Friday, 21 June 2019

The Iran shootdown of a US drone - from the OTHER side

I now regard Turner's coverage as a good insight into what the American war party is thinking. Just think back to the "reliability"of American :intelligence assessments" in the lead-up to, and during, the Iraq war.
By the same token I regard it as important to know what the Israeli side is saying.

Mr Turner is one of a phenomenon - anti-semitic zionist.
IRAN SHOOTS-DOWN U.S. NAVY DRONE in INT'L AIR SPACE: Trump Says "Very Big Mistake . . ."
20 June, 2019

An Iranian surface-to-air missile has shot down a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Drone over International air space about 17 miles off the coast of Iran near the Strait of Hormuz.
IRNA news agency, the country’s state-run news arm, identified the drone as an RQ-4 Global Hawk. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed the shooting and said it occurred when the drone entered into its airspace in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, map below:

This MQ-4C was the eye & ear of USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group over Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. It was collecting latest signal, electronic & photos of Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy activity in the region. They have one more MQ-4C on deployment.
 U.S. officials consider the drone shoot-down as an unprovoked attack
The Unit Cost of that drone is US$131.4 Million.
Pattern of Aggression
In 10 days:
- US positions targeted 3 times with rockets by Iranian Proxies in Iraq.
- Pro-Iran media were the first reporting the 2 attacks on tankers in the United Arab Emirates and in the Gulf of Oman.
- 2 missiles have been fired at US drones (1 shot down).
- Civil airport in Saudi Arabia targeted 4 times with missiles.
 
At about 11:30 PM EDT last night, shortly after the weekly broadcast of the Hal Turner Radio Show, I received this information and reached out to the Pentagon Duty Officer, who then reached out to Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, but no details were revealed at that time.  I got the information anyway . . .
This is a developing story, check back for updates later today.

UPDATE 5:11 AM EDT -- 
PENTAGON ISSUES STATEMENT SAYING DRONE WAS IN INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE.
Iran's IRGC Commander Hossein Salami: Downing of US drone sends a "clear message" to Washington.
Urgent Pentagon meetings right now. White House in meetings, too.

IMAGE
The image below purports to show the U.S. Drone as it was crashing back to earth after being hit by an Iranian missile:


 (NOTE: The US government has advised that the image above, which Iran used to make the claim is fake - and actually shows a drone being shot down over Yemen two years ago.)
GOLD SPIKING
The price of Gold has shot up $35.40 per ounce since yesterday's close; indicating "the money people" have already been told what's coming, and they are running for the safety of precious metals.


*** BULLETIN ***
6:13 AM EDT --
President Trump woke up Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and Vice President Mike Pence (in his capacity as President of the Senate) to "inform Congress the United States of America has been militarily attacked by the Islamic Republic of Iran."

 UPDATE 7:36 AM EDT --
The US Navy has responded to my inquiry.
According to Navy Capt. Bill Urban, U.S. Central Command spokesman:

"U.S. Central Command  can confirm that a U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (or BAMS-D) ISR aircraft was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile system while operating in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at approximately 11:35 p.m. GMT on June 19, 2019. 

Iranian reports that the aircraft was over Iran are false. 

This was an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset in international airspace.

The BAMS-D is a RQ-4A Global Hawk High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions."
 UPDATE 10:16 AM EDT --
President Trump has now publicly spoken about the Iran situation:

UPDATE 11:07 AM EDT --
US senior military commanders are meeting now preparing an options package for the President.

Trump to meet with those senior military commanders shortly.

The White House is briefing key politicians on updates.

HAL TURNER NOTE: For WEEKS, I have been telling readers and listeners to get "preps" in case of war with Iran. Time is very close to being up.  Maybe only hours.  HERE IS A LIST of suggested "preps."

11:13 AM EDT -- ISRAELI PM RUSHED TO EMERGENCY MEETING WITH MILITARY LEADERS ON IRAN SITUATION -- LOCAL SOURCES  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently at IDF HQ (The Kirya) in Tel Aviv in emergency consultation meetings regards to the Iranian escalations.  

Crude oil rapidly rising over the escalating situation between the US and Iran, and the likelihood of an "incident" in the coming hours. Oil futures up 5.5% and rising.

11:18 AM EDT -- There was a National Security Council (NSC)-led meeting at the White House this morning to discuss Iran & Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dunford attended. There is another White House meeting on Iran this afternoon.

11:20 AM EDT -- Senior leaders of the Congress receiving an another urgent briefing on Iran by US officials just minutes from now, Speaker Pelosi confirms.

12:38 PM EDT -- The United States is informing its allies as to its decision regarding a response to the Iran shoot-down of its Drone.  "Informing" not "consulting."
 Per Pentagon briefing: U.S. Drone was never over Iran.  General Joseph T. Guastella calls into the Pentagon briefing room from Qatar: "Iranian reports that this aircraft was shot down over Iran are categorically false." Says the drone went down in international waters.
 

*** BULLETIN ***
"Commercial aircraft would be well advised avoid air space over the Persian Gulf and over Iran, effective immediately and until further notice."

1:08 PM EDT -- After private briefings to senior politicians at 3:00 PM today at the White House, there will be a wider briefing at 5PM eastern time on Capital Hill.

1:12 PM EDT -- EMERGENCY ACTION MESSAGE (EAM) OF 116 CHARACTERS TRANSMITTED TO US ARMED FORCES WORLDWIDE VIA GLOBAL HIGH FREQUENCY RADIO SYSTEM

3:00 PM EDT -- US Senator Lindsay Graham "When it comes to the Middle East, there are seldom good choices. But in some instances, failing to act can prove to be the most dangerous choice of all."

3:30 PM EDT -- White House meeting on Iran started ~ 20 min ago in the Situation Room.  Trump, Pelosi, McConnell, Schumer & heads of nat’l security committees, + defense & intel officials there. 

3:59 PM EDT -- The US has reportedly threatened a destructive reaction "yet to be seen" if any damage is done to Israel.

SKUTTLEBUTT -Senior White House official tells me it's Bolton vs Trump on how to proceed on Iran. Trump does not want conflict. Pompeo, Pence, Esper are “swing votes.” Pompeo is "a triangulator," source says, "the goal is re-establishing deterrence, but that is still very risky.” 

FYI-- Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen off severely.  It seems shipping companies have some idea that trouble is brewing and are getting most of their ships out of the Strait!

4:35 PM EDT -- Congressional Leaders seen leaving WH after 90 minute meeting on Iran situation.

5:20 PM EDT -- Republican leader of the US Senate: Trump's administration is preparing calculated response to Iran. 
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D9iS-uDX4AAXZ_a.jpg5:30 PM EDT -- Dept. of Defense releases radar tracking map of Drone flight path, showing Iran-claimed territorial waters, versus drone flight path.   Shoot-down took place OUTSIDE Iran territorial waters.  Illegal, unprovoked attack.  Map below:


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lindsey-graham-iran-shipping-navy-oil-refineries?fbclid=IwAR0QLcOSU5I74tpw6dK1mKCiBc4AZcvhPBrczQh104TOu9UUGB7j4IWdKfA



This is Israel's bitch - Lindsey Graham. Have a listen.

Here is Israel's bitch - Lindsey Graham

Have a listen!


This makes no bones of Israel's position
Israel's DEBKA File has to be regarded in a similar way to Hal Turner


Israel officials are reportedly concerned over the prospect that the US will not response decisively to Iran’s downing of an American drone in the Persian Gulf, with some worried Iran will interpret this as an unwillingness to engage in military operations against it and grow more aggressive in the region.
A report on Channel 13 news Thursday, citing unnamed Israeli security sources, suggested officials interpret Iran’s decision to shoot down the drone as a test of the Trump administration’s resolve. The sources are reportedly worried about what they see as a hesitant response by the US thus far, which they fear could undermine the credibility of American warnings in future and encourage Tehran to up its attacks throughout the region.
The Israeli fears were sparked when Trump suggested in comments from the White House on Thursday that the incident might have been a mistake executed by someone in the Iranian military just being “loose and stupid.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-worried-us-may-not-respond-decisively-to-drone-downing/?fbclid=IwAR1bHpN_jAfux5oBBx90sYxNeQf5fov6ag42M58-LV2expJQvqEuVYLSY74


Iran on Thursday, June 20, launched a snap civil defense exercise that simulated air and missile strikes on Tehran, as well as a possible nuclear attack. It started without prior notice shortly after the Iranians and Americans reported that a surface-to-air missile had shot down a US Navy MQ-4C Triton.
Local Iranian sources reported that the exercise was staged to test the readiness of Iran’s civil defense systems for what was described as “possible mass bombing” and “radiation exposure events” that would call for the evacuation of civilians and steps for controlling outbreaks of mass panic. The Iranian media did not specify in which parts of Tehran the exercise was staged or its duration.
DEBKAfile’s military sources maintain that it was timed for a peak moment in the rising US-Iranian military tension to instill a sense of national emergency in the street for the purpose of rallying the people around the regime. In this climate, dissidents will dare less than ever to raise their voices, least of all to criticize the path of confrontation with America led by supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to our sources, the civil defense exercise called without warning points to the Iranian leadership’s adamant resolve not just to continue to challenge the US, but to head for further escalation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin added his voice to the war climate building up by warning the United States that military action against Iran would be a “catastrophe for the region at a minimum.” During a televised call-in show on Thursday, Putin added that it would “trigger an escalation of hostilities with unpredictable results.


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