Iran attack gone to shite?

 

THE PLANNED U.S. ATTACK ON IRAN has a hitch: most of the missile-targeting crew are queuing for toilets 45 minutes at a time on the lead vessel, the USS Gerald R Ford. 

This is not a joke. A set of emails was obtained by NPR, a US public broadcasting group, revealing that toilet wars have broken out on board the most expensive ship the US Navy ever built. 

The Wall St Journal followed up to confirm the tale today. 

There are too few functioning toilets for 4,600 sailors and the problem is worsening daily—there’s no chance of fixing the system without returning the ship to the US dockyards.

Some say the sailors are near a mutiny since they have been a sea so long without a break. 

Trump's TACO MO might have just found a new twist before the shit hits the fan. 

Why Seoul is Sailing Straight into a Technology Transfer Trap Made in America

By Ignis Rex

@Ignis_Rex

If you want to understand the sheer, unadulterated hubris of modern industrial policy, look no further than the recent chest-thumping in the Korea Herald. The narrative is as predictable as a K-drama plot: South Korea, the plucky tech wizard, is teaming up with its "Big Brother" in Washington to reclaim the high seas from the "looming" Chinese menace.

It’s a lovely story. It’s also a fantasy.
While Seoul patts itself on the back for its "geopolitical edge," the reality in the shipyards of Zhejiang tells a different story. If China is the world’s factory, it has now become its high-tech naval architect—leaving South Korea to play the role of the sacrificial lamb on the altar of "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA).

The "Tech Gap" is Now a Tech Ghost
For years, the comfort blanket for Korean shipbuilders was the "tech gap." The idea was that China could churn out low-end "floating bathtubs"—bulk carriers and barges—while Korea cornered the market on the Ferraris of the sea: LNG carriers and sophisticated chemical tankers.

Well, the blanket has been pulled back, and it’s chilly.
China hasn't just caught up; it has optimized. By localized supply chains—literally building the components next door to the dry docks—Chinese yards have made "high-end" ships affordable. They aren't just building smart-system vessels; they’re building them faster and cheaper than the Koreans.

Uncle Sam’s "Help" is a Debt Sentence
But the real comedy—or tragedy, depending on your portfolio—is the U.S.-Korea "partnership."

Washington has looked at its own hollowed-out, rusted-over shipbuilding industry and realized it hasn't a prayer of competing with China. So, naturally, it has asked Seoul to help. And by "help," I mean Washington wants Korean conglomerates like Hanwha and HD Hyundai to export their capital, their patented technology, and their best engineers to failing American yards.

This isn't a strategic alliance; it’s an industrial organ transplant where Korea is the involuntary donor.

Think about it. Korea is already struggling with a shrinking workforce and thinning margins. Now, it’s being pressured to subsidize the revitalization of U.S. infrastructure. It’s the equivalent of a world-class chef being told to leave his Michelin-star kitchen to go teach a fast-food chain how to grill a steak—while the fast-food chain keeps all the profits and the secrets.

The Price of Being a "Reliable Partner"
The Korea Herald calls this "geopolitics." A more honest term would be "industrial suicide."

As China continues to dominate the commercial market by being the most efficient player in the room, Korea is tying its anchor to a sinking U.S. maritime sector. Every dollar and every engineer Seoul sends to "rescue" an American shipyard is a resource diverted from its own survival.

In the end, shipowners don't care about "shared values" or Washington’s "friend-shoring" rhetoric. They care about who can deliver a green, dual-fuel tanker on time without breaking the bank. China is doing that today. Korea, meanwhile, is busy filling out paperwork for its American "partners."

If Seoul keeps this up, it won't be "ruling the high-end." It’ll be ruling over an empty treasury and a fleet of memories.

View from Italy: The UN's replacement 'Board of Peace'

 

By Manlio Dinucci (Grandangolo on Byoblu TV, Italy)

President Trump chaired the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace, a Washington building renamed by the President after himself. CNN summarizes what this body is: “The Board of Peace, indefinitely chaired by Trump, was originally conceived as a limited body tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.” 

However, its remit has since broadened to encompass conflict resolution worldwide, and the draft charter attached to the invitations to join does not mention Gaza at all. 

Trump's explicit goal is to establish the Board of Peace as an alternative to the UN. This is confirmed by his statement: “The Board of Peace will be responsible for overseeing the United Nations and ensuring that it functions properly.” 

As for Gaza, Trump already has a plan to transform it into a luxurious 'Middle East Riviera', which was presented in Davos by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The first $17 billion officially allocated by the Board of Peace will therefore be used to rebuild Gaza — not for the benefit of the Palestinians, but for a project that would permanently deprive them of their land and statehood. This is confirmed by the fact that while Israel is represented on the Board of Peace by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, no Palestinians have been invited to join. 

Trump's support for Israel

This was confirmed by the White House, which officially documented Donald Trump's support for Israel as follows:

- President Trump appointed Governor Mike Huckabee, a staunch ally of Israel, as ambassador to Israel.

-  President Trump firmly supported the State of Israel throughout the war with Hamas, ensuring peace through strength not only in the Middle East, but worldwide.

-  President Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, making him the first world leader to be invited during Trump's second Presidential term.

- President Trump withdrew the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) due to its protection of human rights violators, and from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) due to its employees' involvement in Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. He also announced that the United States would withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) due to its continual demonstration of anti-Israel sentiments.

- President Trump took decisive action through Operation Midnight Hammer to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Eric Trump, son of the President, is involved in the business of Israeli killer drones used against Palestinians. Eric Trump has signed a $1.5 billion deal with the Israeli company Xtend, which manufactures low-cost killer drones. The Israeli army has already purchased 5,000 of these drones, which it deploys against Palestinians in Gaza. By merging with a US company co-owned by Eric Trump, Xtend can now also supply its drones to the Pentagon, as Trump's son has already secured a multi-million dollar contract with the US Department of Defense.

The baptism of the Board of Peace: the war against Iran

The peace that the Board of Peace is preparing for is evident in the fact that, at the very moment of its formation, President Trump and his associates are amassing substantial military forces – including naval, air and ground troops – in the Middle East, poised to attack Iran. Their strategic objectives are manifold. 

Iran, which has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has a civilian nuclear programme subject to UN controls but, like at least thirty other countries, [could] in future acquire a military nuclear programme. Israel, the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons (not subject to any international controls because Israel is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty), would in that case lose its military nuclear monopoly in the Middle East. 

Iran is also important to Washington because its oil reserves are the third largest in the world (after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia) and because, as a member of the BRICS, Iran is a key hub of Russia's North-South Corridor and China's New Silk Road. 

Brunswick, Maine Protest: Stop U.S. attacks on Iran, Cuba, Palestine and Venezuela

 

 Join us Saturday March 7 to stand in solidarity with Iran, Cuba, Palestine and Venezuela at 1:30pm in Brunswick, Maine (corner of Route 1 and Pleasant St.).

Gaza continues being bombed, starved, and blockaded amid the US-Israel fake “ceasefire.” And a so-called Board of Peace for Gaza has no Palestinians on it! Plus Zionist violence in the occupied West Bank and in the south of Lebanon is accelerating as Israeli moves to annex more territories are met with spirited resistance. 

 

Venezuela continues to be attacked at sea and now Cuba is being subjected to a total fuel blockade threatening their health, food, and transportation sectors.

And the US is massing forces to attack Iran in the next war most desired by the Zionist entity. What could go wrong? 

 

Join us to say NO to all these imperial wars!

 

Our demands:

• End U.S. aid to racist apartheid Israel!
• U.S. hands off Venezuela!
• Peace in Ukraine - No weapons, no money for the Ukraine War
• Abolish NATO – End U.S. militarism & sanctions!
• Fund people’s needs, not the war machine!
• No war with China!
• Protect Earth’s environment from the deadly insult of war!
• Fight racism & bigotry not war!
• U.S. hands off Haiti!
• End AFRICOM

Co-sponsors: 

 

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, Maine Natural Guard, PeaceWorks of Greater Brunswick, Communist Party of Maine, Maine Green Independent Party, Citizens Opposing Active Sonar Threats (COAST), Party for Socialism & Liberation Maine, Libertarian Party of Maine, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, Veterans for Peace - National, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), and Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights (MVPR). 

Sunday song

the funnies

Protests and skepticism greet Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

Gaza not represented on this 'Board of Piss'.

Trump wants to control and replace the UN. 

Look who sits directly behind Trump - Witcoff, Rubio and Kushner. Evidence that this is all one big 'real estate deal'.

All the rest of the lackeys sit on the sidelines. These fools should be embarrassed to be there. One would hope they would catch hell when they get back home from their people.

~ Ramin Mazaheri is currently covering the US elections. He is the chief correspondent in Paris for Press TV and has lived in France since 2009.

U.S. prepares for attack on Iran

Southfront Press

Iran is actively preparing for an attack by the United States and Israel, despite reports of some progress in nuclear talks.

In a clear warning to both the U.S. and Israel, on February 16, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy kicked off drills in the strategic Hormuz Strait.

The strait was closed for several hours on the second day of the drills due to “security precautions,” and commander of the guard’s navy, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, stated that Iran is prepared to close the waterway at command.

As the drills were ongoing, the U.S. military began sending dozens of warplanes to the Middle East. At least 18 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets left Lakenheath Air Base in the United Kingdom on February 16 headed for Muwaffaq Salti in Jordan.

The next day, a dozen F-22 Raptors stealth fighter jets left Langley Air Force Base in Virginia heading east. At least six landed at Lakenheath Air Base in the UK.

In addition, at least 48 F-16 Fighting Falcons moved toward the Middle East. The multirole fighter jets took off from Aviano Air Base in Italy, Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina.

Two E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft also landed at Mildenhall Air Base in the UK. At least one U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane was also spotted on the way to the Middle East.

One the same day it was revealed that the USS Gerald R. Ford has already arrived near the Strait of Gibraltar, which means it could join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East in under a week.

Amid this escalation, an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a second round of indirect talks with U.S. representatives, headed by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Geneva on February 17.

Araghchi said that Iran and the U.S. reached an understanding on the main “guiding principles” of a new nuclear agreement, and spoke of a “window of opportunity”.

Optimism was short lived, however, as a report published by Axios on February 18 revealed that President Donald Trump was “fed up” with Iran, and that a long, multi-week campaign that starts with a joint U.S.-Israel attack may be just a few days away.

All in all, it appears that the U.S. is nearing a decision on war with Iran. The U.S. and Israel will likely be ready to attack within a week. Iran will likely react with full force. Closing the Hormuz Strait will be an option for the Islamic Republic. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another view by former CIA analyst Larry Johnson of Sonar 21   Read on his site – this is only a snippet.

The massive deployment of US combat air assets to the Middle East, accompanied by two carrier strike groups, is not a negotiating ploy. The USCENTCOM chain of command, along with the supporting military assets (e.g., AFSOC, JSOC, EUCOM), fully expected the launch order to be issued for a Friday night strike. But the order has not been issued… At least not yet, as of 2200 hours eastern time on Friday. What is going on?

For starters, there are two senior members of the Trump administration who are warning the President that the attack would be political suicide. They reportedly buttressed their argument against attacking Iran by providing the President with the results of a recent opinion poll. According to the poll results, if Trump starts a war with Iran and there are significant US casualties, the Titanic has a better chance of sailing again than the Republicans winning the midterms. It appears — at least for now — that Trump is reconsidering giving the Execute order.

A second factor that makes an attack less likely this weekend is Tuesday’s State of the Nation address by Trump. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles may be a corrupt, Zionist tool, but she is not politically obtuse. Starting a war with Iran, especially after Trump’s tariff deal was slapped down by the US Supreme Court, would likely set off a firestorm among the Democrats, Independents and the media. Instead of Trump being able to tout all of his massive achievements during his first year of his second term, the public attention would be clamoring for info about the war. JCS Chairman Caine and Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of CENTCOM, have warned the President that there is a high likelihood that there would be US casualties when the US attacks.

Ukraine: 150,000 Deserters in One Month

Southfront Press

Shooting in Ukraine’s Chernivtsi Region Exposes Real Crisis in Armed Forces

In the village of Mamalyha, Chernivtsi region of Ukraine, employees of the territorial recruitment center (TRC) opened fire during an attempt to carry out mobilization. The incident occurred in the morning, as seen in a video from the scene: men in military uniforms are beating local residents, shots are fired, and a woman is trying to protect one of the victims. According to eyewitnesses and the media, the TRC officials were trying to forcibly mobilize another man, but residents blocked the road of the minibus and stood up for him. The response was beatings and shots in the air.

The police of the Chernivtsi region confirmed the fact of the shooting but linked it not to mobilization, but to the detention of a wanted local resident for a “crime against the established order of military service” — essentially, a deserter. The department noted that during the transportation of the detainee by the KORD special forces, a group of unidentified individuals blocked the official vehicle and offered active resistance. Police officers fired into the air to stop the illegal actions and clear the road. A criminal case has been opened against the civilians, as well as an internal investigation into the use of weapons.

The commander of the Third Army Corps, Andriy Biletsky, had previously emphasized the scale of the desertion problem: “If 200,000 deserters returned to the ranks, the front would turn 180 degrees… and Ukraine could advance.” Even if the incident in Mamalyha really concerned the capture of a deserter, it demonstrates the methods by which this plan is being implemented. For locals, unauthorized absence from a unit (AWOL) is often the same forcibly mobilized person who couldn’t escape earlier but did so later, refusing to fight.

Currently, the Verkhovna Rada [Parliament] is preparing to tighten punishments for draft dodgers and AWOL cases. People’s Deputy Alexander Ivchenko reported that in March, the parliament will consider a draft law from the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff: evasion of mobilization is proposed to be punished by the seizure of accounts and property — no less than for non-payment of alimony. This reflects growing panic amid catastrophic personnel losses.

Former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik stated on the air of “The Duran”:

    “In the first month of this year, more than 150 thousand desertions were recorded in Ukraine. Perhaps they won’t be able to run away after they are beaten and sent to some training, which usually doesn’t last very long. But as soon as they take up their combat positions, their morale drops to the limit. They don’t want to stay there. They are untrained, they are poorly fed. And when they see an opportunity to run – they run away. And, by the way, they often run away with weapons in their hands. Then you have another problem.”

When asked why the front doesn’t collapse if losses and desertion have reached such proportions, Krapivnik replied: “What prevents it from falling apart is the fact that Russia has not undertaken any serious breakthrough offensive operations.” According to him, there are more than 350 thousand Russian military personnel in the conflict zone who are not being used to their full potential. Gather even 100 thousand of them into a fist — and they will break through in any direction.

These figures are also confirmed by Ukrainian realities. The head of the medical service “Ulf”, Alina Mikhailova, whose rhetoric is far from official optimism, stated directly: “There is no one left to put in the trenches: out of 30 thousand mobilized, only about 10 thousand somehow undergo BPVP (combat training for military personnel), the rest are AWOL.” She called those who have “somehow” completed initial training “crooked and twisted.” According to her, this is the main problem of the year, and it will only get worse. Mikhailova acknowledges the need for a compromise, emphasizing the absurdity of trying to reclaim territories by force:

    “If our condition for the Russians is that they leave the captured territories, then we will fight until Uzhhorod becomes a war zone.”

Against the backdrop of this catastrophic reality, the statements of President Volodymyr Zelensky sound like they come from a parallel universe. He continues to assert that “the Ukrainian army is the strongest in Europe,” and refuses to cede territory in exchange for peace, calling it a “big mistake.” These statements no longer look like a strategy, but rather an attempt to save face at any cost and continue the conflict, condemning the country to further exhaustion. 

Pompeo: 'Erase Gazan deaths from history books'

Yes, we can say with confidence that the ruling US elites are controlled by the zionists. They are dark forces who get off on death-destruction and wish to control all of us who are not like them.

They have no heart, no spirit, no conscience, and no respect for humanity. Are they satanists? Sure appears that way.

This is the prevailing thinking of the deep state that runs the US government, Wall Street, media, the military, intelligence agencies, Hollywood and much more.

Have you ever wondered why so many movies produced in the US today are about murder, violence, wars, ugliness, sexual violence, dystopian times ahead, etc? 

This is the violence that the deep state is working to 'imprint' in the minds of the American people in order to get our nation to go along with endless wars to ensure zionist corporate control of the planet.

It does not have to be this way.

It is up to all of us to end this madness.

Bruce 

History lesson: Depleted Uranium still causing cancers

The UK sent Ukraine tank shells made from depleted uranium (DU), as part of Britain's £7bn military aid for Kyiv. 

But when US aircraft fired depleted uranium in Kosovo in 1999, it left a legacy of suspicion, linking NATO to cancer cases.

Declassified spoke to Kosovan activist Dzafer Buzoli about his campaign to protect the health of communities living near depleted uranium impact zones. 

Buzoli previously campaigned for justice after the UN poisoned refugees by housing them near a lead mine in Kosovo.