[Statista] After the death of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. missile on Friday in Baghdad, the Iraqi government has voted in a non-binding resolution Sunday to expel U.S. troops from the country. Prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi could now take back the invitation that allows 6,000 troops to currently stay in Iraq.
While the U.S. presence in Iraq is sizable, other Middle Eastern countries host many more U.S. troops. The largest U.S. base in the Middle East is in Qatar. The country hosts around 13,000 U.S. troops, according to numbers compiled by the Washington Post. Located southwest of Doha, Al Udeid Air Base has proven crucial in the fight against ISIS. Qatar invested $1 billion in constructing the base and it's also home to the the U.S. Combined Air Operations Center, responsible for coordinating U.S. and allied air power across the Middle East, particularly in airspace over Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
The following infographic highlights just how important Qatar, along with Kuwait, is to the U.S. presence in the Middle East. Both countries hosts an estimated 13,000 U.S. troops. Neighboring Bahrain is also vital to American interests in the region, home to the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the U.S. Fifth Fleet and a substantial military presence at Isa Air Base. 7,000 troops are based there.
U.S. troops have been withdrawing from Syria after the Trump administration's decision in October, which has decimated their numbers from an estimated 2,000 in September to currently around 800.
#1
Jesus that's a lot. What the fuck? What are we, World Police? Nope.
"vital to American interests in the region"
We don't *have* any interests in the region. Not any more. We're self-sufficient in oil and those dirty camel-fuckers can choke on their dirty crude while we develop electric cars. Looking forward to seeing them fall back to poverty and irrelevance.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
01/07/2020 6:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I'm with Herb. If the camel-etc. thought English was hard, wait til they try to learn Mandarin.
#6
Really not that many. The US combat division is usually 12,000-18,000. Most of those are base personal and defense units. Having 7,000 soldiers to run an air force base is normal.
#9
Wait, don't sell the wunderkinds short. I'm sure they use "literally decimated" for the legacy meaning.
Also (haven't checked, but I'm probably the millionth person to suggest it... sure miss the old days when you couldn't walk to the outhouse without stubbing your toe on a hapax): destimate.
Posted by: Harry Lover of the Gepids1344 ||
01/07/2020 14:31 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Decimate... *SIGH* it was during the frenzied stories about Hurricane Katrina that it was forcibly brought to my attention the linguistic drift of the term "decimate". No, "1 in 10" has become an archaic definition™ ....
#11
Yeah, "decimated"? Come on. Enough of the hyperbole. "Reduced [by 40%]" would have worked just fine...maybe kinda-sorta "drastically reduced" to be nice.
[ToloNews] At least five people were killed by National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... (NDS) forces during an operation in Kabul on Sunday night, eyewitnesses said on Monday.
Amer Satar,
...also known as Amer Abdul Sattar...
a former mujahideen leader from Ghorband valley of Parwan province, along with his son and three others, were killed in an NDS operation in the Khair Khana area of Kabul city on Sunday night at approximately 7:30, according to the eyewitnesses, one of whom said: "No one was armed at the house, five people were killed, and two were taken by the NDS. Seven others remained at the house."
"Amer Satar and his son were guests at the house and when we finished the praying than we heard the shooting," said Abdul Nasir, a relative of Amer Satar.
The son of the owner of the house, Shafi, said: "Amer Satar and his son and nephew were our guests, and they were killed with my father and one of my brothers."
The reason for the operation is not clear.
The NDS confirmed that the operation occurred, but said details will be forthcoming.
Amer Satar was one of the supporters of President Asharf Ghani’s campaign team in last year’s presidential election.
The eyewitness reported that Amer Satar had an issue with one of the commanders of Hizb-e-Islami in Ghorband.
[UK.REUTERS] Kenyan police arrested three men suspected of trying to break into a British army camp in central Kenya on the same day Islamist faceless myrmidons attacked another base used by U.S. and Kenyan forces, according to a police report seen by Rooters.
The failed break-in at Laikipia, where the British army trains about 10,000 troops a year, was captured on a security camera. Three men were subsequently arrested at about 5 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Sunday and were being questioned by anti-terrorism officers, the police report said.
It is not clear whether the attempt to break into the British base was connected to the attack on the Camp Simba base in Manda Bay that killed three Americans. Somali Islamist holy warrior group al-Shabaab ...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... grabbed credit for that attack early on Sunday and posted pictures of fighters posing next to planes in flames.
The deadly attack came only days after the United States said it was tightening security at its bases following threats from Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan, the abbreviation IRGC is a cognate form of Stürmabteilung (or SA), the term Supreme Guide is a cognate form of either Shah or Führer or maybe both, and they hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... to retaliate for a U.S. Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... that killed its most prominent military commander.
[All Africa] An officer within the integrated security forces of Galkayo has been seriously maimed after a bomb planted under the seat of his car on Sunday evening.
The targeted man was the logistic officer of the integrated security forces of Galkayo.
Another security official was maimed in the kaboom. No group has yet grabbed credit for the boom-mobileing reported in the divided town.
In the past, al-Shabaab ...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them... carried out killings and attacks in the city, which has been the scene of festivities between Galmudug ...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth... and Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... forces.
The US military is sending its East Africa Response Force (comprised of ~50 troops out of Djibouti) to secure Manda Bay airfield, the site of the terror attack in Kenya, a defense official tells CNN. Three Americans were killed and 5 aircraft were destroyed in the attack https://t.co/WOUBIeFCQ2
[Al Jazeera] Five Malian soldiers have been killed in a roadside kaboom, a government front man said, in the latest attack to hit the West African country's volatile central region.
The troops were travelling in the region of Alatona, near the border with Mauritania, when their convoy hit a bomb on Monday morning, destroying four vehicles.
"Reinforcements are already in place for the operation to neutralise the enemies," government front man Yaya Sangare said on Twitter.
Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous Force, the one that defeated #ISIS in Sirte, mobilizes forces to launch a counter-attack on Sirte to repel Haftar’s armed groups who took control of the most parts of the city on Monday pic.twitter.com/pbhUGgW4Fz
[Libya Observer] Khalifa Haftar ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... 's forces, backed by former Qadaffy brigades, said they had seized control of most areas in Sirte after brief festivities with Sirte Protection and Security Force units, which pulled out after being abandoned by Brigade 604 - a Madkhali force that was formed after the city was freed from ISIS in 2016.
For weeks, Haftar's forces have been launching sporadic attacks on Sirte with several air attacks by UAE drones, which caused several deaths from the Sirte Protection and Security Force.
Sirte Protection and Security Force sources said their force was betrayed by Brigade 604, whose personnel are mostly from Sirte and tasked with securing their city from the inside.
The sources added that most of the city is now under the control of Haftar's forces and former Qadaffy brigades, except for some neighborhoods in which few brigades are trying to repel the rest of the attack.
With an air cover, Haftar's forces advanced Monday on Sirte from eastern and southern frontlines before 604 Brigade gave them the green light to advance from inside the city, thus forcing Sirte Protection and Security Force brigades to retreat allowing Haftar's forces to enter the city without fighting.
Qadaffy's hometown Sirte is still with the Qadaffy regime of Libya and that made it give the city to ISIS without any resistance as most forces of Evil were previous Qadaffy brigades' personnel.
Madkhali-Salafist Brigade 604 is made mostly from Sirte locals. It didn't take part in the fighting against ISIS. The brigade was formed to secure the city and it angered Sirte Protection and Security Force at the time, citing distrust in the personnel for their Salafist ideology that is linked to Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , which is backing up Haftar.
[Libya Observer] The Media Office of the Volcano of Rage Operation
...goodness, that sounds serious!
said that preliminary data gathered, after examining the remnants of the missile that struck the Military College in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... on Saturday night, indicates that it is a Blue Arrow 7 Ba-7 type launched by a Chinese-made Wing Loong drone, provided by the UAE to warlord Khalifa Haftar ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... The information was based on previous reports of the United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... expert committees, the media office explained on Facebook.
#2
Gotta watch those Wing Loongs they can see in the dark and put one through your master's bedroom window while he sleeps. How you going to explain that?
[DW] The attack struck a crowded market on the Nigerian-Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... ian frontier. Militant groups have long targeted military and civilian sites in the market town and its surrounding areas.
As many as 30 people have been killed after a bomb destroyed a crowded market on a bridge connecting the Nigerian town of Gamboru and Cameroon's Fotokol.
Authorities said more than 35 other people, including both Nigerians and Cameroonians, were maimed and taken to the local hospital in the wake of the attack on Monday.
"A young man picked up an bomb thinking that it was a piece of iron and it went kaboom!, killing him and eight others," said Midjiyawa Bakari, the governor of the Cameroon's Far North Region.
MILITANT ATTACKS
Militant groups operating in the area have targeted Gamboru on multiple occasions since 2014. That year, Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... seized Gamboru and the nearby town of Ngala.
After a monthslong siege, Nigerian troops managed to wrestle back control of Gamboru with assistance from Chadian forces. But the bully boy group still launches attacks on military and civilian targets in the area.
Boko Haram's decadelong insurgency aimed at establishing a so-called caliphate has killed more than 35,000 people and displaced more than 2 million in the region.
An "Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... " regional ally that broke off from Boko Haram also stages attacks in the region.
No group has yet to claim responsibility for the attack.
[All Africa] Four Naval ratings, who were part of a six-man Naval rescue squad, were killed in a gun duel between them and suspected sea pirates, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
The firefight occurred at about 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 2, a top Naval source said. The source asked not to be named as he was not permitted to talk to journalists.
The attack occurred in the jurisdiction of the NNS Delta, an operations base in Warri, Delta State, one of the seven units under the jurisdiction of the Central Naval Command.
The sea robbers were said to have attacked one of Nigeria’s dredgers, MV AMBIKA, a Sterling Oil dredger close to Ramos River entrance, before the six-man troop of the Nigerian Navy were sent to neutralise their threat.
Before the team arrived, the source said, the suspected sea robbers had "boarded the vessel and kidnapped three crew members (two Russians and one Indian), leaving behind five other crew members."
Upon the arrival of the rescue team at the scene of the incident, a gun duel ensued between the armed ratings onboard the vessel and the sea robbers.
Four of the six Naval ratings deployed onboard the vessel were killed. The vessel was also reportedly stolen by the pirates.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) pops up on the radar again.
Ali Abdul Razzaq al-Shari, a leader of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, has been killed west of the city of Taiz in Yemen, according to the Yemeni News Agency.https://t.co/mPlH7H92tcpic.twitter.com/uOeHqtyzFA
Posted by: Fred ||
01/07/2020 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11124 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
#1
Houthi commander and his companions killed in Yemen
[Search domain www.bna.bh
In a statement to Yemeni News Agency, a military source said that the field commander in the Houthi militia - Commander of the 17th Infantry Brigade called Ali Abdul Razzaq Al-Shari, was killed, along with 5 others, with army artillery fire targeting them while they were gathering in Wadi Al-Bahbah, west of Mount Han.
[Jpost] Indonesian student tossed in the clink Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! as Britannia's worst rapist.
A student from Indonesia has been named as Britannia's worst ever rapist after being convicted of more than 150 offences over more than two and a half years.
Reynhard Sinaga, 36, was found guilty of luring 48 men from outside bars and clubs in the city of Manchester back to his flat, where he drugged and assaulted them. In some instances he would then film the attacks on his mobile phone.
"The most prolific rapist ever tried in a British court has today been tossed in the clink Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! for life after drugging and assaulting 48 men, following the largest prosecution of its kind in the Crown Prosecution Service's history," the CPS said in a statement.
A judge on Monday ruled that following four separate trials he must serve a minimum of 30 years in jail.
"His extreme sense of sexual entitlement almost defies belief and he would no doubt still be adding to his staggering tally had he not been caught," said Ian Rushton, a government prosecutor.
"Sinaga’s unthreatening demeanour duped these young men - many of whom thanked him for his kindness in offering them a place to stay - into thinking this monster was a Good Samaritan."
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] German prosecutors have filed terror charges against a Syrian man accused of commanding a unit of ISIS fighters in his homeland.
Prosecutors in Frankfurt said Monday that the 33-year-old, whose name they didn’t release, was charged with membership in a foreign terrorist group and violating weapons laws.
They said that the suspect entered Germany in June 2015 and was initially granted refugee status, which was revoked in June last year. He was arrested in the central city of Kassel in November 2018
...that might be Mohammed A. G., whose arrest was reported on 17 November 2018 in our archives...
and has been in jug since then.
The man was a member of ISIS from 2013 to 2015 and allegedly commanded a unit of at least 20 men, prosecutors said in a statement. He also is alleged to have been the commander of one or two city districts in Raqqa for at least part of the time.
Prosecutors said the man is also accused of capturing two men, who were either Shia or members of the Alawite minority, and holding them as hostages before handing them over to a high-ranking ISIS commander. It is not known what happened to the men.
[Libya Observer] Ottoman Turkish President, His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... said on Sunday that they have already begun to send in troops to Libya, gradually.
This came in a television interview with CNN Turk television.
Erdogan explained that his country was not disturbed by Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... 's condemnation of the decision to send troops to Libya.
"We do not value the condemnation of the Saudis, instead, we disapprove their condemnation," he said.
Erdogan added that Egypt and the UAE are very troubled by the Libyan-Ottoman Turkish agreement, but in return, they are supporting the coup against the legitimate government.
[Twitter] NEWS BREAKING ALERT: Senior U.S. military source in Iraq: "under missile attack from Iran. These are either cruise missiles or short range ballistic missiles. All over the country." - Fox News (6:20 p.m. ET 1/7/20)
Update at 7:45 p.m. ET: see also Fred’s Twitter round-up here. I’ll cross-link so that everyone can easily see all the comments.
Posted by: Raj ||
01/07/2020 18:30 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11135 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#10
Pick 4 Iranian cities. Do the Dresden thing. Moab the ayatollah. Oh and sink anything with an iranian flag. Good start. Maybe napalm the Iranian Embassy in New York.
#15
Just checking in before starting articles for tomorrow and I saw this. Thank you for posting it for us, Raj.
Ladies and gentlemen of Rantburg, let’s keep all updates in this thread — we’ll start fresh with a new article at the midnight rollover that contains all your updates.
I’ve set this as today’s new headline, replacing what was there before — Fred’s latest update allows us to do that (thanks, Fred!). 3dc earlier sent me a link to a tweet tracking the large number of West-East American military flights in the last few days — C-somethings? Diego Garcia isn’t the only site ready to rumble, I think.
May God grant us victory speedily enough that we don’t have to break the enemy too badly.
#21
I think the first thing we hit is Iran's missile sites.
This is because Iran probably has dozens or more likely hundreds of launchables and it would be good to reduce this number. Unfortunately, the staffing of these bases is mostly regular soldiers not IRNG.
Everything else should
Posted by: lord garth ||
01/07/2020 19:48 Comments ||
Top||
#22
Target the mullahs, not the people. They don't want that war.
Agreed, and I think we (our mil.) have considered that very well.
#26
Civie here with two questions 1) describe these ballistic missiles, their capabilities, etc. 2) what's this "strategy" we must have now, this minute and when asked, which they themselves can't answer. I like Reagan's strategy "They lose, we win." Thanks Rantburg U.
#1: Air defense radar sites
#2: Missile launch sites
#3: IRGC facilities and personnel
#4: Nuclear sites
#5: National command structure, incl. the mullahs
I suspect the next few days will get very, very interesting and lively.
The mullahs have clearly descended into Thrash Mode just like our resident idiots, the Democrats. Trump certainly has a talent for driving stupid people to do stupid things, doesn't he?
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/07/2020 20:00 Comments ||
Top||
#28
it was a Twitter capture and I can't find it again
Links if you have ‘em, guys — just paste in the comment box below your comment if you don’t know how to bury them in a link.
Comment either here or in Fred’s post — he did a twitter round up here. Raj keeps the headline though, because he was first. :-)
#48
They will have to hit the ADA sites and C&C sites first. Then they should hit the missile sites to defend the troops. All pretty standard. I would like to see them obliterate the Special forces bases. Turn them into glazed sand and then let that sink in with the rest of the military. The republican guard rank and file will not stay and fight. Also, any Iranian boat in the straights need to be gone. As far as the nuke sites go, we can send a god rod in on those and remove them without hurting the population. Just my recommendation..
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/07/2020 20:58 Comments ||
Top||
#49
Target the mullahs, not the people.
Do what's necessary to neutralize the Iran threat to the West.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
01/07/2020 21:08 Comments ||
Top||
#51
Certainly would be a shame if suddenly all the bank accounts in Iraq read zero - or some other random number. That'd crash their economy tout suite and no idea what random group of hackers did that ...
#52
Iran launched on Iraq. A nuanced response could be Trump asking Iraq - sorry about that damage. Would you like any assistance in your response? That way the response is in line with Iraq's request - not us going it alone. And frankly - they OUGHT to be pissed off at the Iranian's shooting at them. They fought a long war about that relatively recently.
#54
Is it possible that Iran planned not to actually hit anybody? That way they get to avoid all out war but can crow that they fought back against the Americans. They’ve already said that they won’t do anything else if we don’t respond. As much as I’d love to whip their asses, escalation gets risky. We already smoked their top guys. Deterrence established. We won and they know it.
#55
Dem prexidential candidates calling for prayers now. Hypocritical bastids always belittle people calling for prayers after a mass shooting...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
01/07/2020 21:36 Comments ||
Top||
#56
Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump
3m
All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.
Posted by: Jan ||
01/07/2020 21:50 Comments ||
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#57
I'm sort of disappointed with all the "internet tuff guys" on this thread. I expected more thoughtful replies. I think this may be over - thankfully. Iran took some pot shots to save face and are scared- and we know it. Lets hope things deescalate from here.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
01/07/2020 21:57 Comments ||
Top||
#58
"internet tuff guys"
On or off the web. These folks are just that Sammy.
#60
"I think this may be over - thankfully. Iran took some pot shots to save face and are scared- and we know it. Lets hope things deescalate from here."
#61
Saddam's people would do the same thing back in 1999-2000 to jets patrolling the Northern-Southern No fly zones. They'd jump out of the bunker and fire off a few AAA rounds after the patrol aircraft had already departed the AO. Looked good on paper.
#63
#57 I'm sort of disappointed with all the "internet tuff guys" on this thread. I expected more thoughtful replies. I think this may be over - thankfully. Iran took some pot shots to save face and are scared- and we know it. Lets hope things de-escalate from here.
No one wants war here, Sam.
The question is whether they, as s.o. above reported, killed 20 of our people.
If yes, we strike back - 10x harder.
If no, we ignore their BS and de-escalate.
[Arutz 7] - A soldier has been sent to a military prison for 18 days for putting a snake in a Palestinian Authority taxi, according to Galei Tzahal radio.
When he finishes serving his sentence, his continued service as a soldier will be examined by the unit commander. The Israel Defense Forces stated in response, "This behavior is unacceptable and inconsistent with IDF values, according to which soldiers are expected to behave." Our own Florida man?
#7
Soldier calling taxi company: "Hello, Did you by any chance find my emotional support snake in one of your taxi cabs?" "Yeah, we found a snake in one of our taxis. We find them all the time. What did it look like?"
#12
I don't make the news that I cover...
a joo and a snake? Son of Flubber!
Won't boost my career
If the serpent is queer
Or progressive or muslim or rubber.
Posted by: Harry Lover of the Gepids1344 ||
01/07/2020 11:46 Comments ||
Top||
#13
Dropped a tow sack with a big raccoon in it through the passenger side of a drunk's pickup while a friend was on the driver side talking to him as he was about to leave the Piggly Wiggly parking lot.
For some strange reason he lost control about a half block up the street and cut across quite a few yards fighting that raccoon.
#20
I’m out and about, so here is the direct link, guys: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/483833.
Tapping/clicking on the article headline when scrolled down to at the link will send the reader to the specific story. Good catch on the link, Herb, but next time please exercise your skillz — we both know your capacity is well beyond mine on such things.
Posted by: trailing wife not buying anything at the Apple store ||
01/07/2020 15:34 Comments ||
Top||
#22
Graffiti appears overnight
And police arrest two by first light:
The nazi got bail,
But held under the jail
Is the guy who wrote "left" over "right."
Posted by: Harry Lover of the Gepids1344 ||
01/07/2020 16:01 Comments ||
Top||
Iran says it has "concluded" its response to the killing of its general, indicating that it is hoping the U.S. will not respond to the recent attack. #IranvsUSA
CNN: At least two ballistic missiles hit two separate areas in Erbil, Kurdish security officials say. One missile landed inside the perimeter of Erbil International Airport without exploding, the second missile hit an area west of the city of Erbil without causing casualties.
IRGC social media: "The attacks on the Ain al-Assad and Erbil are bases in fact attacks on the command and control infrastructure, detection, radar, electronic warfare and, more so, the American brains, eyes, and ears in the region." (1/2)
With this report of actually 10 missiles (not Iran’s claimed 35) hitting Al-Assad Airbase and the reports that US troops received the launch warning and entered bomb shelters, coupled with the vast size of the airbase, it’s not all that surprising there may be no US casualties... https://t.co/mhWMmcUR4p
One of the Iranian missiles have fallen near my hometown of Bardarash District in Duhok province, 80 kilometers from Erbil capital of the #Kurdistan Region — Rudaw reports. — There no single military base in the area. pic.twitter.com/cD1nbiZZgu
Multiple sources confirming that inbound missile warnings were issued and troops were able to shelter in bunkers. No reports of casualties at this time but final report not yet available to those I spoke with. #Iraqi#Iran
Iran is warning that if there is retaliation for the two waves of attacks they launched their 3rd wave will destroy Dubai and Haifa.#iran#Soleimani#war
Iran state TV says Tehran has launched "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles at Iraq's Ain Assad air base housing U.S. troops over America's killing of a top Iranian general
#BREAKING: @CarlaBabbVOA quoting defence source reports attack on Al-Assad Airbase in Iraq ongoing, reports rounds are still coming in and at least 30 have landed so far
If reports are correct, required range and flight profile in videos would indicate use of precision-guided solid-propellant Fateh class missiles (Fateh 110, Fateh 313, Zolfaghar) with a warhead of about 500kg
They've got a love affair with missiles. I'm guessing, based on use in Yemen, they're not going to be (ultimate) cost effective.
The #IRGC said it will target any regional state that becomes a platform for US aggression, a second banner read. The warning follows the IRAGC claiming responsibility for hitting the Ain al-Asad airbase, which houses US forces in Iraq, with tens of missiles. #Iran
That could mean war with everyone in the vicinity, which I suppose is a good thing if you're expecting the Mahdi to come riding to the rescue. If he doesn't come, that thing in your hand is for peeing, not defense.
#BREAKING: Senior US military source in Iraq to Fox News @JenGriffinFNC: “Under missile attack from Iran. These are either cruise missiles or short range ballistic missiles. All over the country.”
[Jpost] Syrian activists blamed the attack on Iranian militias, while Syrian regime sources blamed it on ISIS.
Twenty-one shepherds were killed in a massacre on Sunday in the Ma'adan area of eastern Syria in an attack that Syrian activists blame on Iranian militias, according to the pan-Arab al-Quds al-Arabi news site. However, a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... Syrian regime sources blamed the attack on ISIS.
Oh dear. How is a girl to choose?!
The event took place two days after IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... . Syrian Facebook pages and news sites quoted locals as saying that that the shepherds were killed in Dire Revenge for the liquidation of Soleimani.
That sure sounds like Iran’s pet Shiite paramilitaries...
Navvar Saban, a researcher from the Syrian Omran Centre for Strategic Studies, told al-Arabi that Iranian militias were likely responsible for the attack. Syrian Civil Defense worker and former journalist Asaad Hanna also blamed Iranian militias for the massacre. Oh NOES, Herb! Simple, rustic, but well-armed goat herders were killed? Must be the US, right?
Syrian regime media blamed the massacre on ISIS, as ISIS cells operate in the surrounding desert, according to al-Arabi.
Could both groups have done mean things?
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 19 non-combatants were killed and five others were missing in the attack in the al-Sabkhah Desert in Raqqa by unknown assailants on Sunday. The victims were reportedly shot after being shackled.
According to the SOHR, the site of the attack is far away from where ISIS cells operate, but there are also no headquarters or centers of Syrian regime forces or militias nearby. The only military presence in the area are military convoys usually affiliated with the AL-Katerji militia. This militia was founded by Syrian businessman and politician Hossam al-Katerji, according to Rooters.
Multiple ISIS attacks on Iranian militias and regime forces were reported in recent days.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that members of ISIS intensively shelled positions belonging to Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias in the Deir Ezzor area where Albukamal is located on Monday evening. Regime forces responded with heavy artillery and flares. It is unclear if the exchange of fire is connected to the earth-shattering kabooms reported by Deir Ezzor 24.
A bus carrying regime forces was ambushed on the International Highway in the Deir Ezzor area on Monday, according to SOHR. At least seven soldiers were killed and 14 others were maimed in the attack.
Last week, a number of IEDs planted by ISIS members went kaboom! on a highway in Deir Ezzor, injuring multiple soldiers. SOHR described the attack as part of ISIS's "continued growing activity" in the area.
Explosions were heard in "areas controlled by Iranian militias" near Albukamal in eastern Syria near the Iraq-Syria border on Monday evening, according to local news source Deir Ezzor 24. The explosions were believed to be caused by rockets, although some reports indicated that an airstrike had targeted the area. The strong explosions were heard on the other side of the Euphrates River.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that members of ISIS intensively shelled positions belonging to Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias in the Deir Ezzor area where Albukamal is located on Monday evening. Regime forces responded with heavy artillery and flares. It is unclear if the exchange of fire is connected to the explosions reported by Deir Ezzor 24.
The SOHR reported on Sunday that Iran-backed militias had reportedly evacuated their headquarters in Albukamal and spread throughout orchards on the banks of the Euphrates River.
How very clever of them.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is reportedly seizing civilian houses in the Deir Ezzor area in eastern Syria.
The land crossing between Iraq and Syria at Albukamal that reopened in November was closed again on Monday, according to Deir Ezzor 24.
Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias fired three shells at the Conoco gas field in the Deir Ezzor area of eastern Syria on Sunday night. No casualties were reported in the Conoco attack.
Militias along the Iraq-Syria border have been high alert since the strike on Soleimani. An air strike reportedly struck an Iranian-militia base near the border within Syrian territory on Saturday night, according to Arab media.
Multiple people were injured and killed in the airstrike targeting a base belonging to the Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) along the Iraqi-Syrian border, according to Al Arabiya.
Three military vehicles were destroyed in an airstrike on Iranian-backed militias in Deir Ezzor in Syria along the border with Iraq, according to Deir Ezzor 24. The news site earlier reported a possible strike in Albukamal, which is home to a major Iranian base.
Earlier this week, a new Iranian-backed militia called the "al-Sayyida Zeinab Regiment," arrived in Albukamal along the Iraq-Syria border.
Noted. Not that these fake-nose-and-eyeglasses names indicate an actual new group, but it’s good to get it in the record anyway.
Multiple airstrikes have targeted Iranian forces and militias in eastern Syria in the past few months. A strategic border crossing between Iraq and Syria and the Iranian-controlled Imam Ali military base is located in the border town of Al-Bukamal.
#BREAKING: US deploying 6 B-52 strategic bombers to Diego Garcia which could be used for operations against Iran if ordered- via CNN’s @barbarastarrcnn
#3
Time to darken the skies above Tehran. I loved how Trump said he had 52 targets representing the 52 hostages. And yesterday in a show of support the Air Force launched 52 f35 aircraft. I guess the AF wants to go play...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/07/2020 15:36 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Statista] After the death of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. missile on Friday in Baghdad, the Iraqi government has voted in a non-binding resolution Sunday to expel U.S. troops from the country. Prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi could now take back the invitation that allows 6,000 troops to currently stay in Iraq.
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...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them...
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
[All Africa] Four Naval ratings, who were part of a six-man Naval rescue squad, were killed in a gun duel between them and suspected sea pirates, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] German prosecutors have filed terror charges against a Syrian man accused of commanding a unit of ISIS fighters in his homeland.
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
[Twitter] NEWS BREAKING ALERT: Senior U.S. military source in Iraq: "under missile attack from Iran. These are either cruise missiles or short range ballistic missiles. All over the country." - Fox News (6:20 p.m. ET 1/7/20)
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