Friday 27th February 2026: Pakistan declares state of ‘open war’ after bombing major Afghan cities
Saturday 28th February 2026: US and Israel launch attack on Iran, as Trump says ‘major combat operations’ under way
Lot of it about these days. I was going to make a rather tasteless metaphor about it being like the Gorton and Denton by-election, with the Greens winning and Reform coming second, displacing the established parties. But of course the surprise war – to all but the very old – was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Given Iran’s participation in proxy wars in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and its hostile actions against Israel, Saudi Arabia, and probably other countries that I’ve forgotten (even leaving out Western ones), I’m surprised this didn’t happen earlier. As for Pakistan and their former protégés the Taliban, he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.
Update: Israel says that Ayatollah Khamenei has been found dead in the rubble of his compound. For the sake of the Iranian people, so many of whom have been murdered by Khamenei’s regime in the recent protests, I hope that this is true. In contrast, Zack Polanski of the Green Party says “This is an illegal, unprovoked and brutal attack that shows once again that the USA and Israel are rogue states.” Illegal, Zack? If the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran wanted the protection of international law, they should have renounced and made recompense for taking diplomats hostage. In the absence of that renunciation the international community should have put them down like rabid dogs forty-seven years ago.
Just as well then that Reeves is allocating precisely zero extra money to the rearmament of our country. Not like we might need any military capability in the next few years or anything.
What’s the chances of those joining up all being sleeper cell volunteers anyway?
Let us all hope for victory over the tyranny that controls Iran and for the freedom of the Iranian people.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is still talking about the “negotiating table” – negotiating with forces who celebrate, celebrate, the treachery of past centuries (specifically the false promises of peace and friendship that Mohammed made to communities – before he attacked and slaughtered them) is folly.
The Russians condemned the attack on Iran as “a reckless move“.
Those guys in the Kremlin really crack me up!
Trump is only doing this to scare the Mexicans.
😉
The Russians condemned the attack on Iran as “a reckless move“.
The irony . . . it burns, it burns.
It’s good to see the celebrations. Seems like there is some real hope for Iran, now. Imagine how much prosperity could be created by a free Iran, and how much the region and world will be improved by removing the source of funding of terrorism. I really hope this works out.
The leader of the Australian Greens has made a similar sickening message condemning the strikes as being illegal and barbaric. The Greens, you cannot dislike them enough.
Now that we are having some success against terror, DEI (but I repeat myself), and general wokeness, can we please re-claim the language? “Green” has never described the actual thing. I think of them as “Browns” as in “brown shirt” or as in “that ‘green’ toilet, that only uses 1/3 gallon per flush, needs to be flushed at least three times”.
I would love to see the Samizdata community’s top 10 list of English language words whose meaning has been hijacked…but that we could now, maybe, reclaim.
We could start with “woman”, “science”, and I’m not sure…so I’m asking people smarter than me!
“Trump is only doing this to scare the Mexicans” Nice, bobby b.
Serious question: if the US and Israeli intel was good enough to pull the trigger exactly when the right quorum of leaders were assembled in the right locations, how good is our intel on the Mexican cartels?
It would be delicious if on the way home from Iran, our air force boys got a call from Trump, “hey, I was thinking, if you have a few bombs left, do you think you could swing South on your way back to the base?” I suspect putting down the cartels would be tougher than taking out the Iranian mullahs and their dog-generals. A war against the cartels would be house to house guerilla warfare…right? Take out “El Jefe” and the next guy steps in, take him out, and the next…their line of succession is limited only by how greedy and bloodthirsty the rank and file are. So, to the more tactically and strategically trained Samizdatistas, do you think there’s a viable plan for taking out the cartels. A plan that does not involve hundreds of thousands of US troops on the ground, going house to house?
Raúl Castro is probably looking at dachas near Moscow or Sochi now. The others around him are probably a bit worried.
Muslims and lefties on the streets of London to protest in favour of the theocratic murderers of Iran and with precisely nothing to say about Pakistan. Utterly morally bankrupt.
This wasn’t addressed to me, but I will have a go. The cartels will never be defeated while there is a $100 billion illegal narcotics market in el norte. Either legalise and regulate (not decriminalise) the most popular drugs thus removing the illegality, or take a Singaporean attitude towards drug users and dealers, thus squeezing demand.
The current approach is entirely useless.
Go go go!
Trump’s overall strategy of weakening the US’ enemies and competitors by undercutting their support is a good use of US power while it still has it.
Venezuela, Iran, and perhaps Cuba. Neutralise them, and then let’s see what the PRC and Winnie Xi can do. Russia too.
Anything that makes life more difficult for the CCP, I’m for it.
I never thought I would type the following words….
I am on the side of Pakistan.
Indeed I am on the side of anyone fighting the Taliban.