chrisp65 Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 2 minutes ago, Genie said: There was a convoy of 3 helicopters, I guess other important government people were spread out amongst the other 2. Just unfortunate for the president it was his that crashed. I know the story will be patchy, but did you think it was odd that there were 3 in a convoy, but they needed the help of capernicus to find the missing one? I guess ‘convoy’ can be quite a loose term, and I also guess there would be security reasons for the helicopter not being traceable. Still, quite revealing about how fragile these states are, that have the oil money and resource to fight proxy wars, to put satellites in to space, to be advancing budget drone technology and all that. But can’t find their President in their own (admittedly quite large and empty) country. Feels like they’ve skipped some basic state building stages to try to jump straight to nuclear pariah state. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 17 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: I know the story will be patchy, but did you think it was odd that there were 3 in a convoy, but they needed the help of capernicus to find the missing one? I guess ‘convoy’ can be quite a loose term, and I also guess there would be security reasons for the helicopter not being traceable. I was imagining it like that thing Clarkson, Hammond and May used to do on Top Gear where one breaks down and the other 2 make a big point about leaving them and carrying on to their destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 1 minute ago, Genie said: I was imagining it like that thing Clarkson, Hammond and May used to do on Top Gear where one breaks down and the other 2 make a big point about leaving them and carrying on to their destination. The episode where they all have to buy a second hand Helicopter and dress it up in some way. Little Richard Hammond sniggling behind Clarkson because James ‘do the ayatollah’ May has twatted a cloudy mountain doing 160mph. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted May 20 Moderator Share Posted May 20 They say the "whirly bird crashes into the berm" don't they? or have I got confused? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Lifeboats Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 (edited) Iran's tribute to Birmingham Shitty. Flying high one minute......... "President. We are at 10,000 feet. Let Wayne pilot the chopper. We'll go even higher." Edited May 20 by Mandy Lifeboats Added details 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 A key figure responsible for the siutation in Gaza taken out. Just Netanyahu and Starmer to go. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bielesibub Posted May 20 Popular Post Share Posted May 20 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggpe3qj6wo Quote ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leaders The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas's leader in Gaza for war crimes. Karim Khan said there were reasonable grounds to believe that both men bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from at least 7 October 2023. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted May 20 VT Supporter Share Posted May 20 It won't come to anything, but it's the right decision. The Israelis spluttering with rage at the courts decision to go for them as well is particularly sweet. They can't stand that the world doesn't think they have a carte blanche to do whatever they want. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 45 minutes ago, Chindie said: It won't come to anything, but it's the right decision. The Israelis spluttering with rage at the courts decision to go for them as well is particularly sweet. They can't stand that the world doesn't think they have a carte blanche to do whatever they want. They have been outside the scope of international law since their formation so this won’t mean anything to them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishywashy Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 33 minutes ago, omariqy said: They have been outside the scope of international law since their formation so this won’t mean anything to them. Right on cue, the rules-based order that the West so loves to pretend it has mysteriously gains yet another exception Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto_Villan Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 It does seem like the right decision, yes, and the crimes in which the arrests are being sought aren’t the same for the Israelis as they are for Hamas so I don’t see any validity equivalency argument being put forward by the US / Israel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 Too soon ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 The 'butcher of Tehran' dead. I don't think anyone decent will be mourning his loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nor-Cal Villan Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 10 minutes ago, Xela said: The 'butcher of Tehran' dead. I don't think anyone decent will be mourning his loss. I immediately thought of this meme upon hearing the news 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted May 20 VT Supporter Share Posted May 20 (edited) 1 hour ago, Panto_Villan said: It does seem like the right decision, yes, and the crimes in which the arrests are being sought aren’t the same for the Israelis as they are for Hamas so I don’t see any validity equivalency argument being put forward by the US / Israel. I'm among the tiniest minority on VT in this, but I agree largely with Blinken's statement and the Biden administration's approach as a whole. Whether the charges are precisely the same or not doesn't reduce the implicit suggestion of a clear equivalency in the ICC's move to prosecute. It's a big, deliberate statement. I understand why the ICC prosecutors would feel the need to do that, but I don't agree with it. I condemn the reckless attacks on Gazans, but Hamas are terrorists. Edited May 20 by Marka Ragnos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 It’s always going to be difficult for a state that sends the madman his bombs, to condemn his bombing or his madness. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted May 20 VT Supporter Share Posted May 20 It's alright. America and the West generally will continue to cash in any moral soft power we have by simply refusing to acknowledge that wrong is wrong, because our 'friends' are doing it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto_Villan Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 7 minutes ago, Marka Ragnos said: I'm among the tiniest minority on VT in this, but I agree largely with Blinken's statement and the Biden administration's approach as a whole. Whether the charges are precisely the same or not doesn't reduce the implicit suggestion of a clear equivalency in the ICC's move to prosecute. It's a big, deliberate statement. I understand why the ICC prosecutors would feel the need to do that, but I don't agree with it. I condemn the reckless attacks on Gazans, but Hamas are terrorists. What would you say the alternatives are, though - just not charge them because what Hamas did was worse? I think the only reasonable course of action was to charge both. Remember this is just the ICC requesting that their judges consider whether an arrest warrant is deserved for the people involved. Even if you're pro-Israel you've got to admit there's at least a reasonable suspicion that the Israeli aid blockade was a deliberate choice that resulted in "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare", right? Particularly when the other Israeli charged, Gallant, is on record saying: "I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed." Seems like it'd be hard for the court to duck that one. Anyway, the rules of war generally take into account that you might be fighting some pretty unpleasant people (like Hamas), and that's why things like causing civilian casualties and bombing hospitals etc aren't necessarily always war crimes - in some situations they are permissable due to military considerations. But causing mass civilian starvation isn't permitted no matter who you are fighting, and the ICC wouldn't have brought the other charges unless they were reasonably confident they had a case against the Israelis. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 “Medical workers in Israel have told the BBC that Palestinian detainees from Gaza are routinely kept shackled to hospital beds, blindfolded, sometimes naked, and forced to wear nappies – a practice one medic said amounted to “torture”. A whistle-blower detailed how procedures in one military hospital were “routinely” carried out without painkillers, causing “an unacceptable amount of pain” to detainees.” (Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgygdr7vezo) ”But they started it!” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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