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[smjjames]

I'll give you three guesses as to who investigators believe planted the fake news behind the Quatar crisis.

*ba**ding**tish*

The Russians are believed to be behind the fake news in Qatar.

I wonder if Trump even knows he fell for the bait.... Trumps impulsivity is working to their advantage.

Man, the whole Russia meddling and fake news meddling is blurring the lines between the AmeriPol thread and, well, pretty much every other region politics related thread.

[Strife26]

I'll give you three guesses as to who investigators believe planted the fake news behind the Quatar crisis.

*ba**ding**tish*

The Russians are believed to be behind the fake news in Qatar.

I wonder if Trump even knows he fell for the bait.... Trumps impulsivity is working to their advantage.

Man, the whole Russia meddling and fake news meddling is blurring the lines between the AmeriPol thread and, well, pretty much every other region politics related thread.

Rammstien- Amerika
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr8ljRgcJNM

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika ist wunderbar
We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika, Amerika
Wenn getanzt wird, will ich führen,
Auch wenn ihr euch alleine dreht,
Lasst euch ein wenig kontrollieren,
Ich zeige euch wie's richtig geht
Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,
Die Freiheit spielt auf allen Geigen,
Musik kommt aus dem Weißen Haus,
Und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus
We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika ist wunderbar
We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika, Amerika
Ich kenne Schritte, die sehr nützen,
Und werde euch vor Fehltritt schützen,
Und wer nicht tanzen will am Schluss,
Weiß noch nicht das er Tanzen muss
Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,
Ich werde Euch die Richtung zeigen,
Nach Afrika kommt Santa Claus,
Und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus

[Playergamer]

holy fuck that's fun.

so look up "sources say" and check how many of those articles are anti-trump.

i don't even support the guy but he's living rent-free in their anonymous heads.

[martinuzz]

My newspaper's embedded journalist in Iran, Thomas Erdbrink, reports that armed men have attacked the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Khomeini. At least 4 attackers opened fire inside the parliament, and another 4 opened fire at the mausoleum.
According to press agency Tasnim, one security guard was killid in parliament, and 4 others wounded.
At the mausoleum, an unknown number of people were injured. There's also people saying there was a suicide bomb detonation at the mausoleum.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/gewapende-mannen-vallen-iraans-parlement-en-mausoleum-khomeini-aan~a4499394/

Update: 7 dead confirmed in parliament, hostage situation ongoing

[Sheb]

holy fuck that's fun.

so look up "sources say" and check how many of those articles are anti-trump.

i don't even support the guy but he's living rent-free in their anonymous heads.

Is it surprising?

A) Trump is an idiot. There is much more anti-Trump that pro-Trump thing to be said. (Even pro-Trump usually mean "Hey, he beat our expectation by behaving like a totally average president").

B) You will want to be off the record when criticizing your boss, less so when praising him.

[martinuzz]

IS has claimed the attacks in Iran. Hostage situation still ongoing.

[Antioch]

I mean they *are* trying to improve their non-oil economy. No idea if they're *succeeding* mind you, but one of the close royal family (by their definition, considering they switch the crown through brothers before going to the next generation, a cousin actually matters, but I'm not sure of his relation to the current King) made expanding the non-oil economy and making an actual base of knowledge and infrastructure one of his pet concerns.

Again, no idea how well that's *working* but someone of influence and in ministerial position of power is actually trying.

Yeah I exaggerated a little, but their attempts are not working very well. Similar to their military adventures so far.

Lol, a large part of their non oil exports is actually oil based chemical industry.

[smjjames]

My newspaper's embedded journalist in Iran, Thomas Erdbrink, reports that armed men have attacked the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Khomeini. At least 4 attackers opened fire inside the parliament, and another 4 opened fire at the mausoleum.
According to press agency Tasnim, one security guard was killid in parliament, and 4 others wounded.
At the mausoleum, an unknown number of people were injured. There's also people saying there was a suicide bomb detonation at the mausoleum.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/gewapende-mannen-vallen-iraans-parlement-en-mausoleum-khomeini-aan~a4499394/

Update: 7 dead confirmed in parliament, hostage situation ongoing

I wonder if they'll request joining in on the attack on Raqqa, if this doesn't make them go all in, don't know what will.

[martinuzz]

Iran says that the fact that IS claimed the attack is proof that Saudi Arabia is responisble for it.
12 people died and dozens of people were injured in the attacks.

"This attack happened exacly a week after the meeting between Trump and the retarded (Saudi) leaders that support terrorism. The fact that IS claimed responsability is proof of their (the retarded (Saudi) leaders') involvement", it says in a written statement by the Revolutionary Guard.

[smjjames]

Iran says that the fact that IS claimed the attack is proof that Saudi Arabia is responisble for it.
12 people died and dozens of people were injured in the attacks.

"This attack happened exacly a week after the meeting between Trump and the retarded (Saudi) leaders that support terrorism. The fact that IS claimed responsability is proof of their (the retarded (Saudi) leaders') involvement", it says in a written statement by the Revolutionary Guard.

Ah crap, this is gonna escalate now isn't it? Though technically they are correct because Saudi Arabia supports the whole wahhabism/salafism thing. It's a pretty dang convenient way for them to blame Saudi Arabia because it also happens to be correct.

[martinuzz]

Let's just hope it does not escalate into full scale war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
This attack is a pretty big thing though. The death toll might be average for current terrorism attack standards, but for it to happen in Iran is unheard of.
Since 1979, there haven't been any attacks on symbols of the establishment in the country.

[Descan]

Lol, a large part of their non oil exports is actually oil based chemical industry.

That's actually a pretty good thing for them. A large number of countries with vast resources are in shitty conditions, probably because they focus on just selling off their resources instead of investing into refining and processing those same resources. Which would give them a skilled workforce they can transfer into other refining and processing industries, which makes them less susceptible to resource pricing shifts. A mechanical engineer is a mech. engineer whether they're working on machines that refine oil or glass or metal or whatever else. With a little more training, they can shift into further afield industries that someone who's just been working on the oil rigs for 10 years would take a lot more training to do.

That, and even if and when we shift out of oil-based energy, we'll still probably use (what little is left) of the oil in the ground for chemical industry. Plastics, solvents, chemical reactants in general, etc.

AND the further into the chemical chain they travel, the more adaptable it is to different feedstocks. A chemical is a chemical regardless of the origin, but if your entire industry is focused on acquiring and refining the feedstock, then a shift to plant-based oils would be *very* difficult. But if your industry is more focused on processing the refined chemical output, then if the chemical output is the same as the oil-based chemicals, it's not as hard to shift to using those plant-based. For example.

[smjjames]

Additionally to everything else going on, the Kurds in Iraq are holding an independence referendum in September. I wonder who didn't see it coming? Either way, if it goes through with independence or not, the fact that they are even doing a referendum is going to rock geopolitics in the region. If they DO go through with independence, it'll have the effect of a megaquake on the geopolitics of the region because, well, for one, they have a LOT of oil that Iraq would rather keep (whether the Iraqis are in a condition to go to war with a newly independent Kurdistan is a consideration), then theres the ripple effects with Kurds in Syria and Turkey as they could attempt to join, and possibly Iranian Kurds.

edit1: Actually, it looks like the Iraqi government agreed to let them decide? edit2: It sort of sounds like they're doing it reluctantly, but are willing to abide it if their Kurdish brothers want to become independent. Their main reason for not wanting to do it right now is that it simply isn't the right time while the ISIS fight is raging.

[Erkki]

I'm not sure if the central government of Iraq has a choice. They're dependent on US and others' help, and they are barely in control of their country. Kurd areas are autonomous already and have been doing a better job surviving against IS and other groups.

[smjjames]

It's understandable that they'd rather do it when things have calmed down, but things don't seem to be calming down anytime soon.

Also, a Kurdistan would still have to export their oil to and through someone, Turkey would be hostile to them (because they don't want Kurds in Turkey to break off and join Kurdistan), no idea how they feel about Iran, so, that makes Iraq their most logical immediate trading partner. Heck, they probably already have trade agreements.

edit: Just realized I typo'd Kurdistan as Kudustan, lol.