The United States killed Soleimani, Iran's top general. And the BBC is going bananas.
Huge retaliation and world stagflation is predicted.
Here's my top-of-head prediction.
1. Iran won't retaliate. Other than in trivial ways. "Trivial" includes, sadly, in today's world, individuals kidnapped and killed.
2. The world economy will continue as if nothing had happened, at least as far as Soleimani being assassinated is concerned.
Huge retaliation and world stagflation is predicted.
Here's my top-of-head prediction.
1. Iran won't retaliate. Other than in trivial ways. "Trivial" includes, sadly, in today's world, individuals kidnapped and killed.
2. The world economy will continue as if nothing had happened, at least as far as Soleimani being assassinated is concerned.
3. The killing of Soleimani could well halt Iranian provocations against the US, at least for a while. [LATER: yes, it did]
The BBC coverage so far is hysterical, unbalanced, anti-US, pro-Iranian. It's the killing of Soleimani that's a "dramatic escalation" of tension in the Middle East? Not the mining of ships or attacks on the US Embassy? Soleimani is talked of in hushed reverent terms. "Explain to us, Lyse [Douset], just how popular and charismatic Soleimani was".
Shameful.
If you're a woman, where would you rather live?
ADDED: CNN is acting as spokeschannel for Iran. Ambassador Dennis Ross, advisor to Obama, speaking to Wolf Blitzer tells us “Iran will be looking for revenge that will embarrass Trump”. Wolf nods… “ah yes, interesting…”. Projection, much? The rest of the interview is how much Trump has annoyed Iran. Cut it out, Donald!
Now (12:39 am Saturday 4 Jan) interviewing Andy Kim, another adviser to Obama who tells us that they, the Obama administration, had considered killing Soleimani, but had decided against it. So Trump, bad, because he decided different.
CNN; biased much?
CNN, right now (12:42a), asserting they’re neutral. See above. Interviewed: Obama functionaries: 2. Trump WH: 0. Neutral. Right.
ADDED (10:02 am): question being should America have assassinated Soleimani? Morally, no, of course. But geo-strategically? No civilian, certainly not me, knows. If you watch CNN the answer is no. If you watch Fox the answer is yes. So it would seem the answer to a big geo-strategic question depends on whether you are Republican or Democrat. Could BBC arbitrate? Sadly, to date, no it could not.
By the way BBC’s Lyse Doucet tells us Iran considers the killing an “act of war”. I’d have to double check, but I believe attacking the US embassy, as Iranian-backed militias did this week, is itself an act of war.
The BBC coverage so far is hysterical, unbalanced, anti-US, pro-Iranian. It's the killing of Soleimani that's a "dramatic escalation" of tension in the Middle East? Not the mining of ships or attacks on the US Embassy? Soleimani is talked of in hushed reverent terms. "Explain to us, Lyse [Douset], just how popular and charismatic Soleimani was".
Shameful.
If you're a woman, where would you rather live?
ADDED: CNN is acting as spokeschannel for Iran. Ambassador Dennis Ross, advisor to Obama, speaking to Wolf Blitzer tells us “Iran will be looking for revenge that will embarrass Trump”. Wolf nods… “ah yes, interesting…”. Projection, much? The rest of the interview is how much Trump has annoyed Iran. Cut it out, Donald!
Now (12:39 am Saturday 4 Jan) interviewing Andy Kim, another adviser to Obama who tells us that they, the Obama administration, had considered killing Soleimani, but had decided against it. So Trump, bad, because he decided different.
CNN; biased much?
CNN, right now (12:42a), asserting they’re neutral. See above. Interviewed: Obama functionaries: 2. Trump WH: 0. Neutral. Right.
ADDED (10:02 am): question being should America have assassinated Soleimani? Morally, no, of course. But geo-strategically? No civilian, certainly not me, knows. If you watch CNN the answer is no. If you watch Fox the answer is yes. So it would seem the answer to a big geo-strategic question depends on whether you are Republican or Democrat. Could BBC arbitrate? Sadly, to date, no it could not.
By the way BBC’s Lyse Doucet tells us Iran considers the killing an “act of war”. I’d have to double check, but I believe attacking the US embassy, as Iranian-backed militias did this week, is itself an act of war.
