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Iranian MPs Pass Bill Labeling All US Military Personnel “Terrorist Entities”
Iranian MPs Pass Bill Labeling All US Military Personnel “Terrorist Entities”
Lawmakers of the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Tuesday have labeled the Pentagon and its affiliates as terrorist entities under a new law, according to Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Iran’s new legislation was overwhelmingly approved by 223 lawmakers, according to IRNA. The law comes in response to the US’ assassination of top Iranian general Qasim Suleimani last Friday.
The law states, “all members of the Pentagon, all affiliated companies, institutions, agents and commanders,” are now considered terrorist organizations in the eyes of Iran.
This means, all those Silicon Valley technology companies that have contracts with the Pentagon, are now all classified as terrorist organizations and could be targeted if war broke out.
The nation’s Supreme National Security Council has already designated the U.S. Central Command as a terrorist organization.
The Trump administration recently identified the IRGC as a terrorist group after Trump pulled out of the 2016 nuclear deal with Iran.
As both countries are designating each other as a terrorist organization, Iran is now on the verge of conducting a retaliation attack against the U.S.
President Trump has warned that if retaliation is seen, the U.S. military will strike 52 “very high level” Iranian cultural and state targets.
Iran responded Tuesday and said it has considered 13 “revenge scenarios” in retaliation for Soleimani’s killing.
Fars News Agency quoted Iranian Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani on Tuesday as saying that “even if there is consensus on the weakest scenario, carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans.”
Futures Tumble After Iran Fires “More Than A Dozen” Ballistic Missiles At Two US Targets In Iraq
Futures Tumble After Iran Fires “More Than A Dozen” Ballistic Missiles At Two US Targets In Iraq
Update 8: The Pentagon has released a full statement on the attacks, claiming that more than a dozen missiles were fired from within Iran, and that at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US troops were targeted.
Statement from Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Jonathan Hoffman
At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.
We are working on initial battle damage assessments.
In recent days and in response to Iranian threats and actions, the Department of Defense has taken all appropriate measures to safeguard our personnel and partners. These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region.
As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.
Due to the dynamic nature of the situation, we will continue to provide updates as they become available.
US F-35s have been scrambled from bases in Turkey and the UAE.
Meanwhile, Iran claims that a “second wave” of attacks targeting an unidentified US base in Iraq is beginning, according to semi-official news agency Tasnim. The IRGC is also threatening to attack any other countries that host US troops.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
“We’re Going To War, Bro”: Elite 82nd Airborne In Largest ‘Fast Deployment’ In A Decade
“We’re Going To War, Bro”: Elite 82nd Airborne In Largest ‘Fast Deployment’ In A Decade
“We’re going to war, bro” — declared a young US soldier from the US Army’s celebrated 82nd Airborne Division. He gave reporters a confident two thumbs up as his unit moved out on its largest “fast deployment” in a decade at a moment Iran has promised to inflict a “historic nightmare” on the US in retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani.
Reuters provided a detailed account of the uneasy yet somewhat jovial calm before the storm atmosphere that prevailed on the airport tarmac at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as 600 soldiers and many hundreds more support crew flew out.
While Kuwait is expected to be the first stop for most of the some 3,500 total paratroopers ordered to the region, the final destination is classified, and the Army is concerned over information leaks. For this reason the US Army confiscated the cell phones and any personal communication devices of those deploying on the transport planes.
The departing soldiers, with the older generation described by Reuters as more somber and aware of the reality of entering conflict, were keenly aware that war is potentially on the horizon:
The older soldiers, in their 30s and 40s, were visibly more somber, having the experience of seeing comrades come home from past deployments learning to walk on one leg or in flag-draped coffins.
“This is the mission, man,” said Brian Knight, retired Army veteran who has been on five combat deployments to the Middle East…
“They’re answering America’s 911 call,” Knight said. “They’re stoked to go. The president called for the 82nd.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Amphibious Assault Ship Bataan With 2,000 Marines On Board Is Headed Toward Iraq
Amphibious Assault Ship Bataan With 2,000 Marines On Board Is Headed Toward Iraq
The Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to expel US troops out of the country but so far, it appears that nobody in the US got the memo. In fact quite the contrary.
According to the US Naval Institute, amid rising tensions with Iran, the US Navy is scrapping an exercise with Morocco as it redirects the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit with roughly 2,000 marines on board to the Middle East, a defense official confirmed to USNI News.
#UPDATE: 2,000 US Marines en route to the Middle East onboard USS Bataan Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, USS New York San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock & USS Oak Hill Harper’s Ferry-class dock landing ship
4,000 US troops from 82nd Airborne also being/been deployed https://twitter.com/lucasfoxnews/status/1214217158726705157 …✔
Members of the 26th MEU and Bataan crew were slated to train with members of the Moroccan military as part of the joint Exercise African Sea Lion. Indeed, the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group had just arrived off the coast of Morocco this week before its new tasking, according to the USNI Fleet tracker. The ARG deployed quietly from the East Coast in December. Now, Bataan and the 26th MEU are moving closer to the Middle East, as shown in the most recent map of naval deployments.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Some Other People Do Some Other Things
Some Other People Do Some Other Things
An almighty bafflement befogs the nation as the first full business week of 2020 commences and events pile up like smashed vehicles on a weather-blinded highway. Before we even smoked that Iranian bird on the Baghdad airport tarmac, something ominous was tingling away in the financial markets, in fact, has been since way back in September. Perhaps one-in-100,000 Americans has the dimmest clue as to what the repo mechanism stands for in banking circles, but it has been flashing red for months, with klaxons blaring for those who maybe missed the red flashes.
The repo market represents trillions of dollars in overnight lending in which bonds (or other “assets”) are used as collateral for ultra-short-term loans between large banks. Theoretically, this flow of supposedly secured lending acts as mere background lubricant for the engine of finance, like the motor oil circulating in your Ford F-150. You don’t notice it until it’s not there, and then all of a sudden you’re throwing rods and sucking valves, and the darn vehicle is a smoldering goner in the breakdown lane.
The strange action on the repo scene suggests that some big banks are in big trouble, and probably because the “innovative investments” they’ve engineered — as a substitute for the true purposes of capital, such as enabling production of real goods at a profit — are proving once again to be little more than swindles and frauds, like last time. Things like interest rate swaps and credit default “insurance.” Have your eyes glazed over yet? The bottom line is an impressive potential for losses to go critical, multiply daisy-chain style, cascade wildly, and then start wrecking real things — like the supply lines to your supermarket.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
2020 Begins With A Bang (Literally)
2020 Begins With A Bang (Literally)
A heck of a lot happened this week
It sure didn’t take long for 2020 to get interesting.
Iran
The biggest development of the new year happened Thursday when the US military assassinated Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most powerful figure after its Supreme Leader, in a surgical drone strike.
This is an extremely serious action; one that Iran is highly likely to respond forcefully against. As the world anxiously awaits what will happen next, #wwwiii suddenly is a top twitter trend.[Update: since this original publication of this article, the US has conducted further airstrikes on Iranian targets located in Iraq, Bagdad’s ‘Green Zone’ which contains the US Embassy has come under attack, and there are unconfirmed reports that US aircraft have hit Iranian targest in Syria.]
Chris has been furiously processing the news flow on this on an hour-by-hour basis in his latest post on the topic here.
If you want to better understand the context behind the current US-Iran tension as well as breaking developments from last night’s bombing and the likely repercussions, read the post and follow Chris’ updatesin its Comments section.
Gold
On Sunday, Chris released this prediction that gold was poised for a big price move. Sure enough, gold closed the week up $40/ounce, certainly helped today by the geopolitical worries escalating between the US and Iran.
The yellow metal is now up nearly $100/oz from a month ago, and over $200/oz from a year ago.
It seems to be finally emerging from its 7-year slumber. Even the long-beaten mining shares are up nicely over the past year.
The start of a new bull market in the precious metals may indeed be upon us.
WTF?! (What The Fed?!)
The first trading day of the year saw the S&P 500 close at an all-time high, suggesting that Fed liquidity was still driving the show as it did for the entirety of 2019.
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“We Do Not Seek War,” Says President Who Just Started A War
“We Do Not Seek War,” Says President Who Just Started A War
President Trump has been steadfastly assuring the world that the United States government does not wish to start the war it has already started by assassinating Iran’s top general.
“We are a peace-loving nation and my administration remains firmly committed to establishing peace and harmony among the nations in the world,” Trump said in a speech at his luxury Mar-a-Lago getaway on Friday. “We do not seek war, we do not seek nation-building, we do not seek regime change, but as president I will never hesitate to defend the safety of the American people.”
“We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,” the president added.
To be clear, in no way is any part of this a thing. Assassinating a nation’s most senior military official, and then claiming that you do not wish to start a war with that nation, is not a thing.
America is at war with Iran currently. What that war will end up looking like is anyone’s guess right now, but there is no question that a war has been initiated. If any nation had assassinated a top US general via airstrike and then openly admitted to it, the US would immediately be at war with that nation. Without question. An extreme military retaliation would be in the works within minutes of the announcement, and the entire political/media class would fully support that retaliation in whatever form it took.
This may come as a surprise to some Americans, but that same principle holds true for other nations as well.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
War With Iran
War With Iran
The assassination by the United States of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, near Baghdad’s airport will ignite widespread retaliatory attacks against U.S. targets from Shiites, who form the majority in Iraq. It will activate Iranian-backed militias and insurgents in Lebanon and Syria and throughout the Middle East. The existing mayhem, violence, failed states and war, the result of nearly two decades of U.S. blunders and miscalculations in the region, will become an even wider and more dangerous conflagration. The consequences are ominous. Not only will the U.S. swiftly find itself under siege in Iraq and perhaps driven out of the country—there is only a paltry force of 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq, all U.S. citizens in Iraq have been told to leave the country “immediately” and the embassy and consular services have been closed—but the situation could also draw us into a war directly with Iran. The American Empire, it seems, will die not with a whimper but a bang.
The targeting of Soleimani, who was killed by a MQ-9 Reaper drone that fired missiles into his convoy as he was leaving the Baghdad airport, also took the life of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, along with other Iraqi Shiite militia leaders. The strike may temporarily bolster the political fortunes of the two beleaguered architects of the assassination, Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but it is an act of imperial suicide by the United States. There can be no positive outcome. It opens up the possibility of an Armageddon-type scenario relished by the lunatic fringes of the Christian right.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Trump’s Point of No Return
Trump’s Point of No Return
When I wrote that the coup against President Trump had morphed into a Civil War, I wasn’t kidding. The sham impeachment created the perfect environment for the Democrats and Republicans to get something definitive from him by playing the House and the Senate off each other.
With the Senate Neocon Occupied Territory the escalation of belligerence since Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed through the impeachment vote has been serious.
First, there was the rider to the NDAA which upped the sanctions on everyone willing to work on Nordstream 2. Then Lindsey Graham pushed the frankly insane DASKA bill through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Pelosi forced her impeachment vote through the House on partisan lines. Then, clearly overstepping her authority, she refused to send the Articles to the Senate hoping to add a more serious charge, like Obstruction of Justice or Treason for laundering Russian money through Deutsche Bank.
It is under these circumstances we should view the events in Iraq over the last week, especially the killing of IRGC Quds Forces Commander Qassem Solemaini.
Because I’ve warned from the beginning of this impeachment, Trump was just 17 votes in the Senate away from conviction. And failure on his part to respond to an attack on our troops now or our soil, the embassy in Baghdad, would have been enough to turn that many against him and install Mike Pence.
At the end of the day we are held captive by a minority of power-mad Trotskyites without any capacity for forgiveness or humility. They believe in societal order through the whip and the sword.
Truly Maoist in their thinking, the only political power that exists comes from the barrel of a gun. This is why there has been zero opportunities for diplomacy with Iran.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Iran Deploys F-14 Fighter Jets, Places Ballistic Missile Bases On ‘High Alert’
Iran Deploys F-14 Fighter Jets, Places Ballistic Missile Bases On ‘High Alert’
Tehran has deployed Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter jets to its borders hours after the U.S. killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike at Baghdad international airport, according to Sputnik News.
NBC News Tehran Bureau Chief Ali Arouzi tweeted that “Iranian f14 fighters jets maneuvering on the western skies and on alert and patrol.”
Iranian f14 fighters jets manoeuvring on the western skies and on alert and patrol. State tv
Al-Mayadeen news tweeted: “Iran: Revolutionary Guard Agency of Iran: Armed forces in the army and Revolutionary Guard are awaiting orders from the highest command.”
In other related news, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned in a statement that the “criminals” responsible for the death of a top Iranian general will face “severe revenge,” and that retaliation could be a regional war.
And defense analyst Babak Taghvaee tweeted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has put all of its ballistic missile bases on high-alert. #IRGC affiliated news media of #Iran’s Islamic Regime claim that they are ready to launch missiles at several airbases which host #USAF airplanes in #UAE, #Qatar, #SaudiArabia & #Jordan!”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
China Urges ‘Calm And Restraint’ After US Kills Top Iranian General
China Urges ‘Calm And Restraint’ After US Kills Top Iranian General
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is reporting China on Friday has requested restraint from all sides, “especially the United States,” after the U.S. killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike at Baghdad international airport.
“China has always opposed the use of force in international relations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily press conference. “We urge the relevant sides, especially the United States, to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalating tensions.”
Shuang said the international community must respect Iraq’s independence and territorial integrity.
He urged both sides to abide by the principles of the U.N. charter and the “basic norms of international relations.”
I spoke today with Chinese Politburo Member Yang Jiechi to discuss @realDonaldTrump‘s decision to eliminate Soleimani in response to imminent threats to American lives. I reiterated our commitment to de-escalation.
Last week, Iran, China, and Russia held a joint war drill in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman as a deterrent against U.S. forces.
The U.S. Department of State tweeted Friday that all U.S. citizens must “depart Iraq immediately.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
“US Dominance In Mideast Is Over”: Iran Declares After Joint Drills With Russia & China
“US Dominance In Mideast Is Over”: Iran Declares After Joint Drills With Russia & China
At a moment the US struck five supposedly ‘Iran-linked’ militia bases in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, sending regional tensions soaring, unprecedented four-day long joint naval drills involving Iran, Russia and China outside the Persian Gulf were simultaneously winding down.
Iran used the occasion of being joined by Chinese and Russian warships in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean to declare that US dominance in the Middle East is now over.
“Today, the era of American free action in the region is over,” naval commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said. “They must leave the region gradually,” he added.
And now Iran has not only said the drills are set to continue annually upon their close on Sunday, but is inviting other countries to join.
Feeling emboldened by the official participation of the Chinese and Russian navies, Adm. Khanzadi further told semi-official Mehr news agency:
We are seeking to achieve collective security, and for that purpose, we are inviting regional countries to join us[in the drills].
From the start, Iranian officials have touted the joint naval drills as sending “a highly significant message” to the US and their allies, especially given the United States has struggled to attract key European allies to join its own ‘maritime naval mission’ in the gulf to thwart Iran. Instead, Europe has initiated its own mission which leaders have emphasized has nothing to do with the US project.
Adm. Khanzadi continued, “There is no threat facing the Persian Gulf region except for the presence of foreign forces such as the US, which are endangering the security of this region.” He also said Iran is planning future such drills with regional allies in the Caspian Sea. The weekend’s joint exercises were the first of their kind, and were conducted across an area of 17,000 square kilometers to demonstrate “various tactical exercises”.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Iran Again Blocks Internet & Mobile Service Ahead Of Protesters’ Funerals
Iran Again Blocks Internet & Mobile Service Ahead Of Protesters’ Funerals
Fearing the potential for renewed protests and violent clashes with police, Iran has again blocked internet and mobile access to broad section of the country on Wednesday.
This as several funerals will be held over the coming days for protesters killed last month amid a severe government crackdown, which also witness an unprecedented nationwide internet blockage which lasted for a week or more in some provinces.
Citing Iranian state media, Bloomberg reports, “The mourning services are scheduled to begin on Thursday. The independent Shargh newspaper said five unidentified provinces will be subject to the blackout, while ILNA said internet users in those areas will have access to a limited number of state-approved Iran websites and applications.”
Government authorities are reportedly acting in response to relatives of some among the killed who have posted to social media calling for renewed protests to be held on Thursday in conjunction with ceremonies commemorating the victims (various estimates put those killed from the November protests ranging from 200 to over 300, with the US State Dept. claiming multiple times that number).
The US as well as various human rights organizations have accused Tehran authorities of quelling protests — initially sparked by a huge gas price hike when subsidies were slashed — with live ammunition and other brutal tactics.
Thus it appears the government is making a move to prevent large-scale protests before they gain momentum. State-run ILNA said of the mobile and internet blockage: “According to this source, it is possible that more provinces will be affected by the shutdown of mobile international connectivity,” after it appeared to spread on Wednesday.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Israel will not allow Iranian forces to station in Iraq: IDF chief
Israel will not allow Iranian forces to station in Iraq: IDF chief
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:45 P.M.) – The Chief-of-Staff for the Israeli Armed Forces, Aviv Kochavi, said on Wednesday that Israel cannot allow Iran to station militarily in Iraq.
According to Ynet News, Kochavi stated on the seventh anniversary of the death of the former Chief-of-Staff, Amnon Lipkin Shahak, that the Israeli army would not allow Iran to be stationed in IraqIf You Have Toenail Fungus, Do This Immediately (Genius!)WeeklyPenny.comAds by RevcontentFind Out More >
“The Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Iraq … transfer advanced weapons there monthly. We cannot leave this situation without interference.”
Furthermore Kochavi said that “there is an opportunity in the Gaza Strip, after the results of the ‘Black Belt’ operation, to develop a secure reality and make it more stable.”
“In the coming war, we will have to attack with great force in populated areas and also target the state structure or the entity that allows terrorism to act against us,” Kochavi continued.
The Israeli military official said that “in the coming war with Lebanon or with Hamas, the internal front in Israel will be subject to major rocket attacks, most of which are inaccurate, but will have an impact,” adding that “Israel will target everything that helps in combat operations, such as electricity, fuel, bridges, if the state of Lebanon, Syria or Hamas and others allow terrorism from its lands to be used against us. ”
Israel has accused Iran of transferring long-range weapons and missiles to Iraq, and from there to Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Shaabi) came under attack in July after a suspected Israeli drone carried out a devastating assault on a base in the Salaheddine Governorate.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
China Quietly Ramps Up Oil Production In Iran
China Quietly Ramps Up Oil Production In Iran
The supergiant Azadegan oil field, comprising major north and south sites, is as important to Iran’s overall strategic plan to survive the current sanctions environment and to prosper when they are lifted as the flagship South Pars supergiant gas field and the added-value products of its petrochemicals sector. Last week Iran’s Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC) announced that five new development wells and an appraisal well are to be spudded in North Azadegan to maintain current production levels. OilPrice.com understands from various senior energy sources in Iran that this is only part of the picture, with much bigger plans having been agreed for rollout in the coming six months with the help of China and Russia.
Located around 80 kilometres west of Ahvaz, close to the Iraqi border, the entire 900 square kilometre Azadegan field is the third-largest hydrocarbon reserve in the world after the Ghawar oil field in Saudi Arabia and the Burgan oil field in Kuwait. Its total reserves are estimated at about 42 billion barrels of oil, with around 7 billion barrels currently deemed recoverable. The first exploration well was drilled in 1976 but, despite its potential, a long lead time across the four main layers – Sarvak, Kazhdomi, Godvan, and Fahilan – of the site has meant that the pace of production has been slower than at many neighbouring fields, especially those over the border in Iraq.
A key reason for this was the attitude of Chinese firms active in Iran around that time, which can be broadly characterised as doing the minimum necessary to generate some oil flows from the fields back into China whilst not spending too much money.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
