The writers analysis is correct About Iran. Biden Is useless in this war. Israel is on his own And we’ll have to strike Iran Oh it’s on. They must forget about any western support Europe’s middle east lifeline Is it red sea And it must defend it Without relying on Biden. This means Align with India and begging China To provide some support For red sea Shipping It’s mostly Chinese goods That are being shot at byy Islamic idiot tribresman. Ask Egypt To provide ground troops Suez canal fees Are being attacked. The Saudi’s Can be used to pay the Egyptians Since they have a big quarrel With the hoodies. Just don’t rely on Biden for anything.
Biden flew to Israel on day one – no talk/ the knee had a hammer tap and so it kicked out, and he clutched Netanyahu in a bear hug and gave him a blank check, a Carte Blanch, fully funded by any amount of American debt wished – (My guess is it will run 1 – 4 $Trillion before finishing in 20 years with the neo-con writings above)
Oh, well – the Military Industrial, like the Bio-Pharma complex, Banking/Hedgefund complex, and Tech Complex, fund all the political contributions…. so what will be as what they wish it will be…. The deep state and security services, and Uniparty are their bi*ch.
Maybe he should have mentioned what we are doing there – beginning, say, with the CIA/MI6 overthrow of the democratically elected Mosaddegh in 1953, and then the thousand other similar things culminating in the Bush Wars – and the Syria Debacle, and us creating ISIS in the POW camps of Iraq – maybe even the flattening of the city-State of Gaza and 30,000 civilians killed – ongoing.
But no – we are the good guys out to save them, and yet they stab us in the back……
No wonder getting Trump Elected to get rid of the Deep State Neo-Con, ‘Security services’ FBI is job one for American voters.
So the solution to fixing problems in the Middle East is another war? Seeing as the last two American escapades in the region went so swimmingly I can see why this one would be sure to work as well.
Why the west still cares about that quagmire is beyond me. Pull everybody out, let the Houthis have the Red Sea and let them all get on with it. America has much bigger problems with China and Europe needs to keep an eye on Russia, the last thing either needs to be doing is picking sides in the Middle East
Because someone has to police the seas. You may not like it, but three cent be anarchy on the seas. China isn’t doing it because its ships aren’t being targeted. Should we just ignore things like Somali pirates – let there be a free for all?
Excellent article. The author is one of the few people who understand the risk of Iran.
My Father with 5.5 years of WW2 combat experience at sea followed by 37 years more years sailing the World said 20mm cannon fore, aft, port and starboard on each ship would have solved Somali pirate problem. Do not need to strengthen ship for 20mm cannon. If one can shoot down a plane moving at 250 mph with 20mm cannon, one sink a boat moving at 25 mph. Could remove cannon before entering port.
A SAS sergeant asked the question ” What is more dangerous a pair of scissors or a sub- machine gun. Wrong question. Who is more dangerous, the person holding the scissors or the sub-machine gun?”
The way the World actually works is that strength is respected, timidity is not. If the USA no longer accepts the burden of being the World’s policeman which is the respnsibility of being the leader of the free World; countries will drift into China’s orbit of influence. There is extensive anti American feelings, largely based upon envy but there is still respect for her strength. Perceived lack of will 350 AD led to collapse of Western Roman Empire. Basically, does the USA want to refute JFK’s inauguration speech ?
Yes, we should ignore the Somali pirates so long as they don’t attack our ships. Yes, there can be anarchy on the seas. Anarchy on the seas prevailed for most of human history. People don’t appreciate history enough to understand what things were like before the British and then the Americans cleared the seas of pirates. In pre-Victorian times, nations either had enough naval power to secure their own shipping, or they were beholden to those who did or they simply got pirated. The Barbary pirates devastated American shipping in the country’s early years until the US had enough naval power to launch a campaign against them.
The reality is the American Empire is in decline, and the consequences won’t be confined to America. One of those consequences is that Uncle Sam won’t be keeping piracy in check at no charge for everyone. The expense is getting unsustainable and Americans have other priorities. Sooner or later, that other shoe is gonna drop.
You do know the Israelis have been routinely bombing Iranian vessels on their way to Syria already don’t you? Have been doing so for some time prior to October 7th.
The occasional assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and senior Revolutionary Guard officers, including the dark lord, Qasem Soleimani, doesn’t really count.
Completely wrong. This was the most important incident of the past 5 years prior to Oct 7th.
Iran wants proxy wars for all the reasons the author outlines – numerous civilian casualties blamed (falsely) on Israel, an aura of strength against the West, etc. – but it greatly fears the stealthy elimination of leaders.
Despite all their talk of wanting martyrdom, the leaders in Tehran are cowards, unwilling to put their own lives on the line as they ask their followers. When Trump killed Soleimani it shocked them since they realized they could be next. When Biden succeeded Trump they breathed a sigh of relief and dialed up the terrorism with Oct 7.
Like Iranian proxy wars, stealthy elimination of top Iranians is a relatively cheap and effective counter to Iran’s war of terror.
Chris Whybrow
3 months ago
This is the price the West pays for their utter indifference to the plight of Syria. In fact, most Western failures in the region have arisen as a result of their indifference to the suffering of the innocent.
Exactly, the whole Syrian episode has been an utter disgrace. Fortunately President Bashar al-Assad seems to have WON, as he justly deserves.
I look forward to the destruction of one of the main perpetrators* of this outrage, the so called Kingdom of S*udi Ar*bia A more pestilential cesspool would be hard to imagine.
(* The other being the USA-Kosher Nostra as one might have expected.)
POSTED AT 0847 GMT and immediately SIN BINNED.
Mine seem to get pinged if I mention the name of this site – also any that metnio Ne-oh-cons & their prevalence here. I’ve a post waiting here now from an houir ago…
turthout ??!! Really. That’s a far, far left blogsite. They twist and interpret everything through a particular anti-US, radically socialist lens. Just plain rubbish.
Why is “the plight of Syria” for the West to solve? You can’t have it both ways. People complain about forever wars while agitating for the next one. That dystopian part of the world is not going to be fixed, whatever fixed means, by non-Muslims.
Not indifferent, just cowed by the American bully boys.
A D Kent
3 months ago
Another day, another Neoconservative essay at Unherd. They’re getting so frequent I think you ought to have a re-write of your mission statement.
Here are two names that everyone around here should know: Ian Henderson and Brendan Whelan. They are the two extremely courageous OPCW inspectors – both with many years of experience and impeccable track-records – who blew the whistle on the cover-up of the fact that their expert analysis proved that the alleged Douma Chemical weapons attack was staged. In doing so they destroyed the entire, corrupt edifice of the Western narrative of the Syrian Civil War. The institutions we relied upon to ‘verify’ all the previous claims were corrupt and none of them could be trusted. In return for their courage they were ignored or smeared (in one case by the BBC who then had to apologise).
The Wikileaked US diplomatic cables from the 2000s showed that the US had been spending millions of dollars fermenting religiously extreme discord in Syria knowing full-well the outcome they wanted. When that outcome came to pass, they then spend BILLIONS of dollars directly funding and training the ‘rebels’ there – who were in very short order completely dominated by head-chopping Jihadis (see Operation Timber Sycamore).
I’m sure the Assad’s aren’t nice people, but they ruled over a mostly peaceful, mostly secular country. The World owes the Iranians, Russians and, most of all, the Syrian people a massive debt in ensuring that Syria did not end up like Libya, a violent, Jihadi infested, failed-state.
Those names again – Ian Henderson and Brendan Whelan. They are heroes.
Actually I have it on good authority that Mr Assad and his Mrs are very decent people.
This is based on their time in London before his ‘elevation to the purple’.
Thanks Charles – I’ve actually heard similar myself, but I find putting a line like that to avoid getting bogged down with lots of ‘apologist’ / ‘useful idot’ exchanges.
Wrong tense? It is hard to get round the fact that the Syrian security services are extremely unpleasant even by Middle Eastern standards. Unless you regard Assad as purely a figurehead it is hard to see him as other than complicit in their methods.
You have a point. I have only twice in my life felt my flesh crawl literally as a reaction to meeting someone. In one case, it was a man who sat next to me at a lunch in the late 1980s and described himself as a “security attaché”. I later asked who and what he was – and was told he was a former interrogator in Lebanon with an enthusiasm for pliers and electrodes. Even on a relative basis, however, the Syrians have an extreme reputation.
I suspect some of the Syrians may have been bragging. It’s a regional characteristic.
Also do you recall all the hysterical nonsense about “barrel bombs”?
What is a barrel bomb, well nothing more than a rather cheap ‘home made bomb’, the performance of which falls far below NATO’s high standards for example. Then there is Chemical Weapons nonsense, of which the less said the better.
I am sorry but I just do NOT buy the narrative that President Bashar al-Assad is the reincarnation of Adolf H*tler.
Don’t forget that Bashir wasn’t first in line and so wasn’t necessarily as groomed as he might have been before his brother died. First he had the ‘Damascus Spring’ and then 3 years into his rule the US & UK inflicted chaos on his neighbour I’ve linked elsewhere in these comments to wikileaked cables of what the US were doing in his first 10 years to ferment religious extremism in his country.
From then he was fighting a massively well funded Jihadi insurgency. Can you imagine how the US or UK would have reacted to such a campaign had it managed to occupy Baltimore or Bradford?
His security services may have been brutal – and they did host a US ‘black-site’- -but having seen the debacle of the rank propaganda we were served up against the Syrians in the civil war (all the last doctors being killed and the made-up sarin attacks) I’d take all of it with a pinch of salt nowadays.
As I recall Bashir’s father did us a great favour by virtually eliminating ‘The Muslim Brotherhood’ in the Battle/Siege of Hama in 1982.*
Likewise Saddam ‘Insane’ fought a long and brutal war against the Mad Mullahs of Iran, much to ‘our’ benefit.
Yet people such as your good self seem to endlessly drone on about ‘evil autocrats’ etc. The world is no longer perfect and we have to accept that ‘others’ do things a little differently.
Frankly after the Iraq War and that rodent Bush Jnr muttering that “Saddam did 9/11”, Abu Ghraib, WMD, etc, etc, it looks as if the US sups at the same Well as most other autocrats, tin pot or otherwise.
More tea Vicar?
(* Many being buried under the Cham Palace Hotel.)
I don’t have an issue with criticizing US policy in the Middle East. This statement though is defending of a crappy autocrat.
“ I am sorry but I just do NOT buy the narrative that President Bashar al-Assad is the reincarnation of Adolf H*tler.”
Even if the Syrian leader is an authoritarian, it doesn’t justify U.S. intervention. What’s happening in Ukraine, for instance, has been aggravated and maybe even caused by US intervention. That doesn’t make Putin a good guy. He’s still an authoritarian thug.
In former times I have spent some years ‘working’ in Syria, a simply splendid country I might add.
At no time did I detect a massive simmering resentment against the fact that a really obscure bunch of Islamic nutters, the Alawites were actually running the place.
Sadly it has recently been vilified by Kosher Nostra and their odious chums for quite obvious reasons. We, the West will pay a heavy price for this deceit.
Yes and Dictator has an honourable lineage stretching back to Gaius Julius Caesar if not before.
Sometimes in this life you have to accept the status quo, particularly in Africa and South America.
At some point I have to raise the white flag. I remember having an argument with a poster here who insisted that it is okay for Supreme Court judges to appoint their own members. I could not dissuade him of that belief, although it is blindingly obvious why it is dangerous.
Sometimes as an outsider we have to accept dictatorships, and most times it’s none of our business. But we should NEVER applaud or apologize for dictatorships, no matter how benevolent.
Perhaps a more accurate statement ” Which regime produces lower body count of it’s people?Also if one keeps out of politics is there a reasonably low level of crime, is inflation low, interest rates low, access to education and healthcare, can one save, are people well fed with protein and fresh vegetables , clean water , good sanitation, roads, railways?”
Has corruption and nepotism reduced a country rich in resources to poverty such as Venezuela or Zimbabwe ?
A friend who was Christian Socialist said under Pinochet the above was delivered.
In the Arab World it is ” I against my Brother, my Brother and I against our cousins ”
Using the above criteria, Chile under Pinochet and Syria under Assad offered better quality of lives than many others.
Does a regime offer a reasonable life to those who are skilled, work hard and honest such they can benefit from the fruit of their labours? Or does a regime offer chaos, violence and poverty ?
For the non Muslims the Baath Party were secular in outlook and Assad was a member. Baathism supported pan arabism , was secular in outlook and pro USSR.The Muslim Bretheren stirred up trouble in 1982 and 20,000 were killed by Assad. 1982 Hama massacre – Wikipedia
Syria and Egypt attacked Israel in 1973. Egypt made peace , Syria did not. Syria allowed the more violent Palestinian terrorists to train there- George Habash – Wikipedia
Syria did invade Lebanon and enable the Shias – Hizbollah to become the dominant power, reducing the freedom of the more tolerant Sunnis and Christians.
Assad / Baath Party provided a degree of freedom and stability for Syrian people unknown in other ME countries except for Lebanon.
To which I would add: the al-Tanf military base is an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation state. That’s right, for all the horn-blowing about Russia invading Ukraine (which indeed they did do), the Yanks illegally invaded Syria. And the Yanks and Brits illegally invaded Iraq two decades ago.
Spot on Sir!
And when the next atrocity is committed in say London or another of our great cities, we’ll say “ WHY US”! We’ve done nothing “, and then slink away to lick our wounds and bury our dead.
Scott Ritter – watch him on Rumble, and youtube – he was the Iraqi WMD Inspector who said they did NOT exist, but the war went forward anyway – then Col. Maagregor – get some other side.
Hey Freddy – get Scott Ritter on – he will be happy to talk with you – get Macgregor – try some serious ‘Talks’. But then I understand – flying too close to the truth will have its Icarious effect….. best stick with druggies in SanFrancisco.
R Wright
3 months ago
Why haven’t the Americans considered embargoing all Iranian sea trade?
Important aspect. Cuts both ways. Boosts US oil revenues BUT increases inflation in an election year. Perhaps the key point is that Europe now depends on the U.S. to manage Middle East and sustain flow of oil but for America this role is far less important. In the final analysis, if the straits of Hormuz are blocked, America is self sufficient in oil but Europe is not and soon in major recession. U.K. is particularly exposed due to failure to build strategic reserve.
Alex Carnegie
3 months ago
Interesting article.
As of today, we appear to be drifting towards one of two scenarios:
1/ Iranian policy of pin pricks in Syria and Iraq works – as it did against the British in Basra – and, after a few meaningless retaliatory strikes, Biden withdraws US forces from both. Iran acquires an empire or, at least, a “sphere of influence” which runs from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean. Moves numerous missiles to Syria and threatens Israel. Then what? t*t for tat missile strikes? Threat of a major conventional attack on Israel cf. 1973? Peace conference with a suddenly more compromise minded Israel? Who knows?
2/ Retaliatory attacks escalate into direct conventional conflict between Iran and US with unforeseeable consequences. Possible further escalation into widespread terrorism in the West? Widespread use of chemical weapons? At a minimum, a spike in oil prices leading to renewed inflation and probable recession in the West. Almost the only beneficiary would be Netanyahu who might enjoy a few more months as Prime Minister.
Is there a way out? Perhaps but I suspect the Biden Administration is unlikely to adopt it.
3/ US decides to focus a battle of wills with the organ grinder in Tehran and not the militia monkeys cf. Kennedy during Cuban missile crisis. Declares all militia activity inc. Houthis and Hezbollah will be deemed the responsibility of Iran. Blockade Iranian oil exports. Make it clear that US is open to any pragmatic accommodation which ensures restoration of stability in Middle East. Seek comprehensive agreement. This would be high stakes poker with plenty of risk but might work out – after a few frightening weeks – as it did for Kennedy. No guarantees: it could easily backfire with China emerging as a mediator supported by most countries especially in the Middle East and “The South”.
Probabilities. As of today, I would have thought scenario 1 is most probable. It may end up being seen as the equivalent of the Suez backdown by Britain in 1956. Scenario 3 is the least likely since it would require stronger nerves and sense of purpose than are currently apparent in Washington. Scenario 2 is in between.
It may, of course, look entirely different in a week’s time.
Personally, I blame the neocons. We are seeing the results of taking advice from clever fools.
It will possibly be a mix of all 3 scenarios with all proxies of both sides in full gear. The US is perhaps more vulnerable having to back both Israel and Ukraine and in an election year.
Iran knows this and if the US strikes it via Israel the situation gets even more volatile.
Situation rather similar to 1914?
True! I mean in the sheer unpredictability of events with a certain demented person in charge in the grand white edifice off P Ave.
Rather similar to the dashingly unrealistic ex member of 31st Punjab Rifles you mention.
Corrected! 31st Punjab was all muscular and martial M too!
Of course you must know of famous missive from Lady Gwendoline Bertie circa 1907 about said dashing officer’s “Pasha like tendencies”!
In 1956 Eden, the British PM was ill and made mistakes. Is Biden more compus mentus than Eden ?
Alex Lekas
3 months ago
I’m not sure the author’s sense of “dread” exists in Washington to the extent he imagines. There is no shortage of Congress critters who want nothing more than to send other people’s children into a war against Iran.
None of our Congress has the bawlls to suggest that, but Lindsay Graham for one thinks we should launch air strikes into Iran. Not likely to cool things down IMO.
Alot of ifs and buts.
Don’t be so sure that Israel will not attack Hezbollah in Lebanon. There are regular skirmishes on the Lebanese border with Israel.
Hezbollah are also concerned that Israel will turn Lebanon into a disaster zone .. which most Lebanese don’t want, after Iran’s Hezbollah has hijacked this wonderful country.
I can’t see how Iran and its proxies are going to keep firing missiles at Israel or American forces, without America striking the evil Iran.
Campbell P
3 months ago
Syria is not an Islamic Republic, it is a secular state. It is allied with Iran because, unlike the US, Iran is not trying to seek regime change.
Steve Jolly
3 months ago
Another war in the middle east to topple an inconvenient hostile regime? Sure. What could possibly go wrong? Surely this won’t be an expensive boondoggle that further erodes US credibility. Surely the mishandling won’t make the US leadership look incompetent and ineffective on a world stage. Surely this will have a different outcome than the last several attempts. Surely this time the US will get it right.
I’m sorry but no thanks. This is every bit as bad an idea as our first instinct tells us it is. Every problem can’t be solved by bombing people into the stone age. Unfortunately, the US is, as ever, beset by the old ‘when all you have is a hammer’ mentality.
Charles Hedges
3 months ago
Since 1990 all the westerners who lived and fought in foreign countries behind the lines in WW2 and in colonial conflicts have died or retired. The Iraqis tried to capture Kuwait in 1958 and again in 1961. Jugoslavia was always a power keg. From 1992, the leaders of the West were clerks. The present Houthi conflict goes back 1200 years.
There is an Indian saying ” What could have been stopped in the morning by 300 men could not be stopped by 3000 men in the afternoon “.
The Somali pirate problem could have been stopped by arming ships with 20mm cannon and sending Royal Marine Commandos ashore. However, once afternoon has arrived Western Leaders baulk and how large a conflict has become, dither and then over react.
Iraq has always been an area of conflict, even under the Ottomans; riven by factions; Sunni against Shia, Shia against Shia, Sunni Arab against Sunni Kurd, Sunni Arab Beduin against Suni Arab Riverein.
So not only is the West late but fails to understand the complexity of the countries. Iran more or less invented chess and since 1750s as never invaded another country but has used proxies.
It is time to start looking at the conflicts within Iran.
The writers analysis is correct About Iran. Biden Is useless in this war. Israel is on his own And we’ll have to strike Iran Oh it’s on. They must forget about any western support Europe’s middle east lifeline Is it red sea And it must defend it Without relying on Biden. This means Align with India and begging China To provide some support For red sea Shipping It’s mostly Chinese goods That are being shot at byy Islamic idiot tribresman. Ask Egypt To provide ground troops Suez canal fees Are being attacked. The Saudi’s Can be used to pay the Egyptians Since they have a big quarrel With the hoodies. Just don’t rely on Biden for anything.
Biden flew to Israel on day one – no talk/ the knee had a hammer tap and so it kicked out, and he clutched Netanyahu in a bear hug and gave him a blank check, a Carte Blanch, fully funded by any amount of American debt wished – (My guess is it will run 1 – 4 $Trillion before finishing in 20 years with the neo-con writings above)
Oh, well – the Military Industrial, like the Bio-Pharma complex, Banking/Hedgefund complex, and Tech Complex, fund all the political contributions…. so what will be as what they wish it will be…. The deep state and security services, and Uniparty are their bi*ch.
So the middle east is “complex”-gotcha!
Maybe they should start start sinking Iranian naval ships.
Presumably the Iranian Navy is far larger that our own Royal Navy?*
(*Which wouldn’t be difficult it must be said.)
It’s certainly not bigger than the American navy. But there is no will to do anything.
Maybe he should have mentioned what we are doing there – beginning, say, with the CIA/MI6 overthrow of the democratically elected Mosaddegh in 1953, and then the thousand other similar things culminating in the Bush Wars – and the Syria Debacle, and us creating ISIS in the POW camps of Iraq – maybe even the flattening of the city-State of Gaza and 30,000 civilians killed – ongoing.
But no – we are the good guys out to save them, and yet they stab us in the back……
No wonder getting Trump Elected to get rid of the Deep State Neo-Con, ‘Security services’ FBI is job one for American voters.
Well said!
So the solution to fixing problems in the Middle East is another war? Seeing as the last two American escapades in the region went so swimmingly I can see why this one would be sure to work as well.
Why the west still cares about that quagmire is beyond me. Pull everybody out, let the Houthis have the Red Sea and let them all get on with it. America has much bigger problems with China and Europe needs to keep an eye on Russia, the last thing either needs to be doing is picking sides in the Middle East
Maybe they should sink an Iranian naval vessel everytime the Houthi’s attack a commercial ship?
Why? The Chinese need the shipping routes open much more than the yanks, let them spend blood and treasure keeping it open
Because someone has to police the seas. You may not like it, but three cent be anarchy on the seas. China isn’t doing it because its ships aren’t being targeted. Should we just ignore things like Somali pirates – let there be a free for all?
“Should we just ignore things like Somali pirates – let there be a free for all?”
Answer: Private security. 4 ex Seals could protect any ship from a bunch of Houthis in a motorized dinghy.
Excellent article. The author is one of the few people who understand the risk of Iran.
My Father with 5.5 years of WW2 combat experience at sea followed by 37 years more years sailing the World said 20mm cannon fore, aft, port and starboard on each ship would have solved Somali pirate problem. Do not need to strengthen ship for 20mm cannon. If one can shoot down a plane moving at 250 mph with 20mm cannon, one sink a boat moving at 25 mph. Could remove cannon before entering port.
A SAS sergeant asked the question ” What is more dangerous a pair of scissors or a sub- machine gun. Wrong question. Who is more dangerous, the person holding the scissors or the sub-machine gun?”
The way the World actually works is that strength is respected, timidity is not. If the USA no longer accepts the burden of being the World’s policeman which is the respnsibility of being the leader of the free World; countries will drift into China’s orbit of influence. There is extensive anti American feelings, largely based upon envy but there is still respect for her strength. Perceived lack of will 350 AD led to collapse of Western Roman Empire. Basically, does the USA want to refute JFK’s inauguration speech ?
Yes, we should ignore the Somali pirates so long as they don’t attack our ships. Yes, there can be anarchy on the seas. Anarchy on the seas prevailed for most of human history. People don’t appreciate history enough to understand what things were like before the British and then the Americans cleared the seas of pirates. In pre-Victorian times, nations either had enough naval power to secure their own shipping, or they were beholden to those who did or they simply got pirated. The Barbary pirates devastated American shipping in the country’s early years until the US had enough naval power to launch a campaign against them.
The reality is the American Empire is in decline, and the consequences won’t be confined to America. One of those consequences is that Uncle Sam won’t be keeping piracy in check at no charge for everyone. The expense is getting unsustainable and Americans have other priorities. Sooner or later, that other shoe is gonna drop.
I think that’s the first call to bring back pirates I’ve ever seen. Pro-pirates… who’d have thought it?
You do know the Israelis have been routinely bombing Iranian vessels on their way to Syria already don’t you? Have been doing so for some time prior to October 7th.
Good for them.
“Kosher Nostra commands and we obey, over the hills and far away“.
The occasional assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and senior Revolutionary Guard officers, including the dark lord, Qasem Soleimani, doesn’t really count.
Completely wrong. This was the most important incident of the past 5 years prior to Oct 7th.
Iran wants proxy wars for all the reasons the author outlines – numerous civilian casualties blamed (falsely) on Israel, an aura of strength against the West, etc. – but it greatly fears the stealthy elimination of leaders.
Despite all their talk of wanting martyrdom, the leaders in Tehran are cowards, unwilling to put their own lives on the line as they ask their followers. When Trump killed Soleimani it shocked them since they realized they could be next. When Biden succeeded Trump they breathed a sigh of relief and dialed up the terrorism with Oct 7.
Like Iranian proxy wars, stealthy elimination of top Iranians is a relatively cheap and effective counter to Iran’s war of terror.
This is the price the West pays for their utter indifference to the plight of Syria. In fact, most Western failures in the region have arisen as a result of their indifference to the suffering of the innocent.
If by ‘utterly indifferent’ you mean happy to ferment religious extremism and hatred there with an intention of inducing a horrendous civil war then you’re absolutely right.
See here for details:
https://truthout.org/articles/wikileaks-reveals-how-the-us-aggressively-pursued-regime-change-in-syria-igniting-a-bloodbath/
KIA are the trigger words for the Censor, or so it seems.
Vera must be so disappointed her namesake is a bigot.
Exactly, the whole Syrian episode has been an utter disgrace. Fortunately President Bashar al-Assad seems to have WON, as he justly deserves.
I look forward to the destruction of one of the main perpetrators* of this outrage, the so called Kingdom of S*udi Ar*bia A more pestilential cesspool would be hard to imagine.
(* The other being the USA-Kosher Nostra as one might have expected.)
POSTED AT 0847 GMT and immediately SIN BINNED.
Anything with @r@b (including S@udi @r@bi@) gets automatically pinged for some reason
Mine seem to get pinged if I mention the name of this site – also any that metnio Ne-oh-cons & their prevalence here. I’ve a post waiting here now from an houir ago…
Even my favourite ‘Sc*tch’ seems to be on the ‘watch list’!
Talisker, Glenmorangie, Laphroaig, Glenlivet, Highland Park ….. my favourites seem to get through OK …
Try using ‘mist’, egg’, ‘corner’.
Thanks! I never learn!
“USA-Kosher Nostra”. Ah OK, so basically the Protocols-of-the-Elders-of-Zion perspective. That puts your remarks into an intelligible context.
“Protocols-of-the-Elders-of-Zion perspective”.
Ridiculous! You are overreacting if I may so!
Are you perchance an American? If so you have my heartfelt commiserations, although very sadly nothing can be done about it.
turthout ??!! Really. That’s a far, far left blogsite. They twist and interpret everything through a particular anti-US, radically socialist lens. Just plain rubbish.
You can use the links and quotes there to find the specific diplomatic cables themselves if you don’t trust them.
What’s not to like? sign me up.
The bloodbath in Syria started long before the U.S. got involved. The Iranians and Russians, on the other hand…..
I am sure most Syrians pray for the day that western “indifference” resumes. Western interest in Syria has been a disaster for the nation.
Why is “the plight of Syria” for the West to solve? You can’t have it both ways. People complain about forever wars while agitating for the next one. That dystopian part of the world is not going to be fixed, whatever fixed means, by non-Muslims.
Not indifferent, just cowed by the American bully boys.
Another day, another Neoconservative essay at Unherd. They’re getting so frequent I think you ought to have a re-write of your mission statement.
Here are two names that everyone around here should know: Ian Henderson and Brendan Whelan. They are the two extremely courageous OPCW inspectors – both with many years of experience and impeccable track-records – who blew the whistle on the cover-up of the fact that their expert analysis proved that the alleged Douma Chemical weapons attack was staged. In doing so they destroyed the entire, corrupt edifice of the Western narrative of the Syrian Civil War. The institutions we relied upon to ‘verify’ all the previous claims were corrupt and none of them could be trusted. In return for their courage they were ignored or smeared (in one case by the BBC who then had to apologise).
The Wikileaked US diplomatic cables from the 2000s showed that the US had been spending millions of dollars fermenting religiously extreme discord in Syria knowing full-well the outcome they wanted. When that outcome came to pass, they then spend BILLIONS of dollars directly funding and training the ‘rebels’ there – who were in very short order completely dominated by head-chopping Jihadis (see Operation Timber Sycamore).
I’m sure the Assad’s aren’t nice people, but they ruled over a mostly peaceful, mostly secular country. The World owes the Iranians, Russians and, most of all, the Syrian people a massive debt in ensuring that Syria did not end up like Libya, a violent, Jihadi infested, failed-state.
Those names again – Ian Henderson and Brendan Whelan. They are heroes.
Actually I have it on good authority that Mr Assad and his Mrs are very decent people.
This is based on their time in London before his ‘elevation to the purple’.
Thanks Charles – I’ve actually heard similar myself, but I find putting a line like that to avoid getting bogged down with lots of ‘apologist’ / ‘useful idot’ exchanges.
Wrong tense? It is hard to get round the fact that the Syrian security services are extremely unpleasant even by Middle Eastern standards. Unless you regard Assad as purely a figurehead it is hard to see him as other than complicit in their methods.
I very much doubt if ‘his’ methods are any worse than say those of the Shin Bet or the CIA, just a tad cruder and probably messier.
ps. Glad to see you are still with us!
You have a point. I have only twice in my life felt my flesh crawl literally as a reaction to meeting someone. In one case, it was a man who sat next to me at a lunch in the late 1980s and described himself as a “security attaché”. I later asked who and what he was – and was told he was a former interrogator in Lebanon with an enthusiasm for pliers and electrodes. Even on a relative basis, however, the Syrians have an extreme reputation.
I suspect some of the Syrians may have been bragging. It’s a regional characteristic.
Also do you recall all the hysterical nonsense about “barrel bombs”?
What is a barrel bomb, well nothing more than a rather cheap ‘home made bomb’, the performance of which falls far below NATO’s high standards for example. Then there is Chemical Weapons nonsense, of which the less said the better.
I am sorry but I just do NOT buy the narrative that President Bashar al-Assad is the reincarnation of Adolf H*tler.
Don’t forget that Bashir wasn’t first in line and so wasn’t necessarily as groomed as he might have been before his brother died. First he had the ‘Damascus Spring’ and then 3 years into his rule the US & UK inflicted chaos on his neighbour I’ve linked elsewhere in these comments to wikileaked cables of what the US were doing in his first 10 years to ferment religious extremism in his country.
From then he was fighting a massively well funded Jihadi insurgency. Can you imagine how the US or UK would have reacted to such a campaign had it managed to occupy Baltimore or Bradford?
His security services may have been brutal – and they did host a US ‘black-site’- -but having seen the debacle of the rank propaganda we were served up against the Syrians in the civil war (all the last doctors being killed and the made-up sarin attacks) I’d take all of it with a pinch of salt nowadays.
All that fermentation and no spirits to show for it?
Wasn’t it all another exercise by the neocons to destabilise Syria as it was a Russian ally with access (for Russia) to the sea?
You know it’s possible to critique American policy in Syria and the Middle East without defending dictators and autocrats.
As I recall Bashir’s father did us a great favour by virtually eliminating ‘The Muslim Brotherhood’ in the Battle/Siege of Hama in 1982.*
Likewise Saddam ‘Insane’ fought a long and brutal war against the Mad Mullahs of Iran, much to ‘our’ benefit.
Yet people such as your good self seem to endlessly drone on about ‘evil autocrats’ etc. The world is no longer perfect and we have to accept that ‘others’ do things a little differently.
Frankly after the Iraq War and that rodent Bush Jnr muttering that “Saddam did 9/11”, Abu Ghraib, WMD, etc, etc, it looks as if the US sups at the same Well as most other autocrats, tin pot or otherwise.
More tea Vicar?
(* Many being buried under the Cham Palace Hotel.)
I don’t have an issue with criticizing US policy in the Middle East. This statement though is defending of a crappy autocrat.
“ I am sorry but I just do NOT buy the narrative that President Bashar al-Assad is the reincarnation of Adolf H*tler.”
Even if the Syrian leader is an authoritarian, it doesn’t justify U.S. intervention. What’s happening in Ukraine, for instance, has been aggravated and maybe even caused by US intervention. That doesn’t make Putin a good guy. He’s still an authoritarian thug.
In former times I have spent some years ‘working’ in Syria, a simply splendid country I might add.
At no time did I detect a massive simmering resentment against the fact that a really obscure bunch of Islamic nutters, the Alawites were actually running the place.
Sadly it has recently been vilified by Kosher Nostra and their odious chums for quite obvious reasons. We, the West will pay a heavy price for this deceit.
I’m not disputing any of that, or the role the U.S. played in fomenting dissent, but a benevolent dictator is still a dictator.
Yes and Dictator has an honourable lineage stretching back to Gaius Julius Caesar if not before.
Sometimes in this life you have to accept the status quo, particularly in Africa and South America.
At some point I have to raise the white flag. I remember having an argument with a poster here who insisted that it is okay for Supreme Court judges to appoint their own members. I could not dissuade him of that belief, although it is blindingly obvious why it is dangerous.
Sometimes as an outsider we have to accept dictatorships, and most times it’s none of our business. But we should NEVER applaud or apologize for dictatorships, no matter how benevolent.
Perhaps a more accurate statement ” Which regime produces lower body count of it’s people?Also if one keeps out of politics is there a reasonably low level of crime, is inflation low, interest rates low, access to education and healthcare, can one save, are people well fed with protein and fresh vegetables , clean water , good sanitation, roads, railways?”
Has corruption and nepotism reduced a country rich in resources to poverty such as Venezuela or Zimbabwe ?
A friend who was Christian Socialist said under Pinochet the above was delivered.
In the Arab World it is ” I against my Brother, my Brother and I against our cousins ”
Using the above criteria, Chile under Pinochet and Syria under Assad offered better quality of lives than many others.
Does a regime offer a reasonable life to those who are skilled, work hard and honest such they can benefit from the fruit of their labours? Or does a regime offer chaos, violence and poverty ?
Kosher nostra really says it all.
For the non Muslims the Baath Party were secular in outlook and Assad was a member. Baathism supported pan arabism , was secular in outlook and pro USSR.The Muslim Bretheren stirred up trouble in 1982 and 20,000 were killed by Assad.
1982 Hama massacre – Wikipedia
Syria and Egypt attacked Israel in 1973. Egypt made peace , Syria did not. Syria allowed the more violent Palestinian terrorists to train there-
George Habash – Wikipedia
Syria did invade Lebanon and enable the Shias – Hizbollah to become the dominant power, reducing the freedom of the more tolerant Sunnis and Christians.
Assad / Baath Party provided a degree of freedom and stability for Syrian people unknown in other ME countries except for Lebanon.
What’s happening in Ukraine was not caused by US intervention. It was caused by a very poorly thought out Russian invasion.
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Strangely I agree. Do read ” Conversations with the Crow” by Gregory Douglas on L Park techniques…rather more grim than the West Asians.
Thank you.
To which I would add: the al-Tanf military base is an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation state. That’s right, for all the horn-blowing about Russia invading Ukraine (which indeed they did do), the Yanks illegally invaded Syria. And the Yanks and Brits illegally invaded Iraq two decades ago.
Spot on Sir!
And when the next atrocity is committed in say London or another of our great cities, we’ll say “ WHY US”! We’ve done nothing “, and then slink away to lick our wounds and bury our dead.
Scott Ritter – watch him on Rumble, and youtube – he was the Iraqi WMD Inspector who said they did NOT exist, but the war went forward anyway – then Col. Maagregor – get some other side.
Hey Freddy – get Scott Ritter on – he will be happy to talk with you – get Macgregor – try some serious ‘Talks’. But then I understand – flying too close to the truth will have its Icarious effect….. best stick with druggies in SanFrancisco.
Why haven’t the Americans considered embargoing all Iranian sea trade?
Because the Iranians have said if they can’t export their oil from the Gulf nobody else will either
Oil at over 200 dollars a barrel would be interesting
Certainly good news for the USA which is now the largest oil producer in the world and a net exporter thanks to fracking!
Important aspect. Cuts both ways. Boosts US oil revenues BUT increases inflation in an election year. Perhaps the key point is that Europe now depends on the U.S. to manage Middle East and sustain flow of oil but for America this role is far less important. In the final analysis, if the straits of Hormuz are blocked, America is self sufficient in oil but Europe is not and soon in major recession. U.K. is particularly exposed due to failure to build strategic reserve.
Interesting article.
As of today, we appear to be drifting towards one of two scenarios:
1/ Iranian policy of pin pricks in Syria and Iraq works – as it did against the British in Basra – and, after a few meaningless retaliatory strikes, Biden withdraws US forces from both. Iran acquires an empire or, at least, a “sphere of influence” which runs from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean. Moves numerous missiles to Syria and threatens Israel. Then what? t*t for tat missile strikes? Threat of a major conventional attack on Israel cf. 1973? Peace conference with a suddenly more compromise minded Israel? Who knows?
2/ Retaliatory attacks escalate into direct conventional conflict between Iran and US with unforeseeable consequences. Possible further escalation into widespread terrorism in the West? Widespread use of chemical weapons? At a minimum, a spike in oil prices leading to renewed inflation and probable recession in the West. Almost the only beneficiary would be Netanyahu who might enjoy a few more months as Prime Minister.
Is there a way out? Perhaps but I suspect the Biden Administration is unlikely to adopt it.
3/ US decides to focus a battle of wills with the organ grinder in Tehran and not the militia monkeys cf. Kennedy during Cuban missile crisis. Declares all militia activity inc. Houthis and Hezbollah will be deemed the responsibility of Iran. Blockade Iranian oil exports. Make it clear that US is open to any pragmatic accommodation which ensures restoration of stability in Middle East. Seek comprehensive agreement. This would be high stakes poker with plenty of risk but might work out – after a few frightening weeks – as it did for Kennedy. No guarantees: it could easily backfire with China emerging as a mediator supported by most countries especially in the Middle East and “The South”.
Probabilities. As of today, I would have thought scenario 1 is most probable. It may end up being seen as the equivalent of the Suez backdown by Britain in 1956. Scenario 3 is the least likely since it would require stronger nerves and sense of purpose than are currently apparent in Washington. Scenario 2 is in between.
It may, of course, look entirely different in a week’s time.
Personally, I blame the neocons. We are seeing the results of taking advice from clever fools.
It will possibly be a mix of all 3 scenarios with all proxies of both sides in full gear. The US is perhaps more vulnerable having to back both Israel and Ukraine and in an election year.
Iran knows this and if the US strikes it via Israel the situation gets even more volatile.
Situation rather similar to 1914?
Not quite in 1914 we had that gung-ho buffoon WSC running the Admiralty.
True! I mean in the sheer unpredictability of events with a certain demented person in charge in the grand white edifice off P Ave.
Rather similar to the dashingly unrealistic ex member of 31st Punjab Rifles you mention.
I haven’t heard of that “ex Cavalry man of the 31st Punjab Rifles”!
Please say more.
Oddly the Punjab Rifles were an Infantry Regiment,
and NOT a ‘Donkey Walloper’/Cavalry Regiment.
Your friend WSC.
Corrected! 31st Punjab was all muscular and martial M too!
Of course you must know of famous missive from Lady Gwendoline Bertie circa 1907 about said dashing officer’s “Pasha like tendencies”!
yeah, you’d have done better.
I couldn’t have done worse now could I?
That man was a fool! (Bojo’s idol)!
A very dangerous one at that.
This was pending approval for four hours. Not sure why. Any guesses?
You had the temerity to question the ‘Kosher Nostra’ narrative.
Again with the kosher nostra. one could almost think you have a problem with Jews.
Personally, I blame the Iranian regime.
In 1956 Eden, the British PM was ill and made mistakes. Is Biden more compus mentus than Eden ?
I’m not sure the author’s sense of “dread” exists in Washington to the extent he imagines. There is no shortage of Congress critters who want nothing more than to send other people’s children into a war against Iran.
Who is suggesting we send troops into Iran?
None of our Congress has the bawlls to suggest that, but Lindsay Graham for one thinks we should launch air strikes into Iran. Not likely to cool things down IMO.
The Military Industrial Complex votes yes too….
Iran proxy forces are active in cities throughout Europe as well.
Have no fear, so are Kosher Nostra’s.
Alot of ifs and buts.
Don’t be so sure that Israel will not attack Hezbollah in Lebanon. There are regular skirmishes on the Lebanese border with Israel.
Hezbollah are also concerned that Israel will turn Lebanon into a disaster zone .. which most Lebanese don’t want, after Iran’s Hezbollah has hijacked this wonderful country.
I can’t see how Iran and its proxies are going to keep firing missiles at Israel or American forces, without America striking the evil Iran.
Syria is not an Islamic Republic, it is a secular state. It is allied with Iran because, unlike the US, Iran is not trying to seek regime change.
Another war in the middle east to topple an inconvenient hostile regime? Sure. What could possibly go wrong? Surely this won’t be an expensive boondoggle that further erodes US credibility. Surely the mishandling won’t make the US leadership look incompetent and ineffective on a world stage. Surely this will have a different outcome than the last several attempts. Surely this time the US will get it right.
I’m sorry but no thanks. This is every bit as bad an idea as our first instinct tells us it is. Every problem can’t be solved by bombing people into the stone age. Unfortunately, the US is, as ever, beset by the old ‘when all you have is a hammer’ mentality.
Since 1990 all the westerners who lived and fought in foreign countries behind the lines in WW2 and in colonial conflicts have died or retired. The Iraqis tried to capture Kuwait in 1958 and again in 1961. Jugoslavia was always a power keg. From 1992, the leaders of the West were clerks. The present Houthi conflict goes back 1200 years.
There is an Indian saying ” What could have been stopped in the morning by 300 men could not be stopped by 3000 men in the afternoon “.
The Somali pirate problem could have been stopped by arming ships with 20mm cannon and sending Royal Marine Commandos ashore. However, once afternoon has arrived Western Leaders baulk and how large a conflict has become, dither and then over react.
Iraq has always been an area of conflict, even under the Ottomans; riven by factions; Sunni against Shia, Shia against Shia, Sunni Arab against Sunni Kurd, Sunni Arab Beduin against Suni Arab Riverein.
So not only is the West late but fails to understand the complexity of the countries. Iran more or less invented chess and since 1750s as never invaded another country but has used proxies.
It is time to start looking at the conflicts within Iran.