Erik Zimerman

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

This one may prove to have an unusual angle. From the footage, we may consider the possibility that the only civilian victim, reportedly Rabbi Michel Moshe Mizrahi Z"L was shot by the female police officer.

If this is the case, the shooter may have been targeting police officers. He may not have shot any civilians at all. And given his equipment and demeanor we see in the footage, it seems odd that he would have failed to even injure anyone before the police arrive. And yet when they do he is able to shoot two police officers.

Who was he shooting at before they arrived? The shooter appears to be white. So we may have something unusual here in terms of motivation and likely very political.

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Rabbi Mizrahi, was killed "in the crossfire", which is a very diplomatic way to say that the police shot him.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

The crumbling West puts women in the line of fire. Here, to everyone's misfortunate it seems the lady first shot at an innocent man who mistakenly figured calmly being near the armed police was a safe place to be, before failing to fire at the bad guy, fleeing and being shot herself.

Bad guy did not show any particularly good skills, but simply was aggressive, pushing forward, and the female officer showed the opposite; reluctance and then flight. At the moment where she, behind cover, could have easily shot shooter, as he walked straight for her (out of cover), she fled, allowing him to flank her and apparently getting shot in the process.

Reports indicate one officer killed and one wounded. It may be that the female officer who is shot off-frame survived, as her partner's condition on frame does not look good.

A male officer who is in the frame earlier, was in a perfect angle to take out the flanking shooter. It looks like he may have done so, but not in time to save the lady in uniform from being shot. We can't see what he is doing at that instant, but no high marks for him either.

It's understandable that police officers are not soldiers, and certainly not elite level soldiers, but one figures they could at least be men.

[Alexandra Lavoie @ThevoiceAlexa]

⚠️ BREAKING: Video shows the gunman in Montreal reloading his weapon as he exchanges fire with police.

Two officers have been shot and the shooter has been killed, according to recent reports.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Of course, it doesn't help that the disarmed citizenry in socialist Canada can neither defend themselves nor help the lady whose partner is down.

We are not aware of the details yet, or the sequence of events, but since reporting on this is ongoing for about 3 hours, and a relatively large police force broke into a grocery store to confront the shooter or shooters, the fact that this is how it ends for at least one of the shooters (if there is more than one) and two of the officers is crazy. Because one thing is for these 3 police officers to be surprised at the scene, and it is quite another to send them along with the lady into the fray.

We shall see as details emerge. Obviously nothing would surprise us at this point in the crumbing west.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

What did I tell you... only a leak could help now (but it seems to never help cause he ends up right back at the same place... "pls sign this paper". @marcorubio's silence has been telling.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

What did I tell you... only a leak could help now (but it seems to never help cause he ends up right back at the same place... "pls sign this paper". @marcorubio's silence has been telling.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

This is Bibi, trying to do the same thing Marco Rubio & others pulled off just days ago.

Simply try to remind Mr. Trump of his own words on the matter and of what defeat looks like.

Here we are yet again. As I said then, only a partial or full leak of the MOU or Persian intransigency (overplaying their hand) can save the second Trump administration now.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

This is Marco Rubio trying to stop Trump from signing an even more humiliating defeat. Cleverly repeating Mr. Trump's own talking points, he put the limelight on the differences between Trump's repeatedly stated goals and the document that he was about to sign hours later.

This helped bring about clarifications from both sides on the wide gap that exists between their true positions. Apparently the shameful document is now being renegotiated. Perhaps the Iranians blink time time and offer a few more concessions. With any luck, the US can avoid this massive loss of hegemony and prestige.

If not, it is not just the Persians who will feel they can do as they please... hopefully and however unlikely, we can learn from this as well.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

@netanyahu Yes Mr. Netanyahu, you do us honor. Since Oct 7th, despite massive internal & external pressure few others could have sustained, you have not broken.

Today, Iran fears only us. May you, B"H, continue to not break. Our fighters certainly won't.

https://t.co/O2Nz3BLr6G

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

During the last few days of US strikes, in retaliation Iran attacked everyone except Israel, it's most avowed enemy.

The US and the Gulf states have shown their desire to crumble under pressure. Israel had shown that this would be the only pretext it needs to continue its war against Iran, despite any Trump objections.

"Will be interesting to see against who Iran retaliates at this stage (likely anyone but Israel..." Exactly as predicted.

https://t.co/UJkcdKlilO

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

During the last few days of US strikes, in retaliation Iran attacked everyone except Israel, it's most avowed enemy.

The US and the Gulf states have shown their desire to crumble under pressure. Israel had shown that this would be the only pretext it needs to continue its war against Iran, despite any Trump objections.

"Will be interesting to see against who Iran retaliates at this stage (likely anyone but Israel..." Exactly as predicted.

https://t.co/UJkcdKlilO

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Trump literally copied my West Wing "proportional response" post. But unless he was mocking his own CENTCOM - hard to understand. Seems he was building up strength in his own mind.

Then as predicted Trump was faced with the prospect of taking it on the chin and not responding. Interestingly, Iran did not fire at Israel since it knew it would lead undoubtedly to Israeli retaliation.

Mr. Trump responded with this, indicating that perhaps finally he had been convinced that the only answer to this war, like other wars, is either victory or defeat. But Trump is fickle, so we shall see.

The American strikes were telegraphed for hours, so we will see how they go, if they are symbolic in nature, meant only to further push the regime into a satisfactory deal, or if they are the start of a new phase. Perhaps Hegseth, Adm. Cooper and CENTCOM get another shot at the goal after all.

Will be interesting to see against who Iran retaliates at this stage (likely anyone but Israel... want's to keep driving the allies apart, not unite them against it).

We will see if the administration requests Israel's assistance, after having been less than cordial and far from a steadfast ally, which regardless Israel is more than willing to provide.

I as usual, prefer we each fight our own wars.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

@DontTreadOnMeM8 This is what I am talking about.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Here we are today as predicted:

"Then Trump will be faced with having to do what he is asking of them... not retaliate after being attacked"

Iran indeed retaliated. Before that

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Trump's post was meant to assuage Americans and appease Iranians. First they withheld the immediately known fact that the Iranians had shot down a US Apache; the administration desperate to find an offramp and not finish (& win) the war they started.

Trump decided the best approach was to announce it himself, and in his truth social post, he at the same time is trying to downplay the enemy downing of a US helicopter during what is according to Trump, a ceasefire, while asking the Iranians not to respond to his retaliatory attack, that he must, out of "necessity" (ruling over foolish peasant Americans with their silly sense of honor & national pride).

The message is primarily meant for Iran. "You shot down our chopper, I have no choice but to make a symbolic response, please ignore it.. I don't really mean anything by it".

Not long after, explosions were reported heard in various costal locations in Iran, and CENTCOM issued its own apologetic statement, per the instructions of its commander-in-chief.

"The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression."

The statement is as sorry as it is inaccurate. One would it find it easy to argue that the strikes were nowhere near proportional, and it is a meaningless term used by politicians and reviled by men at war. More importantly, the "unjustified aggression" accusation is laughable.

The US attacked Iran, and after lacking the political will to continue its campaign until victory, it began to blockade the country.

Iran could easily be argued to have done many "unjustified" things... fighting the American army that is either attacking or sieging it is not one of them.

In any event, the message is the diplomatic speak version of Trump's message:

"Iran, we have to bomb you in retaliation, we have no choice, please don't take it personally and let it not drag us back into fighting each other because we lack the will to beat you. We were happy to start fighting you when we didn't know that, but now we do. So please don't start fighting us again and please let us surrender to you with an agreement that doesn't make it obvious that we surrendered which so far you refuse to sign."

Despite Mr. Trump's downplaying of an attack on his airmen, whom he commands as Commander-in-Chief and who miraculously are unharmed, I would wager the Iranians won't oblige him despite his pleas.

The Iranians are likely to retaliate...at US bases, Gulf States, Israel, civilian ships, Navy ships, anything & any one or more of them. They too will feel they must "out of necessity".

Then Trump will be faced with having to do what he is asking of them... not retaliate after being attacked (perhaps the Iranians will attack folks other then the US directly in order to make that more palatable).

The desperation from the leader of the free world and its sole superpower is sad to witness.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

They held it off for a while, but we end up in the same place.

https://t.co/k1midpbUp6

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

This is Bibi, trying to do the same thing Marco Rubio & others pulled off just days ago.

Simply try to remind Mr. Trump of his own words on the matter and of what defeat looks like.

Here we are yet again. As I said then, only a partial or full leak of the MOU or Persian intransigency (overplaying their hand) can save the second Trump administration now.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

It's working. Rubio, along with other classic US conservatives, were able to steady the hand of the impulsive Trump. Trump TACOes on the TACO.

Iran, pretending to hold all the cards, was on the brink of delivering a US a humiliating and potentially catastrophic defeat. Thankfully as usual, they overplayed their hand.
Blockade remains in place. We shall see.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

This is Marco Rubio trying to stop Trump from signing an even more humiliating defeat. Cleverly repeating Mr. Trump's own talking points, he put the limelight on the differences between Trump's repeatedly stated goals and the document that he was about to sign hours later.

This helped bring about clarifications from both sides on the wide gap that exists between their true positions. Apparently the shameful document is now being renegotiated. Perhaps the Iranians blink time time and offer a few more concessions. With any luck, the US can avoid this massive loss of hegemony and prestige.

If not, it is not just the Persians who will feel they can do as they please... hopefully and however unlikely, we can learn from this as well.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Appeal to authority (argumentum ad verecundiam), primarily associated with wokeists (left & "right") of limited intellectual capacity who cannot address an opinion or point on its merits.

Many people who have experienced plenty of shots fired in anger & gone to war under many different circumstances, including myself, can and do hold different opinions. Many also tend to agree with Mr. Levin.

If those are the requirements to express a political opinion, let alone vote for the Commander-in-Chief, then you should tell everyone that women must lose the vote immediately (followed by over 90% of men).

And since you are against intervening anywhere for any reason apparently, you'd have no US soldiers experiencing shots fired in anger either, and plenty of people who would never go to war could become soldiers (since they don't go to war), and so they too should not able to hold opinions either; at least not without being diagnosed with PDS.

The very authority you seem to think make your geopolitical opinions superior to others, comes from serving under Commander-in-Chiefs who believed armies, especially those of superpowers in a dangerous world, were meant to be used. That soldiers should fight far away so that women and children are safe nearby.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

I desperately hope so, you sad little commi loser. But unfortunately you are likely wrong as usual. Iran obviously will demand Israeli concessions that Trump is agreeing to. Not only for US guarantees that Israel won't continue to attack it, but also Hezbollah in Lebanon & who knows who & what else.

Israel will thus unfortunately not be "cut out" of the deal. It was cut out of the negotiations that is for sure, so that the appeasement can proceed, but the deal will definitely attempt to bind it.

Iran accomplishes nothing if its fickle enemy goes away, only to leave its determined enemy to keep bombing it at will. Note during these last 2 days of strikes... Iran lashed out at everyone except Israel, which is odd since its supposedly its' most avowed enemy. It didn't strike Israel because it knows that it would, despite Trump, strike back, and this time not stop so quickly.

Iran, unlike the Trump administration, knows what its doign.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

One gets the distinct feeling that after 2 days of strikes meant to "convince" Iran, Trump simply caved and decided to agree to a previously rejected earlier Iranian draft of the MOU & declare an agreement (sadly hoping that makes it a fait acompli).

The Iranians for their part, overawed at such weakness now aren't sure that they want to sign their own draft.

They will undoubtedly ask for further improvements.

One can only imagine what will become of the post MOU negotiations, 60 days and far beyond, as well as the prospects of any meaningful final agreement.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Who and what are these neutered men spreading across the western world so afraid of, and why do they think their groveling will see them spared?

As far low as the GOP sinks, it remains a champion next to its counterpart. Much like with inflation, as the currencies sink together... no one notices.

[Jeff Maurer @JeffMightBWrong]

This video is turning me into a burn-it-all-down populist ready to toss out the arrogant political elites (these Ivy League ex-Bernie staffers who recruited Graham Platner).

[Gera. Belik @gershon27]

נשיא סרביה, אלכסנדר ווצ'יץ', אמר לפוקס ניוז:

אני מותקף מכל עבר על שיתוף הפעולה שלי עם ישראל ועל המשך שיתוף הפעולה הזה.

אני נשיא של מדינה שהיא בין הבודדות באירופה שאינה מהססת לשתף פעולה עם ישראל ולומר זאת בפומבי ובגלוי, במקום להסתיר זאת.

1/2⬇️⬇️

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Embarrassed at claims of their blockade failing, Iran might retaliate in novel ways.

Firing not only at ships transiting the Strait in or out of the gulf, but those still trapped within it.

Oil spills in the Gulf (banking on the left's soft spot for these)

Commando or terrorist attacks outside its borders

More intense strikes at the GCC states.

Attempting to get Shia proxies around the region to cause havoc - starting with the Houthis closing the Bab al-Mandab, and Shia militias in Iraq attacking US bases and/or Kurdish areas.

Finally, actually mining the Strait of Hormuz (or attempting it).

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

The land under them all is old. The marxist revolutionary islamic repubic of iran is about 47 years old, not 5,000. Islam itself is a fraction of that, about 1,400 years old.

Both Christianity and Judaism much older.

A myriad of peoples, tribes and religions have crossed, conquered, intermixed and lived in what today is Iran.

If Israel is 78, Iran is certainly 47 at most. If you want to count ethnic and religious continuity instead, obviously Israel wins. Likewise neither the Anglo-Saxons, Protestants nor Western Civilization is only 250 years old.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

Trump literally copied my West Wing "proportional response" post. But unless he was mocking his own CENTCOM - hard to understand. Seems he was building up strength in his own mind.

Then as predicted Trump was faced with the prospect of taking it on the chin and not responding. Interestingly, Iran did not fire at Israel since it knew it would lead undoubtedly to Israeli retaliation.

Mr. Trump responded with this, indicating that perhaps finally he had been convinced that the only answer to this war, like other wars, is either victory or defeat. But Trump is fickle, so we shall see.

The American strikes were telegraphed for hours, so we will see how they go, if they are symbolic in nature, meant only to further push the regime into a satisfactory deal, or if they are the start of a new phase. Perhaps Hegseth, Adm. Cooper and CENTCOM get another shot at the goal after all.

Will be interesting to see against who Iran retaliates at this stage (likely anyone but Israel... want's to keep driving the allies apart, not unite them against it).

We will see if the administration requests Israel's assistance, after having been less than cordial and far from a steadfast ally, which regardless Israel is more than willing to provide.

I as usual, prefer we each fight our own wars.

[Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik]

@SanFranRancor @HillelNeuer @WhiteHouse no, never watched a single episode of that show. just know that scene.