Israel has been attacking virtually all its neighbors on a near daily basis to the point that full-scale regional war looms. Now Israel looks to be picking fights beyond the region, targeting Russia’s regional presence in Syria.
On Tuesday, an Iranian cargo plane arrived in Latakia with humanitarian aid for the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese fleeing the Israeli ground invasion. The aid was ultimately delivered to a warehouse in the city of Jableh, near the Russian air base of Hmeimim.
Early Thursday, the warehouse became a primary target for Israeli strikes, when dozens of missiles were fired at it and the area nearby. Russian air defenses were activated and reportedly knocked some of the missiles and drones down, while others reached their targets.
Russia has long warned Israel to keep its air incursions out of western Syria, with its Russian air assets. To date, this has been enough to keep Israel focused on Syria’s south and east, but apparently no longer.
Israeli media speculates the Iranian flight contained ammunition or explosive not just aid. Reports of explosions in the area following the Israeli drone attacks have only added to this belief.
Israel has not officially commented on what it is targeting, nor has Russia commented on the matter, although Russia is unlikely to accept Israeli attacks in and around their bases going forward.
In all of history I don't recall ever reading about a country so openly suicidal.
I don’t see Putin going after Israel.
The warehouse in Syria that they rocketed was close enough to a Russian air base that most of them were shot down by Russian artillery defense sited at the base. Moscow is **NOT** happy and may end up providing SAMs to Syria and Lebanon. If they do then we’ll see if the F-35 is truly the piece of crap that it appears to be.
That's what I told my brother when told me of Russian PM visiting Iran and adding: "it's the beginning of WW3". I told him that Russia is way too Zionist and that it meant almost certainly the opposite. Then Iran stroke Zionistan massively and I had to admit that he was at least partly right. Russia is getting tired of Israel.
"The Blessing» for Genocide: Nearly all
BRICS+ Regimes Nurture Israel, Economically
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/10/03/the-blessing-for-genocide-nearly-all-brics-regimes-nurture-israel-economically/
BRICS is not any alternative for sure, no matter what the campists dream of. India is surely the most Zionist of all but to me China is in many aspects the worst with their cynical “soft glove” opportunistic imperialism (a la Bismarck) and especially the delusion of many communists and other leftists of it bein a “socialist” country (which is definitely not anymore, much less internationalist). Interesting article in any case, TY.
Yeah, disappointing all around.
Adding: soft glove is certainly better than murderous lunacy and destruction, however.
Soft glove also means, for example, selling drones to pro-Zionist and imperialist Morocco, to be used against West Sahara, just out of imperialist opportunism (Morocco controls the Sahrawi phosphates mega-mine of Bucraa and is also a backdoor to the EU). No wonder Algeria (strongly anti-Zionist and very closely allied with West Sahara) has recently declared that they don’t want to join BRICS anymore.
Their loss
Whose? Algeria? They were clearly snubbed by China repeatedly in spite of being a close ally of Russia and the third economy of Africa. Not long ago they were (naively) claiming that the Algerian-Chinese friendship was extremely solid, now they realize that China is not their friend at all.
Ah, gotcha.
My mind went to soft power. Like endearing one’s self by providing infrastructure as an example. My mistake.
Coffee is ineffective this morning for neural networks.
Soft power is usually meant to be the media: its international influence, for example Russian media have gained the Kremlin lots of soft power (at least until they got censored everywhere) but Chinese media are generally bad propaganda sites, i.e. Beijing has very limited soft power.
However they do have “soft” or (better) “silk gloved” imperialism: they openly profess that they don’t care who’s in charge, that they will do business as they see fit; the opposite would be “iron gloved” or “strong handed” imperialism, as the USA often practices: trying to change “unfriendly” regimes via coups and even invasions. That’s not always better for the peoples under those regimes: I do more or less approve a couple of US imperialist interventions: the one in Kosova and the belated and unstable alliance with the Kurds in North Syria, I could even sympathize to some extent with the US puppet government of Afghanistan, but of course I reject all other such invasions and putsches; however I also see how Chinese opportunistic imperialism can be destructive, threatening to other countries (SCS notably but also surrounding India with military bases) and/or supportive of evil regimes such as the ones in Morocco, Egypt or Saudi Arabia, and how they’re just not acting out of mere good heart (or even anywhere close to it) but out of nationalism-imperialist ambition in a very capitalist way.
I disagree with empire interventions
Every so-called “nation-state” is an empire in one way or another. My nation (Basque Country) has been invaded by Castile (later renamed “Spain”) for many centuries, we’d welcome any “empire intervention” that helps us achieve our self-rule. Similarly I’m sure that Palestinians, for example, would welcome any “empire intervention” that helps them recover their country from the colonists and their imperialist backing.
It’s a matter of JUSTICE.
The US doesn’t operate on justice. It operates on profit.
On interest (of which the economy, profit included, is central). But so does China and every single capitalist country. Sometimes the selfish interest of someone and the demand of justice of another converge, it’s rare but it does happen.
Ukraine is a good example. Another is the Indian invasion of East Pakistan that stopped the Bengali genocide in 1971.
The Bangladeshi instance is a good example indeed. As for Ukraine, I’m not sure if you mean NATO promotion and arming of Nazi Ukraine or Russian belated intervention in help of Donbass (with many strings attached). In this case I take Russia as the much lesser evil but I also think that the Kremlin could have prevented much of the damage if they supported Yanukovich or later the Ukrainian antifascists, Donbass included, instead of playing “peace games” that basically worsened the whole situation.
India being "Zionist" seems almost a laughable idea. Their own issues with Sikh nationalism & their dream of Khalistan seems to suggest they'd formally oppose any variant of ethnonationalist, separatist ethos – lest the ASI version come home to roost in India's north.
At the beginning India took an antiZionist stand, being one of the few countries voting against the colonial partition of 1948 but eventually became strongly associated with Israel because of shared Islamophobia, in the case of India against Pakistan especially (and the related issue of Kashmir, which is not ethnic but religious in nature, much as Judaism is not any ethnicity but a religion). Israelis abound among the tourists in India and India sends now troves of impoverished workers to fill in the gaps left by the Apartheid Regime.
“…much as Judaism is not any ethnicity but a religion…”
Oh dear. “TLK Doctrine” is about to come crashing down upon you if its chief proponent notices you said this…
Not sure what TLK Doctrine means. I have no fear: I’m old enough to die having lived in honor and struggle.
It’s the logically incoherent proposition by a certain noteworthy Commenter in these forums, by which all listed definitions of a word simultaneously apply to any usage OF the word, even when two definitions logically contradict.
For example, under TLK Doctrine, if “Catholic” held a dictionary definition as 1) a religion and 2) an ethnicity, then to say someone is Catholic means they are one, both, or potentially neither. And the expressions “he’s a Hindu Catholic” or “she’s a Mormon Catholic” or “my cousin is half-Jamaican, half-Catholic” become entirely valid descriptions (despite being completely worthless descriptions).
Well, it’s fine not to like your semi-imaginary “TLK Doctrine …” but change its past supposed meaning to its opposite? That’s just weird.
What does “TLK” stand form.
And nope: you can’t be a “Hindu Catholic” or a “Mormon Catholic”. Catholicism is a religion or sect and not an ethnicity in any way (although I’ll grant you it’s loosely associated to Latin and later Romance languages but only so much, similarly you can be Muslim and not Arab, Jewish and German, etc.)
TLK = “Thomas L. Knapp.”
He’s perpetually upset, for some reason, that I pointed out the word “Jew” doesn’t refer only and exclusively to practitioners of the religion of Judaism.
I don’t care how you take the word “Jew”, I’m not (much) interested in “Jews” as historical collectivity, what I say is that Judaism (the only thing central to Jewish identity) is A RELIGION. Marx, Einstein, Spinoza, Mandelbrot, Trotsky… were not Jewish in that sense even if their ancestors were, they were Atheists or Pantheists just like myself. For all I care their great-grandparents could be little green men with antenna instead of eyebrows.
Huh?
He’s perpetually upset, for some reason, that I pointed out the word “Jew” doesn’t refer only and exclusively to practitioners of the religion of Judaism.
He’s perpetually upset, for some reason, that I pointed out the word “Jew” doesn’t refer only and exclusively to practitioners of the religion of Judaism.
Why would it?
Judaism is a religion.
Jewishness is an ethnicity sometimes but not always associated with that religion.
Bothering to learn is not the Western forte. Why learn when you can destroy what you do not like. China — due to abject ignorance — is still being “evaluated” using measuring sticks we know, no matter how ridiculous. Matters nothing what we call it — communist , capitalist, authoritarian or weird. We just do not bother to find out how it really functions. So since “bad” system did not produce bad results, this means they are cheating us, the righteous ones. Russia needs China lee than China needs Russia, all propaganda aside. Russia has “the food for people and the food for machines”, both China needs. Secure land connections. We are too blinded by our arrogance. West is subsidising aka pumping air into the tires of its worn out system. China is investing in its technoligies, bringing revenue into the public treasury. State share of corporations, or “state owned corporations” are contrasted sharply against Western corporate owned state.
Without understanding fundamental difference — we just use tounges to share our ignorance.
West can only use force or deception to get aheadvin the absence of a serious, thirough and intelectually honest analysis of Chinese political and economics system.,
It’s not me who claims that China and its ruling party are “communist”, mind you. It’s not me who claims that China is somehow “antiimperialist”. It’s China itself and more brazenly even its backing “influencers” (campists) who do.
I’m on the same page as Lenin (1916): Imperialism is the macabre Great Game that capitalist powers play in their competition for global resources and markets. Campists on the other hand are stuck in recycled views from the days of the USSR, when arguably the opinion of Kautsky (1914, against which Lenin wrote) of “super-imperialism” (i.e. the convergence of all capitalist states into a single imperialist bloc) may have actually happened… but only for a time and only under the threat of global socialist revolutionary change). For whatever reality it had, this Kautskian bloc is no more since the rise of China, it’s “silk road” (now BRI) imperialist project, including many military bases and some direct imperialist bullying in the SCS, in the last decades. We’re back to the scenario described by Lenin and that leads unavoidably to war (so far “cold war”, “world war by proxy” but beware: the nukes are ready to fire at any time). If the USA-NATOplus is the new British Empire, China is the new II Reich: semi-softly Bismarckian at first but eventually pulled into war anyhow. Lenin did tactically cooperate with Germany in order to reach Russia but he held no illusions about the nature of that regime and was eventually forced into war with them in spite of his pacifism.
I think of China, Russia, Iran, etc. in similar ways: they may be the lesser evil in many cases, they are sometimes (not always, not at all) allied of ethical causes (by mere opportunism-realism, not by humanitarianism nor internationalism) and that’s it. We can only work to build a third revolutionary camp, only that can end imperialism and war, because peace is based on justice.
It's an excellent question and I'd love insight from others. What IS the general political relationship between the Russian Federation and the ASI ?
Is there a generally neutral "indifference" between them, apart from matters of Syria and the IRI and the contrasted relationships between all parties ? Or is there a likely or plausible path to direct conflict between the RF and ASI ?
See the article I posted on BRICS as a start.
Russia has too many of its ex-citizens there.
However, I wouldn't count on that. Russia can stomp on Israel's military pretty badly without harming its own citizens inside Israel. That Russia is about to seal a strategic alliance with Iran will pretty much mean Russia is going to have to take a stand against Israel at some point.
That was discussed on Judging Freedom. It was estimated by Larry Johnson that 25% of Israeli citizens were from Russia. The other day Putin told them to come back. Some may not want to, seeing as there are a few oligarchs who took their money with them. It would be foolish for Russia to trust Israel.
It would be weird if 25% of Israeli citizens are from Russia.
Only 73.24% of Israeli citizens are Jews, and 70% of those — 51% of the entire population of Israel — are Palestinian Jews. Which means that even if the entire non-Palestinian Jewish population of Israel was Russian, it would come to less than 25%. And I doubt that many Arab Israelis moved there from Russia.
"Palestinian" is an ethnicity. Children of settlers don't become members of an indigenous ethnicity by being born on occupied territory. A Caucasian American born on Navaho land is an American, not a Navaho-American. Most countries in the world, including Israel, define citizenship by blood (i.e. membership in an ethnic group)*, not citizenship by birth (i.e., being born in the national territory)[See below]*. USA is one of a minority of countries, almost all settler colonies in the Western Hemisphere, that recognize recognize birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship conveys legitimacy to the children of colonizers.
Israel has a nation-state law that explicitly conveys citizenship to members of the dominant ethnicity and denies full citizenship to Palestinians and others, even if they reside in territory claimed by Israel. So to be precise, only 72.24% of Israeli residents are first class citizens. The Arabs who were born is Israel are by law second class citizens of Israel although the PA and the Palestinian resistance considers the Arab Israelis to be citizens of Palestine.
The Palestinian national project defines citizens as descendants of people who lived in Palestine under the British mandate, including members of the earliest biblical faith whose ancestors were in Palestine under the mandate.
*NOTE: Almost all countries that define citizenship by blood also require the citizen to be born in or reside in the national territory or have manifest ties to the national territory. So a child born to Italian citizens in the USA would be an Italian citizen. But a child born in the USA to ethnic Italians would not be an Italian citizen. Israel is an exception here in that it regards all members of the dominant ethnicity to be Israeli citizens regardless of where they are born. Although in Israel the legitimacy of the citizenship of non-Caucasian members of the dominant faith is controversial.
Palestine is a place.
People from Palestine are Palestinians.
You don’t have to like it. That’s how it is whether you like it or not.
Not everyone born in a place is a citizen of that place.
Neither the Palestinians, nor the settlers, nor the international legal community consider the descendants of illegal settlers citizens of the land their people occupied by force. Only the indigenous Palestinians can convey citizenship in their state or membership in their ethnicity to settlers. It doesn’t matter what a kibitzer in the peanut gallery thinks. For a usually open minded guy, you seem hung up on your notion that the USA post-colonial version of birthright citizenship applies universally. It doesn’t.e
The state is not the place. Citizenship is an affiliation with a government, not an association with a place.
Nor is “Palestinian” a single ethnicity. Ethnicity-wise, there have been Palestinians of Jewish and other ethnicities for a long time, and Arab Palestinians for a somewhat lesser time.
In point of fact, with respect to political/national identity, Arabs as “Palestinians” are a post-WW1 phenomenon, and until around WW2, the word “Palestinian” meant “Jew born in Palestine.”
The state is not the place. Citizenship is an affiliation with a government, not an association with a place.
Nor is “Palestinian” a single ethnicity. Ethnicity-wise, there have been Palestinians of Jewish and other ethnicities for a long time, and Arab Palestinians for a somewhat lesser time.
In point of fact, with respect to political/national identity, Arabs as “Palestinians” are a post-WW1 phenomenon, and until around WW2, the word “Palestinian” meant “Jew born in Palestine.”
Only 73.24% of Israeli are first class citizens. Under Israel's Nation-State law Arab Israelis and others are not full citizens.
Fortune favours the bold. Maybe.
I really expect reduced support for Israel from the West in the next 8 years. So, Israel needs to become the regional power now, or maybe eventually die.
Iran might grow stronger with time, as China removes its isolation.
The messiah is coming back on a pink Unicorn. It fits the narrative.
A Pegasus would be way the eff more boss, but, the prophet Mohammed did that first in his New Revised Standard Moslem Bible, so not even Hollywood could do shamelessly steal the idea. (But Amazon absolutely could dump a billion dollars into a truly s**t version of it)
Maybe the messiah could show up in those wooden submarines from Bible III : Book of Mormon, clad in the metal fullplate armor the Native Americans definitely didn't have (but B3:BoM said they did).
Yes, you have. It's called Russia.
The country which has never been conquered since its foundation? That Russia? OK, whatever . . .
Yes, that Russia.
Is it? Keep in mind that practically in unison Western countries are steadfastly behind the actions of a rouge state. Why? I believe we are seeing a new warfare in practice. A model that can be applied on a large scale. The objective is to go after civilians, today very conveniently concentrated in major cities. By destroying civilian infrastructure — housing, water, electricity, hospitals, roads, schools, churches, mosques — and any place civilians can hide, a decapitation is insured. For great powers that means having ONE shot, without warning. When the enemy still thinks the old fashioned war is upon them, and do not anticipate catastroohy.
The only thing that may save Russia is the “dead hand”, an automated firing of nuclear weapons in the absence of human response. Even that mechanism can be intercepted and aborted. Civilian technology can be used as well to strike and demoralize. I hope we understand the level of viciousness that the dying European supremacy is capable of. Germans have gladly destroyed their industry, Europeans are gladly agreeing to technological dependency in US — itself limping — and jettisoned the opportunity to get engaged with China and secure future growth. Why? They have a bigger fish to fry. Return of their supremacy.
New form of warfare? Civilians and civilian infrastructure have been the primary targets in every Western war since Korea. Look at Iraq, where they spent ten years destroying the country before the invasion even started. They were so efficient at destroying the healthcare system and the potable water purification throughout the country that over 500,000 children had died of water borne diseases. When asked about it Secretary of State Madeline Albright said, “We think it was worth it.” How was the country “decapitated” after all of that? The Pentagon bribed the Iranian generals after spending a couple of months building up forces.
There is no possibility of having an invasion “without warning” in this day. Satellites, drones, high altitude balloons and observation aircraft, electronic monitoring, seismic monitoring, all ensure that any buildup of forces is detected long before an invasion starts.
If things get really nasty for Russia, Russia could eliminate U.S. satellites. A few years ago China demonstrated its ability by shooting down one of their old satellites.
Unlikely move. The US has a lot more satellites in orbit than Russia, and in a tit for tat satellite destruction derby the Russians would likely run completely out of satellites long before the US did.
There are multiple ways to disable satellites, the Chinese explosive one is probably the worst. Do very many of those and we’d be looking at a Kessler Syndrome situation, where there’s so much random junk flying around at high speed that low Earth orbit becomes useless. The Soviets were accused of blinding a US spy satellite in the ’70s with a laser, it turned out to be incompetence on the part of the NSA (they had aimed it at a particularly intense wildfire in Siberia) but they did develop it into an actual weapon. Then there’s the “smart bullet” technology, a guided hypervelocity bullet that can destroy the power plant of communications relay of a satellite with almost no extraneous shrapnel, as well as strap-on rocket engines that can attach themselves to a satellite and push it into a useless orbit/orientation. I’m sure there are others.
The Russians are showing a lot of restraint by not touching the US/NATO satellites that are providing intel and aiming solutions to the Ukrainians, if we cross this next ‘red line’ they may become targets.
another red line, another day
They knew it was humanitarian aid.. That’s what scares the Zios the most – survivors.
Speaking of, WWE Survivor Series is in Vancouver at the end of November. Wife loved the CBS show, should get her tix.
One way to ensure U.S., U.K and France to join in is to throw mud in the face of Russia.
Just waiting for Ukraine to declare war against Iran…just to get on the Israeli aid gravy train
another day passed another red line broken
its tiring it really is
ill die before a red line has a reaction
One could argue the whole point of starting the proxy War with Russia in Ukraine was to distract Russia from involvement in the Middle East. Recall it was Putin who said "NYET" to the Neocon plan for regime change in Syria. Ever since then Putin has been demonized in the Western press as the new Hitler.
What is new. Target humanitarian aid, food convoys, civilians whereever they can be found. It is viciousness that thinks itself clever. It is inhumanity that sees itself above criticism or reproach. Laughing in the face of impotence of justice.
Orient Express comes to mind. The evil beyond reach of the law. Innocents pay horribe price. And the only story in Poirot books when the scrupulously principled Poirot feels helpless, unable to morally reconcile the murderers actions.
Bibi and his entire entourage are insane. My question to Papa Joe is, who put these assholes in charge?
You can be proud, you oaf. Thanks to your demented bellicosity, I shall never vote for a democrat again, from dog catcher to president.
You've made us the laughingstock of the entire planet. Fool.