Israel-Hamas war thread

statsman · January 23

9 minutes ago, Nivek said:

So where is Fatah?

Fatah is less extreme than Hamas. Now, mind you, they are ready to pay pensions to Oct 7 attackers, per their “pay to slay” policy, so they’re no prize themselves …

InkaUtexas · January 23

18 minutes ago, Nivek said:

So where is Fatah?

He is at the Hookah bar.

Honestly, they all need to go into retirement. With Bibi and his crew. The region needs new leadership, but I fear it is so fractured there is none on the horizon.

Chopper · January 23

shit's going off

cnn article

Quote

US carries out airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq

By Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky, CNN

Updated: 6:32 PM EST, Tue January 23, 2024

Source: CNN

The US carried out airstrikes in Iraq targeting facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in the country on Tuesday following repeated attacks on US forces, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced in a statement.

The strikes targeted three facilities used by Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah and other Tehran-affiliated groups in Iraq.

Austin said in the statement that the strikes “are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against US and coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria” by Iranian-backed militia groups.

US Central Command also released a statement on Tuesday saying US forces “conducted unilateral airstrikes” targeting “KH headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack UAV capabilities.”

According to a US defense official, the strikes were carried out in two sites in western Iraq, including Al-Qa’im near the Syrian border, as well as Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad.

“I am grateful for both the skill and professionalism with which our personnel planned and conducted these strikes and the continued efforts of our troops on the ground as they work with regional partners to further dismantle and degrade ISIS,” Austin said in Tuesday’s statement.

“The President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend them and our interests. We do not seek to escalate conflict in the region. We are fully prepared to take further measures to protect our people and our facilities. We call on these groups and their Iranian sponsors to immediately cease these attacks,” Austin added.

The strikes come just days after US personnel at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq were injured in a ballistic missile and rocket attack on the base. While most missiles and rockets were intercepted by the base’s air defenses, some projectiles made impact, US Central Command said over the weekend.

The initial assessment is that Kataib Hezbollah was responsible for the ballistic missile attack, the defense official said.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that a total of four US troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury as a result of the attack, and all had since returned to duty.

The strikes on Tuesday are the first in Iraq since the beginning of the month, when the US targeted a member of an Iranian proxy group operating in the country who one US official said had “US blood on his hands.” They also come after multiple strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen over the last week and a half, as the US looks to rein in the aggressive actions of Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East amid heightened tensions in the region.

US forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack at least 151 times since attacks began on October 17, according to a US official — 10 days after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. And while officials have not directly connected the two situations, the ongoing attacks on US forces have fed into heightened tensions and concerns about broader conflict breaking out in the region, particularly when coupled with the regular attacks on commercial shipping by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

“We’ve continued to see attacks on our forces since October 17th in Iraq and Syria. The attack that we saw over the weekend was just a larger scale attack,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday. “But again, we don’t seek conflict, we don’t want to see this widen out to a regional war, we don’t want … to continue to see our forces being put at risk.”

The US’ actions against the Iran-backed militias in Iraq have appeared to strain tensions between the US and the Iraqi government. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told Reuters this month that that there should be a “quick” time frame for the US-led coalition’s exit from the country. The US has maintained that it is in Iraq at the invitation of its government, as part of the ongoing mission to defeat ISIS.

“There is a need to reorganize this relationship so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,” Sudani said. Ryder said at the Pentagon on Tuesday that he was not aware “of any official notifications” to the Pentagon regarding a withdrawal of US forces.

The US has carried out a number of strikes in Iraq and Syria in response to the attacks on coalition forces, placing blame squarely on Iran for supporting the militia groups carrying out the attacks.

In October, following US airstrikes on facilities linked to Iranian-backed militias, a senior defense official said Tehran was “the center of gravity” for the attacks, and that “Iranian fingerprints are all over this.”

“Tehran and Iranian senior leaders are funding, arming, equipping, training and directing a whole plethora of militia groups across the region, and they have escalated attacks against US forces since October 17, which is why we took self-defense action,” the official said.

While the attacks in Iraq and Syria have been ongoing, the US has also been managing regular attacks by the Houthis in Yemen on commercial shipping. The strikes on Tuesday followed strikes on the Houthis on Monday, carried out by the US and UK, which a senior official said were successful in striking weapons storage sites, drone systems, and missiles.

It was the eighth round of strikes on the Houthis by the US military in roughly 10 days.

This story has been updated with additional details.

Nivek · January 24

That is part of my point. Fatah is basically dead as a movement. The Tories in America are also gone. The Pilgrims were a popular movement in the UK for a moment, and then everyone got sick of them and invited them to leave.

Ideologies change with time. But they change when it is socially unpopular or when they are dead.

Viper · January 24

Some of these are funny but it shows how sheltered some Palestinians are and how much their education has kept reality from them.

Anastasis · January 24

I know that twitter is always the place I go to when I need a generalizable assessment of a group of people's grounding in reality.

Edited January 24 by Anastasis

nineliveslost · January 25

20 hours ago, Anastasis said:

I know that twitter is always the place I go to when I need a generalizable assessment of a group of people's grounding in reality.

InkaUtexas · January 26

ICJ does not call for a ceasefire. Tells Israel to refrain from committing genocide.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-braces-world-court-ruling-focuses-attack-south-gaza-2024-01-26/

bolverk · January 26

21 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

ICJ does not call for a ceasefire. Tells Israel to refrain from committing genocide.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-braces-world-court-ruling-focuses-attack-south-gaza-2024-01-26/

Hague schmague...

Neonmoon · January 26

26 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

ICJ does not call for a ceasefire. Tells Israel to refrain from committing genocide.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-braces-world-court-ruling-focuses-attack-south-gaza-2024-01-26/

Did they ask nicely?

Armybrat · January 26

43 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

ICJ does not call for a ceasefire. Tells Israel to refrain from committing genocide.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-braces-world-court-ruling-focuses-attack-south-gaza-2024-01-26/

Has the ICL asked Hamas to cease using their own people as human shields for the purpose of creating massive civilian deaths as propaganda against Israel?

bolverk · January 26

30 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Has the ICL asked Hamas to cease using their own people as human shields for the purpose of creating massive civilian deaths as propaganda against Israel?

The court said that all parties to the conflict are bound by international humanitarian law, which prohibits the use of human shields. The court also specifically called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all hostages. So, to answer your question, yes.

Here's the text of their order, which remains preliminary, as they have not yet ruled on the question of genocide brought to the court by South Africa. The Reuters article cited by Inka says that may take years to months as evidence is collected.

https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20240126-ord-01-00-en.pdf

956 Worldwide · January 27

Fellas, how many murdering, rapine terrorists is too many for an international agency to employ? lol at “we fired them though!”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68119268

Quote

In a statement on Saturday, Mr Lazzarini said: "It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation. 

"It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region. 

"UNRWA shares the list of all its staff with host countries every year, including Israel. The agency never received any concerns on specific staff members."

Mr Lazzarini added that an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services into "the heinous allegations will establish the facts".

An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday told the BBC that the 7 October Hamas attacks had involved "people who are on their [UNRWA] salaries".

Viper · January 27

51 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Fellas, how many murdering, rapine terrorists is too many for an international agency to employ? lol at “we fired them though!”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68119268

I've seen halts on UNRWA funding announced by US, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, Finland, and Italy so far. That accounts for over $420 MILLION in funding to UNRWA in 2022 .

Also looks like Israel is getting ready to cut off the Egyptian border

Edited January 27 by Viper

HouTex · January 27

On a related note, I’ve been enjoying Golda on one of the cable networks. It’s about the Yom Kippur war. She was awesome. Russia (still causing trouble. . .) added a different dynamic in the early 70’s, which explains Israel’s reluctance to kick ass and take names. At least peace eventually was made with one Arab nation.

MirrOlure · January 28

Fellas, how many murdering, rapine terrorists is too many for an international agency to employ? lol at “we fired them though!”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68119268

In a statement on Saturday, Mr Lazzarini said: "It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation. 
"It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region. 
"UNRWA shares the list of all its staff with host countries every year, including Israel. The agency never received any concerns on specific staff members."
Mr Lazzarini added that an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services into "the heinous allegations will establish the facts".
An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday told the BBC that the 7 October Hamas attacks had involved "people who are on their [uNRWA] salaries".

Come on dude…they’re also going to be “held accountable!” Serious shit

956 Worldwide · January 28

The first U.S. fatalities I’ve noted since this all broke out. I really can’t predict the response.

*I forgot about the SEALS who went missing then declared dead.

Edited January 28 by 956 Worldwide
Add

Schulz2.0 · January 28

2 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

The first U.S. fatalities I’ve noted since this all broke out. I really can’t predict the response.

We need to fuck them up.

956 Worldwide · January 28

5 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Edited January 28 by 956 Worldwide
Wrong button

956 Worldwide · January 28

This was going to happen, eventually. Are we going to take a step up the escalation ladder with Iran?

Armybrat · January 28

2 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

This was going to happen, eventually. Are we going to take a step up the escalation ladder with Iran?

Iran is the escalator, so the buck stops with them.

Armybrat · January 28

It is a shame there are so many morons on the 40 acres….

This UT Law student who survived the Oct. 7 attack writes in today’s AAS opinion page about the deniers back in Austin…

https://us7-bcdn.newsmemory.com/ee/_nmum/_default_bb_include_inframe.php?token=023e7e34308cce6b36a4953be2579a53_fd6bbe4c-2b3e-eb11-a0ad-90b11c3d639b_1111111STD-0&cnum=fd6bbe4c-2b3e-eb11-a0ad-90b11c3d639b&fod=1111111STD-0&licenseType=paid_subscriber&bbtype=type_html5&enableUniversalLinkSplash=1&deviceType=%2Fwebios&forceCDN=4&pSetup=austinamericanstatesman&isFrame=1&enableUniversalLinkSplash=1&deviceType=/webios&docMode=BackCompat

Edited January 28 by Armybrat

Jameslaw121 · January 28

We can probably just go ahead and rename the various threads to:

WW3 - Mid East Front

WW3 - Eastern European Front

WW3 - South China Sea Front

Anastasis · January 28

2 hours ago, Schulz2.0 said:

We need to fuck them up.

John McCain’s corpse has a massive boner right now.

Parliament · January 28

2 hours ago, Schulz2.0 said:

We need to fuck them up.

And what aren’t we?

bolverk · January 28

God, this fucking sucks.

Quote

The White House blamed an Iran-backed militia for the deadly strike.

Three U.S. service members were killed in Jordan on Sunday and 25 others were injured in what the Biden administration said was a drone strike from an Iran-backed militia, the first American military fatalities from hostile fire in the aftermath of Israel’s war in Gaza.

The attack happened at a base in northeast Jordan near the Syria border where the troops were based. Other details were not immediately available from the Pentagon’s Central Command, which issued an initial bare-bones statement on Sunday.

But the deaths of U.S. service members will almost certainly put more pressure on President Biden to respond more forcefully as turmoil grows in the Middle East after the Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel.

“Three U.S. service members were killed — and many wounded — during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border,” Mr. Biden said in a statement on Sunday. “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”

The drone strike came as Israel and Hezbollah, another Iranian ally, have traded fire across the Lebanese border. A Houthi militia in Yemen, also backed by Iran, has fired missiles and drones at commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, calling it a retaliation for the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. The United States and its allies have fired back, striking inside Yemen multiple times.

And last Saturday, at least four U.S. service members stationed in western Iraq were injured when their air base came under heavy rocket and missile fire from what American officials said were Iran-backed militias. It was the latest in more than 150 strikes by Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq against U.S. troops there since the Oct. 7 attacks.

The United States has some 2,000 troops stationed at an air base in Azraq, Jordan, as well as Special Operations forces, military trainers and support personnel for the U.S. base at Al Tanf, Syria. The American troops are there largely to assist in regional efforts to stamp out remnants of the Islamic State.

In his statement, Mr. Biden called the U.S. troops in Jordan “patriots in the highest sense,” and said they were “risking their own safety for the safety of their fellow Americans, and our allies and partners with whom we stand in the fight against terrorism. It is a fight we will not cease.”

Last Sunday, the Pentagon declared two Navy SEALs dead after they disappeared 10 days earlier during an operation at sea to intercept weapons from Iran headed to Houthi fighters.

They were the first known U.S. fatalities in Washington’s campaign against the Houthis, who have launched dozens of attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November, roiling the global shipping industry.

The Americans killed on Sunday were the first known fatalities from hostile fire in Yemen, Iraq or the surrounding areas and waters.

This may have happened at Rukban. It's described as a camp for refugees from the Syrian war. It's been blockaded by both Syrian and Russian militaries in the past few years. It was also hit by a drone the past October.

From Wikipedia:

In July 2019 one estimate suggests the camp had dwindled to a population of 11,000. Aid workers, diplomats and residents say it was a result of a five month Russian siege to block supplies.[20]

As of March 2020 the area suffers in a food crisis and humanitarian disaster. The Syrian government continues to block almost all aid, with no more than four aid convoys over the prior two years. Residents say they fear violence or forcible military conscription by the Syrian regime if they leave.[21]

In October 2023, the camp was attacked by drones that was launched by Syrian and Iraqi militias backed by Iran.[22]

Close up

Edited January 28 by bolverk

Armybrat · January 28

45 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

John McCain’s corpse has a massive boner right now.

Charlie Wilson is stirring.

bolverk · January 28

tl/dr: For years, Hamas has been collecting unexploded ordinance that's been fired at them by Israel and has repurposed them for their own use back against Israel. This has become a main source of explosives for Hamas.

Where Is Hamas Getting Its Weapons? Increasingly, From Israel.
The very weapons that Israeli forces have used to enforce a blockade of Gaza are now being used against them.

Israeli military and intelligence officials have concluded that a significant number of weapons used by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks and in the war in Gaza came from an unlikely source: the Israeli military itself.

For years, analysts have pointed to underground smuggling routes to explain how Hamas stayed so heavily armed despite an Israeli military blockade of the Gaza Strip. But recent intelligence has shown the extent to which Hamas has been able to build many of its rockets and anti-tank weaponry out of the thousands of munitions that failed to detonate when Israel lobbed them into Gaza, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence officials. Hamas is also arming its fighters with weapons stolen from Israeli military bases.

Intelligence gathered during months of fighting revealed that, just as the Israeli authorities misjudged Hamas’s intentions before Oct. 7, they also underestimated its ability to obtain arms.

What is clear now is that the very weapons that Israeli forces have used to enforce a blockade of Gaza over the past 17 years are now being used against them. Israeli and American military explosives have enabled Hamas to shower Israel with rockets and, for the first time, penetrate Israeli towns from Gaza.

“Unexploded ordnance is a main source of explosives for Hamas,” said Michael Cardash, the former deputy head of the Israeli National Police Bomb Disposal Division and an Israeli police consultant. “They are cutting open bombs from Israel, artillery bombs from Israel, and a lot of them are being used, of course, and repurposed for their explosives and rockets.”

cont'd:

Spoiler

Weapons experts say that roughly 10 percent of munitions typically fail to detonate, but in Israel’s case, the figure could be higher. Israel’s arsenal includes Vietnam-era missiles, long discontinued by the United States and other military powers. The failure rate on some of those missiles could be as high as 15 percent, said one Israeli intelligence officer who, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

By either count, years of sporadic bombing and the recent bombardment of Gaza have littered the area with thousands of tons of unexploded ordnance just waiting to be reused. One 750-pound bomb that fails to detonate can become hundreds of missiles or rockets.

Hamas did not respond to messages seeking comment. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was committed to dismantling Hamas but did not answer specific questions about the group’s weapons.

Israeli officials knew before the October attacks that Hamas could salvage some Israeli-made weapons, but the scope has startled weapons experts and diplomats alike.

Israeli authorities also knew that their armories were vulnerable to theft. A military report from early last year noted that thousands of bullets and hundreds of guns and grenades had been stolen from poorly guarded bases.

From there, the report said, some made their way to the West Bank, and others to Gaza by way of Sinai. But the report focused on military security. The consequences were treated almost as an afterthought: “We are fueling our enemies with our own weapons,” read one line of the report, which was viewed by The New York Times.

The consequences became apparent on Oct. 7. Hours after Hamas breached the border, four Israeli soldiers discovered the body of a Hamas gunman who was killed outside the Re’im military base. Hebrew writing was visible on a grenade on his belt, said one of the soldiers, who recognized it as a bulletproof Israeli grenade, a recent model. Other Hamas fighters overran the base, and Israeli military officials say some weapons were looted and returned to Gaza.

A few miles away, members of an Israeli forensic team collected one of the 5,000 rockets fired by Hamas that day. Examining the rocket, they discovered that its military-grade explosives had most likely come from an unexploded Israeli missile fired into Gaza during a previous war, according to an Israeli intelligence officer.

The Oct. 7 attacks showcased the patchwork arsenal that Hamas had stitched together. It included Iranian-made attack drones and North Korean-made rocket launchers, the types of weapons that Hamas is known to smuggle into Gaza through tunnels. Iran remains a major source of Hamas’s money and weapons.

But other weapons, like anti-tank explosives, RPG warheads, thermobaric grenades and improvised devices, were repurposed Israeli arms, according to Hamas videos and remnants uncovered by Israel.

Rockets and missiles require huge quantities of explosive material, which officials say is the most difficult item to smuggle into Gaza.

Yet Hamas fired so many rockets and missiles on Oct. 7 that Israel’s Iron Dome air-defense system could not keep up. Rockets struck towns, cities and military bases, giving cover to the militants who stormed into Israel. One rocket hit a military base believed to house part of Israel’s nuclear missile program.

Hamas once relied on material like fertilizer and powdered sugar — which, pound for pound, are not as powerful as military-grade explosives — to build rockets. But since 2007, Israel has enforced a strict blockade, restricting the import of goods, including electronics and computer equipment, that could be used to make weapons.

That blockade and a crackdown on smuggling tunnels leading into and out of Gaza forced Hamas to get creative.

Its manufacturing abilities are now sophisticated enough to saw into the warheads of bombs weighing up to 2,000 pounds, to harvest the explosives and to repurpose them.

“They have a military industry in Gaza. Some of it is above ground, some of it is below ground, and they are able to manufacture a lot of what they need,” said Eyal Hulata, who served as Israel’s national security adviser and head of its National Security Council before stepping down early last year.

One Western military official said that most of the explosives that Hamas is using in its war with Israel appear to have been manufactured using unexploded Israeli-launched munitions. One example, the official said, was an explosive booby trap that killed 10 Israeli soldiers in December.

The military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, has flaunted its manufacturing abilities for years. After a war in 2014 with Israel, it established engineering teams to collect unexploded munitions like howitzer rounds and American-made MK-84 bombs.

These teams work with the police’s explosive ordnance-disposal units, allowing people to safely return to their homes. They also help Hamas gear up for the next war.

“Our strategy aimed to repurpose these pieces, turning this crisis into an opportunity,” a Qassam Brigades commander told Al Jazeera in 2020.

Qassam’s media arm has released videos in recent years showing exactly what they were doing: sawing into warheads, scooping out explosive material — usually a powder — and melting it down to reuse.

In 2019, Qassam commandos discovered hundreds of munitions on two World War I-era British military vessels that had sunk off the coast of Gaza a century earlier. The discovery, Qassam boasted, allowed it to make hundreds of new rockets.

Early in the current war, a Qassam video showed militants assembling Yassin 105 rockets in a sunless manufacturing facility.

“The most essential way for Hamas to obtain weaponry is through domestic manufacture,” said Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Middle East policy analyst who grew up in Gaza. “It’s just a tweak of chemistry and you can make pretty much whatever you want.”

Israel restricts the mass importation of construction materials that can be used to build rockets and other weapons. But each new round of fighting leaves behind neighborhoods of rubble from which militants can pluck pipes, concrete and other valuable material, Mr. Alkhatib said.

Hamas cannot manufacture everything. Some things are easier to buy from the black market and smuggle into Gaza. Sinai, the largely uninhabited desert region between Israel, Egypt and the Gaza Strip, remains a hub for arms smuggling. Weapons from conflicts in Libya, Eritrea and Afghanistan have been discovered in Sinai, according to Israeli intelligence assessments.

According to two Israeli intelligence officials, at least a dozen small tunnels were still running between Gaza and Egypt before Oct. 7. A spokesman for the Egyptian government said its military had done its part to shut down tunnels on its side of the border. “Many of the weapons currently inside the Gaza Strip are the result of smuggling from within Israel,” the spokesman said in an email.

But the besieged streets of Gaza itself are increasingly a source of weapons.

Israel estimates that it has conducted at least 22,000 strikes on Gaza since Oct. 7. Each often involves multiple rounds, meaning tens of thousands of munitions have likely been dropped or fired — and thousands failed to detonate.

“Artillery, hand grenades, other munitions — tens of thousands of unexploded ordnance will be left after this war,” said Charles Birch, the head of the U.N. Mine Action Service in Gaza. These “are like a free gift to Hamas.”

Bevo · January 29

19 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

This was going to happen, eventually. Are we going to take a step up the escalation ladder with Iran?

Since the loss of soldiers was inevitable with our plan, what was the correct way to handle the Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks? The US was and is concerned about escalation: What is the way forward?

Parliament · January 29

56 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Since the loss of soldiers was inevitable with our plan, what was the correct way to handle the Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks? The US was and is concerned about escalation: What is the way forward?

Pressure Isreal to stop being aholes to Gaza?

The Biden administration is looking into slowing down weapons sales to Israel in an effort to scale back its military operations in Gaza, according to a report by NBC News.

NBC News reported the Biden administration is discussing slowing down some of the weapon deliveries to Israel to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back his military assault in Gaza, citing three current U.S. officials and one former official. The sources told NBC the administration is determining what possible weaponry can be used as leverage against Netanyahu, but no final decision has been made.

52-80 · January 29

20 hours ago, Armybrat said:

It is a shame there are so many morons on the 40 acres….

This UT Law student who survived the Oct. 7 attack writes in today’s AAS opinion page about the deniers back in Austin…

https://us7-bcdn.newsmemory.com/ee/_nmum/_default_bb_include_inframe.php?token=023e7e34308cce6b36a4953be2579a53_fd6bbe4c-2b3e-eb11-a0ad-90b11c3d639b_1111111STD-0&cnum=fd6bbe4c-2b3e-eb11-a0ad-90b11c3d639b&fod=1111111STD-0&licenseType=paid_subscriber&bbtype=type_html5&enableUniversalLinkSplash=1&deviceType=%2Fwebios&forceCDN=4&pSetup=austinamericanstatesman&isFrame=1&enableUniversalLinkSplash=1&deviceType=/webios&docMode=BackCompat

A few months ago these deniers would've been the people reflexively calling everyone else Nazis...

Brian Fantana · January 29

20 hours ago, Jameslaw121 said:

We can probably just go ahead and rename the various threads to:

WW3 - Mid East Front

WW3 - Eastern European Front

WW3 - South China Sea Front

And a bunch of posters here will be cheering on as we [continue to] destroy the world.

Brisketexan · January 29

1 hour ago, Brian Fantana said:

And a bunch of posters here will be cheering on as we [continue to] destroy the world.

What's this "we" shit, kemosabe?

Last I checked, the aggressor in Ukraine is Russia.

Last I checked, the party that started the current shittacularness in the Levant is Hamas (although in a fight with two bad guys, we've managed to pick a side, which necessarily gives us some culpability. So I'll aware you half a point on this one).

Last I checked, China is the party talking about invading Taiwan.

We are in an era of heavy-duty FA. I know we like to think the US is all-powerful and nobody on this earth moves a finger without the US directing it, but that's just not the case. It's a new era of global FA. And we're well into the FO part of the program. That ain't all on the US. It's not even close to all on the US.

Brian Fantana · January 29

10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

What's this "we" shit, kemosabe?

Last I checked, the aggressor in Ukraine is Russia.

Last I checked, the party that started the current shittacularness in the Levant is Hamas (although in a fight with two bad guys, we've managed to pick a side, which necessarily gives us some culpability. So I'll aware you half a point on this one).

Last I checked, China is the party talking about invading Taiwan.

We are in an era of heavy-duty FA. I know we like to think the US is all-powerful and nobody on this earth moves a finger without the US directing it, but that's just not the case. It's a new era of global FA. And we're well into the FO part of the program. That ain't all on the US. It's not even close to all on the US.

I'm just in a personal death spiral of hopelessness how you doin

Brisketexan · January 29

Just now, Brian Fantana said:

I'm just in a personal death spiral of hopelessness how you doin

We do our death spirals out on the ledge in these parts. Come on over. We have comfy chairs, whiskey, and we really, really, really dig Sela Ward. But there's room for other tastes. Maybe you dig on some other gorgeous brunette, and you're more of a beer fella. It's all good. So long as you think that humanity is embarking on another bout of "let's try multiple fascist states and nationalism-fueled wars that can engulf an entire continent for the third time in just over 100 years," you've got the credentials.

bolverk · January 29

As surmised, the base in Jordan that was hit was Rukban (aka Tower 22). My preference for a response would be an Iranian drone factory (kill two birds with one stone in also aiding Ukraine), but I understand not hitting Iranian soil directly.

Also, @blacklab , is all this discussion of activity involving the US outside of the Israel/Hamas conflict appropriate here, or should it be put in the Operation Prosperity Garden thread as a generalized American portion of this overall wider theater of operations (thread title change there?)? I mean, they're all interrelated and still distinct, but we've already got enough threads.

A U.S. drone was returning as another attacked the base, confusing air defenses.

A satellite photo shows military outpost known as Tower 22 in northeast Jordan in 2023.Credit...Planet Labs PBC/Associated Press

Air defenses failed to stop a deadly attack on a U.S. military outpost in Jordan on Sunday because the hostile drone homed in on its target at the same time an American drone was returning to the base, two U.S. officials said Monday.

The return of the American surveillance drone to the remote resupply base prompted some confusion over whether the incoming drone was friendly or not, and air defenses were not immediately activated, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an internal investigation into the matter. Two other drones that attacked other locations nearby were shot down, they added.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the drone mix-up.

The attack on Sunday killed three U.S. service members, the first known American military fatalities from hostile fire in the turmoil spilling over from Israel’s war with Hamas. At least 34 others were injured in the strike, which Biden administration officials say used a drone launched by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq.

The drone strike on the outpost in northeast Jordan near its borders with Syria and Iraq, called Tower 22, escalated hostilities in the region that have been mounting since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

President Biden has vowed to retaliate, and met on Sunday with his senior national security aides to discuss possible targets in Syria, Iraq and Iran. Senior U.S. officials said striking Iran directly was less likely, though the U.S. military has drawn up plans to strike Iranian military advisers and trainers in Iraq and Syria in the event U.S. troops were killed by Iran-backed militias in the Middle East.

The one-way attack drone hit near the outpost’s living quarters, causing injuries that ranged from minor cuts to brain trauma, a U.S. military official said. Several U.S. service members were expected to be flown to Germany for medical care, other U.S. officials said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, on his first day back to work at the Pentagon since he was hospitalized for complications following prostate cancer earlier this month, on Monday condemned the attacks and vowed retribution.

“Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the deaths of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded,” Mr. Austin said before meeting with NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. “The president and I will not tolerate attacks on U.S. forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops.”

About 350 Army and Air Force personnel are deployed to the Tower 22 border outpost. It serves as a logistics and resupply hub for the Al Tanf garrison nearby in southeastern Syria, where American troops work with local Syrian partners to fight remnants of the Islamic State.

blacklab · January 29

I think this thread is fine as it’s more land based and other one is more about the Red Sea stuff

Brisketexan · January 29

41 minutes ago, blacklab said:

I think this thread is fine as it’s more land based and other one is more about the Red Sea stuff

Following Surly's strict "surf OR turf, not surf AND turf" rule.

utee94 · January 29

7 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Following Surly's strict "surf OR turf, not surf AND turf" rule.

And thereby avoiding the dangers that result from combining surf AND turf:

Edited January 29 by utee94

Bevo · January 29

35 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Following Surly's strict "surf OR turf, not surf AND turf" rule.

I looked at it like one was Israel & Hamas and the other was the US and Iran (with some overlap).

DDD Dad · January 29

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

We do our death spirals out on the ledge in these parts. Come on over. We have comfy chairs, whiskey, and we really, really, really dig Sela Ward. But there's room for other tastes. Maybe you dig on some other gorgeous brunette, and you're more of a beer fella. It's all good. So long as you think that humanity is embarking on another bout of "let's try multiple fascist states and nationalism-fueled wars that can engulf an entire continent for the third time in just over 100 years," you've got the credentials.

I'll have a Redbreast and Ana de Armas, please.

Brisketexan · January 29

Just now, DDD Dad said:

I'll have a Redbreast and Ana de Armas, please.

Permission granted.

InkaUtexas · January 29

Phoebe Cates in her prime and just a keg of shiner please.

956 Worldwide · January 30

2 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

Phoebe Cates in her prime and just a keg of shiner please.

Not that I don’t totally agree with you, but I’ve just put my finger on why the youth aren’t joining the board.

InkaUtexas · January 30

7 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Not that I don’t totally agree with you, but I’ve just put my finger on why the youth aren’t joining the board.

I blame the free porn on Instagram.

Etexhorn13 · January 30

Schulz2.0 · January 30

The three service members killed. Army reservists based out of Fort Moore, Georgia.

Viper · January 30

If anyone had any doubt that Israel was serious about hunting down Hamas leaders.

Edited January 30 by Viper
Remove incorrect tweet

Schulz2.0 · January 30

Peter Zeihan brought up Kharg Island as a potential target for retaliation. It's in the Persian Gulf near Bushehr. It handles almost all Iranian oil that is exported.

Bevo · January 30

32 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

Peter Zeihan brought up Kharg Island as a potential target for retaliation. It's in the Persian Gulf near Bushehr. It handles almost all Iranian oil that is exported.

What is the general fear regarding escalation? If it is oil prices and the world economy, then hitting Kharg Island seems like a poor choice. If it is because Saudi Arabia and UAE don't want to get involved, hitting Kharg Island seems problematic as well. If it is because we want to wait until the Israel Hamas conflict is over, I don't get it: Even if the Israel Hamas conflict was over, any attack on Iran would immediately lead to a Hezbollah attack on Israel.

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