The Friday Round

Good morning Stroock's Books commune.

Yesterday's post was post number 4800. By our math post 5000 will be made on August 9th. [Is that a countdown?-Ed] No, it's a fact. 

The Times of Israel confirms that Will has the sight: 'Israeli fighter jets carried out a large drill over the Mediterranean that included practicing mid-air refueling, according to a report in a Saudi-run news outlet Thursday. The unverified report in London-based Elaph described air maneuvers on Thursday by “an unusually large” contingent of F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter craft, as well as Boeing mid-air refueling tankers, in what would likely be seen as a warning beacon to Iran amid Israeli threats to take military action in order to stop Tehran’s nuclear program. Shalom motherfuckers! A spokesmen from the PM's office said.'

[Will added that last bit-Ed]

The consequences of the regime's incompetence will be felt in the Middle East. When Jerusalem heard Joe's brain-melted 'minor incursion' murmur, Jerusalem surely concluded, 'Well fuck-all. We're just going to have to do this ourselves.' An admin filled with Obama junior varsity holdovers that has no problem with Soviet, sorry, Russian 'minor incursions' will have no problem with Iranian 'minor nukes'. 

A reader asked us about the planned World War 1990: Esercito Italiano. We've been teasing the Jugoslav civil war for several novels now and we do some serious scene setting in The Final Storm. Readers may assume that the events in our own 90's are accelerated by the Third World War and Jugoslavia has completely fallen apart by the end of 1991. Esercito Italiano will be about an outright invasion of the former Jugoslavio by the Italian army with some American help. Yes, we have an 'Italian guy' on standby for when we write Esercito Italiano. Exit question, should that be the next FORWARD World War 1990 novel?

Below, your Friday Flag, pre-emptive strike edition:

Will's Good Idea for the Week of 12/12/21

Hmmm...this morning we see lots of Swedish traffic to this blog. That can mean one of two things. People in Stockholm really like us, or Nightingale Russia! Yes, you guys anticipated our next move. A series of pro-Russian articles that the Kremlin can use to undermine American support for Ukraine. Nightingale Russia, that's sarcasm.

Because we were bored, we put three medieval warfare pieces up on Substack. One is free, the other two are behind the paywall. We will put up more medieval warfare pieces as time warrants. We are usually looking for something to do in the mid-afternoon, which is why we started this blog. That's it. That's Will's good idea for the week of 12/12/21.

Yesterday afternoon we cracked open World War 1990: The Weser and read the first two chapters. We found well written and edited chapters which introed the setting and characters. We were comforted but not at all surprised. Remember, we are among the best there is at what we do. 

The Jerusalem Post reports: 'Defense Minister Benny Gantz updated American officials that he has set a deadline for when the IDF will need to complete preparations for an attack against Iran. The Americans did not voice opposition to the Israeli preparations when presented with the date by Gantz on Thursday, a senior diplomatic source said the following day. “There was no veto,” the source said.' 

The Jew is brazen, no? Remember something about a potential conflict. There's all the stuff the Israelis have told us about; the assassinations, the document smuggling, the computer viruses, but there's also all the stuff we don't know about. The Imams are right. The Jew is clever. Final thought, as Jerry Springer used to say: Should the Israelis attack Iran, that lets us off the hook for writing a third Israel Strikes novel, no? [You're really keeping the important things in perspective -Ed]

Segwaying to potential war, let's pop over to Russia Today and see what's what...Not much going on. An article about the Ukrainian president, an article about the US sending missiles to Ukraine. If Russia goes silent about something, does that mean the crisis is cooling off or heating up. Kremlinologists? Anybody? Exit Sovietski question: can we start writing for Inforos again? 

Converging Israel, Russia and our own collusion now, our very own Inforos reports on last week's Israeli strike on Syria: 'This time, the Israeli Air Force missile strike hit the cargo platforms of the commercial sea port of Latakia in Syria's northwest. Local observers say there were several powerful explosions with a subsequent fire across a huge area following localized strikes on several dozen containers in the port. A container ship was also hit, suffering great damage.' Hmm, can't import stuff from Iran if your ports are destroyed. What day Israel's quasi war against Hezbollah and Iran in Syria will make a heck of a book. 

Qbert, Qbi Wan, Q-Gon? You tell me

Last night we dreamt we were on the Greg Gutfeld Show. Really. If only. 

No gym yesterday, the body needed a break. Today we do treadmill, rope pully, stair master, and rowing machine.

A distracted day of editing The Great Salvation of 1976. We are again pleased with progress though. We have Rockefeller out on tour and will today be writing a scene where he visits the new Federal Reserve in Chattanooga. More Matt scenes needed. Oh, one more barbeque crack from the Confederates and we're moving the Fed to Auburn, Bear Bryant gets on the President's Select Commission on Reconstruction, and Archie Manning dies a gruesome death. 

So let's say we get the two nuke novels done this year and then follow it up with The Final Storm (a certainty) and write The Weser this summer.* What are we doing in 2022? The third nuke novel, and another WW1990 novel or two. Or will it finally be time to branch out a bit? 

Israel National News reports that the Mullahs are humiliating Joe. Who isn't? But also, "Something is cooking between Israel and Saudi Arabia right now, and I'm saying this from knowledge of a detail or two. I don't know what [it is]. Something strategic-security, with a diplomatic aspect, is happening, which aims to prepare for the huge storm called [US President Joe] Biden." Some brilliant and incredibly talents and good-looking author wrote about the Israeli's overflying Saudi territory to hit Iran. The Imams are right, the Jew is clever. 

We read a story about troops staying in DC till May at the earliest and followed up with a source, we'll call him Qbi Wan. He wouldn't tell us much, but he did tell me that they have people in DC right now. Remember, we're using Qbi Wan and Qbi Wan is using us. He tells this blog things because he wants information to get out into the public space. This blog likes reporting news. It's a symbiotic relationship, reader(s) must understand that. Exit question: who's playing whom?

*Again, not a matter of what we want to write but what can we write. 

The Jew Wins

...Jew always wins.

The Times of Israel reports:

Iranian forces are pulling out of Syria and closing military bases there, Israeli defense officials said Tuesday, amid increasing reports of Israeli airstrikes on Iran-linked militias in the country in recent months, including two such incidents late Monday night in which 14 Iran-linked fighters were reported killed. The Israeli officials refused to comment on these reported attacks, maintaining Israel’s policy of ambiguity, under which it generally acknowledges taking action against Iran in Syria without specifically confirming individual strikes, under the assumption that public confirmation increases the likelihood of retaliation.

Over the past few years, the IDF campaign in Syria has been relentless. The IAF hit Syrian army bases, airfields, secret Iranian bases, arms convoys, anything used by Quds force and the Revolutionary Guards. It's a great victory for the IAF and Mossad, which has utterly compromised Syrian security. Indeed the Jew is clever.

When will Assad decide enough Arabs have died for Persian interests?

Yesterday's Best Seller Was...

...Israel Strikes.

We guess in times of crisis people really like books about the Israelis blowing the crap out Iran.

No updates on the Knesset rigmarole, but we read a story about authorities in Israel and NYC having trouble keeping the Haredi/Hasidim from gathering. Anyone who knows these people knows that will happen. Those herring eating bastards are going to get us all infected.

Mr, Iraq Could use a Man like Saddam Hussein Again

A long report on how Iran has infiltrated every aspect of life in Iraq.

It's tempting to blame this on Obama, so we will. After all, he's the one that cut and run from Iraq. Actually Barry couldn't be bothered with the details and left managing the withdrawal to Vice President Biden. By the way, congrats on becoming a grandpa again Joe!

But let's be honest. Would it have made a difference if we'd maintained a corps HQ in Baghdad, a Marine MEU in Anbar and an Army brigade along the rat lines leading to Iran? Could engineers and civil affair teams have countered Iranian influence?

Probably not.

Iraq is majority Shia and a lot smaller than Iran. Gravity dictates the nation will fall into the Iranian sphere. Unless it's run by a secular Sunni strongman.

This blog is close to declaring the Iraq campaign a mistake.

[Are you now? Well that's bloody gracious of you, isn't it?-Ed]

Mossad to Iran: We Know you...and you...and also you...

Holy freejoles, look at what Mossad can do:

The key to the IDF thwarting the planned attack by Iran on Israel was not merely that it identified the Lebanese operatives working with the Iranians who were en route to carry out their attack, but that it traced the presence of particular operatives involved in using drones on their way to the area before they got there. Let’s analyze the information put out by the IDF. First, there were three casualties from the strike, two of whom were Hezbollah operatives being trained by Iran’s external intelligence Quds Force: Hassem Yussuf Zabib from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, born in 1996, and Yasser Ahmed Tzahr from Beleide village, born in 1997.

You guys get that? Mossad knows these operatives' names, DOB and probably their porn habits. Not kidding about that, actually. 

More interesting is the fact that the Israelis are releasing all this info. They want Iran to know exactly what they know. The IRGC must be driving itself nuts right now trying to figure out how the drone op was compromised and wondering what other operations are compromised. 

If the Israelis know this, what else do they know?

That's a hell of a deterent.

Indeed the Jew is clever.

Israeli Kaboom

Last night the Israelis launched a massive attack on an Iranian drone base in Arqaba, Syria (among other places), thwarting a plot to send explosive armed drones into Israel - or so the Israelis say.

At the same time drones fell out of the sky over Hezbollah PR headquarters in Beirut.

This comes after Israeli airstrikes against Shite militia bases in Iraq earlier in the week.

The Times of Israeli has a fascinating report on the incidents. According to the ToI, Jerusalem is working with the Saudis to prevent an Iranian takeover of Iraq.

Indeed the Jew is clever. And everywhere. One day Israeli intel will be the real story of this war.

America Strikes: Devalued

Inflation is ravaging the Iranian economy and the nation is broke. Via Breitbart:

“The council of ministers, at a meeting presided by President Hassan Rouhani this morning, approved the central bank’s proposed bill to change the national currency from the rial to the toman and delete four zeros,” the Iranian Islamic regime said in a media statement, according to the government news outlet PressTV. As the reevaluation of the currency must pass through the dictatorship’s rubber-stamp legislature, it will not be confirmed until a final vote in the Iranian parliament.

We've seen some pro-Iranian types saying this is economic terrorism. Beats the real thing though, at which the Iranians are experts.

Jaw-jaw yes. War-war no. So far.

In America Strikes, my friend Sarah Abed thinks the book should be titled American Exceptionalism, the war begins with a campaign to end Iranian interference in the Gulf. Iran responds with terrorism, we respond with an all-out attack on their nuke program, they respond with more terrorism, we invade Lebanon, they respond with even more terrorism, we drop the 82md Airborne on Tehran.

Should I write it for 2020?

Stable, Genius, Trump

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has seized an oil tanker on suspicion of smuggling. 

Meanwhile CNBC tells us Trump's sanctions are strangling the Iranian economy:

Unable to realize the economic benefits of the nuclear deal, Iran is facing high inflation, a devalued currency and an economy that the International Monetary Fund predicts will shrink by 6% this year. The Iranian government has found its hands tied as prices on foods climb higher, pricing out the population, whose average monthly salary of 32 million rials equals only $220.


In 2018, the rial lost nearly 60% of its value. With less buying power (the exchange rate for the dollar on the free market is 145,000 rials), Iranians are finding they can’t stretch their paychecks anymore.

We suppose the two details are linked, no? The Mullahs seem desperate to provoke some sort of retaliation, if not by the US, then the UK.*

But why wage open warfare when economic warfare is sooooo much more effective? China, too, is having a down year, and the mere threat of tariffs panicked Mexico into giving Trump everything he wanted. 

One can't blame Mexico City for caving. Check this out:

Mexicans are deeply frustrated with immigrants after a year of heightened migration from Central America through the country, according to a survey conducted by The Washington Post and Mexico’s Reforma newspaper.

More than 6 in 10 Mexicans say migrants are a burden on their country because they take jobs and benefits that should belong to Mexicans. A 55 percent majority supports deporting migrants who travel through Mexico to reach the United States.

Central Americans ain't crossing the Rio del Norte and they ain't stayin' in Mexico. Heh, in Castro's Folly the US got Mexico to join the coalition by promising to ignore illegal immigration.

You ever get the sense that Trump knows what the hell he's doing?

*Theresa May doesn't have the balls for that, even if, unlike David Cameron, she pees standing up.

Wither Iran

Between Iran's failed tanker attacks, their failed attempt to provoke American retaliation, and now their failed attempt to seize a British oil tanker, the Iranians look kinda silly.

Note also Iran recently revealed that Israeli F-35s roamed Iranian airspace with impunity, a fact Netanyahu has gleefully pointed out:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran on Tuesday that Israel’s F-35 fighter jets can reach “anywhere in the Middle East,” following threats against Israel in recent weeks by senior Iranian officials.

“Lately, Iran has been threatening Israel with destruction,” Netanyahu said, standing in front of an F-35 Adir jet during a visit to the Nevatim Air Force Base in the south. “It should remember that these planes can reach every place in the Middle East, including Iran, and of course also Syria.”

When the Israelis take on that mocking, semi-ironic tone it means bad news for their enemies.

Call it, Iranic.

[Oh you...clap...clap...clap..]

The Iranians may be Persian terrorist masterminds, but right now they look like bumbling Arabs.

Israel Strikes X 10

Debka File reports that the Israelis really whacked Syria the other day:

One of Israel’s largest attacks is reported by Syrian sources to have swept across 10 targets across the country early Monday, July 1. They included Damascus Mezza military airport; Iranian and Hizballah military facilities at Al Kiswa south of Damascus; the base of the Syrian 1st Division; the Syrian military “research” institute at Jumriyah; military facilities at Siniya; and a chain of Hizballah bases in the Qalamoun Mts straddling the Syrian -Lebanese frontier, as well as bases in the Homs district.

Debka says Hezbollah was about to do something.

Indeed the Jew is clever for Syria is riddled with Zionist spies.

We don't know what we don't know, for as it is written, there are unknown unknowns.

In this case the Israelis know quite a lot, enough to bomb ten targets simultaneously. This blog wonders what we don't know about these strikes.

And by the way, just to keep things really interesting, Iran says it will surpass its uranium enrichment limits this week.

With anyluck, American Strikes will be overtaken by events and we won't have to write it.

Israel to Iran: Smile and Wave

In the coming Israel-Iran war we don't know what we don't know and we are intrigued by what we don't know about what the Israelis can do.

Well, now we know this about what the Israelis can do:

According to the newspaper’s investigation, “the IAF F-35 “Adir” planes penetrated Iran’s airspace, circled high above Tehran, Karajrak, Isfahan, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas – and photographed Iran’s air defense system.”

One of the sources reported that Iran’s air defense system, including its Russian radar, did not detect the entry and exit of the fighter planes, and that Ismaili hid this information from the supreme leader to cover his service failure. However Iranian intelligence discovered that the Israeli fighter jets had carried out this sortie as a test of the possibility of an undetected attack on Iranian outposts and bases, during which they photographed those sensitive bases, evading the Russian S-300 missile system’s radar.

So much for the vaunted Soviet, erm, Russian S-300.*

Hey, remember all those reports about problems with the F-35? Yeah me neither.*

Do note that we've sold the Israelis lots of fancy high-tech bunker buster bombs, and I mean a lot of 'em.

Meanwhile the Chinese are thinking, 'The F-35 can do that?'

*Or the Jew is clever.

**Never worried about the F-35. You see, back in the Cold War the comsymps at 60 Minutes would run dramatic stories about how US equipment didn't work. This included, and younger reader(s) will laugh, the Apache, the Bradley, night vision gear....

Bomb Iran: with Truth

Hot Air* tells us that Iran has says no mas:

Well, it seems that President Trump has really ticked off Iran now. Following the announcement of new sanctions on some of that nation’s leaders, their Foreign Ministry has declared that there will be a “permanent closure of the path of diplomacy” between our two nations. I’m sure this comes as a huge disappointment to all of the people waiting for vacation getaways to Tehran, but what are we supposed to do? If they’re shutting the door, I guess they’re shutting the door.

Hot Air goes on to note that diplomacy doesn't really seem to work with these people. It never has, has it?

If there is no jaw-jaw must there now be war-war?

Actually, we'd just continue squeezing their economy and open a new front in the propaganda war. We'd beam reports into Iran** detailing everything we know anout their nuclear program and its cost and point out how all that money could be spent on the Iranian people.

We'd point out how good former enemies of the United States have it, Japan, Germany, etc.

Japan...North Korea...which is better? You tell me, Iran.

*Best damn news/opinion site on the internet. No excuse for not reading Hot Air.

**Hack their websites too.

Trump wins, and wins and wins

While those perpetually waiting to be betrayed are complaining that Trump delayed some flashy deportations The Hill reports that the Mexicans are deploying 15,000 troops - to the northern border:

Mexico had previously announced its plans to deploy 6,000 national guardsmen to its southern border with Guatemala, but its plans to beef up security on its border with the U.S. had not previously been disclosed, according to the news service.

[Defense Minister] Sandoval confirmed the Mexican forces were detaining migrants attempting to cross the border, according to AFP.

We're no expert but it seems Mexico has deployed two lines of defense against illegal migrants.

Democrats are now in the awkward position of defending illegal Mexicans whom the courts have ordered deported.

Meanwhile, rather than blowing some stuff up and killing some Iranians, Trump orders a cyberattack on the Iranian air defense network. 

Iran impotently shakes it's fist at Trump while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in Saudi Arabia to 'build a global coalition' against Iran.'

Oh, some New York City literary harpy has accused Trump of rape. Trump: 'She's not my type.'

Art of the Retaliation

So President Trump backs off airstrikes on Iran at the last minute and then gets all lovey-dovey with the Mullahs. He even offered to renegotiate everything but warned Iran that they'll never have nuclear weapons.

This is the same kind of appeal he made to Kim.*

Trump looks restrained and he looks like he's ignoring the advice of boogie man John Bolton. 

How will the Mullahs respond to his offer?

Meanwhile:

The US may have withheld a physical military response to Iran shooting down a drone, but it might not have shown similar restraint with a digital campaign. Washington Post sources say the President greenlit a long-in-the-making cyberattack that took down Iranian missile control computers on the night of June 20th. The exact impact of the Cyber Command operation isn't clear, but it was described as "crippling" -- Iran couldn't easily recover, one tipster said.

All without a lot of flashy explosions.

Iran seems uniquely vulnerable to cyberattack. Remember Stuxnet?  Indeed the Jew is clever.

Never doubt that everything that happens, happens, because Trump wants it to happen.

'He kept the peace' is a hell of a campaign slogan.

*We remain convinced that there will be a deal with the Norks. We're already halfway there.

Iran to Trump: Hit me

Trump's sanctions on Iran are working. Iran's economy is shrinking, suffering runaway inflation and double digit unemployment.

The Mullahs obviously want some sort of American military action to distract from its' economic doom.

Henceforth this morning we learn that Iran has shot down an American drone.

Is an automated drone worth a war?

Of course not.

This blog supposes Iran's next step is an attack on an American aircraft or even a US naval vessel. The latter would be suicidal, but getting their hands on an American pilot would be Mana for the Mullahs. 

Of course were the US and Iran to fight a war, we wouldn't have to write America Srikes.

War with Iran looms...in Will's Head

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Iran attacked those two tankers yesterday and has the film to prove it.

We believe Pompeo. But man this all sounds familiar, like the WMD fiasco and the Gulf of Tonkin all rolled into one. It seems obvious to us that the Trump sanctions are working and Iran is trying to goad us into some sort of military action to distract from the worsening economic situation.

Trump has offered to talk, and we'd much rather talk than fight.

If there is a war between America and Iran, let us confine it to the realm of fiction, say a 400 page novel called America Strikes. There'd be some interesting ops in the Persian Gulf, seizing the straits, taking Iranian islands, destroying oil platforms.

Beats having a real war.

Iran Tries to Goad Will into Writing America Strikes

Do you want another Middle East War? Who wants another Middle East War.

Breaking, two tankers torpedoed in Straits of Hormuz.

On the one hand, it's more fodder for us to write America Strikes.

On the other hand, if we get a general Middle Eastern war we won't have to write America Strikes and that problem is solved.

Becuase we gotta tell ya, we're really feeling the burn.

Just imagine...Stealth Bomber raids on Iranian nuclear sites. One of the those Ohio SSBMs launches 154 Tomahawks on Iranian airfields.

But Pershing's War...Pershing's War...

USA to Iran: You gotta Problem?

Iran's been sabre rattling again,  promising the US that if we start a war we won't be able to finish it.

Iran wouldn't be the first trash talking Middle Eastern country to get its ass kicked by the USA, now would it?

Anyone else remember Saddam's 'Mother of all Battles'? or Qadhafi's Line of the Death?

Line of Death...heh.*

The fire, the creative spark  - there it is.

America Strikes, Oh, what a novel that would be. Sustained air strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. The naval war in the Gulf. The 2nd Marine Division landing in Lebanon. A massive Hezbollah terrorist attack in America.

Talk tough Iran, talk tough.

When the war's over American tankers will take your girls for joy rides on their M1's.
*