Middle East War Briefing
- Thread starter GURPS
- Start date
In his message, Pahlavi condemned the violence, cowardice, and destructiveness of Ayatollah Khamenei and co., and confidently predicted that the collapse of the regime there is irreversible. “We are prepared for the first hundred days after the fall, for the transitional period, and for the establishment of a national and democratic government — by the Iranian people and for the Iranian people,” he vowed. Pahlavi is an advocate for a Westernized, secularized government in Iran.
The return of Pahlavi could benefit Jews as well, and not only because the current dictatorial and collapsing regime is dedicated to wiping out Israel. A popular X account called “The Persian Jewess” reminisced about the days of the monarchy, “Since the rise of Islam in Iran, Iranian Jews were oppressed, shoved in ghettos, raped, tortured, murdered forced to convert, and treated like second-class citizens. Then in 1925 the Pahlavis came to power and instituted reforms that recognized Iranian Jews as equal citizens for the first time in millennia. For 54 glorious years, we flourished.”
She added, “When Khomeini came to power, we were forced to flee, our hearts mourning all that Iran once was and could have been under the Pahlavis. And in the 46 years since, we have not forgotten the family who broke us free from our chains, and ended our oppression.”
Iranians Chant for Shah’s Return As Terrorist Regime Collapses
In Tehran, Iranians are reportedly chanting enthusiastically about the anticipated fall of the “Isla
If the IRGC collapses, what will the regular Army do wrt a popular takeover.
Senior Defense Planner Fired for Slamming Israel As a 'Death Cult' but More Questions Remain
A senior Army officer has been dismissed from his position inside the Joint Chiefs of Staff office tasked with developing policy and strategy for the Middle East over inflammatory comments he made about Israel and its relationship with the U.S. on social media. Colonel Nathan McCormack, an Army infantry officer who served as a branch chief of the office focusing on Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel in the Joint Staff's Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), was removed from a job he's held since June 2024, after media pointed out he'd referred to Israel as a "death cult" and railed against “Netanyahu and his Judeo-supremacist cronies.”
[clip]
During Desert Storm, I worked in the War Plans cell in the Army Operations Center. It wasn't my usual gig, but the call went out early for volunteers to work 12- to 18-hour shifts in the Pentagon sub-basement, and having come from an infantry division, I jumped at the chance to do something that approached real soldiering. My colleagues in the group were mostly senior colonels who weren't going any further. They had all been military attachés to various countries in the Middle East. The first thing that struck me was that they were vehemently pro-Arab and, when the subject came up, anti-Israel. They fervently believed, I think right up until the night of January 16, 1991, that there would be an "Arab solution" that allowed Saddam Hussein to save face and the Arab world to avoid war. I tried to push a bit to understand this romance for the Arab world and antipathy toward Israel, and my best guess is that it came down to hospitality. Colonels stationed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States hung out with royalty. They went hunting with falcons. They were treated as though they were royalty, and all of those officers considered various Arabian gentry to be close friends. The relationship with the Israeli military was much more prickly. The Israelis weren't terribly soft and cuddly; they didn't care about your feelings, and the relationships were strictly transactional of the "what can you do for me right now" type. Again, this isn't data, but perception built over several weeks of close contact. My thesis is that much of America's Middle East policy is not driven by AIPAC or a Jewish conspiracy, but I believe it is heavily colored by State and Defense Department officials who love the Arabs and loathe the Israelis. This is why the nonsensical "two-state solution" keeps coming back to life, and the Biden White House did everything it could to scuttle the Abraham Accords.
The practical question is more basic. In what universe did Colonel McCormack think it was okay to denigrate a key U.S. regional ally on social media in an account that was easily matched to his name when his job was leading U.S. Defense strategy and policy for the area occupied by that ally? To me, that demonstrates that a) McCormack's views were well within acceptable parameters within the Joint Staff Plans, Policy, and Strategy office. It is impossible to believe that McCormack's subordinates were not guided by their boss's views. It is equally impossible not to believe that McCormack's superiors either held the same views or tolerated McCormack's. Either way, the Secretary of Defense was not getting unbiased advice and that puts the nation at risk., The lack of discipline apparent in announcing official travel on X and talking smack about a U.S. Senator supporting your boss (several levels up) and sitting on the Senate Armed Services Committee is breathtaking.
This is the kind of cultural rot that Pete Hegseth has to contend with. The bad part is that it took a media leak to bring the matter under control, and it is nearly guaranteed that McCormack is the tiny, least intelligent tip of the iceberg.
In his message, Pahlavi condemned the violence, cowardice, and destructiveness of Ayatollah Khamenei and co., and confidently predicted that the collapse of the regime there is irreversible. “We are prepared for the first hundred days after the fall, for the transitional period, and for the establishment of a national and democratic government — by the Iranian people and for the Iranian people,” he vowed. Pahlavi is an advocate for a Westernized, secularized government in Iran.
The return of Pahlavi could benefit Jews as well, and not only because the current dictatorial and collapsing regime is dedicated to wiping out Israel. A popular X account called “The Persian Jewess” reminisced about the days of the monarchy, “Since the rise of Islam in Iran, Iranian Jews were oppressed, shoved in ghettos, raped, tortured, murdered forced to convert, and treated like second-class citizens. Then in 1925 the Pahlavis came to power and instituted reforms that recognized Iranian Jews as equal citizens for the first time in millennia. For 54 glorious years, we flourished.”
She added, “When Khomeini came to power, we were forced to flee, our hearts mourning all that Iran once was and could have been under the Pahlavis. And in the 46 years since, we have not forgotten the family who broke us free from our chains, and ended our oppression.”
Iranians Chant for Shah’s Return As Terrorist Regime Collapses
In Tehran, Iranians are reportedly chanting enthusiastically about the anticipated fall of the “Islapjmedia.com
Supposedly Pahlavi says he doesn't want to return to the throne. He'd be a "figurehead" if asked, but only wants to assist in forming a new government. Is there any opposition left inside Iran that could assist in forming a new government, or would everyone have to come from the outside?
A discussion on this started on r/AngryCops last night.
U.S. Should Destroy Fordow — but Only If Israel Can’t
In under a week, Israel has achieved complete air supremacy, allowing its pilots to hit targets in Iran without fear of harassment. Though the conflict has taken a toll (Iran’s indiscriminate ballistic missile attacks have killed dozens of Israelis and injured hundreds more), the Iranian counterstrikes have not destroyed any significant strategic targets. Israel, meanwhile, has degraded Iran’s ballistic missile production, its stockpiles of missiles, and its rocket launchers; it has damaged or destroyed its airbases and planes; it has struck Iran’s major oil refineries; and it has taken out dozens of top Iranian military leaders. Israel’s opening strike against Iran killed the man who was effectively the chief of staff of the Iranian military, Major General Ali Shadmani; on Monday, they killed his replacement, Major General Gholam Ali Rashid.
In terms of the top goal of the war effort, Israelis have done significant damage to Natanz, Iran’s main nuclear facility, as well as damaging several other nuclear sites and laboratories and killing many of its top nuclear scientists. But looming out there is Fordow, the deeply fortified nuclear-enrichment facility built into the side of a mountain. If Fordow is not destroyed, or at least rendered inoperable by destruction of the infrastructure necessary to operate it, Iran could move whatever stockpiles of uranium it still has and race to enrich it at the facility — an unacceptable conclusion to the current conflict. It’s possible that Israel has some creative way of destroying the facility or damaging it to a degree that puts it out of commission for the short term. The Hezbollah pager operation illustrated its ingenuity. But the most straightforward way to take out the facility is with bunker-buster bombs — of the 30,000 pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) variety that are possessed only by the U.S. and can be delivered only by American bombers such as the B-2.
One option kicked around last night on FNC was the IDF inserting a commando team at Fordow to destroy the facility. Casualties would likely be high unless there was complete collapse of Iran's military.
Yeah they raided a Syrian facility .... they are not invading Fordow
I'd bomb the damn entrances as a start .... maybe VX Nerve Gas over a couple of square miles
Iran Launches 2,000 km-Range Sejil Missiles at Israel for the First Time in History | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed today that it has launched Sejil medium‑range ballistic missiles—with a range up to 2,000 km—directly at Israel for the first time in recorded history.
www.thegatewaypundit.com
Is that a sperm bomb?
PJay
Well-Known Member
2014: George Soros, Lindsey Graham, and John McCain helped overthrow the legitimate government of Ukraine. Their regime change efforts blossomed into the catastrophic war you see now with Russia and Ukraine. Now, Lindsey Graham is insinuating that American troops would be happy to put boots on the ground in Iran. These people have gotten nothing right after decades of manipulating the world for their own devious motives. We should not be listening to their violent rhetoric.
LightRoasted
If I may ...
For your consideration ...
PJay
Well-Known Member
What is the Samson Option…? Israel’s implied readiness to resort to nuclear weapons if it were ever facing the prospect of annihilation. This is what President Trump is navigating. Hence, saving Israel for last. A fascinating read if you’ve never heard of it before. I urge everyone to also read Seymour Hersch’s report on it. https://archive.org/details/Sampson_Option/mode/1up
PJay
Well-Known Member
MJT
"DIMONA NUCLEAR PROJECT…
What Matt is referring strikes at the very heart at why President JFK was assassinated.
The Israeli Dimona nuclear project refers to the construction and operation of the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, commonly known as the Dimona reactor, located in the Negev desert near the city of Dimona.
Construction of the Dimona facility began in 1958 with significant assistance from France.
The reactor became operational between 1962 and 1964.
The project was kept highly secretive, and Israel officially maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity," neither confirming nor denying the possession of nuclear weapons. (YES, they have them.)
• “Officially”, the facility is for nuclear research, but it has been widely reported to be a key part of Israel's nuclear weapons program. —— The heavy-water nuclear reactor is believed to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, and there are facilities for reprocessing spent fuel rods to extract plutonium.
• Israel DOES NOT allow inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Dimona, except that time in 1965.
—— declassified documents emerged showing Israel used tactics like installing temporary false walls, or even creating a "fake control room," to mislead US inspectors about the facility's true purpose after JFK kept applying pressure..
PROBABLE CAUSE ISRAEL WAS INVOLVED WITH THE DEATH OF JFK
When the JFK Files were declassified, I found one of the most stunning admissions to date. Not one reputable news agency reported on it. Why?
Mr Angleton, “at that meeting did he raise with you the subject of Atomic technology from the CIA to Israel?”
Angleton: “Yes”
These documents came from the heavily redacted Church Committee Testimony of James Angleton — showing the CIA's Secret Role in Atomic Weapons Transfer, Arming Israel with Nuclear Technology Against JFK's Wishes
• The unredacted files reveal that Mr. Angleton (CIA), confirms that atomic technology and/or knowledge was transferred to Israel against the wishes of JFK.
This provided a clear motive.. and being that it was so heavily redacted, it may be more than just a motive.
JFK did not want Israel to have nuclear weapons and took significant steps to prevent it, including diplomatic pressure, demands for inspections, and warnings about the consequences for US-Israel relations.
Details of the Transfer:
• The unredacted portions (yellow) disclose that the transfer involved not just technology but also knowledge of atomic matters, facilitated through intermediaries (Blue), like scientists (eg, a Dr. Wilfred) and possibly journalists (eg, Tad Szulc).
Angleton admits to having met with Israeli scientists and officials, including Ben Wells, and discusses the involvement of PLUTONIUM, a key material in nuclear weapons development.
• Israeli Nuclear Program:
The files indicate that Israel had acquired plutonium for its nuclear program, which aligns with historical knowledge of Israel's development of nuclear capabilities, particularly through its Dimona reactor.
• Angleton expressed concern about the implications of this transfer, noting that it was done clandestinely and that the US government (or at least some parts of it) might NOT have been fully informed.
He mentions the need to keep the matter secret and the potential fallout “if it ever became public knowledge”
"DIMONA NUCLEAR PROJECT…
What Matt is referring strikes at the very heart at why President JFK was assassinated.
The Israeli Dimona nuclear project refers to the construction and operation of the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, commonly known as the Dimona reactor, located in the Negev desert near the city of Dimona.
Construction of the Dimona facility began in 1958 with significant assistance from France.
The reactor became operational between 1962 and 1964.
The project was kept highly secretive, and Israel officially maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity," neither confirming nor denying the possession of nuclear weapons. (YES, they have them.)
• “Officially”, the facility is for nuclear research, but it has been widely reported to be a key part of Israel's nuclear weapons program. —— The heavy-water nuclear reactor is believed to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, and there are facilities for reprocessing spent fuel rods to extract plutonium.
• Israel DOES NOT allow inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Dimona, except that time in 1965.
—— declassified documents emerged showing Israel used tactics like installing temporary false walls, or even creating a "fake control room," to mislead US inspectors about the facility's true purpose after JFK kept applying pressure..
PROBABLE CAUSE ISRAEL WAS INVOLVED WITH THE DEATH OF JFKWhen the JFK Files were declassified, I found one of the most stunning admissions to date. Not one reputable news agency reported on it. Why?
Mr Angleton, “at that meeting did he raise with you the subject of Atomic technology from the CIA to Israel?”
Angleton: “Yes”
These documents came from the heavily redacted Church Committee Testimony of James Angleton — showing the CIA's Secret Role in Atomic Weapons Transfer, Arming Israel with Nuclear Technology Against JFK's Wishes
• The unredacted files reveal that Mr. Angleton (CIA), confirms that atomic technology and/or knowledge was transferred to Israel against the wishes of JFK.
This provided a clear motive.. and being that it was so heavily redacted, it may be more than just a motive.
JFK did not want Israel to have nuclear weapons and took significant steps to prevent it, including diplomatic pressure, demands for inspections, and warnings about the consequences for US-Israel relations.
Details of the Transfer:
• The unredacted portions (yellow) disclose that the transfer involved not just technology but also knowledge of atomic matters, facilitated through intermediaries (Blue), like scientists (eg, a Dr. Wilfred) and possibly journalists (eg, Tad Szulc).
Angleton admits to having met with Israeli scientists and officials, including Ben Wells, and discusses the involvement of PLUTONIUM, a key material in nuclear weapons development.
• Israeli Nuclear Program:
The files indicate that Israel had acquired plutonium for its nuclear program, which aligns with historical knowledge of Israel's development of nuclear capabilities, particularly through its Dimona reactor.
• Angleton expressed concern about the implications of this transfer, noting that it was done clandestinely and that the US government (or at least some parts of it) might NOT have been fully informed.
He mentions the need to keep the matter secret and the potential fallout “if it ever became public knowledge”