector, where Scott is HOT:


Ray McGovern & John Helmer: The Death of an Empire: Iran Could Finish What Others Started​

 
Of "those"? Could you be a bit more specific as to what you're referring to?
There was a targeted campaign in Yemen like a week or 2 ago. They are uh..squelched.

You sure about that? I've heard otherwise:
 
Iran has been trying to build nukes as their #1 goal.
Not according to U.S. intelligence:

Quoting from the introduction to the article:
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WASHINGTON — Tulsi Gabbard left no doubt when she testified to Congress about Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year.
The country was not building a nuclear weapon, the national intelligence director told lawmakers, and its supreme leader had not reauthorized the dormant program even though it had enriched uranium to higher levels.

But President Donald Trump dismissed the assessment of U.S. spy agencies during an overnight flight back to Washington as he cut short his trip to the Group of Seven summit to focus on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters. In his view, Iran was “very close” to having a nuclear bomb.
Trump’s statement aligned him more closely with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has described a nuclear-armed Iran as an imminent threat , than with his own top intelligence adviser.

**
 
You sure about that? I've heard otherwise:
Is the strait open? I do believe it is and we have warships sitting right there.
 
There was a targeted campaign in Yemen like a week or 2 ago. They are uh..squelched.
You sure about that? I've heard otherwise:
Is the strait open? I do believe it is and we have warships sitting right there.

You think that means the Houthis are "squelched", as you put it? You may want to read the following New York Times article- I've gifted it:

Simplicius references that article as well as others in the article I previously linked to. Again, it's here:
 
An interesting article on where Americans stand in regards to the U.S. bombing Iran:

You have to at least sign in to read the article, so from the introduction:
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What do Americans think about the possibility of launching U.S. airstrikes against Iran, which President Donald Trump threatened this week unless the country dismantles its nuclear program? The Washington Post texted more than 1,000 people on Wednesday to ask.

The poll finds Americans opposing U.S. airstrikes against Iran by a 20 percentage-point margin — 45 percent to 25 percent — with a sizable 30 percent saying they are unsure.

At this time, would you support or oppose the U.S. military launching airstrikes against Iran over its nuclear program?​

American_poll_on_Bombing_Iran.png

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DD Geopolitics



@DD_Geopolitics

American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in his latest Substack article wrote:A major U.S. bombing campaign against Iran is expected to begin as early as this weekend, according to (his trusted) Israeli and American sources.Approved by the Trump administration, the strikes will focus on key military and nuclear infrastructure, including the fortified Fordow facility, where Iran’s most advanced centrifuges are located deep underground. The delay in timing, Hersh reports, is due to Trump’s desire to avoid disrupting U.S. markets when trading opens Monday.The operation goes beyond targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities—it aims to destabilize the country's leadership. U.S. and Israeli planners are counting on internal unrest to break out, hoping that strikes on military bases, police stations, and administrative centers will incite broader opposition. Hersh says there are even unconfirmed reports that Ayatollah Khamenei may have left Tehran.While some in Washington favor installing a moderate religious figure to lead the country in a transitional phase, Israeli officials reportedly reject this, pushing instead for full political control through a loyal replacement. These internal disagreements reflect a deeper divide over what post-strike Iran should look like. Intelligence circles are also looking to Iran’s ethnic minorities—particularly Azeris with alleged CIA ties—as potential tools to spark wider dissent.The plan, according to Hersh, bears resemblance to previous Western interventions in Libya and Syria, where external pressure led to long-term instability and suffering. The attack on Iran, he warns, could have similar consequences, potentially fragmenting the country and inflaming the region—all while being driven by Netanyahu’s strategic aims and Trump’s desire for a major geopolitical “win.”
 
An interesting article on where Americans stand in regards to the U.S. bombing Iran:

You have to at least sign in to read the article, so from the introduction:
**
What do Americans think about the possibility of launching U.S. airstrikes against Iran, which President Donald Trump threatened this week unless the country dismantles its nuclear program? The Washington Post texted more than 1,000 people on Wednesday to ask.

The poll finds Americans opposing U.S. airstrikes against Iran by a 20 percentage-point margin — 45 percent to 25 percent — with a sizable 30 percent saying they are unsure.

At this time, would you support or oppose the U.S. military launching airstrikes against Iran over its nuclear program?​

View attachment 52702

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Nuclear program is the excuse, not the reason.
 
Another good article on Iran I just found:

The article is short and to the point, so I'll just quote most of it here:
**
Former CIA officer Larry Johnson opines:


I have previously detailed the current IAEA operation to blame Iran over some alleged nuclear contamination which were found more than two decades ago.

During the build-up to the 2003 war on Iraq there was another lie that famously used to 'justify' the attack.

It was alleged that Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein was in cahoots with al-Qaeda, a terrorist group that had been created by the U.S. in Pakistan to fight against the Soviet supported government of Afghanistan.

Al-Qaeda was alleged to have committed attacks in the U.S. on 9/11 2001. Associating Iraq, which had fought against al-Qaeda inspired groups, with al-Qaeda itself was the second most cited lie used to justify the U.S. war on Iraq.

It is no wonder than that a similar narrative is now suddenly being build with regards to Iran.

David Ignatius, the unofficial CIA spokesman at the Washington Post, was told to publish this nonsense (archived):


Who would be those "former U.S. counterterrorism officials"? Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, or some other notorious liars?

Saif al-Adel, the "de facto" never declared leader of Al-Qaeda has since 2001 been rumored to be in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and Iran where he allegedly was once under house arrest and later exchanged against Iranian hostages held by al-Qaeda in Yemen.

Over more than two decades the Shia Iran has fought the Sunni al-Qaeda wherever it could. Its operations against Sunni extremist in Iraq and Syria were largely wars against al-Qaeda affiliated forces. In Yemen Iran is allied with the Houthi who are fighting against U.S. supported al-Qaeda aligned groups in the south of the country. A similar situation exists in Lebanon where Iran supported Hizbullah forces have for years feuded against al-Qaeda aligned radicals.

To claim that Iran is now somehow in cahoots with Saif al-Adel, an alleged but never declared leader of a more or less extinct al-Qaeda, is blatant nonsense.

David Ignatius is a much read 'opinion leader'. That he was told to trot out those nonsensical claims is a signal for others to pick up on them.


[snip]
Netanayhoo does not care about his people. He is like Trump. Here is Indian news on Iran's response.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0PGD9ANnE8
 
Netanayhoo does not care about his people. He is like Trump. Here is Indian news on Iran's response.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0PGD9ANnE8

I'll reserve judgement on what Netanyahu cares about, but we can agree that what he's doing isn't good. Anyway, looks like the U.S. has just bombed 3 Iranian nuclear sites in Iran:
 
SOLID eval of what the Imperial Empire is up to:

ayden
@squatsons
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I have a feeling the U.S. is going after Iran eventually, but if Russia pauses then I believe it’s go time. Knock that regime off and quick pivot to China. Europe will be given time to militarize so they can continue to bleed Russia in Ukraine after any peace deal collapses. Israel (U.S.) will dominate the ME, Europe will slow Russia and the U.S. will hyper focus China. It’s not a bad plan until something falls apart and we get bogged down somewhere instead of continuing with the primary objectives. The Middle East in particular has an interesting way of making that happen.


5:49 AM · Mar 18, 2025
 
SOLID eval of what the Imperial Empire is up to:

ayden
@squatsons
Subscribe


I have a feeling the U.S. is going after Iran eventually, but if Russia pauses then I believe it’s go time. Knock that regime off and quick pivot to China. Europe will be given time to militarize so they can continue to bleed Russia in Ukraine after any peace deal collapses. Israel (U.S.) will dominate the ME, Europe will slow Russia and the U.S. will hyper focus China. It’s not a bad plan until something falls apart and we get bogged down somewhere instead of continuing with the primary objectives. The Middle East in particular has an interesting way of making that happen.


5:49 AM · Mar 18, 2025

I don't think it's a good plan at all. I suspect that the U.S. will learn this the hard way.
 
Well, 10 out of 10 top Iranian nuclear scientists died in their beds at home, cause unknown like two days ago, all at once...



Strange how that happens isn't it...?

I'm guessing you're going for sarcasm here. For those who didn't click on Gardner's link, here's the link to the original article:
Israel says it killed 9 Iranian nuclear scientists, and braces for attacks from Iran | NPR

Anyway, here's the results of said folly:

I wish I could say that with that, things would "calm down", but knowing something of recent U.S. governments, I suspect it'll just lead to even more escalations.
 
I'm guessing you're going for sarcasm here. For those who didn't click on Gardner's link, here's the link to the original article:
Israel says it killed 9 Iranian nuclear scientists, and braces for attacks from Iran | NPR

Anyway, here's the results of said folly:

I wish I could say that with that, things would "calm down", but knowing something of recent U.S. governments, I suspect it'll just lead to even more escalations.
So, now Iraq is lashing out blindly at everyone and anyone because the beating they're getting is getting worse and more permanent in terms of the damage wrought. How usual. Not unusual that a country losing a war seeks to expand it simply to inflict a bit of damage on someone, anyone.
 
So, now Iraq is lashing out blindly at everyone and anyone because the beating they're getting is getting worse and more permanent in terms of the damage wrought. How usual. Not unusual that a country losing a war seeks to expand it simply to inflict a bit of damage on someone, anyone.

Pretty sure you meant Iran. In any case, as I've mentioned elsewhere, Trump has now said that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is about to go into effect. Here's to hoping it's true.
 
SOLID eval of what the Imperial Empire is up to:

ayden
@squatsons
Subscribe


I have a feeling the U.S. is going after Iran eventually, but if Russia pauses then I believe it’s go time. Knock that regime off and quick pivot to China. Europe will be given time to militarize so they can continue to bleed Russia in Ukraine after any peace deal collapses. Israel (U.S.) will dominate the ME, Europe will slow Russia and the U.S. will hyper focus China. It’s not a bad plan until something falls apart and we get bogged down somewhere instead of continuing with the primary objectives. The Middle East in particular has an interesting way of making that happen.


5:49 AM · Mar 18, 2025
We knocked out a couple of ME countries in the past, Iraq and Afghanistan. How did that work out?If quickly means 20 years or never, you are right. Iran is very mountainous. You are asking for trouble trying to knock them over. Why do people think taking over another country is easy? Putin said he was knocking off Ukraine in 3 days.
 
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