Headlines: Iran – UPDATED
[Headlines from DRJ]
Japan Times — Two tankers targeted by unidentified attackers in Gulf of Oman:
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Two tankers were targeted by unidentified attackers near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, one operated by a Japanese company, industry minister Hiroshige Seko said.
***
The 19,349-ton tanker was carrying methanol from Saudi Arabia to Singapore when it was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, near the UAE emirate of Fujairah, according to Kokuka Sangyo.The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet said it received distress signals from the Kokuka Courageous and another tanker chartered by a Taiwanese firm at 6:12 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
A report in Fortune said both ships had Japan-bound cargo, suggesting the occurrence “as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was wrapping up a high-stakes visit in Tehran that sought to ease tensions between Iran and the United States” was not a coincidence.
American Military News posted video of the aftermath, and reported torpedoes are suspected in both incidents. It noted speculation of Iran involvement, and that the “attacks also took place near the location where Iran was accused of sabotaging four tankers last month.”
Finally, this Daily Mail headline:
Lawmakers from both sides reveal in late-night session that Mike Pompeo told them Trump CAN attack Iran – because Congress never withdrew their post-9/11 military go-ahead allowed Bush to bomb Iraq.
UPDATE 6/14/19: Daily Beast has a conflicting report in which “the owner of one of the stricken oil tankers crippled in explosions in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, says the U.S. is wrong about the way the attack was carried out.” He claims the attack was by a flying object above the water line, not a torpedo.
— DRJ
Now serving in the White House Mess; Walrus Gumbo:
Two cups Straight of Hormuz; one cup Gulf of Tonkin for age; season w/a pinch of ex-CIA Pompeo.
Serve cold.
Yummy!
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:12 pm^Strait.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:12 pmMegan McArdle suggests the key to understanding how Trump responds is based on his background as a real estate developer. He is willing to take big risks for big returns, even if it means big failures.
So how does a real estate developer think? Is it with careful thought or like a bull in a china shop?
DRJ (15874d) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:13 pmHe’s being set up to respond by Walrus Gumbo and crew.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:22 pmIsrael.
nk (dbc370) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:33 pmThat is a great quote, DRJ (#3).
It’s almost axiomatic that big risks can lead to big rewards and big failures. What’s key, as McArdle recognizes, is whether the risk-tolerant economic actor is doing a better job than his competition (which is to say, the rest of the market) at correctly assessing those risks, rewards, and failures.
Which, of course, is why anyone with clear eyes concluded at least by mid-2015 that he was utterly unfit to be POTUS, if only for his spectacular public history of repeat business failures and his flagrant lies about them.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:40 pmre: Pompeo that we can attack Iran because of “Congress never withdrew their post-9/11 military go-ahead” don’t take hold.
This is where I hope Trump’s isolationist tendencies is re-asserted.
whembly (51f28e) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:41 pmWe’ve been in a proxy war in Lebanon, Iraq Afghanistan, most recently Yemen against the kingdom
Narciso (b0b7ad) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:53 pmAnyone remember the tanker war in the 80s.
Narciso (b0b7ad) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:54 pmWhat part of Bush’s business background led to reliance on bogus WMD?
Munroe (c9d085) — 6/13/2019 @ 12:56 pm@5. Golly-gee, can’t imagine Mossad working with Gumbo to smack around friendlies, set up another to take the fall and fake pressure to respond. Pshaw! Wouldn’t be kosher. 😉
But then, what’s to worry: Jared Kushner is on the job:
‘If you can’t produce peace in the Mideast, nobody can.’ – President Trump.
“‘Here I come to save the day’ – That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way!” – ‘Mighty Mouse’ – Terrytoons, 1942-61
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/13/2019 @ 1:09 pmKeep deflectin’ and what-aboutin’, Munroe.
It’s all you’ve got.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/13/2019 @ 1:19 pm@9. Too well; late father ran tanker trafficking for a time at a large oil firm. The pipeline book he had was incredible nd brought home worries as well; ‘inside baseball stuff’- all the maps w/terminals and pumping station locations above and below ground. Protecting/guarding them was as big a worry as keeping the tankers safely on the move.
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Breaking – Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave White House press secretary job. Fake newser flakes out to Arkansas after free trip to Buckingham Palace on our dime.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/13/2019 @ 1:21 pmIt’s as much a cheap shot, as the left took because of spectrum 7, conason thought hed struck gold.
Narciso (b0b7ad) — 6/13/2019 @ 1:22 pmUpdated.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/14/2019 @ 5:53 am