3 hours ago, connda said:

Unfortunately I don't believe anything Trump says anymore.

How about JimCM then?

8 hours ago, Purdey said:

Someone explain: why is it fine for the USA to give Israel billions to then go on to kill Palestinians (i.e. sponsoring terrorism) by the thousand while Iran is not held to the same standard?

The U.S.has supported Israel for nearly 78 years in its battle to defend its existence as the homeland of the world's Jews. That's a very noble mission and one that helps correct 2,000 years of injustice against Jews.

On the other hand, the official policy of the Iranian government is to create a global Islamic caliphate under sharia law. That's a very negative goal that most of the world's countries should and do oppose.

In simple terms, the U.S. and Israel are the good guys, Iran is the bad guy. Good guys get more praise and privileges than bad guys.

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

Putting aside your disdain for Israel, has it occurred to you that if the Gulf Arabs followed through on their longstanding plans we would be in a similar situation today, only worse because there would be no oil and gas coming from the region. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been looking for a way to neutralize Iran for decades. The Arab world thought they could do it when they backed Iraq in its war. Even with Iraq's use of poison gas, they could not defeat the Iranians who sent human waves of soldiers who died in the thousands. The Arabs were shocked at the willingness of the Iranian shiites to die. If and when the sunni world takes on the Shiites of Iran, the oil and gas fields of the the Gulf will be out of action for years. Then, we will see a real energy shortage. No oil and gas, and all the benefits the west gains from trade with Asia will be gone.

What disdain for Israel? IMO they can look after themselves.

Iran would not be a radicalized nation if the CIA and MI5 had not conspired to overthrow Mossadeq, and instal a puppet Shah. It was a democracy.

Iran sells oil. Iraq sells oil. The whole <deleted> Middle East sells oil. Without that money, there would be no cities, no desal plants, no industry. Just barren, sandy waste.

To suggest the region would cut off the flow of oil voluntarily is ludicrous. But thanks to American hubris and stupidity, that's what is happening now.

The airmen can now apply to join the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club

Well, I am pleased that he was hooked out - he is a very lucky individual. It will be fascinating to read what was involved, although I am sure that we will soon have a TV film with a variety of lean mean steely-eyed lantern jawed heroes doing their business!

It does however not remove the fact that Iran has the ability to shoot down US aircraft.

9 hours ago, JimCM said:

Propagandatong.

Hezbollah are not a proxy, they are an ally if Iran.

They are not terrorists but legitimate freedom fighters, formed when your country occupied Lebanon in 1983 or so.

Viability of the Proxy Strategy: Iran’s use of Hezbollah as a proxy extends its regional influence and further its objectives while avoiding direct confrontations. However, this strategy is not without risks. Hezbollah’s activities, from its involvement in the Syrian civil war to clashes with Israel, can inadvertently draw Iran into larger regional skirmishes. Further, an over-reliance on proxies can lead to unpredictability. Even with shared ideologies, proxy groups can prioritize their interests, potentially jeopardizing Iranian objectives. Moreover, the Lebanese political landscape is complex, and any significant shift in internal dynamics could affect Hezbollah’s standing and, by extension, Iran’s influence.  Proponents of the proxy strategy argue that it is a tried-and-tested method, and allows major powers to exert influence without direct involvement. They also point out that Hezbollah, given its ideological alignment and dependency on Iran, is less likely to diverge significantly from Tehran’s directives.

https://www.isdp.eu/iran-and-hezbollah-proxy-power-play/

11 minutes ago, JAG said:

Well, I am pleased that he was hooked out - he is a very lucky individual. It will be fascinating to read what was involved, although I am sure that we will soon have a TV film with a variety of lean mean steely-eyed lantern jawed heroes doing their business!

It does however not remove the fact that Iran has the ability to shoot down US aircraft.

They even made a pigs ear of the rescue mission a C-130 transporter got stuck in the sand so the Yanks had to blow it up to stop it falling into enemy hands. Amateurs.

13 minutes ago, JAG said:

Well, I am pleased that he was hooked out - he is a very lucky individual. It will be fascinating to read what was involved, although I am sure that we will soon have a TV film with a variety of lean mean steely-eyed lantern jawed heroes doing their business!

It does however not remove the fact that Iran has the ability to shoot down US aircraft.

Even a blind hog gets an acorn once in a while.

7 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Even a blind hog gets an acorn once in a while.

Take you word for it.

20 minutes ago, Effective altruism said:

Viability of the Proxy Strategy: Iran’s use of Hezbollah as a proxy extends its regional influence and further its objectives while avoiding direct confrontations. However, this strategy is not without risks. Hezbollah’s activities, from its involvement in the Syrian civil war to clashes with Israel, can inadvertently draw Iran into larger regional skirmishes. Further, an over-reliance on proxies can lead to unpredictability. Even with shared ideologies, proxy groups can prioritize their interests, potentially jeopardizing Iranian objectives. Moreover, the Lebanese political landscape is complex, and any significant shift in internal dynamics could affect Hezbollah’s standing and, by extension, Iran’s influence.  Proponents of the proxy strategy argue that it is a tried-and-tested method, and allows major powers to exert influence without direct involvement. They also point out that Hezbollah, given its ideological alignment and dependency on Iran, is less likely to diverge significantly from Tehran’s directives.

https://www.isdp.eu/iran-and-hezbollah-proxy-power-play/

Don't forget the Houthis.

The results of this poll shows how piss poor the design was. There is literally no conclusion.

24 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

They even made a pigs ear of the rescue mission a C-130 transporter got stuck in the sand so the Yanks had to blow it up to stop it falling into enemy hands. Amateurs.

Didn't that happen quite a few years ago as well?

Why a C130, I thought that they were knee deep in helicopters!

2 minutes ago, JAG said:

Didn't that happen quite a few years ago as well?

Why a C130, I thought that they were knee deep in helicopters!

Pretty common for NATO troops to fly into Iran from Afghanistan with a full package that included a C130 parked up on a dried up lake bed. I know someone who did that. Flew in. Sat around sunbathing for a couple of days, before the Spec Ops chaps turned up with a trussed figure wearing a full body suit and hood.

Iran is 1.6 million square kms with 16,000 of those with people.

32 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

They even made a pigs ear of the rescue mission a C-130 transporter got stuck in the sand so the Yanks had to blow it up to stop it falling into enemy hands. Amateurs.

Best not talk about crashed SAS helicopters then

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

The airmen can now apply to join the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club

They can try, but its not a Martin-Baker ejection seat.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/collins-gets-700-million-to-upgrade-f-15-ejection-seats/#:~:text=new%20seat%20includes%20improved%20head%2C%20neck%2C%20arm%2C,leg%20%E2%80%9Cflail%20prevention%2C%E2%80%9D%20along%20with%20a%20catapult

1 hour ago, JAG said:

It does however not remove the fact that Iran has the ability to shoot down US aircraft.

Nice ratio though, 20,000 to 2.

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

They even made a pigs ear of the rescue mission a C-130 transporter got stuck in the sand so the Yanks had to blow it up to stop it falling into enemy hands. Amateurs.

Yet both pilots saved, no US casualties and I dare say I bet we will hear of hundreds of Iranian KIA.

Win. Now its time to destroy them.

21 hours ago, JimCM said:

ONE pilot is missing.
Say his name. Show his photo.
Run it on every channel.

Do you care?

Because—

165 schoolgirls are dead.
No names. No photos.
Just a number you scroll past.

So let’s be honest—

Do you care about one American life…
only because it’s American?

Do you call him a hero, even if 60% of Americans are against the illegal war, and call the others “collateral”?

If you demand he be brought home-
do you also demand an answer for them?

Or is empathy something we issue…
like passports?

I don't care about anybody who killed other people

13 minutes ago, D Peter said:

I don't care about anybody who killed other people

Do you care about the roughly 400,000 men in the British armed forces, and an equal number of their U.S. counterparts, who died in WWII to preserve the freedom of future generations? Add to that the horrific death tolls of 8.5 to 11.5 million in the Soviet military and two to three million in the armed forces of China. Without their sacrifices, the number of U.K. and U.S. deaths would have been much higher.

Think about it. Maybe you should care.

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

What disdain for Israel? IMO they can look after themselves.

Iran would not be a radicalized nation if the CIA and MI5 had not conspired to overthrow Mossadeq, and instal a puppet Shah. It was a democracy.

Iran sells oil. Iraq sells oil. The whole <deleted> Middle East sells oil. Without that money, there would be no cities, no desal plants, no industry. Just barren, sandy waste.

Tudicrous. But thanks to American hubris and stupidity, that's what is happening now.

A regional war between the Arabs and Iran would result in a shut down of oil & gas production. Remember the last time it happened in 1981-1988? The US had to escort oil tankers. This time around, they will target each other's oil and gas production. Iran and its proxies have been causing havoc and destabilizing the Sunni Arab world.

The Gulf Arabs were pushed to the wall by the Iranian regime and they won't let it go on. This is a fight for the future of the Gulf Arabs.

49 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Nice ratio though, 20,000 to 2.

Yet both pilots saved, no US casualties and I dare say I bet we will hear of hundreds of Iranian KIA.

Win. Now its time to destroy them.

The US extrication of an injured pilot was an example of what the US military can do when it has a clear mandate with no restrictions. The US military created a buffer zone around the pilot neutralizing the Iranian units who tried to penetrate the perimeter. They landed their rescue teams and then created a secure corridor by which they could extricate the commandos sent in to rescue the pilot. That's what air superiority achieves. The CIA operation in conjunction with the Israeli operatives on the ground was right out of a James Bond movie.

The Iranian newscaster in the black sack must be fuming today. She promised a big reward for the pilot's capture.😁 Meanwhile Trump gets a bit of good news and Asean Now's Iranian regime fanclub gets to gripe.

10 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The US extrication of an injured pilot was an example of what the US military can do when it has a clear mandate with no restrictions. The US military created a buffer zone around the pilot neutralizing the Iranian units who tried to penetrate the perimeter. They landed their rescue teams and then created a secure corridor by which they could extricate the commandos sent in to rescue the pilot. That's what air superiority achieves. The CIA operation in conjunction with the Israeli operatives on the ground was right out of a James Bond movie.

The Iranian newscaster in the black sack must be fuming today. She promised a big reward for the pilot's capture.😁 Meanwhile Trump gets a bit of good news and Asean Now's Iranian regime fanclub gets to gripe.

I have read (unconfirmed) that drones killed anyone who came withing 3km of the pilot. Seal Team 6 did it.

36 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The US extrication of an injured pilot was an example of what the US military can do when it has a clear mandate with no restrictions. The US military created a buffer zone around the pilot neutralizing the Iranian units who tried to penetrate the perimeter. They landed their rescue teams and then created a secure corridor by which they could extricate the commandos sent in to rescue the pilot. That's what air superiority achieves. The CIA operation in conjunction with the Israeli operatives on the ground was right out of a James Bond movie.

The Iranian newscaster in the black sack must be fuming today. She promised a big reward for the pilot's capture.😁 Meanwhile Trump gets a bit of good news and Asean Now's Iranian regime fanclub gets to gripe.

It's also clear evidence of the importance of optics in the rescue. According to reports, a special ops C130 costing around $200 million was destroyed during the operation.

However, that is small potatoes when one considers the possibility the US was dragged into the conflict by Israel, using Mossad's knowledge of the Epstein files.

If true, the optics must be so bad Trump is wiliing to spend almost $1 billion a day to keep the file contents on him under wraps.

2 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

They can try, but its not a Martin-Baker ejection seat.

Oh well I tried ?

22 hours ago, JimCM said:

ONE pilot is missing.
Say his name. Show his photo.
Run it on every channel.

Do you care?

Because—

165 schoolgirls are dead.
No names. No photos.
Just a number you scroll past.

So let’s be honest—

Do you care about one American life…
only because it’s American?

Do you call him a hero, even if 60% of Americans are against the illegal war, and call the others “collateral”?

If you demand he be brought home-
do you also demand an answer for them?

Or is empathy something we issue…
like passports?

……………………nuff said

22 hours ago, JimCM said:

ONE pilot is missing.
Say his name. Show his photo.
Run it on every channel.

Do you care?

Because—

165 schoolgirls are dead.
No names. No photos.
Just a number you scroll past.

So let’s be honest—

Do you care about one American life…
only because it’s American?

Do you call him a hero, even if 60% of Americans are against the illegal war, and call the others “collateral”?

If you demand he be brought home-
do you also demand an answer for them?

Or is empathy something we issue…
like passports?

……………………nuff said

13 hours ago, Taboo2 said:

The pilot is safe, it is the WSO that is still missing.

And, yes, the US Military does care very much about any of our guys that are shot down. If you do not believe me, look up BAT 21 and read up on how many men died trying to extract the Colonel from behind enemy lines in Vietnam....I think 21 died trying to save him. That is how we roll.

The rescue of Bat 21 Bravo, the call sign for Iceal "Gene" Hambleton, was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue" operation during the Vietnam War. Five additional aircraft were shot down during rescue attempts, directly resulting in the deaths of 11 airmen, the capture of two others, and another airman trying to evade capture. On 2 April 1972, the Easter Offensive, the largest combined arms operation of the entire Vietnam War, was in its third day. An early morning flight of two United States Air Force EB-66C aircraft was led by Bat 20. The movie was with Gene Hackman. Read the book, and the movie closely follows it. Peace

2 hours ago, CallumWK said:

So you have seen it all as you were involved, or is this just your Jew arse licking imagination you're posting?

An indicator of mental illness is emotional instability that often manifests in outbursts of inexplicable hate. It is associated with the enthusiastic embrace of bigotry. Another indicator of mental illness is an inability to sleep.

This was an incredible undertaking by the US military and its intelligence community. It is no secret that both Israel and the USA have an intelligence network in Iran. The Iranian and Kurdish community both inside and outside of Iran is co-operating in significant numbers with the US and Israeli intelligence agencies.

The role of the US and Israeli operatives has already been reported on. The amount of detail varies, from a mention of Israeli assistance by Reuters, to some idiot "off the record" oversharing with the Israeli media. Time and Axios have gone into greater detail; The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was at the center of the operation, launching a deception campaign to throw Iranian officials off, according to Axios. It said CIA operatives spread a false campaign within Iran that both crew members of the downed F-15 jet had already been found and that U.S. forces were working on exfiltration, trying to confuse Iranian officials who were also working to capture the officer. The CIA also reportedly facilitated an “unconventional assisted recovery,” a process in which the agency contacts civilians willing to aid or shelter U.S. military forces.

Because of Israel's situation, it has historically relied on in country operatives who's primary responsibility is to be able to assist in the recovery of personnel. The Israelis were providing real time intelligence to the US. The stories are now appearing in the general media.

The USA just gave a lesson in team management and leadership by deploying the best of the best of US personnel, and by managing multiple assets including intelligence information streams, of which, the Israelis were one of many. I doubt there are any other militaries who could do similar. President Trump will be providing more details at 1 PM eastern time. Be sure to tune in and hear all about the rescue. 😄

Do You Care About 1 US Pilot?

The Republicans in the US Congress behaved like they cared about the death of an ambassador (a Democrat!) to the degree that the inquisition went on for years and cost a big pile of $$$. Actually, they cared about the envoy as much as they cared about the ants they stepped on when walking on the street.

No not now not ever. Apparently he is seriously injured.

7 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

Best not talk about crashed SAS helicopters then

Bit of a difference flying in a blizzard with no visibility then a dried up waterbed.

Could be worse another top fail.

It's a true Easter miracle the WSO has been rescued. If he had fallen into Iranian hands, he would have been tortured. It's also commendable the U.S. government and military went to such lengths to save an officer who was facing a fate far worse than death.

‘Safe and sound’: How a U.S. Airman Shot Down in Iran Was Rescued From a Mountain Crevice

...

After the crash landing, the colonel hiked up a 7,000-foot mountain ridgeline and hid in a crevice. While evading capture, he activated an emergency beacon, which allowed U.S. forces to locate him, two U.S. officials told Fox News.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was at the center of the operation, launching a deception campaign to throw Iranian officials off, according to Axios.

https://time.com/article/2026/04/05/-safe-and-sound-how-a-u-s-airman-shot-down-in-iran-was-rescued-from-a-mountain-crevice/