Reports: Iraq's al Asad airbase is under rocket attack

a reply to: Zaphod58

That timing makes perfect sense if the whole plan was to try and create a false flag to show how out-of-control America was. Consider this: orders could have been given to take off and then to shoot it down as soon as American forces are sighted. Bang, there's a bunch of dead civilians in a commercial plane and the USA looks guilty as all hell. The whole world turns on the US and Russia jumps into the fray with both feet and UN backing. That would explain the delay. They finally figured out that Trump wasn't taking the bait, and launched the plane anyway, but someone holding a trigger didn't get the word that the plan was called off.

I refuse to believe that Iran is this bad a shot. The whole thing had to be designed to provoke a poorly-thought-out response and take full advantage of it.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

So you never expected Iran to be capable of actually hitting targets then? You expected Donald Trump to show some restraint?

As I said above , they did what they needed to do.
It is they who have shown restraint because to not do so would have been suicide , I suspect they're playing the long game.

a reply to: TheRedneck
There is no reason to think it was anything more than a screwup. Stuff like this just happens in the real world.
Poor equipment, poor training, high tensions and somebody jumps the gun.

a reply to: Zaphod58

IDK. Still seems odd. Maybe it's just my perspective but an hour really makes little difference.

The air space was unsafe or at least the FAA thought so with their restriction for US flyers to avoid miscalculation or misidentification. I heard other countries followed their lead.

If this Ukrainian airliner was shot down as claimed by some, it would ostensibly be for the very reason for the FAA restriction. If it suffered technical difficulties as claimed by others, that seems incredibly coincidental.

a reply to: ABNARTY

A lot of countries will fly their aircraft home before restricting airspace. It's not cheap to park an aircraft for what could be a long time.

en.trend.az...

IRGC attacks Iraq’s Ayn al-Asad base, claims 80 people dead
8 January 2020 10:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

At least 80 US servicemen were killed in an attack on Iraq’s Ayn al-Asad Air Base by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an IRGC official representative said, Trend reports referring to the Fars news agency.

About 200 people were injured, according to the report.
The injured were immediately evacuated by helicopter

should the USA go along with the trumped-up death count reported by Iranian leadership ??

after all... they are in the 'saving face' mode right now & just pumped up the casualty numbers to pacify the population of frenzied & terrorized people of Iran/Iraq


I think it would be prudent of the USA to not challenge the body count error.... so that a 'Lid' is put on this whole thing and War is not achieved

a reply to: gortex

It is they who have shown restraint

Let me understand you...

Iran launched 15 missiles at Iraqi bases last night. The US took no action. So the country that launched missiles showed restraint and the country that didn't launch missiles did not show restraint?

By that logic, the US has shown more restraint than anyone in history... we dropped two BIG piles of "restraint" on Japan to end WWII...

I'm not even going to try and figure out what thought process you're using. Too early for a headache of that magnitude.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

I'm not even going to try and figure out what thought process you're using. Too early for a headache of that magnitude.

It’s not really that difficult, amigo.

“America is bad and wrong. That’s the answer we want, so just turn whatever happens into being their fault.”

Job done.

a reply to: St Udio

I disagree. Not disputing the body count would be a "win" for Iran and a big "loss" for Trump. Plus, it would embolden Iran to try again... and in a situation like last night, one miscalculation could be disastrous.

No, better to call them out, even make fun of their inabilities, shame them back into their holes, and move on.

If Trump is reading, try this one: "I don't hate Iran; as a matter fact, I have asked the NRA to contact them about helping them with target practice."

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

Iran launched 15 missiles at Iraqi bases last night. The US took no action. So the country that launched missiles showed restraint and the country that didn't launch missiles did not show restraint?

As is the way of things Iran likely made it clear where they were going to attack in advance which is why there were no casualties , images I've seen show they hit open land so as I said before the strike was what they had to do , nothing more so yes they showed restraint and offered america a way out and saved some face into the bargain.

I'm not even going to try and figure out what thought process you're using. Too early for a headache of that magnitude.

Fine , but it isn't complicated.

originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: gortex

I didn't expect IRan to be this smart.

For all their blustering.

I did.

Sure the Ayatolah says a lot of crazy stuff in public - doesn't mean he actually has a death wish.

Only 20 something simpletons who have been brainwashed actually believe in martyrdom - their leaders know it's all BS used to control dummies.

a reply to: TheRedneck

I think you are getting caught-up in your own intrigues

I suggested not countering their propaganda numbers of deaths, as the world 'knows' the numbers are crappola …

but you seem intent in kicking sand in their collective faces.... even when offered a way out of escalating conflict

originally posted by: proximo
I did.

Sure the Ayatolah says a lot of crazy stuff in public - doesn't mean he actually has a death wish.

They might not have a death wish having seen how amazingly accurate US tech and intelligence is in taking out their military leader but do they really now have control the Shia armies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen in order to prevent one of those taking revenge? Something tells me even though the Mullahs have backed off one of their proxies is going to drop them in it and ignite Trump's Twittering

a reply to: St Udio

I'm not looking to escalate, but to de-escalate. Iran has a long history of pushing the envelope. What we see as "saving face," they see as "we got away with it this time; let's try it again."

If we were talking about a free people, your suggestion might be appropriate. We're not. We're talking about a regime, in some ways akin to that in North Korea. The Iranian people are simply reacting to the narrative supplied by their leaders. It is the leaders we need to call out, shame, and dismiss. Our war is not with Iranians; it is with Iran... two different things.

Give the people some power through truth and see what they do with it.

TheRedneck

www.nytimes.com... Trump to speak 11am ET

originally posted by: ufoorbhunter

originally posted by: proximo
I did.

Sure the Ayatolah says a lot of crazy stuff in public - doesn't mean he actually has a death wish.

They might not have a death wish having seen how amazingly accurate US tech and intelligence is in taking out their military leader but do they really now have control the Shia armies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen in order to prevent one of those taking revenge? Something tells me even though the Mullahs have backed off one of their proxies is going to drop them in it and ignite Trump's Twittering

Yes, you are probably right the proxies may very well attack without orders from headquarters. But i have a feeling backchannels from Iran will let the US know we had nothing to do with it. Then our retaliation will be with the proxy's.

a reply to: Zaphod58

No doubt. A financial decision outweighing a safety concern is not new.

I now hear the flight recorder will not be turned over to anyone outside of Iran. Interesting.

The more I think about it, the more the confluence of circumstances leads me to believe those people on board did not die because of an aircraft malfunction.

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

Sounds kinda' MH370-ish.

2nd

I saw a tweet a few minutes ago with a video of Quds forces traveling through Iran towards the Iraq border in a line of trucks.