…war
With Israel continuing unabatedly in Gaza using General Colin Powell’s brutal strategy from Iraq – “Our strategy to go after this army is very, very simple. First, we’re going to cut it off, and then we’re going to kill it.” Who woulda thought they’d open another front and repeat the strategy 1500 kilometres away against Iran? But they just did! In an audacious move, 200 Israeli warplanes flew unimpeded into Iranian airspace and bombed some 100 targets, focusing on Iran’s nuclear bomb-building and uranium-enrichment program – and several military HQs. For years, Israel – widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons for years – has warned that Iran’s development of nuclear bombs would pose a threat to its existence.
What had to’ve caught the Iranians by surprise – and showed extensive preparation – was that the Israeli Secret Service, Mossad, had smuggled and positioned explosive drones and precision weapons into Iran to target their air defences and missile launchers near Tehran! In an amazing use of precise intelligence, among seventy-three persons killed were three of Iran’s top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh – plus a number of other high-ranking military officials and scientists. Who’s gonna lead the Iranian reprisals?
So, the question on everyone’s lips is – where are the Americans in all of this? Israel is widely considered an American proxy – but because of the influence of the Israeli lobby, just as many would dispute who’s exactly wagging whose tail! Even as the Israeli jets were winging towards Teheran, the Yanks had been negotiating with the Iranians on a nuclear non-proliferation deal. Secretary of State Rubio insisted the US wasn’t involved in the Israeli operation – which is expected to last weeks. Pres Trump, however, used the strikes to urge Iran to seal a deal with the Yanks – before “it’s too late”.
By Friday afternoon, Iran’s expected counterattack had begun – with them launching hundreds of drones into Tel Aviv airspace. Israel’s “Iron Dome” defence seemed to’ve held solid – with only one missile getting through to damage a building. So, is this gonna be the Armageddon everyone feared was inevitable since the fateful Oct 17, 2023, Hamas attack and seizure of Israelis? While the Yanks have (implausible?) deniability, the Iranians aren’t buying any of it. But with the US already warning the Iranians against going after US targets and already starting to buttress their forces in the region – “Any number can play!”
So how does this affect us? Well, the price of crude oil’s already gone up – and we can expect further disruptions of trade further fuelling inflation. And that’s only for starters!
…plane issues?
Do you have a feeling that flying is beginning to lose its reputation as the safest mode of travelling? That catastrophic crash of that Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, India, had your Eyewitness wondering. He remembers the plane that crashed into a helicopter over the Potomac last January, killing all 64 persons on board. While car crashes are more frequent, their fatalities are in single digits. In India, just ONE passenger – of the two hundred and forty-two on board – survived! And to add insult to injury and death, at least another fifty perished on the ground when the plane plunged into a hostel!
What’s going on? Well, on the Air India crash, we’ll know soon enough – since the Black Boxes were recovered. But one of the variables that we gotta be concerned about – as flights in and out of CJIA skyrocket – is to appreciate how complicated modern aircraft are. And how much their safety depends on excruciating maintenance.
We better get ready!
…oil profits
Your Eyewitness has mentioned this phenomenon before – but no one seems to take it seriously. While everyone castigates Exxon for pulling massive profits from our Stabroek block, how come China’s state-owned CNOOC gets a free pass?
