Middle East Defence & Security

SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
Why is it science fiction? It might not be a good idea. It might not succeed. But it can be done.
Do you see the US alone, led by the least popular president ever in the history of the country and without the support of its allies (Europe didnt even allow US fighters to refuel in march) launch an invasion of Iran, a 90 million people country?

To do what? To achieve which objective?

20 years of war in the middle east after 9/11 and the talibans are back into power in Afghanistan.
 

rsemmes

Active Member
It is certainly possible, but not probable...
POTUS just has to create another 11S, another WMD or another Tonkin (or Maine); a Congress happy to accommodate and... Done! It happened before, it will happen again.

Iran or Yemen?
After Iraq, US may need a 10 year campaign to sell a 10 or 20 years (failed) war in Iran. In Yemen, they may get an easy one year "mission accomplished" and then hand over the mess to Saudi Arabia's puppets who may need 10 years to lose again.

I wonder if Trump would win the midterm elections with that, how many dead civilians?
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Do you see the US alone, led by the least popular president ever in the history of the country and without the support of its allies (Europe didnt even allow US fighters to refuel in march) launch an invasion of Iran, a 90 million people country?

To do what? To achieve which objective?
To lower oil prices and re-open the strait. It won't work of course, but consider who is in charge.

20 years of war in the middle east after 9/11 and the talibans are back into power in Afghanistan.
You're confusing success with attempt. The US wouldn't likely be able to achieve something useful. But invade? Yes that's possible. It's a bad idea, but again, consider who is in charge.
 

koxinga

Well-Known Member
Unclear how true is this report.

But it is back to the same point of Saudis tactic of paying other people to do their dirty work and cleaning up their mess, but now finding that money isn't working.


Now the question is Pakistan. Defend Saudi does not equate to boots on the ground in Yemen so they are threading a fine line.

 

KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
^ Hadn’t both Pakistan and Türkiye already said that this conflict does not fall under the newly signed agreement simply due to it having existed at the time of signing? I remember reading a few articles on the subject. But I could easily be wrong here.
 

koxinga

Well-Known Member
They did. But the Houthi are directly striking Saudi facilities (Aramco, King Khalid Airbase). So the question is to what extent does "defend Saudi" go.
 

rsemmes

Active Member
John Fedup
"Russian incursions into NATO airspace need a response that hurts IMHO."

So, the only logical conclusion is that Iran has to kill, at least, one hundred American children. Don't you agree?
 

rsemmes

Active Member
Well, calling for escalation ("hurts", a direct attack against Russia; sanctions are already in place) thinking that there will be no consequences and forgetting about the nuclear winter is not specially intelligent, true.
Yes, as we all have a certain education, looking at the world in a simplistic black or white way, thinking that actions will not have consequences, is a bit childish; I agree.
He didn't mention hurting children, true, just "hurt" but, as we have seen, children get hurt. Wishing to hurt, is it "malicious"?

His post was about hurting a country for trespassing or it was about hurting Russia no matter what? I think that the consequences, conclusions, of his post are quite clear.
IMHO.
 

rsemmes

Active Member
Escalation.
UK is involving itself (maybe a hint from Trump?) in this conflict, should any Houthi attack against UK interests be consider an unprovoked attack?

Britain will provide military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthis and protect energy supplies.
-Like protecting Russian/German energy supplies?
Mr Burnham revealed he had agreed to Riyadh’s request for defensive air-to-air refuelling.
The Independent understands that the UK is expected to deploy support within days, involving a single Royal Air Force aircraft.
-Escalation doesn't start with an invasion... necessarily.
The support is understood to be focused on defensive capabilities, but could include shooting down drones, which is considered a defensive measure.
-The Houthis don't have satellites, Russia downing satellites should be considered "defensive"? Every country can down all drones, defensively? The attacks on USS Maddox and USS Liberty were "defensive", obviously.
And I go back to the point I made about cost of living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open.”
-Can we replace "Saudi Arabia for "Russia"?
The UK government says some civilians have been injured after drone and missile launches targeted several cities, airports, military bases and energy infrastructure sites across Saudi Arabia, including in Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as Saudi shipping vessels in the Red Sea.
-Not to mention Houthi civilians. In 1973 there was already a conflict in that area between Saudi Arabia and... Egypt!

In "acting to secure the interests of Britain" should we remember who "started" (is it that important?) this conflict? This conflict because this area is conflict-prone.
"It is understood that the time limit is weeks not months." Hopefully, as long as we don't get boots on the ground (or a ship is sunk) we can abandon the conflict almost as easily as we got there.
It is surprising how US is not getting involved and UK is.

Edit
"We", in this one, is the UK.
 

swerve

Super Moderator
Britain will provide military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthis and protect energy supplies.
-Like protecting Russian/German energy supplies?
Mr Burnham revealed he had agreed to Riyadh’s request for defensive air-to-air refuelling.
The Independent understands that the UK is expected to deploy support within days, involving a single Royal Air Force aircraft.
-Escalation doesn't start with an invasion... necessarily.
The support is understood to be focused on defensive capabilities, but could include shooting down drones, which is considered a defensive measure.
-The Houthis don't have satellites, Russia downing satellites should be considered "defensive"? Every country can down all drones, defensively?
Good grief!

Drones flying in your airspace without permission can be downed if you wish. Drones operated by a government or organisation that has attacked you can be destroyed at will. That's obvious & shouldn't need explaining. I find it hard to believe that you don't understand it. I suspect that you do understand, & are trolling.

And WTF is the relevance of the stuff about satellites?
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Escalation.
UK is involving itself (maybe a hint from Trump?) in this conflict, should any Houthi attack against UK interests be consider an unprovoked attack?

Britain will provide military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthis and protect energy supplies.
-Like protecting Russian/German energy supplies?
Mr Burnham revealed he had agreed to Riyadh’s request for defensive air-to-air refuelling.
The Independent understands that the UK is expected to deploy support within days, involving a single Royal Air Force aircraft.
-Escalation doesn't start with an invasion... necessarily.
The support is understood to be focused on defensive capabilities, but could include shooting down drones, which is considered a defensive measure.
-The Houthis don't have satellites, Russia downing satellites should be considered "defensive"? Every country can down all drones, defensively? The attacks on USS Maddox and USS Liberty were "defensive", obviously.
And I go back to the point I made about cost of living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open.”
-Can we replace "Saudi Arabia for "Russia"?
The UK government says some civilians have been injured after drone and missile launches targeted several cities, airports, military bases and energy infrastructure sites across Saudi Arabia, including in Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as Saudi shipping vessels in the Red Sea.
-Not to mention Houthi civilians. In 1973 there was already a conflict in that area between Saudi Arabia and... Egypt!

In "acting to secure the interests of Britain" should we remember who "started" (is it that important?) this conflict? This conflict because this area is conflict-prone.
"It is understood that the time limit is weeks not months." Hopefully, as long as we don't get boots on the ground (or a ship is sunk) we can abandon the conflict almost as easily as we got there.
It is surprising how US is not getting involved and UK is.

Edit
"We", in this one, is the UK.
What does any of this have to do with Russia? The UK is getting involved in supporting the Saudi government. It's fine to think that's a bad idea. But let's be clear about what we're saying instead of making oblique remarks and trying to drag in various unrelated topics.
 

rsemmes

Active Member
Even if they are two different threads, it is hard for me to keep them separate, we have a military intervention to safeguard interests.

Russian and Ukrainian drones have been downed, an Ukrainian naval drone ended up in Greece and there was an incident between a Russian aircraft and an US drone; was that one a case of legal gathering of information, also known as spying? The problem, and my reference, is that any incident can be taken as an "oops" moment, like the Liberty, or as an excuse for escalation, like the Maddox; we are in very murky waters. The UK didn't pay any attention to missiles against Cyprus, Russia is not downing satellites.
Worse, if any involvement of Iran, helping the Houthis, is discovered in the killing of the British Admiral commanding the RN in Yemen or in a SF attack against a British ship in Cyprus, is not the UK helping Saudi Arabia? A commitment to help.
Iran is involved in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is involved in Yemen and now, thanks to Trump (by starting the conflict, not by telling Burnham what to do), the UK is involved in Yemen; I cannot see Saudi Arabia fearing an invasion by Yemen. What is obvious to me is that these are really murky waters.

The point is that the UK has decided to carry out a military intervention to safeguard its own interests, that is escalation. I cannot see any clear cut non-implications of that.
 
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