Israel

[Uberhaus]

Iranian dissidents have named the Mossad agent responsible as:  Eli Copter. 

Joke of the decade, though, no laughing matter the Telegraph article where it is taken from:  The death of Iran's president Raisi has exposed the sickness at the heart of the West  Madeline Grant:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/courage-iranian-people-shames-craven-175231907.html

[nelmsm]

Babylon Bee had an article today about how the Israelis revealed today that they had a new terraforming machine that could make mountains spring up out of nowhere.      Those guys find ways to crack me up everyday.

[steve58]

Biden's US taxpayer's $320 Million dollar pier is gone, at least most of it is.

Before stormy weather pic:


After stormy weather pic:


Aid reaching Gazans so far: 0

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/before-photos-show-destruction-bidens-320m-gaza-pier

[Jarhead0331]

Nice discussion of the successful raid into Gaza that resulted in the rescue of 4 of the 10/7 hostages.

[JasonPratt]

Bill Whittle and crew comment on the Gaza pier...

[Gusington]

Cyprus, you say?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/20/middleeast/hezbollah-warns-cyprus-israel-gaza-war-explainer-intl/index.html

That could be one of the more idiotic moves Hezbollah could make, dragging in...NATO.

'Surely you are not serious?'

[JasonPratt]

It's entirely possible they don't know Cyprus is NATO. Or even an independent nation now.

[MikeGER]

Cyprus is not part of the NATO, but it is a member of the EU, European Union
an attack would do Hezbollah no good, the diplomatic power would crush them

and the Eu treaty (42.7) has a support part, similar to Nato, but the reaction doesnt has to be strictly military.
It states that:
 If an EU country is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other EU countries have an obligation to aid and assist it by all means in their power."

in addition
there are two British airbases, wich are still British territory, on the island
and about 1200 Greek soldiers with 80 tanks stationed in Cyprus too
 

[Gusington]

^Ah not part of NATO...did not know that.

Also did not know that there are 80 Greek tanks in Cyrpus 

[JasonPratt]

It is entirely possible that I didn't know Cyprus is not part of NATO. Or even an independent nation now.  (Come to think of it, is Cyprus the island torn by Turkish and Greek claimants?)

But seriously, I do think it's entirely possible that Hamas thinks of Cyprus as a crusader state.

[Uberhaus]

Anyone else speculating that the new head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, had Ismail Haniyeh murdered?  Although I would wish Mossad the best in such an endeavour, Sinwar as head of internal security had much easier access to Haniyeh. 

Sinwar is also completely ruthless in his willingness to let others die in the pursuit of his objectives.  He planned and executed the October 7th attacks and hostage takings, then hid under the Gazan population.  His expectation that Israel would be forced by external political pressure to a ceasefire is completely fantasist.  Such magical thinking might lead him to believe he can engineer an outrage in Iran that leads to the survival of his skin. 

A BBC commentator states that if Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel, it would benefit Israeli hawks, depriving Hamas of someone willing to continue ceasefire negotiations. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce98regp6y1o  The BBC is not free to make the speculation without any indications that I have made. 

On Monday, Tisha B'Av in Israel (which is very significant), after the Olympics end on Sunday (a minor consideration for Iran), Iran will attempt to strike Israel and will involve its proxies, especially Hezbollah, maybe Yemen too with  one drone attack that reached Israel last month.  Israeli has reinforced its border with the West Bank as a second ground attack may be attempted.  https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-august-5-2024  Also from ISW, Iran has published disinformation of potential targets.

It will be a bigger attack than in April and the US military may be targeted in the region.  Hopefully, it will fall just as flat and hopefully, Sinwar will fall flat too and quite soon.   

[JudgeDredd]

It is entirely possible that I didn't know Cyprus is not part of NATO. Or even an independent nation now.  (Come to think of it, is Cyprus the island torn by Turkish and Greek claimants?)

But seriously, I do think it's entirely possible that Hamas thinks of Cyprus as a crusader state.

Yes - Cyprus is split between the Greek south and the Cypriot north after the Turkish invasion on 1974. I was stationed there in 1988.

Cyprus was an independent nation - the Republic of Cyprus. Greece wanted to envelope it into Greece and Turkey didn't want that. After lots of trouble between the Greeks, Brits and Turkish, the Turkish invaded.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not recognised internationally.

[Uberhaus]

RAF Akrotiri is a potential target as well for its role in the April intercepts probably with the goal of disrupting operations rather than a huge attack to outrage UK.

[JudgeDredd]

Funny story - to lighten the mood.

When I was in Cyprus, I went to RAF Akrotiri a few times for the "milk run". This one time, I picked up loads of white paint for the wagons, mail, big drum of oil etc, etc.

As I left Akrotiri, there's a covered grove (best I can explain it) - a road with rows of trees either side - it looks stunning, I noticed a funny smell. I stopped and got out and the tension strap holding the drum of oil had snapped and rolled into the boxes of paint I had - which got crushed. When I looked, there was a pool of UN white paint by the truck and a white line - presumably leading all the way back to Arkotiri.

Faulty strap was to blame - I was allowed to do the milk run again but next time someone else was sent, they were told just to follow the white line at the side of the road