US threaten Iran with pre-emptive strike

so ashamed of this actual shithole country

Sick to my stomach. I've been sick to my stomach for years now.

CNN’s Barbara Starr reports that Pentagon officials have been hard to reach “because they were sent home early for what was supposed to be a major snowstorm.”

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) January 7, 2020

Shitstorm, more like it

Video above looks like $3 M Patriot missiles being launched against $50k ballistic warheads.

I expected the next step to be the Iraqi government shutting off all grid water/electricity to US bases, and Iraqi militia setting up perimeters (at some distance) and checkpoints to prevent land supply. I still ~40% expect this to escalate to Iraqis levelling the US embassy compound with howitzer fire.

Long term, I've no doubt: the assassination of Soleimani means the US will be forced out of Iraq. Some $3 trillion and 4k+ American lives, not to mention 200k Iraqi lives and millions of displaced civilians, just so Iraq can become a puppet of Tehran. Its arguably the most stupid act by a major power in our lifetimes, alongside how the Russia seized Crimea and the Donbass.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/03/petraeus-on-qassem-suleimani-killing-says-trump-helped-reestablish-deterrence/

one of the smart ones

UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH

Sick to my stomach. I've been sick to my stomach for years now.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, January 7, 2020 5:48 PM (seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

ugh

the hell with this miserable country

US fighters have been scrambled from multiple locations, including the UAE.

Unsure if this is a defensive posture or we’re retaliating.

— Angry Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) January 7, 2020

It goes without saying, and wargamers both professional and amateur have worked this out, Iran will lead with cheap disposable ballistics against American installations and ships. This depletes the finite number of Patriot missiles (land) and SM-2s (naval). Second and third waves will have the better, more recent, more expensive, guided stuff.

And when America launches reprisals from Gulf states, desalination plants will be among the first targets. A bunch of Bangladeshi and Punjabi workers who don't have a stake in this will be the first to die of thirst.

It’s not really a great time for your “smartest guy in the room” schtick

skacritics both professional and amateur have worked it out: third wave to have might mighty bossmissles

Can we lower the predicting the future with certainty by 30-50% please

xxxp no that doesn't go w/o saying, these points are appreciated

*bossmissiles portmanteau-proof autocorrect needed now more than ever

Tombot OTM

El Tomboto: I don't care. Iran has been preparing for this day for at least 20 years. Trump chose to stick his dick in a wasp's nest. A lot of people who don't deserve it are going to suffer.

i get you guys but if sanpaku's gonna sanpaku, why not now, this isn't long-term speculation

Saeed Jalili, Iran's former top nuclear negotiator, posts a picture of the Iranian flag after the attack on Al Asad Airbase, just as Trump did with the American flag after Soleimani's assassination.https://t.co/QHgJAFt7vZ

— Séamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) January 7, 2020

My flag's bigger than your flag.

Reports say Iran is firing dozens of missiles into Iraq, hitting U.S. forces at Al Asad Airbase. Early reports say 20 U.S. troops have died, amid 60+ missile strikes so far. If true, then we are at the precipice of another horrible war in the Middle East.
— Mark Hughes (@markhughesfilms) January 7, 2020
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, January 7, 2020 3:38 PM (thirty-one minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

imagine being this much of a dickhead that you make up a body count for twitter clout. arsehole

Omg Kennedy on fox right now speaking absolute fucking nonsense Jesus Christ

One American official said six rockets had landed at Al Asad air base, but could not confirm that they were missiles.

Iraq’s Joint Military Command said seven rockets had hit the base. Iranian officials said the attack began at 1:20 a.m., the time that General Suleimani was killed by an American drone at the Baghdad airport on Friday.

Recommend the War Nerd podcast. Jon Dolan now puts most of his work behind a paywall, but his 2018 speculation on how a US-Iran conflict would play out is public. I don't disagree with him, though I think he didn't give enough attention to how Iran can shut down Hormuz for the better part of a year with sea mines. Fill your tanks. Buy fossil co options. And rice and beans.

%#%*^$^%$^

should probably go ahead and buy rice and bean options, too

Feels like a pretty sane retaliation by the Iranians. Now we’ll see if Trump lets it end here.

Not so important in N. America. It's East Asia that really gets screwed by Hormuz closing.

If there's any reason for hope in this situation, its in talk from the Iranian foreign ministry, like this from foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif:

This is an act of aggression against Iran, and it amounts to an armed attack against Iran, and we will respond. But we will respond proportionately - not disproportionately ... We are not lawless like President Trump

I gather from this that Iran plans to escalate, step by step. If we had sane people in the Oval Office or NSC, that would be an opportunity to pause and reassess. Sucks to be a sane person hoping for sanity from long term national adversaries.

Erin Burnett just now to Eliot Engel: “doesn’t the President have to do something?”

Reports that aides are making preparations for trump to give a televised address to the nation.

not good

It’s 4 am or so in Tehran right now but I don’t think anyone is sleeping

Iran just launched some missiles? Shits officialy Popin Off… Wow! Smh

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) January 8, 2020

Just a reminder, the actual Secretary of State, back in March

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said it is "possible" that President Donald Trump was sent by God to save Israel from Iran.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47670717

God remember when State was the Enron Exxon guy

Steve Schmidt on MSNBC delivering doom-laden pronouncements using polysyllabic words.

xp Enron Exxon Gazprom

And saying Trump has to escalate , even while castigating him

Don't wanna know about any doom-laden pronouncements. It's hard enough engaging with what's real without trying to engage with whatever might be possible.

god can this shit just fuckin stop

Pompous white dudes getting lots of air time tonight

Can we fire them at Iran?

Fuck everything about this.

Ok finally a decent commentator: Cal Perry reporting from Doha (on Chris Hayes a few minutes ago)

But yeah fuck everything about this

This sucks.

It’s not the law that you have to watch tv

Iran is saying that if there is no retaliation from America for these latest attacks then they will stop attacking. But if America attacks then their response will be crushing and wide spread. #iran #soleimani #war

— Ali Arouzi (@aliarouzi) January 8, 2020

On the plus side, Trump is a coward, so maybe he will back down. On the other hand, Trump is an ignorant asshole, so probably he won't.