Smokey and the Bandit

Oh dear, The HMS Prince of Wales was officially on 14-day notice for maintenance until just yesterday, March 7, when it was finally moved to "Advanced Readiness" at five days' notice. Pointing this out isn't denigrating the troops; it’s identifying a clear failure of political foresight. If Starmer had prioritized readiness on February 28, the ship wouldn't have been caught halfway through a maintenance cycle while the Middle East was already under fire. The claim that the U.S. failed to "consult" the UK also falls apart under scrutiny. In reality, Starmer was consulted and chose to opt out of the initial February 28 strikes, explicitly denying the U.S. permission to use British bases like RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for offensive missions. He insisted on a "legal review" to avoid being complicit in what he called "regime change from the skies," effectively telling our closest ally "no" during the most critical opening hours of the conflict. Trump’s anger isn't because he treats the UK as a "vassal," but because Starmer acted like a reluctant bystander while American and Omani interests were being targeted. Furthermore, the argument that Starmer is "defending British interests" by staying out of it is a dangerous reversal of the truth. It is Iranian drones and missiles that have spent the last week hitting the airports and hotels where 300,000 Britons are currently trapped. By refusing to join the preemptive strikes aimed at "blinding" Iranian launch sites on Day 1, Starmer arguably left those British citizens more exposed to the retaliatory drone swarms that hit Cyprus and Bahrain shortly after. The current "deep hole" the UK finds itself in isn't a result of U.S. recklessness; it’s the direct consequence of a Prime Minister who chose legalistic hand-wringing over the immediate protection of his own people and allies.

Until yesterday, it was effectively out of action due to planned maintenance on its flight deck. As of today, Sunday, March 8, 2026, the status has shifted from "maintenance" to "Advanced Readiness." But whatever its too little and far too late!

Without question this guy, Marco Rubio, is the best Secretary of State in the last 30 years. Rubio is a career legislator. He knows how to speak "Washington" while still implementing Trump’s "America First" agenda. He provided the intellectual framework for the military actions Admiral Cooper is carrying out. He is super smart, eloquent, clear and precise! Unlike previous Secretaries who hide behind "anonymous spokespeople," Rubio has been doing "sixth and seventh briefings" personally. In his clips from this week, he often starts with: "I don't understand what the confusion is. Let me explain it to you once again as clearly as possible." He uses simple, declarative sentences that leave very little room for the media to twist his words.

Under which law?

So obviously the airline that he flew in on, thought his passport was fine and they have to pay for his flight back?

Too funny indeed and scary. What if the UK had been attacked? Both aircraft carriers out of commission, surely some one must have spotted the problem there? The ships were built to have one always available while the other is in refit/maintenance (to avoid "carrier gaps"), but persistent mechanical issues (shafts, plus occasional fires/minor incidents) have meant both have spent significant time sidelined. By early 2026, both are effectively out of action or in limited states (e.g., HMS Queen Elizabeth in dry dock for upgrades/repairs, HMS Prince of Wales alongside in Portsmouth for maintenance after 2025 ops).

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) did claim on March 1–3 that they fired four cruise/ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln when it was roughly 250–300 km off Iran’s coast (near Chabahar in the Arabian Sea). They said the carrier was “struck” and then “fled” toward the southeastern Indian Ocean. US Central Command (CENTCOM) immediately and publicly refuted this: “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close.” The carrier continues to launch aircraft in support of ongoing strikes on Iran (Operation Epic Fury). No US, Israeli, or independent sources (including satellite imagery or open-source tracking) confirm any damage to the carrier. The U.S. Navy has released timestamped photos and videos from March 2 and March 3, 2026, showing the Lincoln conducting routine flight operations in the Arabian Sea. The images show F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs taking off and landing on a perfectly intact flight deck. If the ship had been hit by four cruise missiles, it would be physically impossible to conduct these operations The USS Abraham Lincoln is still fully operational in the region (Arabian Sea / western Indian Ocean). It has not moved out of range because of damage or repairs — any repositioning is normal operational movement for a carrier strike group. This is classic Iranian information warfare — they make a big claim for domestic propaganda (“we hit America’s prize scalp!”) and the US immediately calls it a lie. There is zero credible evidence of any successful hit or that the carrier was forced to retreat for repairs.The Lincoln is fine and still in the fight. The Iranian claim is the equivalent of their usual exaggerated statements we’ve seen throughout the conflict.

You are correct. Thai is more pricey cos the fly direct to London, Vietnam airways is a transit stop in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. They are both flying the same route to they both head north through China, then over Kazakhstan, Russia (if permitted), or Azerbaijan/Turkey, and finally into Europe. This detour adds about 60 to 90 minutes of flight time and significantly more fuel. However, Thai Airways' direct flights are fully booked days in advance, allowing their automated pricing systems to push tickets to "emergency" levels. Vietnam Airlines is still a bit of an "under-the-radar" secret for many travelers, so their seats haven't sold out as fast, keeping their prices closer to reality.

Seems Thailand is doing an excellent job, especially at the main airport, BKK, its giving out cash to stranded passengers and has set special welfare booths, on top of extending visas or no fines for overstaying passengers stuck there!

Yes, but only when the airspace in Qatar, or actually the ME opens up, which could be weeks away, nobody knows yet! Currently only airspace in KSA and Oman is open!

"Washington is urging all Americans to leave the Middle East immediately — but commercial routes are rapidly disappearing." Apart from Oman and KSA the rest of the Gulf states have closed their airspace and airports. The "Big Wave" means the U.S. is moving from punishment to permanent dismantlement. we're seeing the end of the "limited strike" era and the beginning of a total campaign to reshape the regional power structure. Probably using B52's, B2's and B1's.

Well if its 'REAL' news you can provide a link to it I'm sure!

BBC NewsIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in US...Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed a "devastating" retaliation following the supreme leader's death.Its been confirmed by Iran state TV he is dead.

"“Even with 20/20 hindsight, I saw nothing that ever gave me pause,” Clinton said" Bill's famous words....."I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." What to believe???

The current probe focuses on official misconduct (abuse of public office) not any sexual abuse allegations, do try and keep up!

"The investigation found that the time from disembarkation to arrival at Manston is alarmingly short. For instance, on February 9, migrants arrived at Manston just 43 minutes after landing at the port. Other days showed similar processing times, with only brief checks being conducted" So this is shorter time than waiting in line for immigration in the UK, at least foe foreigners? I'm shocked.

Excellent, this great, would do down like a lead balloon today!!

"officers of the same gender as passengers"....so can lady boys search women?? What if a lady boy is searched? Who does the searching?? I am being half serious, but it does raise an issue?

There is a difference. They have been arrested for Misconduct in Public Office. This is a uniquely British offense that doesn't exist in the same way in the US. It doesn't require proof of a sexual crime; it only requires proof that a public official (like a Prince/Trade Envoy or a Cabinet Minister) abused their position or shared state secrets. The "Smoking Gun" in the 2026 files was proof they shared confidential government briefings with Epstein.

No handcuffs?? Seems like Starmer is telling lies again. no one is above the law??...Shock!

You make a salient point. Asymmetric terrorist attacks (or inspired lone-actor violence) on U.S. soil are a real risk in a war scenario — more so than direct conventional attacks on the homeland. A few well-placed incidents could cause outsized damage (fear, economic disruption, civilian deaths) without matching U.S. military might. U.S. counter terrorism (FBI, DHS, fusion centers) is geared to detect/prevent these, and Iran knows escalation to homeland attacks would trigger overwhelming U.S. response. The "hornets' nest" is real, but the U.S. has tools to mitigate it — and the buildup is partly to deter Iran from trying. Iran prefers proxies and indirect pressure to avoid direct war. If they cross the homeland line, do they lose far more than they gain?

His ex wife, 'fergie', is already in the UAE and no doubt Andrew will be joining her there soon?

Oh dear....Your reply is a classic Gish gallop—throw a bunch of cherry-picked numbers, old quotes, and conspiracy framing at the wall hoping something sticks. Let’s cut through the crap. Iraq death toll You cite Lancet (2006), ORB (2007), and Just Foreign Policy’s multiplier game to reach 1.5–2.4 million. Those figures have been heavily criticized for methodological flaws: Lancet 2006 used cluster sampling that produced wide confidence intervals and was accused of bias/overestimation by multiple peer-reviewed critiques. ORB’s 1 million figure was based on a telephone poll with tiny sample size and self-reported deaths—widely dismissed by demographers. Just Foreign Policy simply multiplied Iraq Body Count (passive reporting, known to undercount) by the disputed Lancet ratio—circular reasoning, not evidence. Mainstream estimates today (after 20+ years of review): Iraq Body Count: ~200,000–250,000 violent civilian deaths. Costs of War Project (Brown University): ~275,000–306,000 civilian deaths from direct violence (2003–2023), plus ~500,000–1 million indirect (disease, malnutrition, infrastructure collapse). Your 1.5–3.4 million is outlier territory, not consensus. Even the highest credible figures don’t approach your numbers. Wesley Clark quote Yes, Clark said that in 2007. He claimed a Pentagon officer told him in 2001 about a memo listing seven countries to be taken out in five years. Problem: There is zero corroborating evidence—no memo, no document, no other whistleblower, no leak in 25 years. Clark himself never produced proof and later said it was hearsay from one conversation. It’s become a staple of “neocon plan for world domination” lore, but it remains an uncorroborated anecdote—not policy, not a smoking gun. Yinon Plan & “destroying” countries Already addressed: Yinon was a 1982 opinion piece by one analyst, not Israeli government policy. Libya: NATO intervened under UN Resolution 1973 to protect civilians from Gaddafi’s threatened massacre—chaos followed because of internal factions and no post-conflict plan, not because the U.S. wanted to “destroy” Libya. Syria: Civil war started with Assad’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011—hundreds of thousands killed by his barrel bombs, chemical weapons, and starvation sieges, with Russia and Iran as his main backers. The U.S. role was limited (mostly anti-ISIS airstrikes after 2014). Blaming Washington for the entire catastrophe is factually absurd. To summarize. The U.S. has blood on its hands from bad decisions—Iraq was a disaster based on false premises. But inflating death tolls to cartoon levels, treating unproven anecdotes as gospel, and pretending Iran’s theocracy (which hangs poets, stones women, and funds global terrorism) is the victim of some grand Zionist plot is not analysis—it’s propaganda. Which you obviously love, together with conspiracy theories. If you want to talk real human rights, start with Iran’s 2025–2026 crackdown: 6,000+ protesters killed, 42,500 arrested, 1,500 executions in one year. That’s not “resistance”—that’s a regime murdering its own people to stay in power. You don’t get to wave around inflated numbers and decade-old rumors while ignoring the actual body count of the regime you’re defending, or at least trying to defend and doing a bad job!

These deadlines work as leverage tools. They don't guarantee a perfect outcome, but they consistently shift the dynamic and make the other side sweat. Iran is now on the clock, and the hardware is already in place, or will be very soon. We'll see if they blink or call the bluff.

Even if he is guilty, he will never see the inside pf a jail/prison cell. Now trying to prove him guilty is also going to difficult. can you imagine him, Andrew, on the stand in the Old Bailey, what he knows about trade deals, who with, where the money came from, the King's person finances??? It could bring the Government and the Monarchy down. If the CPS determines that a trial would reveal state secrets—like the 2010 trade deals or the King’s private finances, Andrew will never be charged. It's happened before, try watching the movie 'Official Secrets', (it really happened), a woman Katherine Gun gets charged under the official secrets act, gets to court and....well I don't want to spoil it! Good movie!