I understood that but thought there may be some who might have thought both photos were phony, so I wanted to distinguish between them since the Photoshop comment was nonspecific...


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Ah, gotcha.

Yeah, the swiftness of how our enemies have changed and continues to change does boggle the mind really, doesn't it? I feel sorry sometimes for techno-thriller media authors, writers on series like NCIS who have to reflect who the latest bogeyman is. One season the Russians are helping them against the Jihadists, the next season they're trying to stop the Russians from assassinating someone.

https://i.imgflip.com/qcut0.jpg

How many of those Mujahadeen have been assassinated by the Taliban or died fighting them?

Actually. I did a little digging for facts (you should try it some time) while trying to make certain of the authenticity of the Reagan photo and a number of the sites made mention of some of those specific Afghans sitting with Regan later went on to become members and leaders of the Taliban the US fought after 9/11; and let us not forget about a Mujahadeen leader supported and abetted by the Reagan/Bush administrations: Osama Bin Laden. Play with enough poisonous snakes and you are likely to get bitten...


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I've listened to both sides about the deal and I cannot say if I think it is good or bad. Like some have said, time will tell. Let's hope for the best, who knows, maybe Iran and the US will get past their unfortunate history. At least Iran is fighting ISIS (shia and sunni, I know).

A leopard never changes its spots.

^ ... and hope never is a good strategy.

That would be why hope isn't the current strategy.

Conditions, sanctions relief, inspections, and actually trading something the West wants for something Iran wants.

Real world diplomacy. It actually happens sometimes.

True, but this is just about how the "leopard" is accepted by governments as an ally, as long as it is useful. Saddam was a dictator all the time. The Mujaheddin surely also were, but as long as it was about terrorizing Russia ..
b.t.w. the poto with Reagan and the Mujahedin is titled: "President Reagan meeting with Afghan Freedom Fighters to discuss Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan". The CIA file designation for those Mujahedin allies back then was "AlQuaeda".


The second picture is photoshopped, i should have posted the picture with Mr. Rumsfeld's handshake with Saddam back in 1983, when he sold him some chemicals ([cyn] most probably to be used for Saddam's hair [/cyn])
(http://www.famouspictures.org/donald...addam-hussein/)

However, with picture or not, Saddam was regarded as an ally against Iran for quite some time, and it was even thinkable (back then) to make him the strongest man in the middle east, to act as a kind of police, stabilizing the region. That, as we all know, has changed when Saddam decided to attack Kuwait.

Let's say influencing other nations is always a double-sided sword.

Iranian oil makes prices drop below $28 per barrel, lowest since 2003:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35340893

Never thought I'd see that day, crazy stuff...still, the spike back up is going to hurt like hell when it happens so I guess it's best to enjoy the good times while they last...if the industries involved will actually forward the savings onto their customers (:har::har::har::har::har:).

^ Diesel is now cheaper than the plant oil i have used for my car :huh:
The engine does not quite run as good with Diesel though :-?

Yeah, typical isn't it? We've made all these preparations to deal with expensive oil by moving to oil substitutes and now it becomes cheap again.

Still, one could argue that moving away from oil and oil dependency, or at least trying to, has helped bring prices down a little bit (although the whole Saudi/Iran situation has helped most) and keeping away from that dependency will benefit the west in the long term as we become less susceptible to the whims of the oil market and the Middle East.

That's the theory anyway.

Over-reliance on anything is a bad idea anyway. :hmmm:

^This.
Everything that gets us away from ME oil is good in my books.

I simply give thanks the buggas aren't major exporters of beer and dark rum :)

Implementation Day foto
 

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/OIx...8445983685.jpgWell at least the US flag is to the right if nuthin' else is (right):hmmm:

What if I said "In a very near future we will have a shortage of oil "

It has nothing to do with no-more oil under Saudi Arabian soil or other oil producing countries

Markus

...not to mention or overlook pot noodles...


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STEED in five...four...three...

Rgr that :)