Middle east.

[rwsaunders]

Some of the comments here make it sound like living in Iran is like living in Shangri-la...power to the people and all that bullshit. Talk to folks who have left everything behind in Iran and emigrated to Europe, Canada and the US. A true democracy? I don’t think so, as the country combines some elements of a democracy with a heavy, heavy influence of theocracy...Shia Islam to be specific. One can vote for anyone but the Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader. Guess what, those 12 folks on the Guardian Council (all men, 6 who are clerics) approve of all candidates and the Supreme Leader, of which there have been only 2 since 1979. A democracy also recognizes equal rights for all...women too. Not happening in Iran yet. There’s quite a long way to go and Trump’s recent effed up actions and ongoing sanctions aren’t helping those in Iran who wish to promote change at all.

Btw...my daughter had the good fortune of being suitemates with five wonderful young women from Pakistan, Iraq and Iran during her four years at Oberlin. All of these women left their respective countries for better opportunities abroad and their stories of suppressed and restricted rights were heart wrenching. The courage that they demonstrated in leaving their families and their cultures behind was awe inspiring and when we met their families four years later at graduation (none risked going home for four years fearing visa snafus), it was very emotional to say the least.

Iran | World | Middle East/North Africa | Human Rights Watch

https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download

[jclay]

If attacks on the embassies were imminent, why weren't they notified? Anyone care to hazard a guess? Maybe, just maybe that's because it is a bulk shit lie? That's all Trump seems to do; it's no wonder he refuses to allow his folks to give testimony in the Senate impeachment trial. This is outrageous. I have no respect for anyone who still supports this pariah and his cabal.

State Department security officials weren't notified of 'imminent' threats to US embassies - CNNPolitics

[mzilliox]

If attacks on the embassies were imminent, why weren't they notified? Anyone care to hazard a guess? Maybe, just maybe that's because it is a bulk shit lie? That's all Trump seems to do; it's no wonder he refuses to allow his folks to give testimony in the Senate impeachment trial. This is outrageous. I have no respect for anyone who still supports this pariah and his cabal.

State Department security officials weren't notified of 'imminent' threats to US embassies - CNNPolitics

his cabal is still asking for proof on the ukraine call, as though anyone who has not had their head in the sand for the last 2 weeks hasn't been able to see what is going on in that event. Reference some technicality, ignore any point being made about the obvious incriminating evidence, deflect, repeat. tap dancers, lots of tap dancers.

of course there were no embassy attacks, dude wanted a fame kill to his name.

[colker]

Some of the comments here make it sound like living in Iran is like living in Shangri-la...power to the people and all that bullshit. Talk to folks who have left everything behind in Iran and emigrated to Europe, Canada and the US. A true democracy? I don’t think so, as the country combines some elements of a democracy with a heavy, heavy influence of theocracy...Shia Islam to be specific. One can vote for anyone but the Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader. Guess what, those 12 folks on the Guardian Council (all men, 6 who are clerics) approve of all candidates and the Supreme Leader, of which there have been only 2 since 1979. A democracy also recognizes equal rights for all...women too. Not happening in Iran yet. There’s quite a long way to go and Trump’s recent effed up actions and ongoing sanctions aren’t helping those in Iran who wish to promote change at all.

Btw...my daughter had the good fortune of being suitemates with five wonderful young women from Pakistan, Iraq and Iran during her four years at Oberlin. All of these women left their respective countries for better opportunities abroad and their stories of suppressed and restricted rights were heart wrenching. The courage that they demonstrated in leaving their families and their cultures behind was awe inspiring and when we met their families four years later at graduation (none risked going home for four years fearing visa snafus), it was very emotional to say the least.

Iran | World | Middle East/North Africa | Human Rights Watch

https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download

Liviing in shangri la? No. Neither the US or any other nation in the world right now is a shangri la and that´s the point; making this a black and white judgement call is fiction... not knowledge. Iran is a millenary nation living in between the russian empire and western nations. It controls the straight of Ormuz. It´s threatened historically. It found a way to survive and it´s citizens have access to education of quality otherwise there would not be intellectual activity as we see: movies, architecture, engineering, medicine. They have religion meddling w/ issues. The US has money shaping every aspect of life and i don´t see that as a shangri la. Each nation has it´s virtues and shortcomings.

[Dallas Tex]

Each nation has it´s virtues and shortcomings.

No that's not enough. Google 'Iran crane hangings' for insight into the violent oppression of real people in Iran. That qualifies as much more than a 'shortcoming'.

Just my opinion.

[cash]

If attacks on the embassies were imminent, why weren't they notified? Anyone care to hazard a guess? Maybe, just maybe that's because it is a bulk shit lie? That's all Trump seems to do; it's no wonder he refuses to allow his folks to give testimony in the Senate impeachment trial. This is outrageous. I have no respect for anyone who still supports this pariah and his cabal.

State Department security officials weren't notified of 'imminent' threats to US embassies - CNNPolitics

They might not have been warned explicitly but they knew. My son in law is stationed at the US Embassy in Vienna and there were heightened security measures. He's not allowed to speak of specifics but we certainly discuss generalities (given that my 2 grandkids and daughter are also affected) Everyone is very alert and nervous, almost anticipating the worst.

[davids]

They might not have been warned explicitly but they knew. My son in law is stationed at the US Embassy in Vienna and there were heightened security measures. He's not allowed to speak of specifics but we certainly discuss generalities (given that my 2 grandkids and daughter are also affected) Everyone is very alert and nervous, almost anticipating the worst.

Can I ask you to clarify - Were these measures put in place prior to Soleimani's assassination or after?

If the heightened security preceded the assassination, it would support the contention that attacks by Iran or its proxies were imminent. If heightened security followed the assassination, it would seem to be a defensive move in anticipation of retaliation for that assassination.

I share your fears for embassy employees - one of my oldest friends is our ambassador to a nation in central Asia, and his safety, and that of his staff, is high in my mind in the wake of this violence.

[cash]

Both.

I can't speak to specifics (ie what those measures look like) just that DoS staff are cognizant of increased risk, particularly with Vienna being a political center for Europe and a gateway to Eastern Europe. I visited in August and noticed visibly increased security at the Embassy and my wife visited in November and said the same. I cannot say that the Soleimani assassination raised the level of concern (which was already quite high) at this specific Embassy, but it certainly did nothing to lower it. My SIL is privy to security information because of his position but I don't ask specifics out of respect for his position and clearance. Our conversations generally focus on the safety of the family. They will be relocating to Serbia this summer and I don't know what to think of that location. It viscerally feels less secure than Vienna but I'm not sure if that is an accurate assessment.

[cash]

They might not have been warned explicitly but they knew. My son in law is stationed at the US Embassy in Vienna and there were heightened security measures. He's not allowed to speak of specifics but we certainly discuss generalities (given that my 2 grandkids and daughter are also affected) Everyone is very alert and nervous, almost anticipating the worst.

Just to clarify as my first comment was unclear. I was not referring to specific information about a threat to the embassy in Vienna, just a generalized understanding that threat levels were elevated and American embassies were targets.

[choke]

If attacks on the embassies were imminent, why weren't they notified? Anyone care to hazard a guess? Maybe, just maybe that's because it is a bulk shit lie? That's all Trump seems to do; it's no wonder he refuses to allow his folks to give testimony in the Senate impeachment trial. This is outrageous. I have no respect for anyone who still supports this pariah and his cabal.

State Department security officials weren't notified of 'imminent' threats to US embassies - CNNPolitics

To add to what cash has said, I'll just say that those security threat notifications are not always common knowledge, i.e. they may be classified. I spent 30 months as part of the security team at 2 different US Embassies and I have seen that happen. Often the RSOs (Regional Security Officer, DOS Diplomatic Security Special Agents at most embassies) may pass some of that knowledge on to the greater embassy community but they don't in all cases. So given what I know, I don't necessarily believe a couple of DOS people telling CNN that no embassies were notified.

Now having said all of that, I think it's likely that the decision to take out Soleimani was made quickly and there were probably no actual solid threats to any US Embassies related to him. But that's only my opinion.

[jclay]

Just to clarify as my first comment was unclear. I was not referring to specific information about a threat to the embassy in Vienna, just a generalized understanding that threat levels were elevated and American embassies were targets.

The article indicates that, ^^^, as being the case. In the case of credible threats of eminent, significant action against specific embassies then from my perspective the failure to inform them and prepare would constitute dereliction of duty; it is difficult to believe that the relevant embassy security organs would not be informed and, in a post Benghazi world, that other defensive assets wouldn't be staged, as necessary. As I recall Hillary got raked over the coals over similar accusations. It will be interesting to see if we find that the pertinent security organs of the particular embassies were informed wrt this particular situation; I'm betting not. It also seems to me that it would be a heck of a lot more effective to have prepared the embassies than to have assassinated Gen Soleimani; assassinating the head of, say, CENTCOM would not prevent that command from executing their larger mission. It might change the schedule a skosh but it wouldn't change their overarching activities and mission.

Based on Trump's MO and everything I'm hearing it sounds like a contrived bit of BS to support an illegal act (yes, I know that we designated him a terrorist...we're pretty, uh....wait....liberal in our use of that oh so handy classification when we want to kill someone). That's how we get around the laws preventing assassination foreign government officials.

And, again, based on what I've been hearing it sounds like this was a stupid, counter productive action.

[colker]

No that's not enough. Google 'Iran crane hangings' for insight into the violent oppression of real people in Iran. That qualifies as much more than a 'shortcoming'.

Just my opinion.

Whta´s your opinion on homelessness, opium addiction, increasing suicide rates, general frustration and lack of hope, racism, increasing gap between wealthy and poor?

[jclay]

It looks like Mr. "I'm gonna bring our troops home" has been consulting with one of the proponents of the 2003 Iraq war. Here we go again: David Wurmser, Key Iraq War Architect, Advising Trump on Iran

[rwsaunders]

From our friends at the BBC...The night that the world almost ended...story from 1983 when a false alarm notified the Russians that the US was attacking.

The night the world almost almost ended - BBC Reel

[ides1056]

No that's not enough. Google 'Iran crane hangings' for insight into the violent oppression of real people in Iran. That qualifies as much more than a 'shortcoming'.

Just my opinion.

[mzilliox]

Shark hating psychopath
https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...mments-wrapper

[jclay]

From our friends at the BBC...The night that the world almost ended...story from 1983 when a false alarm notified the Russians that the US was attacking.

The night the world almost almost ended - BBC Reel

The nuclear powers will wise up and start the difficult road to de-nuclearization and a more stable planet or we will eventually nuke ourselves. Think of it in terms of calculus limits or other similar concepts. Through evil, stupidity, mistake or defect, given enough time, we're going to get into a nuclear exchange. How could we possibly not? This isn't about utopia, it's about realizing that being able to destroy the planet is an unprecedented situation. We can't allow ourselves to possess that power if we want to survive. There are some other obvious issues to address if we are to thrive and maybe even survive but the nuclear situation is untenable. We-will-kill-ourselves-if-we-don't-get-rid-of-nuclear-weapons. It's just a question of when.

I was a kid at Cherry Point when this happened. Didn't know about it of course, until recently, but it would not have been a good day for a large portion of the country: 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash - Wikipedia

[ides1056]

The problem with power is that you will use it and you may not know how.

I know this because I bought a hot car seven years ago. There's a learning curve, and I think this principle applies to power in general.

[choke]

From our friends at the BBC...The night that the world almost ended...story from 1983 when a false alarm notified the Russians that the US was attacking.

The night the world almost almost ended - BBC Reel

There is a documentary about this event on Amazon that's well worth watching IMO.....The Man Who Saved the World. It was released in 2014 and features the man himself.

[Christian Fox]

Whta´s your opinion on homelessness, opium addiction, increasing suicide rates, general frustration and lack of hope, racism, increasing gap between wealthy and poor?

Those things all suck, but less than living under a brutal theocracy that executes gays and minors in the most inhumane ways imaginable (tip of the iceberg). People don't risk their lives floating on plywood rafts to sneak into Iran. Please stop with the fucking stupid false equivalencies.