Kevin Sheedy’s martians?
Hey mods, the resolution on the ME situations is that we are not allowed to talk about it.
So please explain why Bigallan is persistently posting about it and the posts not removed. They are also posting it from a purely one-sided “fact” discussion rather than from a balanced viewpoint.
Either we can talk about or we cannot, this constant allowance of only one side of the discussion is getting very annoying and upsetting, the very reason this was not being allowed.
Penny Wong has announced targeted sanctions against 5 Iranian officials, including travel bans , connected to Iran’s missile program.
Separately, she announced an increase in humanitarian assistance for Myanmar civilians, additional to Australia’s $11 million in funding of the UN Emergency Assistance Program, which has recently been drawn on to assist Myanmar civilians,
Hey Ice. We broached the issue when Iran launched the largest ballistic missile strike in modern history recently as it has some very real impacts on the rest of the world. (Don’t mean to downplay the carnage in Gaza)
Instead of getting into a back and forth on this, do you feel like doing a factual summary from your side of the issue. Keep it non-emotive and as grounded as possible, sharing what you understand is happening to an audience that doesn’t have local knowledge.
I’d hope that the posters on here can respect what the mods are trying to avoid and not use this to start a hate spiral that will get the thread shut again. And if the mods disagree, that’s fine.
Classic
UNIFIL has been an absolute failure on pretty much 100% of their stated goals. At a cost of $500M per year, it is a debacle and an embarrassment. Hezbollah had taken over the entire region that the UN mission aimed to stabilise, using it as a launching point for attacks on Israel.
That being said, the recent pattern of the IDF firing on or directly threatening UNIFIL positions shows a very weak set of IDF rules of engagement and/or poor discipline. If UN personnel are being put in this amount of danger, it seriously calls into question the restraint shown by the IDF towards civilians.
I see no upside for Israel in this recent dynamic of what look to be intentional clashes with UN peacekeepers. It’s basically the worst possible thing they could be doing to get the world offside. I can see why Israel is dismantling Hezbollah right now, but this play against the UN seems extraordinarily unwise.
The US has deployed a THAAD missile defence battery to Israel to strengthen the local defences against medium range ballistic missiles. This is likely because the Israeli Arrow system didn’t have the magazine depth to cope with the volume of incoming Iranian missiles.
You can read between the lines that this is being used as leverage to restrain Israel’s response to the recent Iranian missile strike. The US has strongly pressed that attacks on Iranian nuclear or oil industry should be avoided.
The official statement announcing the authorisation of the deployment of the THAAD to Israel was made in a press release by the Pentagon Press Secretary Ryder, to the effect that Austin authorised the release at the direction of the President. The statement notes that the missiles have been previously deployed in the region.
Further context is given in a Ryder release of the same day of a readout of Austin’s discussions with Gallant.
EDIT
Key in link defense.gov
As to UNIFIL, it was first established in 1978, given an enhanced role in 2006 and its mandate recently extended to 2025.
It’s a matter of opinion whether it has actually performed against the roles for which it was designated by the UNSC, but there is no apparent shortfall in contributions of personnel by contributing UN States.
A Fact Sheet on UNIFIL and its UNSC designated role can be found on the UN peacekeeper site
That’s odd. I go into that site regularly, including less than a minute ago and haven’t had that response. Maybe your connection has been hacked?
ADD
Try keying in defense.gov
Lol
Keying it in works fine. Something wrong with your link.
Ok , I’ll delete that link.
You need to post links with security certificates, aka the s in https
North Korea went and did it.
Oh well…
Anyone up for fried dim Kims?
WW3 fears as South Korea reacts to Kim Jong-un blowing up roads with gunfire
Seoul reported that it believed North Korea would blow the roads up on Monday to severe connections between the two, a prediction that came to pass when the North detonated on Tuesday
13:13, 15 OCT 2024
North Korean troops were spotted ahead of the detonations (Image: AP)
North Korea is working on making itself even more cut off from South Korea, bolstering fears that it could lead to conflict between the two.
Heightening WW3 fears around the peninsular, earlier this year, Kim Jong-un declared the South as the DPRK’s ‘principal enemy’ and is now looking to ensure ties between the two are now even more fractious. According to Seoul, this was due to be done through the destruction of roads between the two.
Seoul reported that it believed North Korea would blow the roads up on Monday, a prediction that came to pass when the North detonated on Tuesday (October 15).
Troops from the north were caught on camera ahead of the blast, with Pyongyang sending a clear message it has little interest in negotiation with the South.
Roads between the two countries are being blown up (file) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Warning shots were fired near the border by the South as a “retaliatory” measure, its joint chiefs of staff said.
According to the Guardian, it said: “North Korean has detonated parts of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads north of the military demarcation line”. At the time of writing it is not known if the North responded to the fired shots.
Pyongyang said it was aiming to seal off the roads permanently ahead of anticipated joint military exercises between the South and the US.
Kim declared the South his ‘principle enemy’
The move to blow up the roads also came following the North’s allegations that the South had conducted drone operations, in a move that Pyongyang regards as military provocation that could develop into war.
Kim’s sister Kim Yo-jong said the regime was in possession of “clear proof” that the South was behind the drones.
According to the KCNA News agency, she said: “If sovereignty of a nuclear weapons state … by mongrels tamed by Yankees, the master of those dogs should be held accountable for this”.
In the war of words between Macron and Netanyahu, different interpretations of the creation of the State of Israel.
Macron refers to UN recognition of the State of Israel in 1947, followed by the admission of Israel as a full UN member in 1949.
Netanyahu refers to the Arab-Israel War of 1948 as the foundation of the State of Israel.
( in the byways of history, Israel was admitted as a UN member before some other pre-existing States such as Ireland, which was admitted to the UN in 1955)
Some glimmers in the ME conflicts, from UN briefing
Humanitarian supplies have been delivered in Lebanon and deliveries are proceeding.
In Yemen the parties have made commitments to a roadmap and ceasefire. (However there is a shortfall of $870 million in humanitarian funding, which could lead to around 8 million civilians not receiving assistance later this year.
The second round of polio vaccinations of children in Gaza has commenced.
BBC: Shows video of tunnel entries built right next to UN peacekeepers lookouts in southern Lebanon.
UN: I see nothing.
Insert Sargent Schultz.gif
Maybe UN should give a briefing on this.