Tanzania in East Africa...the land of Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria and the Serengeti Plains...no fences, just nature.... simply stunning, the best safari I have ever had.
Thank you Ken_19 I completely concur, this would be a bad idea and specially now when Putin has opened up the market with Iran.
The repercussions could be far fetched specially when The US crowed about keeping this advanced Russian missile out of Iran’s hands for years. Now the Kremlin suddenly seems eager to hand it over to Tehran.
This nuke deal with Iran had better work. Because the Kremlin is lifting a ban on selling a powerful air defense system to Iran that would render an airstrike on Tehran’s nuclear weapons facilities nearly impossible.
The delivery of the new weapon, called the Almaz-Antei S-300PMU-1— known as the SA-20 Gargoyle in NATO parlance—would effectively force the U.S. to rely on its small fleet of stealth aircraft to strike targets inside Iran in case Iran make a dash for the bomb. But even those aircraft might have a difficult time.
This is a huge deal depending on where they [the S-300s] are based…The Persian Gulf would be an interesting place to fly,These new [surface-to-air missiles] changes the whole complexion…It’s a big move.
The U.S. government has lobbied Russia hard for years to prevent the sale of the S-300 to Iran. In 2010, convincing Putin to suspend the sale of the S-300 to Iran was heralded as a major foreign policy coup by the Obama administration. In many ways, it was one of the central achievements of the so-called reset in relations with Moscow.
Since then, of course, relations with Russia have cooled to nearly Cold War levels of hostility. Making life difficult for American policymakers is once again a Kremlin priority. Mr. Putin’s policies are a reminder to Washington and other Western capitals that they have some cards to play here.
Another factor that might be motivating Moscow is that with the Russian economy in shambles, Moscow needs all of the economic stimulus it can get. The missile deal with Iran would reportedly net Russia more than $800 million.
This is purely a result of the West’s financial punishment of Russia, Putin has put back in play the S-300 deal.
The Kremin’s decision now sends a signal to Tehran that the sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table are done—even before a final nuclear agreement is signed.
Many U.S. defense officials from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps agree that the Russian missile system effectively renders entire regions no-go zones.
A senior U.S. Marine Corps aviator said that if Russia delivers the S- 300 missile to Iran, it would fundamentally change U.S. war plans. “A complete game changer for all fourth-gen aircraft [like the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18]. That thing is a beast and you don’t want to get near it,” he said.
The sale of the S-300 also would neutralize any possibility that Israel could take unilateral action against Iran, one senior Air Force commander noted. The S-300 would effectively prevent the Israeli air force from attacking Iran until the F-35 is delivered to that nation.
I find it almost hilarious that the Russians are saying, ‘It’s an entirely defensive system and cannot attack anyone, including Israel, but this essentially makes Iran attack-proof by Israel and almost any country without fifth-gen [stealth fighter] capabilities. This is a brilliant chess move that warrants an equally brilliant counter move, but what could that be?
But even when Israel receives the F-35, the relatively short-range stealth fighter can only carry a pair of 2,000-pound bombs—which are not likely to be adequate for the most heavily fortified Iranian targets.
An attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities was going to be a daunting task, even under the best of circumstances.If there is a large number of those S-300 air defense systems in place, even pilots flying stealth jets like the B-2 and F-22 Raptor would find the mission to be extremely difficult and this can be significantly compounded since the S-300 is mobile and can be moved very quickly.
Phew that was quick! we are just going to have to wait and see what happens from here on... I guess I was slow on the info uptake hehehe its 3 am here. Thanks for sharing
Assessing the situation on a daily basis, It should be okay but if it is not, then we are registered with the US Embassy and are always kept updated on a daily basis.
I wouldn't put it on hold, give it some time, some sort of diplomatic solution is bound to come through.
Russia signed an $800 million deal in 2007 to ship five S-300 divisions, which are composed of radars and multiple interception missile launchers, only to postpone the deal three years later, during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev. However the missile systems themselves were never on the international sanctions list.
With the situation as it stands, Russia is flexing its muscle to demonstrate that it is still a major player in spite of all the threats due to the Ukraine situation.
Putin also knows well that the Iran/Israel situation is the softest spot which when hit can put immense pressure on Israel and in turn tighten the wrenches on the US. Its a clever game of psychological warfare which can only be reversed on a give and take basis.
State Department spokesperson Marie Harf however admitting that it did not violate any international norms. “We don’t believe it’s constructive at this time for Russia to move forward with this,”
Under these circumstances, the only thing Obama can actually do is to sign a bill granting Congress the power to review any nuclear deal he strikes with Iran. With the Republicans calling the shots, this deal is probably as good as dead! So we are back to the drawing board.
In the background there is quite the discussion going on and at some point the warranted response for this will come from the White House...What that may be is anyone's guess at this point.
Honestly Speaking, the Iran situation doesn't bother me at this point as much as the volatile situation in Yemen and other parts of the Middle East does. It is a time bomb waiting to go off.
This is just my observation and I could be wrong but this is where I see it heading.
I am an American living in the UK, but yes you are absolutely correct!
Another piece of information that is also worrying at this moment in time is that A new Ministry of Defense (MoD) report circulating in the Kremlin states that President Putin has authorized the Black Sea Fleet CCB-201 Vishnya-class intelligence ship Priazovye to use all offensive/defensive measures needed to protect itself, and civilian lives, against any and all “detected” aggressive combat aircraft, including those operated by the US Air Force, in the current Yemeni combat zone.
According to this report, this extraordinary order by President Putin authorizing the potential shoot down of US military aircraft was necessitated by the refusal of Saudi Arabia to allow the evacuation of Russian citizens trapped in the Yemeni combat zone after the deliberate 1 April destruction of the Russian consulate in that nations largest city Aden by US-directed Saudi warplanes.
All the pieces are coming into play, this can not be good by any stretch of the imagination.
Putin's decision to sell missiles to Iran could be a major contributing factor in the mix, Israel will no doubt put serious pressure on the US to do something about it... indicators seem to point at the Middle East as the starting point! just an observation.
Most often, you have met a Soul Mate when you feel a familiarity that seems to surpass casual connection. You may feel a sense of familiarity and begin to wonder where you have met them before or you might even wonder whom they remind you of. You may see them and feel you must glance back at them a second time to try to place them in your life. This is one way you may recognize a soul mate.
You will also know that you have met a soul mate if there is something particular about them and you just can't put your finger on it, but you keep trying trying to understand what it might be as you attempt to gain a deeper sense of their essence. You also may know you have met a Soul Mate if you feel a desire to know them deeper and you are eager to ask them more questions to help yourself understand what you are feeling.
Another sign that you have met a soul mate is when you stand next to them and feel so very peaceful. You know you have met a Soul Mate when you are standing next to them and you also feel excited at the same time. When you look into their eyes, and and you see yourself, now that is a grand soul mate. So, there are many signs that suggest you have been together before and that your meeting is placed before you for a reason.
Ever met someone who you think you have met before but can't place them? Yet you actually haven't met them nor seen them in your life? ... now you know!
If they knew what it was and what it says, would their opinion of the Zionists change?
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an ardent Jewish believer, was quoted in The New York Times as giving credit to the Talmud for her success on the bench. "The Talmud," said Ginsburg, "is my sacred guide for daily living."
In America there are about 5 million Jews, and a recent study found only half of American Jews under the age of 35 are comfortable with the idea of a Jewish state. Among older Jews the percentage of Zionists is somewhat higher. Among the opponents of Zionism are the ultra-Orthodox Jews of America, who number close to 15%. If we assume that 60% of the total number are Zionists, that is 3 million. If trends in the rest of the world's Jewish communities are similar to those of America, that would make a total of 4.26 million Zionists in the world outside of the state of Israel. All together that is about 9 million Zionists, or 69% of the world's Jewish population.
A Jew is always a Jew no matter what he does, but we can still say that the Zionists are Jews not acting in accordance with Judaism???
mr_magnifique Forum Posts (10)
RE: most beautiful place you've traveled
Tanzania in East Africa...the land of Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria and the Serengeti Plains...no fences, just nature.... simply stunning, the best safari I have ever had.