Israel

[JasonPratt]

^ I expected something along that line and still lol'd harder than I thought I would.

[GDS_Starfury]

this bullshit needs to be squashed fast

https://twitter.com/i/status/1783007217479975184

[Gusington]

^Agreed, it's popping up at campuses everywhere like a bad rash. One more item for me to be worried about as my older daughter goes off to college this summer.

[W8taminute]

Star can you look up a gentlemen called Hen Mazzig on "X" for me?  Since I don't have an "X" account I couldn't not pull a quote of his from a post he made yesterday that is related to what is happening at Columbia University and at other U.S. college campuses.

His post contains a list of bullet points that ring very true and he end's it with this statement:

"If you were honestly more concerned with advocating for Palestinians than you are hating a specific group of people, you would be disavowing these actions the loudest.  But instead we hear a deafening ___________."

[GDS_Starfury]

found but will have to link his profile when I get home later.

[GDS_Starfury]

it may be Austin, but its still Texas. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1783214460280172691

[W8taminute]

I just saw a clip on Telegram from one of my sources that shows students storming Harvard Yard after Harvard University banned a Palestinian club on campus.  This is a bit too close to home for me. 

The Wife_TM and I were on campus this past Saturday shopping for souvenirs to send out as gifts and things were nice and quiet. 

[steve58]

Biden's Gaza pier site attacked with mortars yesterday.

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-exclusive-u-s-humanitarian-pier-attacked-during-construction-work-off-gaza-coast

[JasonPratt]

But... but operational security and over the horizon capability and... you know... the thing!

[JasonPratt]

Israel now controls the border crossing into Egypt at Rafah.

Forces are prepping for the final push south into the 'joint' area of Rafah (I mean where Gaza, Egypt, and Israel meet, I don't know the proper local name), where the final local Hamas forces are holed up with their remaining hostages and human shields.

Also, forces are prepping for a ground invasion into Lebanon!  Might as well take the opportunity to make a clean sweep! -- although I don't know what the operational goals would be (other than opportunity body counts against Hez.)

[Jarhead0331]

Anyone taking bets on whether this was an Israeli intelligence job?

https://www.foxnews.com/world/no-sign-life-crash-site-helicopter-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-leaders

[Tripoli]

Anyone taking bets on whether this was an Israeli intelligence job?

https://www.foxnews.com/world/no-sign-life-crash-site-helicopter-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-leaders

Apparently, there was bad weather, so pilot error in flying in an area where he didn't have good visual of the ground is a distinct possibility.  With that said, I have to confess that my initial reaction was that 1) Pilot Error", 2) Israel and 3) "An Act of God" were all equally likely.
 
Source: https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2024/iran-240520-voa01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e3911%2evd0ao0e7xa%2e3mxv
State media says Iranian president, foreign minister found dead at helicopter crash site
In-Depth Coverage
By Michael Lipin May 20, 2024

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials were found dead Monday at the site of a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran, state media said.

Search crews found the wreckage Monday, a day after the helicopter crashed in bad weather near Varzaqan in Iran's East Azerbaijan province.

State media said the passengers were traveling back to Iran from an event just across the border with Azerbaijan, where they met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a dam project.

Iranian media said the crashed helicopter was one of three transporting Iranian officials back from the event, where they inaugurated the Khoda Afarin and Giz Galasi hydroelectric power plants along the Aras River that marks the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. The plants are located on the stretch of river between the Azerbaijani district of Jabrayil and Iran's East Azerbaijan province.

Aliyev posted a statement on the X platform saying he was "profoundly troubled" by the crash of Raisi's helicopter and offering prayers and assistance as a "friend and brotherly country."

Iran's constitution says that if the president dies or is incapacitated, the role is filled by the first vice president, a position currently held by Mohammad Mokhber, until a new presidential election is held within 50 days. The role of president is subservient to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains his ultimate authority over the affairs of the country.

Raisi, an ultraconservative Khamenei protege seen by some observers as the supreme leader's preferred successor, was elected president in a 2021 vote that saw his most prominent rivals barred from running and a record low turnout from the electorate.

Images posted to social media and deemed credible by VOA Persian showed opponents of Iran's authoritarian Islamist rulers setting off fireworks in multiple locations late Sunday to celebrate the prospect of Raisi's demise.

In one video, a female narrator identifies the location of fireworks as southern Tehran.

In another, a male narrator reacts to what he says are fireworks in the city of Saqqez in northwestern Iran's Kurdistan province.

VOA could not independently verify the circumstances of the fireworks as it is barred from reporting inside Iran.

Earlier Sunday, Iranian state TV showed footage of government supporters gathering in different parts of the country to pray for Raisi's safe return.

State news agency IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying: "The Iranian nation shouldn't be worried. There will be no disruption to the operations of the country."

IRNA also published a photo showing Vice President Mokhber chairing an emergency cabinet session to deal with the crash's aftermath.

In a VOA Persian TV interview on Sunday, Germany-based independent Iranian journalist and researcher Reza Talebi said that if Raisi has died, Iran's Islamist rulers may declare him a martyr who died as a result of foul play by their chief external enemies, Israel and the United States. There is no evidence of foul play.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington is closely following reports of the Iranian helicopter crash. "We have no further comment at this time," the spokesperson said.

Payam Yazdian, Farhad Poulavi and Masood Farahmand of VOA's Persian Service and VOA Azerbaijani Service chief Asgar Asgarov contributed to this report.

[Addendum: Here's an article on just how dangerous a helo entering IFR conditions  is: https://www.twz.com/31962/i-almost-died-flying-into-a-mountain-near-kobes-crash-veteran-navy-pilot-explains-the-risks]