Tag Archives: Iraq

Did the US attack + bomb these 26 countries since WW2?!

Did the US attack and bomb these 26 countries since World War 2?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : US attacked + bombed these 26 countries since WW2!

People are sharing a video on TikTok and WhatsApp, which purportedly shows the US attacking and bombing 26 countries since World War 2!

Have you ever wondered how many countries the United States has bombed since World War 2?

Countries bombed by the US

Recommended : Did China Airdrop Food Aid To Palestinians In Gaza?!

 

Truth : US did not attack + bomb all 26 countries since WW2!

This is yet another example of propaganda created and/or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and/or pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Let me start by pointing out that the video isn’t accurate. The United States did not attack and bomb all those 26 countries.

The list also lacks context for any bombing that might have occurred, making it look like the US was being the aggressor, attacking those countries without reason.

Let’s go through the list of countries in the video, and provide you with the necessary facts and context:

Cuba (true) : On 15 April 1961, eight B-26 bombers attacked Cuban airfields to support the Bay of Pigs Invasion by Cuban exiles. There was the only airstrike, and no civilians were targeted.

Dominican Republic (false) : The US intervened in the Dominican Civil War of 1965, but never bombed the country as it was defending the military-installed government against a coup.

Guatemala (false) : The US armed, funded, and trained Guatemalan rebels in deposing democratically-elected President Jacobo Árbenz, and installing the military dictatorship of Carlos Castillo Armas. However, the US did not bomb Guatemala during the coup.

El Salvador (false) : The US did not bomb El Salvador as it was supporting the government of El Salvador against the communist FMLN groups in the Salvadoran Civil War of 1979 to 1992.

Nicaragua (false) : The US funded and aided the Contras in its campaign to topple the Sandinista Administration. However, it never bombed Nicaragua.

Recommended : Was US Military Caught Stealing Tents From China?!

Panama (true) : The US invaded Panama in December 1989 to depose and arrest General Manuel Noriega for racketeering and drug trafficking, and restoring Panamanian democracy. Its bombing was limited to military targets – F-117A Nighthawks, for example, dropped a 2,000 pound bomb between two Panama Defense Force (PDF) barracks at Rio Hata.

Grenada (true) : The US and six Caribbean nations invaded Grenada in 1983 after receiving a formal appeal for assistance from the Organisation of Easter Caribbean States, which received an appeal of assistance from the Governor-General of Grenada Paul Scoon, after the Prime Minister of Granada, Maurice Bishop, was arrested and executed by the Revolutionary Military Council. Bombing by airstrikes and artillery was limited to military targets, although US Navy A-7s accidentally bombed a mental hospital, killing 18 people.

Peru (false) : The US never bombed Peru.

Congo (false) : The US supported the Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with the United Nations, but it never bombed the Congo.

Libya (true) : The United States bombed Libya on 15 April 1986 in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque bombing. The airstrikes targeted military assets like the Bab al-Azizia Barracks, and the Murat Sidi Bilal training camp for naval commandos.

In 2011, NATO forces including the US, bombed Libya as part of its military intervention, under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 (UNSCR 1973) during the First Libyan Civil War. Since then, the US has continued to bomb terrorist camps in Libya.

Recommended : Are Chinese Students Being Harassed + Banned From US?

Libyan people celebrating attack on Muammar Qaddafi’s main military compound in Tripoli, August 23, 2011
Photo credit : AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini

Somalia (true) : The US has conducted airstrikes and drone strikes against al-Shabaab militants in support of the Federal Government of Somalia since 2016. To be clear – these bombings were conducted with the agreement, and coordination, of the government of Somalia.

Sudan (true) : On 20 August 1998, the US Navy launched cruise missiles at the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, on bad intelligence which suggested it may be used in VX nerve gas manufacturing, and had financial ties between the factory and Osama bin Laden.

Serbia (true) : NATO forces, including the US, launched airstrikes against the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, to stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Albanians. Yugoslav President Milošević was later indicted for war crimes (like Russian President Vladimir Putin).

Bosnia (true) : NATO forces, including the US, launched airstrikes to support United Nations Protection Force protecting safe areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Army of Republic Srpska. The United Nations requested NATO assistance to support its efforts to prevent a genocide in 1995.

Recommended : Did US Steal Instant Noodles From Earthquake Victims?!

Lebanon (false) : The US did not bomb Lebanon, because it intervened in the 1958 Lebanon crisis at the request of President Camille Chamoun. Together with Lebanese government forces, American troops successfully occupied the Port of Beirut and Beirut International Airport. After the crisis ended three months later, the United States withdrew.

Iran (false) : While the US has arguably conducted clandestine operations against Iran, it has not actually bombed Iran. Even when Iran shot down a US drone in June 2019, the US did not retaliate militarily.

Iraq (true) : In 1991, 42 countries including the United States, launched airstrikes against Iraq, during the liberation of Kuwait.

In 2003, the US, UK, Australia, Poland, and Iraqi rebels invaded Iraq to oust Prime Minister Saddam Hussein. Massive airstrikes allowed the coalition to conclude major combat operations in less than a month.

Kuwait (false) : In 1991, 42 countries including the United States, launched airstrikes and artillery bombardments against Iraqi forces during the liberation of Kuwait. However, I chalk this as false, as they were not targeting Kuwait.

Recommended : Did US Steal $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq?!

Syria (true) : Since 2014, the US, UK, France, Jordan, Turkey, Canada, Australia and other countries have been launching airstrikes against the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front forces inside Syria.

Afghanistan (true) : The US, UK, Canada, and other countries, bombed and invaded Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Vietnam (true) : The US conducted extensive bombing of North Vietnam after attacks by North Vietnamese guerrillas, and North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam in a massive Easter Offensive in 1972.

Laos (true) : The US dropped 260 million bombs on Laos, to try and cut North Vietnam’s logistical trail known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Cambodia (true) : The US dropped 214 tons of bombs on Cambodia from 1965 to 1968, in attacks on the sanctuaries and base areas of North Vietnamese and Viet Gong forces during the Vietnam War.

Indonesia (true) : Despite President Eisenhower’s orders that no Americans be involved, the CIA bombed Indonesia’s outer islands on 19 April 1958, during its failed attempt to overthrow the Sukarno government.

North Korea (true) : The US, as part of the United Nations Command, carried out an extensive bombing campaign of North Korea during the Korean War of 1950-1953, which started after North Korean troops attacked South Korea on 25 June 1950.

China (false) : The US never bombed China.

Recommended : Did Xi Jinping Divorce His Wife To Serve China?!

This is really nothing more than yet another example of propaganda created or promoted by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and/or pro-CCP netizens. Here are some other examples I fact-checked recently:

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Military | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did global poll show Putin 2X more popular than Biden?!

Did a global poll show that twice as many people would prefer Vladimir Putin as President than Joe Biden?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Global Poll Shows Putin 2X More Popular Than Biden!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that a global poll just showed that twice as many people would prefer Vladimir Putin as President than Joe Biden!

Here is an excerpt of the article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Global Poll Reveals Twice as Many People Would Prefer Putin as President Than Biden

Recommended : Did Putin Just Threaten To Release 9/11 Satellite Evidence?!

 

Truth : Global Poll Did Not Show Putin 2X More Popular Than Biden!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was Not A Global Poll

Let me start by pointing out that the Al-Monitor poll which was the basis of the The People’s Voice article was not a global poll. It only covered three Middle Eastern countries – Egypt, Iraq, Turkey; and one North African country – Tunisia.

That’s only a fraction of Middle Eastern and North African countries – just three out of 18 countries in the Middle East, and just one in seven countries in North Africa . It’s not even a regional poll. It also did not include influential countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or Jordan.

More importantly, the poll covers just 4 of the 195 countries around the world. So the poll does not show that Vladimir Putin is twice as popular as Joe Biden around the world.

Fact #2 : Al-Monitor Poll Did Not Show Waning US Influence

The Al-Monitor poll also does not show the US losing influence around the world under President Joe Biden, as the The People’s Voice article claimed.

In fact, the Al-Monitor poll actually showed that 40% of respondents agreed that the US is still “best equipped to help solve the Israel-Hamas war”, compared to Russia (27.9%) or China (13.4%).

In other words, the respondents overwhelmingly believe that the US is still far more influential than Russia, at least in resolving the Israel-Hamas war.

Fact #3 : Al-Monitor Did Not Refer To Biden’s Weak Leadership

The People’s Voice article suggests that the Al-Monitor polling showed that the US was losing influence due to President Joe Biden’s “weak leadership.

The Al-Monitor article (archive) suggested that Washington’s popularity suffered due to its support of Israel’s war in Gaza, and said nothing about Biden’s leadership qualities.

Again, the Al-Monitor poll showed that 40% of respondents agreed that the US is still “best equipped to help solve the Israel-Hamas war”, compared to Russia (27.9%) or China (13.4%).

That sounds like a tacit acknowledgement that people in those four countries trust Biden far more than Putin in helping to resolve the Israel-Hamas war.

Recommended : Did Russia + Ukraine Sign Peace Agreement In 2022?!

Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | PoliticsTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq?!

Did the US government steal $50 trillion worth of gold and oil from Iraq?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-09-19 : Refreshed with updated info
Originally published @ 2022-04-12

 

Claim : US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq!

People are sharing photos of US soldiers posing with gold bars, as evidence that the United States sold gold and oil from Iraq worth tens of trillions of dollars!

These photos was revived on the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and then on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as part of the information warfare surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is also being shared and promoted on pro-CCP and pro-Russia groups on social media, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.

Here the US thieves in Iraq. Bringing democracy aka stealing a country’s gold. Same thing they want to do in Russia. But Russia is no Iraq or Libya.

The #US ransacked and plundered the whole of #Iraq. Banks, museums, all of their gold reserves. The US is the biggest gang of thiefs in the whole history. They have raped most of the planet in the last 50 years. #Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar #UkraineRussiaWar #Russia #Putin #NATO

🇺🇸 “liberates” gold & oil while 🇷🇺 liberates humans.

#Denaƶification & #Demilitarization of #UkroNaƶiLand

Recommended : Germany Just Accused US Of Blowing Up Nord Stream 2?!

 

Truth : US Gov Did Not Steal Gold + Oil From Iraq At All!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated to deflect criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : US Did Not Steal $30 Trillion Of Iraqi Oil

Claims that the US stole $30 trillion worth of oil from Iraq are false. The United States did lose track of 8.7 billion dollars worth of Iraqi funds though.

After the invasion of Iraq concluded, Iraqi oil was sold to help fund the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI). Other sources of funds include surplus funds (about USD 10 billion) from the UN Oil-For-Food Program, and the sale of seized Iraqi assets.

The United States did not truck away Iraqi oil, as claimed. In July 2010, the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) discovered that the US Department of Defense could not account properly for USD 8.7 billion of DFI funds.

This led the Iraqi Parliament to request the United Nation’s help in demanding that the US return $17 billion of “oil money” that it said was stolen from the Iraqi people :

All the indications are that the institutions of the United States of America committed financial corruption by stealing the money of the Iraqi people, which was allocated to develop Iraq, (and) that it was about $17 billion.

… Our committee decided to send this issue to you … to look into it and restore the stolen money.

Recommended : Did US Army Lose + Recover Stolen Sarin Gas Rockets?!

Stealing $30 trillion worth of oil would require 1.7 billion oil trucks, or 46,000 of these trucks every day for 100 years!

Fact #2 : US Spent $60 Billion To Reconstruct Iraq

There is no evidence that the unaccounted money was repatriated to the United States, or officially taken by the United States.

Even assuming that it was not poor accounting and all of the $8.7 billion was truly stolen, that is a far cry (0.029%) from the $30 trillion that was “allegedly” stolen.

It is also rendered ludicrous by the fact that the United States spent US$60 billion in the reconstruction of Iraq – almost 7X of what it allegedly stole.

Also consider the fact that Iraqi oil production only reached 4.4 million barrels per day in 2016. Assuming an average sale price of USD 60 per barrel, it would take them 311 years to sell enough oil to make $30 trillion.

Fact #3 : US Did Not Steal $20 Trillion Of Iraqi Gold

The United States also did not steal gold from Iraq, certainly not $20 trillion worth of gold!

All those photos of US soldiers with Iraqi gold bars are genuine, but they only show them taking photos with the gold they seized in Iraq.

The Iraqi gold bars (as well as currency and other valuables) that US soldiers seized were transported to the US Army’s headquarters in Kuwait.

Recommended : Did Russian Missiles Destroy Port Of Odessa In Ukraine?!

There, they were examined by the Secret Service and/or the US Department of Treasury to determine their authenticity and value, before being returned to the Central Iraqi Treasury or the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI).

This is a picture of Lt. Col. Scott Schmidt, who was in charge of the 230th Finance Battalion. The battalion’s job was to seize Iraqi assets like currency, gold bars and other valuables.

Fact #4 : The Entire World Does Not Have So Much Gold!

In 2003, Iraq had under 6 tonnes of gold reserves, worth less than $70 million. So how can the United States possibly steal 20 trillion dollars worth of gold from Iraq? $20 trillion worth of gold would weigh at least 1,714,285 tonnes in 2003.

Guess how much gold mankind has ever mined in history? Only 208,874 tonnes as of February 2023 – which is just 12% of what people are claiming that the United States stole from Iraq.

As of January 2023, the value of all the gold in the world is only USD 13 trillionless than 2/3 of what the conspiracy theory claims the United States stole from Iraq… and that’s only because gold prices have gone up tremendously since 2003.

Even with the much higher gold price, it would take an additional 90 years of mining gold before the entire world has $20 trillion worth of gold for the US government to steal.

Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Fake News : New Malaysia Travel Ban On 23 Countries!

Please note that the new travel ban by Malaysia on 23 countries with high COVID-19 cases is FAKE NEWS!

Here is what you need to know!

 

Claim : Malaysia Travel Ban On 23 Countries!

On 7 January 2022, people started sharing a screenshot of a travel advisory by the Embassy of Malaysia in Berlin, Germany.

Please skip to the next section for the facts…

Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin

TRAVEL ADVISORY
ENTRY RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN TRAVELERS TO MALAYSIA

Effective from 08 January 2022, the Government of Malaysia is imposing travel restrictions into Malaysia on foreign travellers who are travelling from countries that have recorded over 150,000 COVID-19 cases as listed below:

 

Truth : There Is No Such Travel Ban!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS being created and circulated on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the facts…

Fact #1 : This Travel Advisory Was Forged

This travel advisory was forged from the original September 2020 travel advisory.

Back then, the government of Malaysia announced the temporary travel ban on those 23 countries, that would start on 7 September 2021.

The original travel advisory was edited, with the new date added to make it look like it’s new. But it was a very poor photo-editing job.

If you look carefully, the 08 January 2022, date is not only in bold , but of a different type of font and a much larger size.

Note : Here is the screenshot that went viral. I added a FAKE overlay to prevent further abuse.

Fact #2 : Embassy of Malaysia In Berlin Confirms It Is Fake

The Embassy of Berlin in Malaysia confirmed that the viral travel advisory is FAKE.

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin would like to warn the public that there has been a fake news being circulated regarding travel advisory by the Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin on entry restriction on foreign travelers [sic] to Malaysia.

We condemn the actions of those who maliciously spread fake news which can have an adverse effect and concern to the public. The public is advice [sic] to validate the source before circulating any news.

Thank you.

Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin
7 January 2022

Fact #3 : Malaysia Currently Has No Travel Ban

There is currently no travel ban in Malaysia.

In fact, Malaysia just ended a temporary travel ban of 8 countries, on 27 December 2021, due to the risk of Omicron variant.

There is currently only a list of 18 countries that are considered high-risk due to the Omicron variant.

  1. Australia
  2. The United States of America
  3. The United Kingdom
  4. Norway
  5. France
  6. Denmark
  7. Canada
  8. Nigeria
  9. India
  10. Saudi Arabia
  11. South Africa
  12. Botswana
  13. Eswatini
  14. Lesotho
  15. Mozambique
  16. Namibia
  17. Zimbabwe
  18. Malawi

Travellers from those 18 high-risk countries can still travel to Malaysia, but they must comply with the following additional restrictions :

  • Negative COVID-19 PCR test within 2 days before departure
  • COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Malaysia
  • Wear a digital tracker on arrival in Malaysia
  • Mandatory quarantine of 7 days or 10 days, depending on vaccination status, either at home or at a quarantine centre, subject to approval.
  • Additional PCR test on Day 5 (for 7-day quarantine) or Day 8 (for 10-day quarantine).
  • Risk assessment on the last day of quarantine, which may be extended if you are symptomatic.
  • You will only be free from the quarantine on Day 8 or Day 11, if there is no quarantine extension and the Day 5 or Day 8 PCR test is negative.
  • Travellers from the United Kingdom have the additional requirement of conducting daily RTK-Ag tests during their quarantine, which must be reported in MySejahtera.

Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends, so they won’t get fooled by it!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Travel | Fact CheckTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Can Donald Trump Really Blame Iran For Rocket Attack?

Donald Trump just accused Iran of the rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad, threatening retaliation!

Take a look at the picture of three rockets he posted, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Donald Trump : Iran Responsible For Rocket Attack On US Embassy

Even in the waning days of his Presidency, Donald Trump isn’t quite done with Iran.

In a new threat against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump posted a picture of three unfired rockets, which he claimed were from Iran.

Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq…Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over.

As Trump isn’t a very popular president outside of his fanatical base (no kidding), there is much skepticism about his post.

Some have pointed out that the rockets have English markings and could be American-made. Others wonder if these are even rockets – they look more like large versions of a rifle cartridge than rockets.

 

Rocket Attack On US Embassy : A Quick Primer

Before we look into the veracity of Trump’s claims, here’s a quick primer on the rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

At around 8:30 PM on Sunday, 20 December 2020, approximately 21 rockets were fired on the US embassy in Baghdad.

Only about half of the rockets hit the embassy compound, while the others missed and hit an Iraqi apartment complex and vehicles near the embassy.

Photo Credit : Reuters/Landov

In the end, two buildings and a gym in the embassy, vehicles outside the embassy and a generator at the apartment complex, were damaged.

There was only one injury – an Iraqi soldier – no one else died or were injured by the attack.

 

Is Iran Responsible For Rocket Attack On US Embassy?

Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite so simple as yes or no, Iran did or did not fire those rockets at the US embassy in Baghdad.

Let’s take a look at the facts…

Fact #1 : Those Are 107 mm Haseb Rockets

The Haseb is an Iranian copy of the Chinese Type 63-2 – a spin-stabilised 107 mm rocket with a high-explosive (HE) warhead.

The entire rocket weighs about 18 kg, with an 8 kg cast TNT warhead and a Chinese MJ-1 (Jiàn-1) impact and graze fuse.

Fact #2 : Iran Manufactures + Uses 107mm Haseb Rockets

Haseb rockets are manufactured by Iran’s Armaments Industries Group (AIG), and used by Iranian forces as a short-ranged barrage weapon.

In this picture, IRGC commandos are seen loading a Type 63 rocket launcher mounted onto a pickup truck.

Fact #3 : The English Markings Are Genuine

Some sharp-eyed netizens noticed that rockets have English words on them, instead of Farsi or Arabic words :

107mm ROCKET
LOT : 573
DATE : 2016
N.W : 18kg
R.No. : 2103

This has led to suggestions that the rockets may be fake, or made by Americans themselves, or replicas of the real rockets used in a false flag operation.

Here you can see the actual rockets (on the left) and inert replicas of the Haseb rockets. No doubt they look very similar.

However, there is really no need for the US military to purchase replicas even for a false flag operation. Many Haseb rockets have been captured over the years.

The English markings do not mean they are American-made. The Haseb rocket is also made for export by Iran’s Armaments Industries Group (AIG), and so uses English markings.

The inert replica above has English markings, because the real Haseb rockets have English markings.

Fact #4 : Haseb Rockets Have A Very Short Range

Haseb rockets have a very short range – up to 9 kilometres, and are not very accurate.

That means they would have to be fired very close to the Baghdad Green Zone in order to have a reasonable chance of hitting the US embassy inside.

Any suggestion that Iranian forces fired them inside Baghdad itself would be ludicrous. Even if Iran wanted to strike at the Americans, they would use an allied militant group to make attribution difficult.

Fact #5 : Attribution Is Difficult

The Haseb rockets are not exclusively used by Iranian forces. They are exported to Iranian auxiliary forces and allied militant groups like the Hezbollah.

So it would not be possible for the United States to directly attribute the rocket attack to Iran, unless they capture the people who actually fired the rockets.

It could also be a rogue militant group, or even a false flag action by a rival nation-state. After all, numerous examples of the Haseb rocket have been captured by other militant groups and even countries like Israel.

In fact, Gen. Frank McKenzie, who leads the US Central Command and once warned that American forces imminent threat from Iran specifically told The Wall Street Journal,

I do not know the degree to which Iran is complicit. We do not seek a war, and I don’t actually believe they seek one either.

Even Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah described the rocket attack on the US embassy as “undisciplined“.

Fact #6 : We Don’t Know Who Owned Those Rockets

The three Haseb rockets that Donald Trump posted were obviously not fired.

But whether they “failed to launch” as Trump claimed, or were simply captured unfired, is unknown. Trump likely can’t tell the difference.

Unless the rocketeers were captured together with these three rockets, it would be impossible to also attribute the rocket attack to any particular group, never mind Iran.

Even so, the mere possession of these rockets does not mean that they actually launched that particular attack.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

iflix Middle East & North Africa Goes Live!

April 27, 2017 – iflix today announced the launch of its revolutionary service in eight territories across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

 

iflix Middle East & North Africa Goes Live!

Consumers in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan can now sign up for a 30-day free trial, giving them unlimited access to thousands of the world’s best TV shows, movies and more on every device they own, with no credit card required.

The announcement follows just one month after the iflix launch in Myanmar, its tenth market in Asia, solidifying iflix’s dominance over the region with over six billion minutes streamed across ten countries since first launching in Malaysia and the Philippines in mid-2015.

With the launch of iflix Middle East & North Africa, iflix has established itself as the only international SVoD service with full-scale localized operations in each of its territories and a total global headcount of 700 staff across 24 offices worldwide, including new regional headquarters for MENA based in Dubai, UAE.

Each iflix subscription includes:

[adrotate banner=”4″]
  • Unlimited access to iflix’s vast library of thousands of first-run exclusive shows, award-winning TV series, blockbuster movies, popular local and regional Arabic and Asian content, children’s programs and much more;
  • Access to iflix on up to five devices at once, including phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, TVs and other connected devices;
  • The ability to download TV shows and movies to any phone, tablet or mobile device to binge-watch offline, when not connected to the Internet;
  • The ability to share the iflix subscription with family or friends and watch shows on two different devices at the same time.

iflix Group Co-founder and CEO, Mark Britt commented: “Our launch in the Middle East and North Africa represents the incredible vision, hard work and sacrifice by everyone in the iflix team. To have grown from a small, but ambitious 20-person operation without a live service to launching a global business, in now our second region with eight new markets and 80 staff in MENA alone in less than two years, is a testament to that commitment. MENA is one of the fastest growing and most exciting online markets in the world with data savvy consumers who share a passion for entertainment. We are thrilled to make iflix’s world class service, premier digital experience and the most comprehensive selection of content available to them, as part of our mission to redefine entertainment in emerging markets.”

Now available in 18 markets across Asia and MENA, iflix offers consumers, a vast library of top Hollywood, Asian regional, and local TV shows and movies including many first run exclusives and award-winning programs, each subscription allows users to access the service on up to five devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, and television sets, for viewing wherever, whenever.

For new subscribers, iflix offers a complimentary one-month trial with full access to its service, features and content.

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!