classic Starmer, but not for why you think....
He didn't take part at the start because USA/Israel had no legal justification
But now that Iran are attacking and killing civilians all over the region with 1000s of missiles and drones, its not illegal to get involved, infact we have defence agreements with Qatar so we are obliged in some ways. (uk aircraft have shot down a drone above Qatar)
ill bet the governments legal advice has changed, but I also suspect we could legally do a lot more, including bombing missile sites ourselves (but Starmer won't get credit for not doing that)
as i said though its classic Starmer, hes pissed off the hawks (and probably Trump) by not helping at the start and now hes pissing off the doves by helping.
As i said though its classic Starmer, hes doing things based on legal technicalities rather than principles and everyone is going to flame him for it
Many many moons ago before the referendum I considered voting for ukip or whatever it was called because they were against having wars in the Middle East. I think Cameron wanted to bomb Syria at the time.
What has changed Lord far far’s position ?
Zack is going to get a few more members tomorrow .
and we would've been dragged in any way...
https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3mfzrjpzujk2b
Here we go again. Hitched to the Americans wagon while they’re embarking on another brainless military adventure that will be a repeat performance of the disaster of Iraq
Let me take a wild guess what comes next? RAF planes striking Iran or its proxies within the next couple of days
Its all so depressingly predictable
well I’m not sure any Middle East politics is based on rational thought!
I love the smell of Orientalism in the morning.
that will be a repeat performance of the disaster of Iraq
Call me cynical but I was always under the impression there was no plan to stabilise these countries post conflict. Beyond leaving them with pliant leadership and enough churning internal chaos, so they represent no external military threat, other than cracking down on their own people. They take loans and other bribes for resources, allow foreign contractors to operate and behave like good little boys or else!
also worth noting that starmers statement was a joint one with Germany and France
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—the group of so-called E3—released a joint statement yesterday evening regarding the escalation in the Middle East. In it, the three states commit to taking "necessary measures" to defend their own interests and those of allies in the region.The statement, phrased somewhat stiltedly, continues: "This can potentially also include, if necessary, facilitating proportionate defensive military measures to destroy Iran's capability to launch missiles and drones at the source." To this end, they will also work with the USA and allies in the region. The E3 added that Iran has made this step necessary with its "indiscriminate and disproportionate" missile attacks.
you can see it as that if you want but Middle Eastern politics is driven by tribalism and hatred. Assuming that people who operate like that will act rationally is actually the limited western view of the problemwell I’m not sure any Middle East politics is based on rational thought!
I love the smell of Orientalism in the morning.
the inevitable consequence of attacking another sovereign state - especially one that is governed by a totalitarian regime. Those unintended but quite predictable consequences need to be part of the balancing act world leaders use to decide if and when to take military action
Putting up a bit of resistance or in other words killing more entirely innocent people
No word from Trump for a good while now. After his last unhinged rant.
No speeches, no press conferences, no Truth media posts, nothing
Has someone taken his phone off him?
possibly, or is that the first consequence of helping trump?and we would've been dragged in any way...
a friend of my sister in law is currently demanding on Facebook book that the sas be sent to Dubai to rescue her husband who works out there for six weeks at a time. Her previous Facebook activity that came to my attention was when she proudly posted about doing a tax return that meant they paid no tax in the Uk!My right wing, Farage voting, GBeebies watching ex. Mother in law is in Dubai on a golfing holiday. The dildo of unintended consequences rarely arrives lubed.
Israel makes me shudder though.
I hope Isabella Oakshot and Richard Tice are ok. Will nobody think of the tax dodgers
killing khame
Possibly the only person thinking it might is Dozy Don, meanwhile everyone else who might have been paying attention over the last decade or so would realise that the Iranian government doesn’t run like most others, they will have a series of official leaders lined up, all with a full understanding of the processes of being both a spiritual leader and a secular leader, not that there’s much of a difference in a country like Iran. The Revolutionary Guards are as much a functioning government department as they are paramilitary, and they have something like 600,000 reservists as well. What they don’t have is any kind of air support, but they’re doing very well with the Shaheed drones and their ballistic missiles and other missile systems.
Are they? They’re lashing out all over the place but are making no difference to the aggressor’s ability or willingness to keep hitting them.
Working with the USA on this and supporting Israel. The UK will take on the mess. USA will benefit.
Oil shocks > inflation> Europe will take the refugees
That'll go down really well.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2028350219440550363
As expected Starmer again gives Trump what he demands.
Disgusting - can Labour get any worse. That's just made UK citizens legitimate targets all because of a demented old American man and a very weak and pathetic English man.
. As they still don't know where it came from, is wager Bibi sent it as a false flag job to get us involved, he is after all an absolute maniac..possibly, or is that the first consequence of helping trump?and we would've been dragged in any way...
Will nobody think of the tax dodgers
Is there still a restriction on how many days you can spend in the UK if you’re domiciled overseas for tax?
you can see it as that if you want but Middle Eastern politics is driven by tribalism and hatred.
🤦♂️
Wow, this is some multi-dimensional chess Trump is playing here.
https://twitter.com/jonkarl/status/2028299468223676673
and we would've been dragged in any way...
Would we? The announcement came first by several hours as far as I can tell.
Would we? The announcement came first by several hours as far as I can tell.
the announcement was an hour before 21:30
https://bsky.app/profile/pippacrerar.bsky.social/post/3mfzor2kqb22a
drone strike 1st reported at 22:20
https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3mfzrjpzujk2b
and the drone would have been launched well before that
if you think Iran wasnt planning to strike military bases across the region, ive got a garden bridge to sell you (theyd already hit a french base)
multiple? US aircraft downed over Kuwait, crews ejected and safe
give the location (for the downed jets) my bet is friendly fire
There must be a Republican Party book of soundbites
Just yesterday, I published a piece that explored short interventions that turn into protracted conflicts. As a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, I was prompted to write after the U.S. Vice President (JD Vance) stated this week that:
"The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen."
This is exactly what Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said a few months before the beginning of the second Gulf War in 2003:
"The idea that it’s going to be a long, long, long battle of some kind I think is belied by the fact of what happened in 1990…Five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn’t going to last any longer than that. It won’t be a World War III."
https://mickryan.substack.com/p/the-new-iran-war-trajectory-of-the
DrJ, Apologies if you made a similar point, but I can't see what you've written because of the "You may have missed" banner. Irony reported to tech.
Whereas UK politics is driven by love?
I think your point actually supports my suggestion that tribal hatred results in irrational behaviour and unpredicability.
I do hope that all those uk citizens in the Middle East hiding for tax avoidance purposes get no help from the uk taxpayers. I don’t see why uk taxpayers should fund evacuation and support for those who don’t want to contribute to uk taxation
I suspect Iran could likely deploy a dirty bomb or two via proxies in the middle east or in the West for that matter.
Interesting times.
Overall traffic drops amid deteriorating security situation,with 19 transits so far today (Sunday, March 1)
Only several smaller tankers have passed the strait since Saturday night as crude cargoes are shut-in
Most of Saturday’s transits headed eastbound towards the Indian Ocean
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Qatari outlet Al Jazeera on Sunday that Tehran does not plan to close the Strait of Hormuz at this time. However, at least three commercial vessels reported being hit by projectiles on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, and the deteriorating security environment, coupled with rising insurance premiums and cancellations of war risk policies, is acting as a de-facto deterrent for shipping in the region.
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156480/Tankers-shun-Strait-of-Hormuz-as-total-vessel-traffic-plunges
I do hope that all those uk citizens in the Middle East hiding for tax avoidance purposes get no help from the uk taxpayers.
**** me, there are some vile people on this forum.
Yup, let's be humane. Evacuate them to safety. Then charge them for the privilege.
Yup, let's be humane. Evacuate them to safety. Then charge them for the privilege.
This is the thing. We have a moral obligation to ensure the safety of UK citizens. However, it doesn't sit right when the British state is being asked to pay for the evacuation of people who have moved to Dubai to avoid paying their fair share of the tax that pays for the British state, but there equally doesn't seem to be a way round that.
The law around this is complicated and it would be interesting to know if HMRC will go after people who are non-domiciled and overstay, in this situation
https://www.gov.uk/tax-foreign-income/residence
Do F15's just fall out of the sky often or is something weird happening?
give the location (for the downed jets) my bet is friendly fire
I've spoken with Gulf War veteran A-10 pilots for whom the threat of S.A. manned Patriot batteries while returning to King Fahd IAP was a very real routine occurrence, and required careful, precise and numerous identification. You'd have though that in the intervening time, they'd have sorted that shit out.
**** me, there are some vile people on this forum.
I wouldn't have put it like he did, but I do agree they should be contributing financially if they expect the uk government to help them out.
Seems only fair. I imagine your average non taxpayng brit exile can afford to chip in.
Ugh, the state of the world... The thing is, once ceasefire was declared - and even loosely enforced - in Gaza, Netanyahu needed something else. Something to potentially stall his corruption trial, delay the October general election, and possibly chalk up as a win to increase his chances of winning the election. And Trump is exceptionally easy to manipulate into believing something is his own stupid idea, so here we are.
But dear lord it's a worrying time.
However, it doesn't sit right when the British state is being asked to pay for the evacuation of people who have moved to Dubai to avoid paying their fair share of the tax that pays for the British state
When it finally happens to them personally is often the only way that some folks understand the need for well-funded state provision of services. Watching a particularly tone-deaf Insta this morning from a young influencer in Dubai bemoaning the idea that this could happen to "them" and not random brown people was somewhat illuminating. Schadenfreude in the form of a missile is perhaps the most direct form of karma
Brimmed the van as prices haven't yet gone through the roof.
Ugh, the state of the world... The thing is, once ceasefire was declared - and even loosely enforced - in Gaza, Netanyahu needed something else. Something to potentially stall his corruption trial, delay the October general election, and possibly chalk up as a win to increase his chances of winning the election. And Trump is exceptionally easy to manipulate into believing something is his own stupid idea, so here we are.
But dear lord it's a worrying time.
And Trump also needs to keep manufacturing crises to distract from his own criminal and election problems. They are literally a partnership in crime.
I agree it's a line to tread in the tone of how we phrase it, but those who have emigrated for tax purposes should not be at the front of the queue to be brought home. If they are brought back from their chosen tax haven then they should be referred to as refugees. I fear HMRC already has enough conflicting priorities that their tax status won't be as pressing a matter as we woukd like. (Though I expect that the appropriate corner of HMRC already has a watch on their status anyway)
