World's most fortified US embassy in Baghdad struck, C-RAM blown up;
Fujaira smoking as US 'obliterates' Kharg's military bases
In a pivot from his earlier stance of withholding additional boots on the ground, President Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,500 marines and an amphibious assault ship to the Gulf. This "Marine Expeditionary Unit" is trained for amphibious landings and island seizures, fueling speculation of a potential ground operation on Kharg Island and other strategic maritime points. Meanwhile, in Qatar, parts of Doha is being evacuated fearing escalated attacks from Iran.
BAGHDAD/BUSHEHR/FUJAIRA CITY/DOHA, Mar 14 (INS): West Asia has spiraled into
an unprecedented state of kinetic warfare over the last 24 hours. A series of
high-stakes retaliatory strikes between the United States, Iran and their respective
allies has pushed the region to the precipice of a full-scale continental conflict,
targeting economic lifelines and high-security diplomatic zones.
In a brazen defiance of its regional power, the US embassy in Baghdad—widely
considered one of the most fortified diplomatic missions globally—was struck
early Saturday. Iraqi security officials confirmed that a drone/missile successfully
penetrated the Green Zone, impacting a helipad within the embassy compound.
The C-RAM air defence system's radar at the embassy was also blown up by Iran
allied militias. Now, the embassy is defenceless against rocket, artillery and
mortar fire. It was a "dome" of protection for the facility.
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Casualties within the embassy are not known, but breaching the Green Zone’s
multi-layered defence marks a significant achievement for the Iranians.
Economic warfare: Kharg Island and Fujairah hit by rivals
President Donald Trump announced late Friday that the US Central Command executed
a massive bombing raid on Kharg Island, the terminal responsible for over 90%
of Iran’s oil exports, situated in northern Persian Gulf, 35 km from the mainland.
Trump claimed to have "obliterated" every military target on the island. While
he stated oil infrastructure was spared for now, he warned that the "economic
lifeline" is next if Tehran continues to obstruct the Strait of Hormuz.
Within hours of the Kharg strike, Iran-linked forces reportedly struck the
UAE’s Fujairah port, West Asia’s largest oil storage hub located outside the
Strait of Hormuz, in Gulf of Oman. Drone strikes targeted crude storage tanks,
sending plumes of black smoke over the Gulf of Oman and threatening the world’s
most critical energy supply chain.
Trump deploys 2,500 marines; Evacuation in Doha
In a pivot from his earlier stance of withholding additional boots on the ground,
Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,500 marines and an amphibious assault
ship to the Gulf. This "Marine Expeditionary Unit" is trained for amphibious
landings and island seizures, fueling speculation of a potential ground operation
on Kharg Island or other strategic maritime points.
Simultaneously, the theatre of war has expanded to Qatar. In Doha’s central
Musheireb district, residents reported receiving urgent phone alerts and "National
Alert System" notifications from the Ministry of Interior, instructing them
to evacuate immediately to the nearest safe locations. While Qatari officials
cited "precautionary measures," the move suggests intelligence of imminent missile
or drone threats to the Capital.
Lebanon's Health Ministry reported on Saturday that an Israeli airstrike struck
a healthcare centre in Burj Qalaouiyeh, killing 12 medical workers, including
doctors and nurses, on duty. Israel has warned that the Lebanon will pay an
"increasing price" for Hezbollah's involvement in the broader Iran-US war.
"The region is no longer on the brink; it has stepped over," noted one diplomatic
source in the region. "We are now seeing the systematic dismantling of the post-Cold
War security architecture in the Middle East."
Kharg island: The oil hub is Iran's economic lifeline, situated 35 km
off the coast of Iran in northern Persian Gulf. Trump claims military stations
there are "totally obliterated"
Fujaira: UAE's Fujaira is West Asia's largest oil storage facility,
also a key location for bunkering, but sits on Gulf of Oman, UAE’s eastern coast.
Iran attacked it after Americans hit Kharg Island.
The US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched
joint strikes on Iran. Iran's top leadership was eliminated.
What is US C-RAM defence system
C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) is a land-based defence system
designed to protect military bases, infrastructure and personnel by detecting
and destroying incoming projectiles in mid-air. It uses radar and high-speed
guns, such as the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, to shoot down threats like
rockets, mortars and drones, acting as a last line of defence.
It uses sophisticated 3D/4D radar and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras
to instantly track incoming rounds and calculate their trajectory. and has a
20mm rotary cannon that can fire up to 4,500 rounds per minute to destroy projectiles
in the air.
It employs HEIT-SD (High-Explosive Incendiary Tracer, Self-Destruct) ammunition,
which explodes on impact or after missing, minimizing collateral damage to the
ground.
Originally developed for the US Army, the C-RAM defence system was deployed
in high-combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan for point defence. It was developed
by during Iraq war.
C-RAM systems are vital for protecting forward operating bases and critical
infrastructure from indirect fire attacks, with its capabilities extending to
countering modern threats like unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924)
(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.
ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See:
New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)
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