“..Why should we assume that the Arab Elites should be any different than the Western elites? They know their good life’s depend on being friends with the Zionists. Saddam and Gadaffi was not friendly enough.
“And the Arab elites think exactly about their subjects the same ways as Macron, Sholtz, Stoltenberg, Van Leyden, Sunak think about their subjects…” Paul from Norway 17:45 utc@82
Let’s spell this out: those Arab countries which attempt to build socialist institutions- examples include the Ba’athists in Iraq and Syria, the Nasserites in Egypt, Yemen and elsewhere, the Libyans and the Algerians- find themselves victims of imperialist aggression.
Those which preserve and extend capitalist institutions- Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain for example- whatever they might say about Zionism are selected to be cosseted bastions of the empire.
What Macron, Sholtz, Stoltenberg, Van Leyden, Sunak, A Blinken and Netanyahu have in common is their fervent defence of the imperialist system from which the class from which they come benefits.

Posted by: bevin | Apr 20 2024 19:47 utc | 103

Escobar has posted the same story again to his Telegram Channel, this time in Italian.
https://t.me/rocknrollgeopolitics/11025

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 20 2024 19:58 utc | 105

I do not believe Pepe Escobar claim that an Ashkanazi F-35 carrying a nuclear bomb was shot down a few days ago.
In fact, I originally liked Escobar writing and all the promises of multipolar world. But after so many years of nothing panning out and no tangible change I read his wishful thinking less and less.
My next great hope is that with the rotating presidentcy of the BRICS being held by Russia maybe Russia will finely get the BRICS to return to the gold standard in both payments and calculating value and pricing as had been the case until the year 1972 or so. But that prevent China from printing just as much as preventing the US from printing, and China Communist Party will not survive the mall investments write offs that ghost cities and 1 child policies and whatnot will bring.

Posted by: Hot Carl | Apr 20 2024 20:03 utc | 107

“…The “two state solution” would be an intermediate phase in the slow disappearance of Israel, and in my view should be accepted as a step on the road. Netanyahu has consigned Israel to the end it was always going to have, but we know not when…” laguerre 15:09 utc@17
Absolutely right.
As are your two observations at 22 and 41(?).
The obvious place to begin talking about the demise of the Jewish state is by going back to the one consistent theme since, at least, Peel in 1937 which is that of partition: the Two State solution which all of the powers, including the UN profess to believe in.
Such a discussion must lead to defining not only borders but sovereignty in its other aspects.
Those who believe in the omnipotence of the crumbling hegemon may fear that Israel will be allowed to turn any Palestinian entity into a land locked protectorate but they are missing the point.
Which is that those days, if they ever existed, and perhaps they did during the collapse (?) of the Soviet Union and the power vacuum that followed it, have come to an end.
The logical point of international agreement is the neutralisation of Palestine as an arena for Great Power competition.
As to the practicality of a two state solution- in the longer term it has no future but in the short run, while brainwashed fanatics are marginalised and a sick society returns to its senses (and traditions) it might be necessary.
In the long run a Palestine ‘Free from the River to the Sea” open to all races and religions will come to be a beacon in a world putting divisions and the exploitation of man by man behind it.

Posted by: bevin | Apr 20 2024 20:08 utc | 109

Posted by: Laura Roslin | Apr 20 2024 13:28 utc | 2
What nonsense. But I guess better to believe something really happened because the alternative is just plain boring. Pepe Escobar’s simulacrum of an event that never happens. It was Baudrillard who said “we live forever in the shadow of a bomb that will never go off.” Pepe couldn’t have given a better example. Nuke neurosis. What a joke world.
Nothing ever happens.

Posted by: Patroklos | Apr 20 2024 20:16 utc | 111

Carried over from the other thread,
israel threatened an EMP response to any iranian attack quite publicly on 4/12/24. It hit conspiracy forums quite hard of course. Here is a screenshot of israel EMP threat, note the date.
https://postimg.cc/JD1CgLY6

Posted by: NJH | Apr 20 2024 20:27 utc | 113

“I don’t agree with that. You exaggerate the power of the “west”. The power of the Lobby is Jewish money intervening in American elections.”
Ahenobarbus (60).
Do you actually believe that its just American elections?
For the UK parliament is also compromised as is Brussels, and many European nations parliaments as well. Others are compromised by not just the Zionist lobbies but Atlanticism as well.
As for (US) elections do you actually believe that there’s ANY difference in policies between the Republican party and the Democrats when it comes to protecting Israel?
Israel is widely supported by the West, and as long as that continues I for one believe that a two-state solution is the best that the oppressed Palestinian people can hope for.
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 20 2024 17:29 utc | 76
Oh, a cheeky monkey in stank ass Scotland. You falsely attributed a quote to me, dildo!
I’m watching you, snitch. 👁️

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Apr 20 2024 20:34 utc | 115

Escobar didn’t make the first recent mention of an EMP device:
https://londonlovesbusiness.com/iran-will-be-hit-with-an-e-bomb-as-tehran-warns-israels-embassies-are-no-longer-safe/

Posted by: sikuvit | Apr 20 2024 20:43 utc | 117

oldhippie | Apr 20 2024 20:05 utc | 108–
I first read Pepe’s report at his VK, then went to his Telegram to read the whole report. He wasn’t hacked. Pepe’s currently in Brazil somewhat removed from his Russian and Eurasian sources. His latest at his Telegram is JK Rowling having bought real estate in Moscow–“I got the right to be normal” I’m assuming are Rowling’s words.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 20 2024 20:50 utc | 119

I’ve located a post on a forum I caught it at earlier if anyone wants to see israel threatening an EMP attack. Scrrenshot is at https://postimg.cc/JD1CgLY6
Have a blessed day.
Posted by: NJH | Apr 20 2024 20:20 utc | 244
The cited post is from the thread about Isarel’s ‘quiet’ retaliation
Isn’t that interesting!
Now, none other than P. Escobar ‘confirms’ that was not an empty threat, and the infamous UK Daily Mail claims the US has developed weapons to obliterate Iran’s nuclear sites, as posted earlier in this thread.
The conclusion (that is expected) is – Israel’s retaliation for Iran’s retaliation was not “toys” or a “nothingburger” but in fact a nuclear attack that didn’t succeed only because Russia prevented it by shooting down the nuclear armed plane of a country which officially does not have nuclear weapons.
All of that nicely fits in and is supposed to inform us that the Zionists are a force to be reckoned with, not underestimated or ridiculed. That is why no one has the guts (or balls) to openly expose what really happened (except P. Escobar).
Fantastic!, to borrow the comment someone had on the story that five guys and a gal got into a yacht and sailed off to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines.

Posted by: JB | Apr 20 2024 21:07 utc | 121

Well I can believe the EMP story, but not a nuke – I am sure that it does not need a nuke to set of an EMP attack.
So is an EMP possible/probable – yes much much more likely than a nuke in Iran. To get their nuclear facilities is impossible given the mountains. However if the nuclear facilities were disabled via an EMP, then they could later nuke the shit out of Iran without fear of retaliation – except by Russia.
The distance is possible via an F35 – preferably with refueling say in Iraq somewhere. I am surprised if true that it would take off from Amman – the distance is not so much less, although less likely to be detected.
How would Russia know – well Russians have extremely close ties to Israel and many Israelis are dual citizens. Presumably there are some sane ones there who could well have tipped Russia off. Indeed even some yanks may have passed on information – not wanting to start Armageddon etc.
My guess is that the story has some legs- perhaps 60% true, but with lots of holes.

Posted by: watcher | Apr 20 2024 21:22 utc | 123

@110 Mark2
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/west-asia/hamas-considering-the-possibility-of-leaving-qatar-as-ceasefire-negotiations-flounder-report
Looks at the various storylines, without adding any certainty at all on anything however.
Possible is that once the south of Gaza is focused on, there will not be any more negotiating with Hamas, and Hamas will cease to exist as a recognised political faction, becoming less than exiled, and eventually without representation on the ground in Gaza. At least that would be a preffered direction by some.
So at that point, or while that is underway, Qatar is going to be what with regard to Hamas and the world ? Hamas reps there will become a a problem because they will remind of what was not achieved, or of that any association with the US being pointless or hypocritical , etc. . . So it is a possible falling out between Hamas leadership and Qatar, or simply even pragmatic understood need to re-arrange because an equation is no longer workable.
Any opinion on that is also going to be based on who anyone thinks is pulling the strings to events, which has all its various interpretations.

Posted by: Ornot | Apr 20 2024 21:22 utc | 125

Ornot @ 125
Thanks for responding to my comment. I wasnt sure if they had blamed one side or the other.
While your here, i’d like to thank you for all your comments, i all ways look forward to them.
Rspect

Posted by: Mark2 | Apr 20 2024 21:35 utc | 127

If this story is true, Israel would have assigned this mission to one of its best pilots. Now let’s wait and see if an unfortunate death of a colonel or lieutenant colonel in the Israeli Air Force is reported.

Posted by: Lysias | Apr 20 2024 21:54 utc | 129

Is Israel threatened to do this a couple of weeks ago, as is reported, Russia could have requested shootdown permission from Iraqi authorities in advance.

Posted by: Lysias | Apr 20 2024 21:57 utc | 131

Possible is that once the south of Gaza is focused on, there will not be any more negotiating with Hamas, and Hamas will cease to exist as a recognised political faction, becoming less than exiled, and eventually without representation on the ground in Gaza. At least that would be a preffered direction by some.
Posted by: Ornot | Apr 20 2024 21:22 utc | 125

hehe … most of all I like the part about “Hamas will cease to exist as a recognized political faction”, Zionist wet dreams here, propagated by Hasbara.
Dude, a national liberation movement is not going to disappear or cease to exit or be erased by military means. This kind of propaganda may function for domestic consumption in a Zionist society but elsewhere people laugh at you. Forget it.

Posted by: Framarz | Apr 20 2024 22:24 utc | 133

The story is utter nonsense and I don’t know why it’s taking away discussion from other matters like the PMF base bombing. Everyone’s desperate for something to happen I guess.
Are there any updates on the reports that real estate agents are selling property in Gaza off the plan ahead of a successful ethnic cleansing? It’s what all of this has been about after all.
Nothing ever happens.

Posted by: Patroklos | Apr 20 2024 22:27 utc | 135

I cannot help but notice that all the true believers in the onmescience of escobar appear to have missed the post immediately under escobar’s which says:

Arya’s List 💫 112 🏛 211
@Stellar17Arya
·
8h
The F-35 flight ceiling is around 15,000 metres. High altitude nuclear detonation for EMP generation starts from 25,000 metres. Something doesn’t line up.

I have no idea whether either the 15,000 metre bit is a fact or that the 25,00 metres for a successful EMP is but I would be interested to hear from anyone who does know (and isn’t just wishfully guessing).
As far as Russia is concerned that is the only piece of this yarn that rings true to my ears as I remember 2-3 weeks back Russia announcing to the world that any attempt by the zionist entity to attack Iran with nuclear weapons would incur an instant Russian reaction.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Apr 20 2024 22:44 utc | 137

The Iranian response to the Damascus abomination was most elegant, containing a message in no uncertain terms, and with the precision of an épée: Touché.

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 20 2024 23:00 utc | 139

I commented on this topic a day or two before Escobar, i did it in a less sensational way, so as to avoid this flap. The use of nucular is mad yes, but a large faction in both israel and america are that crazy.
My comment was too subtile it seems.
Look up what john bolten has been saying this week.

Posted by: Mark2 | Apr 20 2024 23:04 utc | 141

It seems to me everyone is missing the big question about Israel’s ” retaliation” against Iran recently. Basically, did Iran receive a heads-up warning of the impending attack ( from the US or Israel ) , similar to the warning Iran provided to the US on at least two occasions now ? If they didnt, then they got played big time.
Now, if they did …………….

Posted by: Moonie | Apr 20 2024 23:29 utc | 143

I have no idea what happened and interestingly, the narrative that Pepe is sharing is that Russia would not allow Israel to detonate a nuke, even at high altitude.
I posited a week or so ago that Russia and China might be ready to step in if Israel starts feeling frisky about using its nuclear weapons.
That’s what we all would hope for. When the psychopathic and traumatized children start threatening the planet, the adult civilizations will step in and save the entire kindergarten.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 20 2024 23:57 utc | 145

And to all who wonder about Russia intervening in the West, that General Dynamics munitions factory probably didn’t just catch on fire within a week of the sole 155mm shell factory in the UK exploding.
I don’t believe in coincidences. Your mileage may vary.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 20 2024 23:59 utc | 147

without harming civilians
Posted by: Framarz | Apr 20 2024 19:21 utc | 99
Ha ha ha. NOTHING the US MIC makes works without harming civilians.
It’s almost as if blood sacrifice is required to make their tech work.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 0:30 utc | 149

Pepe spins an interesting story. Plausible and implausible. One jet , why not give it a try, if it worked there’s a huge hole in all electronic defences not easily patched.
Posted by: Hankster | Apr 20 2024 18:26 utc | 90
If I wanted “plausible” I’d have changed f35 to Dolphin nuclear submarine and spun a tale about Izzrael sending a nuclear missile via sea launch which was intercepted by the Americans.
Which raises the question:
If izzrael did indeed decide on a nuclear attack why didn’t they use their much vaunted nuclear subs?

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 0:36 utc | 151

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 0:30 utc | 148

Hey Arch, you should consider a copyright notice under your comments. The Persian version of one of your comments (A: … I punch you in exactly 20 seconds) has gone viral in Iran without your nickname on it. Since Persian social networks are also connected to Arabic and Turkish networks (family connections), I assume your artwork gonna be viral in West Asia within a week or two.

Posted by: Framarz | Apr 21 2024 0:44 utc | 153

All of that nicely fits in and is supposed to inform us that the Zionists are a force to be reckoned with, not underestimated or ridiculed. That is why no one has the guts (or balls) to openly expose what really happened (except P. Escobar).
Posted by: JB | Apr 20 2024 21:07 utc | 121
Or, Pepe is being played by a “source” who’s sole job is to slip key pieces of misinformation into the media stream via normally trusted sources.
This is how intel agencies work.
There are those who tell nine truths for no other reason than to tell one lie …

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 0:50 utc | 155

That’s where the failure in your understanding occurs. It’s not the policies of Arab states that count. As Hamas has shown.
Posted by: laguerre | Apr 20 2024 16:55 utc | 62
How does this change the fact that the two state solution will fail in all it’s transformations?

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 1:00 utc | 157

Komarov | Apr 21 2024 0:26 utc | 147–
Thanks for your addition to the discourse. IMO, you are close to correct are bears echoing as it’s very close to what I mused about when the Zionists vowed to retaliate and Biden said “count us out”:
“From a strategic point of view a nuke, especially an EMP nuke or even a symbolic explosion would make a lot of “sense”: after the Iran attack it would be the only possibility to regain dominance against a heavily armed adversary with a hair trigger, it would be the only possible attack where Iran would think twice before it retaliates. It would establish the game of MAD which, in the long run, is the only possibility for Israel to exist.
“The question is: is Israel really desperate enough to pull this off? I personally think yes, it is.”
The “toys” remark from Iran takes on a whole different angle. Also, if correct, the Zionists now know they have a mole, perhaps several. Also, as far as I’m aware, Zionist nukes are all in the form of gravity bombs, but that’s old intel.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 21 2024 1:03 utc | 159

Ugh. I feel bad about posting Pepe Escobars tweet.
One rebuttal that the engineer types here might appreciate is from Cirno of Don bass.
“Pepe Escobar has spread a rumour given to him by an “Asian source” (read: disguised Israelis :)) making the Israel’s virtual attack on Iran as real as it can possibly be:
A nuclear EMP attack carried out using, reportedly, a single F-35.
Is this true? No. I’ll explain why. /🧵”
It’s several tweets long
here

Posted by: Laura Roslin | Apr 21 2024 1:41 utc | 161

Subject to being an idiot here goes…
1. The US EMP rocket in question as referenced by the Daily Mail has been public knowledge since about 2016 and is tiny and non-nuclear. It is as far as is known/understood (at least by me, so apply salt) directional (think EMP going/expanding in a line rather than an orb) and only able to hit a very small area/specific target such as a building.
Not secret 😛 and anything being below mountains would tend to offer great natural protection against an EMP because it would be weakened and dissipated by a lot of mass, some of which would soak the electromagnetic energy up.
As an illustration think of trying to use a fridge magnet to hold up a paper on the opposite side of the fridge from the magnet.
😀
2. F-35 is a very limited launch platform and when it comes to nukes one has to ask what kind of specific nuke it is supposed to be carrying because within the US and NATO it is supposedly only able to carry a very specific one; the same that F-16‘s etc. can carry. If that is not the nuclear weapon it is supposed to be carrying then it would have to be something bespoke to “Israel”, such details are needed to lend basic credibility to the claim.
By the way to the best of my knowledge (and I’m not omniscient so maybe I’m wrong but…) the ordinary F-35/F-16 nukes can ___not___ be used for atmospheric EMP.
3. Humor in a bleak world.
Radioactive oil and gas… that would be nasty since the exhaust would be equally radioactive.
Possibly a good basis for a dystopian satire since there’s no way people are ever going to stop burning it.
What? Someone has got to write the plot-lines for the future policies of deranged politicians! It can’t just be rehashes of 1984 or whatever for eternity, everyone gets bored of that 😛
There’s even something similar that almost happened when irradiated metal got confiscated from someone who tried to export it. The origin was the general vicinity of Chernobyl in what’s now ex-Ukraine (maybe as long as a decade ago, time flies). At least that was what someone claimed in some newspapers/media. No idea where that scrounged metal ended up, it was headed for foreign scrap merchants.
· · · · · · · · ·
Have a nice weekend! 🙂
Here’s some more Baeolophus (titmouse) 😀
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titmouse
Everyone loves tits and boobies 🙂
You all know boobies right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booby
Although (beyond my adoration of the crow family) I have a special fondness for “ordinary” grey sparrows (since I mostly grew up in an European city).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_sparrow
I love dinosaurs 😉 (even seagulls!).

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Apr 21 2024 1:48 utc | 163

And lol at titmouses 3D image joke 😀 (I know the kind you’re talking about, they’re painful but I did see a shark once!).

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Apr 21 2024 1:52 utc | 165

karlof1 @ 29
Pepe’s reporting what his source told him, and the possibility of that scenario is very credible, IMO, given the Zionist’s level of craziness.
I have to agree. Israels’ leadership is deeply divided. There are factions with differenet national views of interests in the Mossad and other intelligence agencies in Israel. They have open contacts with many different national intelligence services.
One faction could have asked the Russians to intervene and take out the F-35. It is plausible. A short sharp shock to take out the gird in Iran and set them back into the stone age for a decade.
The crazies are in control.
Israel’s War Leaders Don’t Trust One Another

Posted by: circumspect | Apr 21 2024 2:09 utc | 167

Regarding Pepe Escobar’s post about an Israeli F-35 with a nuclear weapon/EMP over Iran:
Why an F-35?
Stealth?
Then you’re limited to a weapon that can be carried in its internal weapons bay.
We are now talking about an ASAT-type weapon—a missile launched from a plane that can make it to outer space.
(Anti-Satellite=ASAT)
Israel has no such weapon.
And if it did, it couldn’t fit in the internal weapons bay of an F-35.
Now, if Pepe had said that the aircraft was an F-15, we could entertain such a possibility, especially when including the need for externally mounting this weapon.
But he said F-35.
This kills the story right off the bat.
But, just playing along, let’s assume the Israelis built an ASAT-type weapon that could fit into the internal weapons bay of an F-35, or—just spitballing here—the Israelis decided to forego any effort of stealth and mount the missile externally, like the Russian Kinzhal/Mig-31 duo.
What size warhead could it carry?
The AIR-2 Genie air-to-air missile had a 1.5 kiloton warhead.
Why is this important?
Most Cold War EMP scenarios envisioned weapons of yields between 1 and 10 megatons.
The size of a warhead deliverable into outer space from an F-35 platform would be very small.
Without getting into the physics of nuclear weapons design/gamma ray generation potential, any realistic nuclear warhead that could fit on a missile deliverable into space by an F-35 would be of a very small yield.
As such, the size of the territory adversely impacted by the EMP produced would be very small.
As such, the scenario postulated by Pepe Escobar’s source is extremely risk averse, with little or no meaningful impact.
In short, it doesn’t make sense, even if it was able to be carried out, which it isn’t.

Posted by: Turk 152 | Apr 21 2024 2:27 utc | 169

Well after following the link in Laura Roslin | Apr 21 2024 1:41 utc # 160 to a twitter page by Korobochka right here I’m certain that the incident outlined by escobar never happened.
After I posted the doubts above which I found posted under escobar’s tweet, I decided to do some basic research and see what I could learn this F 35 fact sheet told me that the F 35’s ceiling was indeed 15,000 metres. More importantly the searching I did on EMP’s suggested that the optimum ceiling for an EMP strike was far higher than the 25,000 metres in the tweet it was about 200 miles or approx 320,000 metres and I see Korobochka says “You must first detonate the nuclear bomb well into the ionosphere (60km+)”.
As he also says why go to all the trouble of sending a single airplane which would be unlikely to reach the target, was far too low and wouldn’t be effective when the zionist entity has Jericho III rockets with a max range of 4500 kilometres and would be far less likely to be intercepted and can carry a payload sufficient to do the job as the 600 kg payload of an F 35 would be insufficient to have an effect.
The rest of the explanation about minimum requirements for a successful EMP attack is too complex for a simplemind such as mine so if you are interested in learning more I suggest you follow the link to Korobochka’s post above as he also tells us why he believes the entire hoax was a zionist psyop.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Apr 21 2024 2:44 utc | 171

Not one penny of assistance for the Texas national guard and THP and Texas Rangers fighting the Texas border invasion by ten million illegal aliens………
This is a complete deep state, neo con WEC globalist, GW sellout of $60 B to the Ukrainian Nazi Army…….
Time for MTG to vacate Mike Johnson, who now no more than Volo private DC stooge…..

Posted by: Tobias Cole | Apr 21 2024 2:47 utc | 173

Posted by: Debsisdead | Apr 21 2024 2:44 utc | 170
He gets to the EMP part – an explanation of a ‘traditional’ approach with a high yield thermonuclear explosion in the ionosphere several posts/tweets down. While I do agree with a lot of his logic and reasoning, I think, as posted just above, that the whole “nuclear” part is what’s causing so much static and skepticism. There’s no effing way the Israelis sent a single F-35 to somehow put a high yield nuke in the ionosphere to create an EMP attack. I would add to his reasoning that Iran is a very large and spread out country, meaning population and communications/utility networks over a large geographic area.
That said:
https://science.howstuffworks.com/e-bomb3.htm
There are other means of carrying out EMP attacks, albeit on a smaller scale than using a nuke high above the Earth. So taking Pepe’s main story at face value, discounting the nuclear aspect, it’s entirely possible in my mind that the Israelis might try to use one of these newer, still somewhat experimental devices (like a flux compression generator bomb (FCG) – article above explains the basic sequence of events)to take out a smaller portion of Iran’s grids and comms. Even as a test run. If it coincided with the rest of the “quadcopter” drone attack that was shot down by Iran (any word on debris, BTW?) it’s at least conceivable, in no small part due to known Israeli hubris.
The US has been testing some of the microwave type devices as well.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a40516461/navy-air-force-missile-will-microwave-enemy-electronics/
I do hope we get a dispositive answer on this soon. Could just be a yarn, or an Israeli-planted psyop. But then, doesn’t that mean Pepe can no longer trust his source; someone it seems he trusts quite a bit?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 21 2024 2:57 utc | 175

If Pepe had just refrained from the use of the word “nuclear” and simply said that a high powered EMP type device was the payload, with the goal of knocking out communications and thereby the electricity grid, etc. would it really have been so hard to believe?
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 21 2024 2:46 utc | 171
It would have been even harder to believe.
The problem is that EMP is extremely difficult to generate a) across a wide area and b) in a targeted, directional way.
– The only thing capable of generating EMP powerful to knock out systems over a territory the size of Iran is a nuclear device.
– The EMP is produced as a secondary result of the nuclear explosion.
– An even more destructive Electro-Static Field is produced orthogonal to the EMP. It is even harder to direct.
The problem then is to produce a nuclear explosion large enough to produce even more massive secondary effects that would not also knock out every American base/carrier (and those of it’s allies) in the region.
The corresponding nuclear explosion will have to be incredibly powerful just to produce an EMP (or ESP) powerful enough to knock out hardened electronics buried under meters of rock.
At that scale, EMP and ESP are the least of your worries 🙂
At that scale, Iran will not be the only country impacted.
You need more than an F35 to do this: You need something like the Russian Tupolev Tu-160 to cater the goodies for a party of this size.
If you wanted to generate an EMP without nuclear explosion as the driving force you’re going to need a power station the size of the Large Hadron Collider.
Obviously that won’t fit on an F35.

DISCLAIMER:
I received my entire military education at MoA and from a cranky old Russian YouTuber. Consume at your own risk.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 3:06 utc | 177

Israeli Drone attack on Isfahan
Israel found a unique yet typically Middle Eastern solution to the conundrum of how to carry out their threat of retaliating against Iran’s missile attack of 13 January, which both avoided World War III and yet “saved face” for Israel by retaliating with a few pin prick done attacks on Isfahan in Iran.
These drone attacks did no significant harm to Iran, yet Israel preserved “face” by retaliating. At the same time, this drone attack was so mild, that Iran is now constrained not to carry out its threat of a second more powerful missile attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, the genocide against the Palestines continues unabated.

Posted by: Alchemist | Apr 21 2024 3:13 utc | 179

Addendum to Arch Bungle:
“- The only thing capable of generating EMP powerful to knock out systems over a territory the size of Iran is a nuclear device.”
That’s another wrong assumption people are making here: That Israel was attempting to knock out systems over the entirety of Iran.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 21 2024 3:16 utc | 181

Lmao at pepe fanboys twisting themselves into pretzels trying to defend this idiot. First it was “someone hacked his account”, then came “it’s satire”, now it’s “The evil jews” planted a source to make him look stupid. Kek, no, idiots, pepe has always been a problematic source of info who most often writes fanciful drivel about what he wants as opposed what is. Occasionally we get stories like this one that would cause the total loss of credibility for a real journalist. That’s why even other alt news people like George Szamuely don’t take him seriously anymore.

Posted by: Tranny Cirillo | Apr 21 2024 3:21 utc | 183

Larry Johnson questions Pepe’s story
Johnson thinks Russia would not have entered US controlled air space due to previous “deconfliction” agreements. Here’s an excerpt and the link.
“I am certain that Pepe is reporting accurately what his source told him. The problem I have is with the source. I don’t know if the source genuinely believes this or was asked to circulate it as a story. I see one big problem with the source’s account. It is this:
… As the Israeli F-35 was leaving Jordanian airspace it was shot down by the Russian Air Force.
An F-35 leaving Jordanian airspace would be crossing into Syria or Iraq. Those areas are under the control of the United States. My understanding is that after the Russians intervened in Syria in September 2015, the U.S. Commander of AFCENT, based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, started communicating on a daily basis with his Russian counterpart in Syria in order to deconflict U.S. and Russian air operations. All of this is done from the CAOC aka Combined Air Operations Center.”
https://sonar21.com/pepe-escobar-ignites-social-media/
I have grown a bit skeptical of Escobar. His stories seem a bit more ampt up than they were a few years back, sometimes he reminds me of Tom Friedman, too much word play, lots of metaphors mixed into his stories, maybe I’m not that smart. When he released this latest story and called for Sy Hersch to help him out it felt like he was trying to break into the big leagues. (Hersch is losing credibility too, seems like he’s being played).
bottom line…ease up on the anonymous intel sources. Too many stories, lots of ambitious story tellers. Give me a Mohammed Mirandi, Lavrov, Alastair Crooke.

Posted by: migueljose | Apr 21 2024 3:27 utc | 185

RE: “I received my entire military education at MoA and from a cranky old Russian YouTuber. Consume at your own risk.”
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 21 2024 3:06 utc | 176
LOL. Well, my Youube go-to suggests nothing so elaborate needed for a small localized target. But, he’s young, American and only sorta cranky. So…?

Posted by: Trubind1 | Apr 21 2024 3:31 utc | 187

RE: Posted by: migueljose | Apr 21 2024 3:27 utc | 184
I support the validation of sources you cited. Larry is a reasonable analyst, and makes very accurate analysis at times, but he honestly, doesn’t do his research enough. If he did, he would see that every other day or so in TASS the violations of US per the “de-confliction” agreement is noted, how, when and precisely the number of times that day. The US does NOT control all of Syrian air space. And Russia is past the point of concerning itself with “agreements” with “agreement incapable West.” Larry needs to occasionally break from the YouTube circuit, and catch up on his own research before leaping to analysis. There’s the “Russia” of 2022, and the “Russia” of 2024.
I agree that Pepe is more “amped up” than usual. This is a depth frankly, that Pepe doesn’t usually wade into. He’s all about BRICS, and the “multi polar world” and for at least 3-5 years that I know of, is basically geopolitical in the cultural and financial arena, not the “warfare” arena. So, no idea why the publishing of such an astounding “story”. Guessing he was put up to it, maybe by Sy Hersh. Maybe other contacts (Indonesia?).

Posted by: Trubind1 | Apr 21 2024 4:00 utc | 189

stephen bryen, asia times article.. april 20… i can’t vouch for what he says..
Israel’s attack on Iran: what we know so far

Posted by: james | Apr 21 2024 4:43 utc | 191

Note: I am not calling for rebellion or violence, which is pointless in the big picture.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 21 2024 3:02 utc | 175
To which ‘big picture’ do you refer? The big picture of history shows that rebellion and violence is a critical part of serious systemic change.
Better to say, ‘I am not calling for rebellion or violence NOW, it would be premature.’ The truth value of even that depends a lot on where in the world you happen to be. In Haiti, for example, this is a time for rebellion and violence.

Posted by: Honzo | Apr 21 2024 4:58 utc | 193

bottom line…ease up on the anonymous intel sources. Too many stories, lots of ambitious story tellers. Give me a Mohammed Mirandi, Lavrov, Alastair Crooke.
Posted by: migueljose | Apr 21 2024 3:27 utc | 184
Word!
Bears repeating.I’d add Chas Freeman, Murray Craig, Galloway, Bradrakumar. But even then, if the “news” is breaking, a rhyming Russian proverb comes in handy.
“Trust, but verify”.
Cheers

Posted by: Suresh | Apr 21 2024 5:32 utc | 195

Thanks Sunny Runny Burger! Boobies! =) Our eyes are up here. 😉
/cheep cheep
And thank you to lex talionis for the recommendation on Michel Houellebecq. He sounds like a hoot and a half. I’d probably have to have my corvus buddies explain it to me, after their cigarettes and coffee.
/le cheep
Ornot, I really liked what you wrote. Please share more. 🙂 Life’s complicated, so you’re right, you got to stop at times and enjoy the garden. I will poop on your flowers to help your garden grow strong. 😀
/poop of helpful contribution
/cheep
As for Pepe, I like him! 🙂 But sources being rumors is always a risk. Trust me, as part of the Little Bird Network, some of us are lying mofos and will cut a bitch for some seed. 😉 At this point, I’d leave it at rumor and access meanwhile return attention to Gaza (which is probably what Iran’s patience is hoping popular opinion will do).
/flies away

Posted by: titmouse | Apr 21 2024 5:55 utc | 197

Is is possilbe?
Electronics-killing EMP weapons for combat aircraft is focus of $15 million contract to Raytheon
I remember reading anaylists think they were mistaken in the thinking the low yields of some North Korean tests were a failure. They re-concluded that energy was or may have been directed towards an EMP effect.
Super-EMP weapons are typically small, lightweight, and low-yield (designed to emit enhanced gamma rays not make a big explosion) and could fit within North Korea’s KMS-3 and KMS-4 satellites; or be delivered against the U.S. by North Korean ICBMs; or be delivered against Japan, Guam, or the Philippines by North Korean IRBMs or MRBMs like the Nodong; or against South Korea by a wide array of North Korean SRBMs. Super-EMP weapons generate extraordinarily powerful EMP fields, potentially 100 kilovolts/meter or higher, greatly exceeding the U.S. military HEMP hardening standard 50 kilovolts/meter. U.S. civilian critical infrastructures like the national electric power grid, that are indispensable to U.S. military power projection capabilities, are unprotected against HEMP. According to North Korea state media, their September 2017 H-bomb is also a Super-EMP weapon: “The H-bomb, the explosive power of which is adjustable from tens of kilotons to hundreds of kilotons, is a multifunctional thermonuclear nuke with great destructive power which can be detonated at high altitudes for super-powerful EMP according to strategic goals.” Immediately following their September 2017 H-bomb test, North Korea published a technical report “The EMP Might of Nuclear Weapons” accurately describing a Super-EMP nuclear weapon.
North Korea’s Capabilities for Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack
Some laugh at this stuff, some take is seriously. Did they come up with something deliverable by an aircraft? Maybe a nice little test on an area in a most hated country? I would put nothing past these madmen.

Posted by: circumspect | Apr 21 2024 6:01 utc | 199