Big Sigh

this >>>

The New York Times report on the rescued US airman falsely implies local Iranians aided him. I asked Julian Barnes, co-author of the report, what the evidence was for this. His Response: 'Oh, Iranians didn't assist the airman. This was speculation "from our Iran experts." (The article never clarifies that this was pure speculation, without any evidence; it has not been edited to indicate that in Barnes's own assessment the airman was not assisted by local Iranians; and it is being used to manufacture consent for this war, based on the conspiracy theory that 'Iranians want this.' Do better, @nytimes. Very disappointing.)

Thoughts from a retired Special Operations Officer. Though I am not an aircraft surgeon, nor a Coniurationis Fautor, I have some thoughts that may be on interest, presented in three points, a conclusion, and a hypothesis, regarding the US rescue operation in Iran, with consideration to the photos of the aircraft used. I have flown on the C-130H and the MC-130J in training and in combat, to include static line airborne operations, Military Freefall (HALO) operations, and combat infiltration and exfiltration in austere environs, such as the Kobani Landing Zone (KLZ) in Northeast Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve. Point one: it is important to note that the aircraft used in this operation were NOT the standard C-130 Hercules model, which have 4-blade, steel propellers (see picture #2). The fixed-wing aircraft used were the MC-130J, Commando II, operated by the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command for clandestine operations. The MC-130J uses six-bladed Dowty R391 composite propellers (see picture #1). These blades are constructed from composite materials, specifically featuring a carbon fiber structure rather than the metal (aluminum) used on older C-130 models. Point two: carbon fiber does not melt in the traditional sense, as it does not turn into a liquid. However, the resin matrix holding the fibers does melt and become viscous. Point three: Steel/aluminum blades snap and break. MC-130J R391 blades shatter and can melt. The images we see from the destroyed aircraft (picture #6) show 6 blades. Therefore, these are the MC-130J Dowty blades (they can melt). And as you can see in picture 4 and 5, when not melted, but rather broken, they shred and snap. They do not bend. As you can see from the steel/aluminum variant on the C-130H model, the blades snap and break and bend, they do not shatter or melt. Conclusion: To declare that the aircraft "definitely" were shot down based on the "bent" propellers is false. Could the aircraft have been shot down? Yes. Could the aircraft have been shot down AND the blades melted in the extreme heat of the fire from the BIP (blown in place)? Yes. Both can be true. But it can also be true that the aircraft was not shot down, nor crash landed, and the propellers do indicate burning and melting, not a crash. Hypothesis: The rescue operation expanded to become the desired Delta Force, JSOC, SOF, ST-6 high-risk operation to ALSO seize the uranium in Iran; hence the need for so many operators, support, aircraft, etc. This WAS intended to be that operation. It failed. So what happened to the aircraft. I do not believe that they were "stuck". I have seen MC-130Js plow through dirt, mud, snow, gravel, etc. I doubt they were stuck. It is more likely that the aircraft took hits upon entry and also likely took hits and damage while on the ground at the hasty FARP at the old airfield in Isfahan, "conveniently" close to where the suspected uranium may have been stored. Lesson: A ground war into Iran will be very costly and will be a tactical, operational, and strategic failure (Clausewitz).

@varrock @calvinfroedge distract Iran at the south end while they try to grab the uranium 200 miles to the north

@calvinfroedge why would Iran go along with it being a rescue then?

The autists always win. Simplicus says the burnt out wreckage had nothing to do with an F15 pilot rescue, says the geolocated wreckage is hundreds of kilometers from the F15 crash. The whole thing was a ruse / cover to try to do a Maduro style grab and go op in Isfahan.

@Minhakiira @calvinfroedge @SerkanTheWriter yep a bunch of accounts have been talking about this since mid morning, that they were up by the nuke site, not where the plane crashed

@calvinfroedge @SerkanTheWriter Another post saying similar things x.com/rdd147/status/…

People like Sarah Longwell (& Liz effing Cheney) DISAGREED with Kamala on 80% of policy. But they recognized the danger of Trump, put that aside, & endorsed. People like Hasan Piker (& Rashida Tlaib) AGREED with her on 80% but couldn’t be adults. Who’s earned our thanks here?

@michaeldweiss And how did the WSO walk 150 miles to get to the mountain top? because F-15 went down by the gulf coast

Details about the rescue op for the U.S. Weapon Systems Officer, via a U.S. military official: "The mountain top area on the left is where the WSO was hiding (he ejected 5ish miles northwest of there). The right area is the makeshift landing strip where they landed 2 C-130s and had 4 MH-6 Little Birds. "One Little Bird flew to that mountain top area and rescued the WSO and brought him back to the landing strip. And of course the two C-130s' nose gears got stuck in the dirt. So after a few hours they had to bring in three AFSOC Dash-8s to fly out the rescued WSO and the 100 or so personnel involved in the op." 1/2

@_PA_KAG_girl @vancemurphy Hello Cheryl. He's lying to you. He doesn't read books, other than Hitler's book of speeches. Yesterday was 2 missions, a small one that got the WSA out, and a second one that failed as they attempted to get the Uranium.

@vancemurphy You sound like a real war strategist. Look up what Trump learned from John Bolton (it's a funny story), then read 'The Art of War' to understand what he's doing. The fog of war isnot understood by most.

I’m a 6 time Trump voter. I have devoted thousands of hours to defending him and helping him get elected… That being said: Invoke the 25th and let’s try to salvage anything we can from this disaster. America first.

@CollinRugg LOL that's total bullshit. you people are so gullible. the whole story makes no sense. it's obvious there were 2 separate missions, one got the WSA out, and the other is a botched attempt to get the uranium

NEW: The rescued F-15 crew member said “God is Good” over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft over Iran, according to Axios. Here are remarkable new details about the rescue, according to Axios: - The rescued crew member is religious. - The crew member survived more than 24 hours in the mountains while wounded. - 200 soldiers from special operations units participated in the rescue. - The F-15 was shot down with a shoulder-fired missile. - “Thousands of these savages were hunting him down,” Trump said. - The officer hid in a crevice in the mountain and was found thanks to U.S. technology. - The officer said “God is good” after ejecting. - “The two crew members were spread apart by a couple miles. Hundreds of IRGC soldiers were everywhere,” a defense official said. “The C.I.A. initiated a deception campaign to try to confuse Iranian forces, and convince them the airman had already been rescued and was moving out of the country in a ground convoy,” the NYT reported. The airman reportedly evaded Iranian forces by hiking up a 7,000-foot ridgeline. “U.S. attack aircraft dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys to keep them away from the area where the airman was hiding,” the NYT continued. “In a final twist after the weapons officer was rescued, two transport planes that would carry the commandos and the airmen to safety got stuck at a remote base in Iran.” “Commanders decided to fly in three new planes to extract all the U.S. military personnel and the airman, and they blew up the two disabled planes rather than have them fall into Iranian hands.”

@HughMusicBen @TheOmniLiberal and which electable candidates can you show us

@TheOmniLiberal You have supported the super electable candidates like Hillary and Kamala very good track records

Don't worry, we already knew that. Socialists/commies will never support anyone who's electable. This is why it's better to turn out your base and appeal to the moderate elements of your base (something most Dem voters prefer anyway) rather than the fringe, weirdo margins who only support candidates with no chance of winning elections.

@magi_jay @BriannaWu @jaketapper he's clearly lost some of his cognitive ability. it's not a stammer, he said stupid things like that he "finally beat medicare" - it was shocking actually

@BriannaWu @jaketapper Joe Biden isn't senile. That's an objective fact. Whether he should have run in 2024 is a different question. But if you say he's senile when he's not, you're contributing to the disinfo atmosphere as much as anyone else.

Really astonished by the hostility I’m getting from Democrats over this. I really encourage you to read @jaketapper’s book “Original Sin.” We can’t win elections if we don’t honestly assess why we lose them and don’t repeat mistakes. Beau’s death shattered Biden and accelerated his senility. And the power structure around Biden, dependent on him for their careers, gave him false information about his chances to win. I love our party. I want us to win 2028. Actually because I’m a trans woman I’m fairly sure I will have no future in this country if we don’t. We can’t just blame the voters. It’s our responsibility to put forward a winning candidate and a winning message.

Carbon capture is the Theranos of climate tech. I back nuclear and renewables that actually protect wildlife instead of these accounting scams.

Among the material pulled from the Holocaust Museum's website were teaching materials about the parallels between Nazism and Jim Crow and a conversation between a Holocaust Survivor and a woman whose father was lynched in Alabama.

I very commonly try and explain to non-Americans to get them to understand how much of our country is just a sparse Taliban-like faction radically upset they can’t build cities because their kids keep leaving for modern civilization.

Stop trying to rewrite history. Both Fetterman and Sinema were the Leftist choice and of course they turned out to be freaks. Everything the Far Left touches rots the brain. Even Tulsi Gabbard was once on your side and now she is MAGA.

@aliasvaughn there's another shot of him walking into the club in that outfit. makes sense that he would ditch church to play golf instead

Sorry, I don’t believe this is a new photo

@PeteHegseth God doesn't exist and you aren't a Godly man in any case.

God is good.

@jossyoursalad69 they never did. if you want one you ask for it and pay for it. it's not a standard covered item

Has anyone else noticed that doctors will never order a full vitamin + mineral panel these days? I asked for one and the results came back and they only tested a select few vitamins- not all of them. I remember this being part of a routine annual checkup back in the good old days

Reporters are happy to sit idly by while the world burns so long as they stay on Trump's good side and he keeps them on his speed dial.

@MattWallace888 his easer message was using the f bomb on Iran. He's not a christian you dufus. he hates religion.

7pm and still no Easter message from President Trump. Am legitimately starting to worry.

@HarmlessHQ LOL those burned up planes are a failed attempt to set up a forward base and go get the uranium. they have nothing to do with the rescue.

Some people are confused and questioning why Trump spent over $600 million dollars just to rescue 1 airman. But this is not about the money; it's about the intent and what was at stake. If Trump had failed to evacuate the airman safely, it will bring America to international ridicule. And through that safe evacuation, Trump sent a strong signal to the US army - we're with you and no matter the circumstances; we'll come for you. These are the kind of soldiers you pray never to fight against. Because they're ready to risk it all for their country. And through that safe evacuation, Trump just reminded not just Iran but the entire world, what the US Special Forces are capable of. FAFO.