Showing posts with label Central Command. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Central Command. Show all posts

Friday, September 18, 2026

A role call in shadow

A darkly sumptuous editorial illustration depicts a solemn brunette woman as an allegorical military figure overlooking Washington in a violent nocturnal storm. Wearing provocative black-and-gold military-inspired couture, stockings, gloves and thigh-high boots, she carries an open dossier from which documents and identification tags spill. Behind her, an aircraft carrier battles mountainous seas as warplanes cross the sky. Memorial walls, helmets, boots, candles, folded flags and white roses evoke military deaths, while a balance weighs medals against concealed files. The Pentagon and Washington monuments below reinforce themes of war, secrecy, institutional accountability and disputed casualty reporting.
image generated via ChatGPT

‘More American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly’. {Washington Post 18 September}

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/ar-AA2cwmIj

Pete Hegseth must be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanours and removed from office. His stewardship of the United States Armed Forces hath proved an utter disgrace, and even thus do I speak mildly. The plight of the USS Abraham Lincoln alone ought, in mine own judgement, to furnish sufficient grounds for impeachment. 

In truth, this punk finds himself fortunate indeed that the American people have not presently their wits fully about them; for, were it otherwise, they should be marching upon Washington and Arlington, bearing pitchforks and torches, and demanding that the ‘Secretary of War’ be called to account. —

FTA: According to a document reviewed by The Washington Post, U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, has estimated that the Iran war has cost about $43.6 billion through early September. The total includes $28 billion in munitions expended during the conflict but does not account for the damage to U.S. bases.

As The Post reported last month, several top U.S. military officials have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonging large-scale operations against Iran is unsustainable and risks weakening their ability to confront threats elsewhere, including the U.S. homeland.

According to a September Reuters-Ipsos poll, 28 percent of Americans support Trump’s approach to Iran, whereas 62 percent disapprove.

On Tuesday, a record seven GOP lawmakers joined Democrats and helped pass a largely symbolic measure intended to halt the war — the latest of several war powers resolutions to advance in Congress.

All war deaths and injuries are supposed to be publicly reported on the Pentagon’s public DCAS system, where the military accounts for personnel lost or injured in its conflicts.

Over the summer, when the four combat deaths were temporarily excluded from the casualty database, the Trump administration reclassified renewed hostilities with Iran as Overseas Operations instead of being tied to Operation Epic Fury.

The change, which occurred as U.S. negotiators struggled to broker a permanent peace deal with Tehran, coincided with efforts by the administration to portray the war as a success even as Iran continued to fire on American forces and continued to target shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Senate Democrats have pledged to investigate the Pentagon’s handling of casualty notifications if they retake the majority after the midterms.

Rep. Jason Crow (Colorado) and 11 other House Democrats, all of them military veterans, on Friday said they were introducing a bill that would prevent the Pentagon from manipulating government data on troop casualties.

One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (Kentucky), moved this week to force a House vote on impeaching Hegseth over the war, alleging the defense secretary violated provisions of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by pursuing hostilities without congressional authorization.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Mistresses of the chokepoint

A richly detailed fantasy illustration portrays four elegantly attired women within an opulent Persian-inspired palace chamber illuminated by lanterns, candles, and golden ambient light. Intricate jewellery, embroidered silks, ornate carpets, and gilded furnishings create an atmosphere of extraordinary luxury. At the centre, a regal woman reclines upon cushions while attendants adjust her adornments, offer refreshments, and fan her with peacock feathers. Beyond a grand arched opening and an enormous gilded mirror, a narrow maritime waterway is crowded with tankers, warships, patrol craft, and helicopters. Fires burn along distant shorelines, while columns of smoke rise beneath a crescent moon, suggesting a region engulfed by conflict. The composition juxtaposes courtly splendour, wealth, and refinement against the ominous spectacle of war unfolding beyond the palace walls.
generated via ChatGPT

Crude oil prices begin to rise once more with the renewal of combat in the Strait of Hormuz. {MarketWatch 7 July}

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-rise-as-the-u-s-cancels-irans-license-to-sell-oil-030635fc

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

The long night of Hormuz

A lavish fantasy illustration depicts six elegantly dressed women gathered within an opulent Persian-inspired pavilion overlooking a nighttime waterfront cityscape. Richly coloured silks in sapphire, emerald, crimson, gold, and violet cascade across carpets, cushions, and marble terraces illuminated by lanterns and candlelight. Intricate arches, gilded ornamentation, and elaborate mosaics frame the scene. Several women study a large map spread across a low table while others gaze anxiously towards the horizon. Beyond the pavilion, a modern skyline dominated by a towering skyscraper rises across a narrow strait crowded with warships, tankers, and patrol vessels. Fires burn along distant shorelines, columns of smoke ascend into the night sky, and a helicopter sweeps the water with a searchlight. The composition contrasts luxury, culture, and civilisation with the ominous spectre of geopolitical crisis and approaching conflict.
generated via ChatGPT

Trumpistan and Iran fire at each other again in the Strait of Hormuz: another failed ceasefire (and how many is this now?) {AP 7 July}

https://whdh.com/news/us-launches-new-strikes-against-iran-after-three-ships-were-hit-in-strait-of-hormuz/

When is anyone ever going to get it? The Iranians are never going to abide by the terms of a peace deal. America hath two options, and neither is good: either withdraw completely from the region, thereby leaving Israel and the Gulf states vulnerable while further emboldening powers such as Russia and China; or commit to a full-scale war aimed at the all-out, genuine (meaning not half-assed) destruction of the Islamic Republic, risking World War III. The global economy hath already taken a major hit, and gas prices are not going down, are they? What a bloody mess — one that is going to take decades to recover from, assuming recovery is even possible.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.