Shocking news coming from Iraq and Iran.

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Gone for good 08 Jan 2020

If it wasn't bad enough 250 people killed and injured at the Funeral of Suilemann yesterday. Last night Iran attacked 2 US army bases in Iraq with ballistic missiles and a Ukrainian passenger plane with 170 people on board crashed minutes after leaving Tehran on the way to Kiev. Casualties from the missile attacks are unknown but Iranian officials are tweeting upto 80 US servicemen were killed. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51028954

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51029994

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 summo 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Gone for good:

My suspicion is the bases were warned to some degree. Iran does a show of strength, if, big if, trump doesn't retaliate then there will be a slow move towards a ceasefire and talks again. Iran needs a way out without losing face etc.

The plane... trigger happy military just like the Russians over the Ukraine. Probably thought the blip on the radar was the USA retaliation. 

Post edited at 08:12
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Moley 08 Jan 2020
In reply to summo:

Agreed about the missile attack, Iran had to do something to appease their millions all calling for blood, but not do too much to invoke a counter strike from US.

There will be plenty of public sabre rattling from both sides, but ultimately we hope they are pragmatic enough not to want to wipe themselves off the earth with war. 

Looks like the Ukraine plane crash (just after take off from Iran) may not have been linked and pure coincidence, if you believe in coincidences in this murky world of politics.

Rigid Raider 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Gone for good:

You can be sure that this morning Iranian media are reporting gleefully to the nation that a deadly wave of missiles was launched at bases in use by the Great Satan but forgettig to add that they all landed harmlessly in the garden.

 summo 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Moley:

All the iranian rhetoric probably has their less well educated and trained military units on edge ready for an invasion by the USA. An escalation could happen as easily by accident as deliberately. 

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 Naechi 08 Jan 2020
In reply to summo:

> All the USA rhetoric probably has their less well educated and trained military units on edge ready for an invasion of Iran. An escalation could happen as easily by accident as deliberately. 

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Removed User 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Gone for good:

The US had already told Iran that they would accept a proportionate response to the assination. Weird but true.

This seems to be what has happened. I imagine the US would have been able to detect the missiles in sufficient time to get everyone into s bunker.

Honour is satisfied, sort of and life goes on. However I'd expect there's more to come but in a less obvious manner.

 Ridge 08 Jan 2020
In reply to summo:

I definately agree with the suggestion that Iran informed the US prior to the missile attacks.

As regards the plane, sounds unrelated according to news reports.

 summo 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Naechi:

True to a degree, but I think the US military have seen enough of their friends die to not go diving in. The same doesn't apply to the seniors safe in Washington. 

 Baron Weasel 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Gone for good:

I'm just glad we elected a leader that has been clear from the start of the tensions about the position of the UK in all this.. Oh wait a minute! 

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MarkJH 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Ridge:

> As regards the plane, sounds unrelated according to news reports.

It may be, but the nature of the crash (i.e a very large uncontained fire in flight, with some very unusual looking puncture marks in the wreckage) suggest that an accidental shoot down by nervous Iranian air defenses is at least a possibility.   

 Naechi 08 Jan 2020
In reply to MarkJH:

Could even be another US assassination? Maybe best wait for some more info?

 Ridge 08 Jan 2020
In reply to MarkJH:

> It may be, but the nature of the crash (i.e a very large uncontained fire in flight, with some very unusual looking puncture marks in the wreckage) suggest that an accidental shoot down by nervous Iranian air defenses is at least a possibility.   

Just seen the photos. As you say, does look very much like it was shot down.

 Harry Jarvis 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Naechi:

> Could even be another US assassination? Maybe best wait for some more info?

There were apparently a lot of Canadians on the flight. I know Trump doesn't like Trudeau, but I would hope he wouldn't inflict quite so much collateral damage. 

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In reply to Ridge:

> I definately agree with the suggestion that Iran informed the US prior to the missile attacks.

There's a report that they told the Iraqis in advance but it wouldn't have mattered US satellites would have seen the infra-red from the launches as soon as they fired the rockets.  They'd have calculated where they would land almost immediately from the trajectory and they've got Aegis warships in the region with very fancy radars.   It's interesting that they don't seem to have bothered trying to shoot them down.

 Max factor 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Baron Weasel:

> I'm just glad we elected a leader that has been clear from the start of the tensions about the position of the UK in all this.. Oh wait a minute! 

i'd like to see Boris and Dominic Raab dressed as Dougal and Ted, petitioning outside the UN.

Careful now! Down with this sort thing!

Gone for good 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Offwidth:

Are you sure that's not Private Eye masquerading as the Guardian?

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 Naechi 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Harry Jarvis:

Would hope so too but it is Trump...

I'm sure the Iranians knew that a commercial flight had just taken off from the airport in Tehran.

Post edited at 12:31
 deepsoup 08 Jan 2020
In reply to Gone for good:

John Crace is a 'sketch writer' (and a really good one at that), so it is pretty much satire.  Which doesn't mean it's not true of course.


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