Tower 22: smoke & mirrors

The “Attack on the Tower”

The attack on US forces in Syria and Jordan is getting a lot of attention. Biden has vowed a response which many assume means war with the Iran.

We will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing. Genocide Joe

That is, US response is likely to be asymmetric to avoid a larger war – at this time anyway.

Moon of Alabama notes:

At least 6 U.S. Air Force KC-135 Aerial-Refueling Tankers, most from March Air Reserve Base in Southern California, are heading Northeast across the United States and preparing to Transit the Atlantic towards the U.K. and Europe.

He thinks that these tankers are intended for the Middle East to protect the US airbases by keeping fighter jets in the air!

Ummm …this would require air assets to be airborne 24/ 7.

Each tanker can refuel only a few jets at a time and there a lot more airbases in the Middle East than these six tankers! In addition, tankers are big, slow, and vulnerable – rather easy targets— should push come to strike.

No matter, these tankers’ stated destination is the UK and Europe.

Attack on Iran?

So, what's the US going to do as a response? Despite the somewhat suspicious similarity in names, Tower 22 is not the Twin Towers.

Massive airstrikes on Iran? Iran has been preparing for those a long time, recently clinching a deal for a Chinese J-10s in addition to previously ordered SU 35s from Russia. It has significantly upgraded its air defenses with missiles said to be on a par with the Patriot of S400.

The US therefore would suffer casualties and place it bases throughout the Middle East in jeopardy.

Host countries would face unpleasant political choices, given widespread anti-US and anti-Israel sentiment. Let us not forget the reason for the attack on the towers on 9/11 was the US presence in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia.

Think of US bases in Syria and Iraq as wack-a-moles with their heads stuck out ready to be smashed.

Iran has missiles with heavy warheads that can reach any part of the Middle East, if not Europe.

The collective West doesn't want that —nor do they want traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to come to a halt causing a global economic crisis.

All this fuss over three soldiers in a place they had no right to be?

Forget the 30,000 Gazans who have died in Gaza or the 60,000 wounded. Americans have a different math for calculating compassion.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack. And Iran who supplies it with weapons claims it is not a proxy.

In fact, the assistance provided to the IRI is nothing compared to what the US gives Ukraine for use against Russian soldiers and citizens to commit war crimes and atrocities.

If the US claims the right to attack Iran in response to this attack, surely the Russians can claim the right to target NATO bases.

As the Russian military grows in strength—and should NATO do even stupider things than what it is already doing— the Russians would be justified in citing any American retaliatory action as a precedent. Good for the goose…

So, rationally speaking, it is unlikely that the US will attack Iran directly.

Sound and fury signifying?

What then is all this noise that Biden is making about a "response"?

The cacophony does not hide all the things that just don’t add up.

Decidedly off key is whether Tower 22 was attacked or not. It could have just as easily been Tanf or Rukban. Jordanians say it was Tanf. Somebody is lying.

Then there is the question as to how a drone killed three people and injured perhaps 40 more, 8 seriously. Must've been a very big drone, which the IRI doesn’t have. The US story is that it was a drone that sneaked into the base containing one of their drones. But damage on this scale is more likely to have been caused by a missile.

Some people have suggested that this was actually a false flag missile attack carried out by the Israelis, with the IRI taking credit. That’s a riff.

No matter— this is just sound and fury about what is, in military terms., nothing. In political terms, it just signifies an election.

As a once-upon-a-time PR person, it looks to me like media hype—set up in advance last year.

The United States does not seek conflict with Iran,. We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake. We will defend our people. Tony Blinken at UN. Reported Oct. 24, 2023

The timing is soooooooooooo suspicious—immediately on the heels of the ICJ judgment condemning Israel – and by extension the US – for genocide.

The most narcissistic nation: the US

Wearing my social psychologist beanie, this supposedly "Iranian attack " looks a lot like narcissistic "deflection".

Deflection is a tactic where someone avoids criticism or blame by shifting the focus or responsibility onto something or someone else.

The suspension of funding by the US in the G7 and Israel for UNRWA, for the alleged October 7 attack involvement of 12 employees-- out of 30,000!— is a good example.

Deflection is often used by malignant narcissists avoiding blame by attacking their victims—often supported by others – that is, those under their control— as is the case with the Japanese — or others with narcissistic tendencies— such as European governments.

The public?

Narcissists are likable until you get to know them. We dislike narcissists because they don’t care about others and can become aggressive and antagonistic.

Exposure is always a problem for narcissists. So, the ICJ ruling was just about the worst thing to happen to the US for a long time.

The US doesn’t want to show its true face. It will pretend that the “Tower 22” attack somehow makes it a victim.

Personal note

We are all different. That should not stop us from caring for one another. In fact, our ability to care for beings who are different from us— even different species— defines our humanity.

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