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Simpicius made the observation that the cruise missile that hit the landing ship was prioritised because of its deliveries to Syria, higher value ships were near by.

The obvious implication being that Syria will be a focal point, makes sense if they want to out flank Hezbollah.

I wonder if Gaza was a cover while Syria is covertly being prepped for a ground invasion.

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As I was saying ...

https://original.antiwar.com/joziah_thayer/2024/01/01/tensions-in-the-red-sea-setting-the-stage-for-wwiii/

The US, EU, and Israel have all accused Iran of having a command ship disguised as a cargo vessel anchored in the Red Sea off Yemen’s northwest coast named the MV Saviz that is **identifying ships linked to Israel and handing that information off to the Houthis.**

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Excellent article. All the makings literally of a tempest in a Red Sea teapot…

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I’d say that we now well into, “not if, but when” territory at this point. Crookes’ analysis just reinforced my assessment.

You have a bunch of people running things that refuse to acknowledge reality; continue to make decisions that only exacerbate the situation; and continue to try and convince the public, and the rest of the world, that the fantasy they’re pushing is the truth, while reality pushes them relentlessly towards a conclusion that can only end in disaster.

Whoopee! Happy New Year everyone :<(

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Side note, the deep state really wants this one gone for some reason.

https://abc7ny.com/bob-menendez-superseding-indictment-senator-new-jersey/14261380/

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Meanwhile, Russia passes on a chance to create major mischief with the US. Putin and Venezuelan President Maduro talked on December 21. " 'Nicolas Maduro informed [Putin] about the talks with the President of Guyana on the situation around the Essequibo region. Vladimir Putin spoke in favor of resolution of the Venezuelan-Guyanese territorial dispute via political and diplomatic means," the Kremlin press office said." https://tass.com/politics/1725143?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google.com&utm_referrer=google.com

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File under Stuff You Can't Make Up:

Kit Klarenberg

@KitKlarenberg

Your regular reminder that in July 2016, authorities in Ukraine renamed the road leading to Babi Yar, where Nazis and collaborators massacred 100,000 - 150,000 Jews, Communists, Soviet POWs and Romani ...Stepan Bandera Avenue. This literally happened.

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When Putin concludes the SMO in firm control of Eastern and Southern Ukraine including the Black Sea, and what's left of Ukraine is an unholy mix of several million remaining Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, Moldovans, Bulgarians, Poles, Hungarians, Romanians, Jews, Catholics and Ukrainian Orthodox...and their Neocon and NATO advisers...then Zelenskyy's followers and the Neocons and the Banderites can revisit the question of the proper name of the road to Babi Yar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babi_Yar

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od5lipBQhe0&t=3s&ab_channel=JudgeNapolitano-JudgingFreedom

Alastair Crooke: America’s Fatal Hunger for Honor and Glory.

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Jan 2, 2024
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Lots of fog of war just now. I'm not sure Israel will get what it wants quite yet.

Nasrallah was due to speak today (Wed 3 Jan) to mark the anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. Four years already. I remember going to work the next day quite convinced that was the beginning of the end. Then the flu d'etat wiped all that away.

The speech will still go ahead and I'll listen/watch

https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1362954/how-to-follow-hezbollah-leader-hassan-nasrallahs-speech-live-today.html

(11am New York time, 16:00 here in the UK)

... but apparently he speaks again on Friday so I wouldn't put money on a dramatic development today or what will he have to talk about on the 5th?

Meantime the ICJ genocide hearing begins Thursday the 4th.

What a start to an epochal year . . .

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To correct myself: the ICJ hearing begins NEXT Thursday the 11th

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Jan 3, 2024
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Terrible provocation. As I write the updated figure is edging 100 according to Al-Jazeera

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Jan 3, 2024
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I think Malaya was another, I was half-asleep when I saw that so not canon ;-)

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Hezbollah did put out a statement counseling "patience". And I believe we'll see continued patience. Perhaps ramped up military responses, perhaps targeted actions within Israel, but not the overall assault that Israel is seeking to provoke.

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Jan 3, 2024
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Seconded. Give 'em enough rope.

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Dragging the US in is assuredly the goal.

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I get the neocon desire to go after Iran, but how is the Dem party and media going to sell it on cnn and the nyt? What’s the angle going to be? What’s the narrative? The O’biden regime has been playing footsie with the Iran and the Muslim brotherhood for years. They even have open members amongst their administrations. The whole damn thing seems insane at this point. Certainly will not end well. Won’t even begin well.

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Jan 3, 2024
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Pithy and spot on!

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Jan 2, 2024
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That was the Ford, which was hiding behind Cyprus. Scheduled maintenance is fine, but in a situation of this sort you'd expect a rotation of battle groups and so far we haven't seen that. I have no expertise here, but I'm tending toward the deniability explanation to get it out of harm's way.

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I would be surprised if they leave the South China Sea area, but with our genius leadership, it’s possible. It would still take time to deploy off Yemen from Singapore.

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Jan 2, 2024
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It’s just showing the flag. Marines are insufficient to have an impact.

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Jan 2, 2024Edited
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Yes, I think the State Of Emergency card has got to be a strong possibility. I lived through a years-long SoE in South Africa, they just kept extending it every few months iirc. Long time ago now but this has become a common tactic in recent years.

See Agamben https://www.generation-online.org/p/fpagambenschmitt.htm

Here in the UK a General Election has to be held this year.... So do the Conservatives try to position Rishi Sunak as the Churchillian type (stop sniggering at the back)? Will squinty-eyed speed freak Keef Starmer be ushered in first (hardly dripping with gravitas but very used to issuing threats)? Or will the SHTF, enabling the State Of Emergency card to be played here? As GE could still be held in Jan 2025 (in the first 3-4 weeks if memory serves) they wouldn't need to change or suspend the rules.

Apologies for resorting to kinda ableist terms where Starmer is concerned but the guy gives me the creeps in a big way. He was positioned where he was for some reason.

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