Beware the Ides of March - Trump Thread #156

[Spandauer]

Do you think The Friend of Epstein is au fait with Roman history?

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5488504-name-a-better-trio-than-onion-garlic-ginger-trump-thread-155

I would argue the Ukraine war is far closer to what people might consider WW3 than this. Of course what this could offer is an opportunity for Putin to escalate in Ukraine/Europe and China in Asia whilst the US is otherwise engaged.

The U.S. State Department has urged people to "reconsider travel" to Cyprus, citing growing security risks as war in the Middle East ripples across the eastern Mediterranean.
bsky.app/profile/politico.eu/post/3mga4zhtoyk23

Or while Iran is draining European anti-missile capabilities. I think the US is actively making it harder for the EU/UK to defend themselves against Russia with his new middle Eastern adventure, not just getting distracted. I'm not saying that's his intention but it is the outcome.

I read that with the voice of a movie trailer announcer (Tropic Thunder).

" There was the first Gulf war, and they said that was big.

There was the second gulf war, that was bigger, but not big enough.

Now Trump Enterprises LLC bring you Gulf War III.

Bigglier, smarter, more destructive than ever. More bangs than all other pathetic wars combined. More death, more tears, better Presidential speeches than ever heard before .

At a Cinema near you from Friday See it from your own front window for free."

Reveiws.

An epic, but not as good as mine - Melania magazine

* At last the war to end all wars, Praise the lord Trump - The Evangelical Bugle.

Russia hasn't got the capacity. It went from being a superpower to a world power when it invaded Ukraine.

The same way the US has become a mere world power as well. Again, by choice.

"World" wars are characterised by power blocs engaging across continental fronts.

The Punic wars are probably an earlier example.

I see the media is wanging in about WW3 (looking at you Daily Fail!) it’s so irresponsible.

The comments section is a hoot as usual.
Wonder how many of these bams would be willing to pick up an SA rifle.

SA80 rifle.

I find CNN can be pretty good at covering different angles. This just now :

"Six Gulf Arab nations – Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait – import about 85% of their food. That figure rises to more than 90% for cereals. Even Oman, the most self-sufficient of them, still imports the vast majority of its food."

And it all arrives by ship. And the ships aint moving, And the airports closed.

"The Strait of Hormuz is best known as the world’s most important oil chokepoint. But it’s also a lifeline for the Gulf’s food imports. Around 138 ships pass through it every day under normal conditions, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, carrying not only oil and gas but also a large share of the region’s imported food."

What is that saying ? Every nation is only 9 meals from revolution ?

I wonder who else remembers the Berlin airlift ? I mean I wasn't born then, but I know about it.

For sure. I am thinking more about local resentment towards the US. Prices for food will surely sky rocket there ?

And US gas prices will be going up seen. I watched RTE news earlier and they were talking a bit about petrol prices going up there.

Seems to be widening further...

BBC Breaking News

@BBCBreaking
·
18m

Around 140 people missing after Iranian navy ship sinks off coast of Sri Lanka - follow live

Turkey too. They shot down a missile headed at them.

Trump and his cronys appear to not be able to get anything straight. Sky news feed :

"US takes full control of Iranian airspace, senior official says

The US has full control of Iranian skies, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has told CNBC.
US forces, he added, would take out Iran's ballistic missiles and underground bunkers in the coming days.
Bessent said Donald Trump had a vision for the Iranian conflict and urged everyone to take a step back.
Discussing the decision to strike, Bessent said the US took advantage of a crash in Iran's economy before its military action.
NATO and the US defence department defines taking control of the skies as the "degree of air superiority wherein the opposing air force is incapable of effective"

So now they took advantage of the Iranian economy to strike. And everyone leave the US to it.

Again deep breaths, Ukraine frequently targets Russian tankers in the Mediterranean. Just because it was near Sri Lanka it was still an Iranian vessel so no necessarily a spread.

Turkey is an interesting one as they’re no friend of Israel’s and Iran would be seriously stupid to drag them into the conflict against them.

All Iran is achieving is pissing off those who might have been more inclined to side with it than Israel.

They appear to be run by the equivalent of the GOP then ...

And Turkey is Nato. It was a Nato defense apparently.

Absolutely! And as we’ve seen previously from Turkey shooting down Russian jets we know that Turkey are one of the more hawkish NATO members.

Iran is running pretty low on friends now.

Yeah. The lack of international support soon did for North Vietnam didn't it ?

There’s a Pentagon press briefing right now.
Hegseth says US is winning but will continue until success is achieved.
I’m really hoping he explains how this ‘success’ is defined.
Also hoping to win on the PBs …

Didn’t Russia and China provide pretty substantial military and financial aid to Vietnam during the war? I may well be wrong.

Turkey's and NATO's response (NYT)

A ballistic missile fired from Iran was shot down by NATO air and missile defenses in the eastern Mediterranean while heading toward Turkish airspace, Turkey’s defense ministry said on Wednesday.
The missile had flown over Iraq and Syria, according to a ministry statement posted on social media. It did not say what the missile’s target was believed to be. Remnants of the ordinance that shot it down fell in Turkey’s south-central province of Hatay, near the border with Syria, injuring no one, the statement said.
Iran has launched missiles and drones at neighboring countries that host U.S. military facilities and personnel in retaliation for the American and Israeli air campaign against Tehran. Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base hosts a sizable United States Air Force contingent, but Turkey has said that it would not allow its airspace to be used for attacks on Iran.
An attack on Turkey, a NATO member that shares a 300-mile border with Iran, would mark a major escalation and could activate NATO’s mutual defense clause, potentially drawing the alliance’s 32 member states into the war.
In a statement, Allison Hart, a NATO spokeswoman, said the alliance condemned the targeting of Turkey.
“NATO stands firmly with all allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,” the statement said. “Our deterrence and defense posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defense.”
A strike on Turkey could also alter Turkey’s relationship with Iran. The two countries have longstanding diplomatic and trade relations, and Turkey was heavily involved in recent diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the current war.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart about the missile and said that any action that could cause the conflict to spread should be avoided, Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Turkish defense ministry said it would consult with its NATO allies and protect the country from any attacks. “All necessary steps to defend our territory and airspace will be taken resolutely and without hesitation,” it said.

They’re claiming that Iran’s level of response is down about 80% from the start. Whilst I’m taking everything they say with a truckload of salt it does feel like this probably isn’t miles from the truth.