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Ukraine Air flight 752: What really happened? (updated below)

Def: SNAFU: Acronym, military, ca.1941: a confused or chaotic state; a mess (more on the definition later). In the early hours of 8 Jan 2020 the Iranian IRCG lobbed 22 missiles into two military bases in Iraq – the al-Assad Air Base, which is the main American air base in the north of Iraq, and the American base in Iraqi Kurdistan at Erbil, in their Operation Martyr Soleimani. There were no reported casualties, but there was heavy damage to the bases. In the aftermath of the attack, some 4+ hours later, the Iranians shot down Ukraine Airlines flight 752, killing all 176 passengers and crew, a domestic flight, which had departed Tehran at 6:12 am. Most of the people on the plane were Iranian or of Iranian descent. It has been called human error, but was it really? We will examine that in this instalment as well as the wider picture for Iran. Continue reading “Ukraine Air flight 752: What really happened? (updated below)”

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The 2019 Iranian fuel protests

On the 16th of November the Iranian government abruptly raised fuel prices in the nation without warning, thereby sparking widespread protests. Since then there have been some deaths, riots, and over a thousand people placed under arrest. But this bears an unsettling resemblance to other protests that have taken place in recent years in other nations. Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world, and Iranians take it as a birth right that those prices remain low. Any increases are seen in a very dim light, especially since Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and re-imposed heavy sanctions on the nation. But we simply do not know the truth on the ground in Iran at the moment, for reasons we will examine here. Continue reading “The 2019 Iranian fuel protests”

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The 2019 Iranian-US drone incident

In the pre-dawn hours of 20 June 2019, the Iranians shot down a US surveillance drone they claimed had violated their airspace. The US made the counter-claim that the drone was in international waters and was a strike against a US asset. This turns out to be a rather interesting story with many implications, at the risk of harping on about the Middle East. However, events there could quickly spiral out of control, into a catastrophic conflict. And we came very close to that very thing in those pre-dawn hours. Continue reading “The 2019 Iranian-US drone incident”

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The 2019 SCO Conference and why it was a big deal

(This post follows on a bit from the previous one, about why war with Iran is off the table) The 2019 meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was just held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. It is an organization that covers nearly half of the world’s population and 3/5 of the Eurasian landmass. The organization was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, but entered into force on 19 Sep 2003. Since then it has expanded to include India and Pakistan. In addition, Belarus, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Iran all have observer status. Observer states have the option of applying for full membership. Needless to say, the SCO represents a problem for the West, especially Washington, since they were denied observer status. Continue reading “The 2019 SCO Conference and why it was a big deal”

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Why war with Iran is off the table (probably)

On the 13th of Jun 2019 there were attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The first took place at 2:12 UT against the ship, Front Altair, followed at 3:00 UT by an attack on the ship Kokuka Courageous. There were no fatalities. Neither ship sank, and all crew members were safely evacuated. The attack was immediately blamed by US authorities on Iran, with no evidence, amid what Iranian authorities claimed were highly suspicious circumstances. Continue reading “Why war with Iran is off the table (probably)”

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Another shining moment in US foreign policy

On Monday, 8 Apr 2019, Mike Pompeo announced that the Iranian Republican Guard and Quds forces would be designated as terrorist organizations. These groups are part of the legitimate government of Iran, regardless of how one might feel about them. In effect, then, he has labeled the entire government as a terrorist organization, with severe sanctions to follow, starting on 15 April. What follows will be a good demonstration of how a chart for an administration works. John Bolton strikes again. Continue reading “Another shining moment in US foreign policy”

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The emerging situation in the Middle East

This follows on from a previous post. In the morning of 25 Mar 19 a missile was launched from Gaza and landed on a private home in the Moshav Mishmeret in Israel (chart). The Israelis claimed that Hamas had ordered the attack and responded with force, bombing sites in Gaza in retaliation. Hamas claimed the launch was a mistake, the result maybe of a lightning strike or some such. Regardless, the Israeli response as usual was to launch air strikes against the suspected site of the launch and other strategic targets. Continue reading “The emerging situation in the Middle East”

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Is war with Iran on the horizon?

A continuation of the previous Iran post and Part II. The full article is linked below. For a preview:

“Following on from our discussion of Iran, its history, society and people, we can now get a clearer view of what is taking place currently between the US and that ancient culture. There are currently many methods being employed by the US and the Saudis to try to isolate and bring Iran to heel. The think tanks in Washington have been busy. Among those methods we see economic sanctions, cyber warfare, threats to other nations in an attempt to end trade with Iran and attempts to destabilize Iran from inside using proxy forces. None of these are likely to have the desired effects, and we will examine why in due course. In addition, those efforts are likely to produce blowback for the nations involved in trying to sabotage Iran. So, the question is, why would the US, the Saudis and Israel want to see Iran marginalized? There are three main reasons…” READ MORE

Topics: The reasons; The MEK; An overview of the Israelis and Saudis; Israel and the propaganda; What is the Saudi’s beef with Iran?; What war with Iran would mean; The emerging realities

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What is it with Washington’s love affair with Iran?

 

This is a re-direct to a longer article I recently posted in two parts, which we can leave open here for discussion now:

“I recently came across an article that caught my attention, regarding plans for an attack on Iran by the US, coming possibly as soon as this month (August 2018). [Thankfully it didn’t happen.] Defense Secretary James Mattis has since denied the claim, which came from Australian intelligence sources. This followed upon the hyperbolic tweet of Trump’s threatening Iran with apocalyptic consequences if they ever threatened the US again. Iran had done nothing of the kind. The more cynical side of me thinks that Mattis’ denial is confirmation that an attack is being planned. I have read comments in other blog sites that echo that cynicism. However, the common sense side of me says no, that an attack on Iran would be the height of stupidity. But, stupider things have happened. My sense of what is taking place is an effort to get Iran to the negotiating table for a re-negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal (the JCPOA), like we saw with North Korea. The astrology of the US looks quite revealing with regard to both the yes and the no arguments for an attack, as it shows an administration under stress and with its hands tied, at least at the moment. In that sort of scenario, anything is possible. So, in this article we will take a look at Iran, its people, the reasons behind the belligerency of Washington toward Tehran, what the current administration is up against, and what a war with Iran might actually mean, looking at Iran and its people in this section and starting with the astrology of the US at the moment, perhaps finding some clues…” READ MORE

Topics: The current US transits; Iran, the nation; Iran’s troublous journey; Life under the Shah; A preview of the future?; The Iranian chart; The Basij

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