Posted on 09/15/2019 4:05:31 AM PDT by Zhang Fei
Saudi and American officials are investigating the possibility that attacks on Saudi oil facilities Saturday involved cruise missiles launched from Iraq or Iran, questioning Yemeni rebel claims of responsibility, people familiar with the matter said.
Leaders of the Houthis, the Yemeni rebels whom Saudi Arabia is trying to dislodge from the countrys capital, claimed they sent a squad of drones hundreds of miles into the heart of Saudi Arabia to carry out coordinated attacks on two of the countrys vital energy sites. If true, the attacks marked the most effective and far-reaching drone strikes carried out by outgunned Houthi forces in neighboring Yemen.
But officials around the globe investigating the attack questioned the Houthi claims and suggested the strike may have come from Iraq or Iran, to the north, rather than Yemen, to the south. Iran supports a host of Shiite militias in Iraq.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet that there is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen and accused Tehran of launching an unprecedented attack on the worlds energy supply.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said Saturday that the facilities were hit by a drone attack, an account confirmed by people familiar with the strikes.
But Persian Gulf officials said experts were examining the possibility that the attackers used cruise missiles, either instead of or along with drones.
A strike on Saudi facilities from Iraq isnt without recent precedent.
Earlier this summer, U.S. officials concluded that a May 14 drone attack on Saudi Arabias pipeline was launched from Iraq, not Yemen. At the time, Mr. Pompeo urged Iraqs prime minister to contain the threat posed by Iran-backed forces in the country.
If Tehran carried out the attack directly, it would pose a new national security challenge for President Trump
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Yaeh, remember when the Kremlin delivered $2 billion dollars in cash on pallets to Iran?
Oh wait...
Then there was that high tech drone the Iranians hacked and captured from the Russians.
Joint Deep State intelligence operation to tank the economy during an election year?
Excuse my tin foil hat, but it makes one wonder...
During Obamas rain it was reported here Iran shot down a us drone and was reverse engineering it. iirc
In the meantime, while these events are happening in the world, the Democrat candidates are calling for tearing down the southern border wall, confiscating guns, becoming socialist, and banning drinking straws..
The Sunni and Shia have been fighting for 1400 years. The Iran-Iraq war can be understood as a variation of that, Iran trying to expand and increase its world stature. Their nuclear program has been supported while their people suffered for the same reason.
It is very reasonable for Iran to strike Saudi Arabia. It is why they and the UAE have been aiding the Yemeni civil war in the Saudis’ backyard.
Iran benefits by striking Saudi Arabia’s oil production in several ways. It cuts off cash for a country funding Sunni terrorists that attack Shia fairly frequently. It cuts into the cash flow for a military rival. And it raises the value of Iranian oil, increasing their revenue. Cut into Saudi Arabia’s oil supply enough, and Iran may see sanctions on its oil sales lifted due to sheer need by their customers.
“” “” The Iran-Iraq war can be understood as a variation of that, Iran trying to expand and increase its world stature.”” “”
For the sake of historical accuracy it makes sense to admit that Saddam was the aggressor.
Take out Kharg Island oil terminal and their one refinery and Iran is done. The Saudis took the hit, let them respond. The only thing we need to do is keep the straight of Hormuz open, otherwise stay out of it.
Why the hell did we EVER get involved in Iraq?
These fools have been killing each other for 1000’s of years and will continue long after we leave this GODless area.
Our youth and treasure are not worth the it.
It came from Yemen. They even recovered wreckage of Yemeni origin on the path from Yemen.
Wrong peacenik.
Saudis & the Pentagon are deeply embarrassed that guys wearing sandals can take out Saudi oil production & US Patriot missiles are virtually useless against drones & cruise missiles.
Peacenik? Hardly. I want them to kill each other off. Just because I don’t particularly want American blood spilled in the process doesn’t make me a peacenik.
We will find
sooner or later
if Achmed’ll pray
to a glowing crater
“I doubt if every nuclear family member of a service member that was killed or wounded in any war is going to lament over the folly of serving..”
I am convinced that the vast majority of postings on FR are done by people who are unable or unwilling to follow the thread of an argument. Most “responses” are not even relevant to any point being made.
My original point was that we’ve been in Iraq in multiple wars for thirty years, yet we cannot even stop missile launchings from areas that we’ve spent blood and treasure to supposedly “secure”. Yet, these areas are obviously not secure. That qualifies all that we’ve done as “folly”. And I say that as a Viet Nam vet who can recognize warmongering “folly”.
A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.
Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it.
No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.
-- Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 [London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899]).
It is Iran.
Israeli elections also going on. Lebanon, Syrian, and Pali Iranian attacks coordinated to also hit Iran’s other enemies like SA and oil.
Trump has had US DOS convey American support for Israel’s gloves coming off. Russia is busy reestablishing the 80km DMZ between Iran and proxies in Syria since Friday.
Israel has too issued a warning of postponing the elections and going into an all out war in Gaza and W. Bank... Both Iranian missile production facilities, and Iranian/proxy weapons depots, cmd n control, and outposts, missile like SA300/400 in what the US CONVEYED we may participate and hold back Iran forces so our allies can more safely conduct military operations.
Is not Yemen getting help from Iran?
Note that the OPECers didn't get frisky until after we shot ourselves in the foot and cut our own throats uh, oil production.
Shoe's on the other foot this time. muslim-on-muslim war (like when are they not at war?) is cutting OPEC's ability to produce.
Here's to a long, bitter and very bloody internecine war with no clear winner!
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