SPECIAL NOTICE: INFER is now the RAND Forecasting Initiative (RFI). Learn more about RFI.
 
10th
Accuracy Rank

cmeinel

Carolyn Meinel
About:
Show more

-0.602279

Relative Brier Score

724

Forecasts

356

Upvotes
Forecasting Activity
Forecasting Calendar
 

Past Week Past Month Past Year This Season All Time
Forecasts 33 88 1132 724 3496
Comments 8 26 475 289 1508
Questions Forecasted 13 37 93 64 203
Upvotes on Comments By This User 13 33 605 356 1607
 Definitions
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 33rd forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
93% (+2%)
Yes
Sep 30, 2024 to Mar 30, 2025
7% (-2%)
No
Sep 30, 2024 to Mar 30, 2025
Show more
cmeinel
made a comment:
You make a good point. If you are correct about what the scorers really want to see, then a ground invasion should qualify as aq "new front."
Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 5th forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
47% (+7%)
Yes
Sep 30, 2024 to Mar 30, 2025
53% (-7%)
No
Sep 30, 2024 to Mar 30, 2025
Show more
Show more
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 35th forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
94% (+1%)
Yes
Sep 30, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025
6% (-1%)
No
Sep 30, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025

Would a ground invasion finally convince the question scorers that Netanyahu means it when he keeps on saying that Israel is at war with Hezbollah?  It appears that we soon will find out.

Dateline 9-30-2024 Israeli special forces have been carrying out small, targeted raids into southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence and probing ahead of a possible broader ground incursion that could come as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter said.

The raids, which have included entering Hezbollah’s tunnels located along the border, have occurred recently as well as over the past months, part of the broader effort by Israel to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities along the border dividing Israel and Lebanon, the people said. The timing of any ground action could change, the people said.

The Biden administration expects an imminent Israeli invasion of Lebanon, U.S. officials said.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israeli-special-forces-launch-raids-into-lebanon-ahead-of-possible-ground-incursion-bf2fe94d

See also  more news citations provided by @efosong here https://www.randforecastinginitiative.org/comments/141677

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 7th forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
5% (-6%)
Yes
95% (+6%)
No

Following @michalbod 

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 32nd forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
91% (0%)
Yes
Sep 30, 2024 to Mar 30, 2025
9% (0%)
No
Sep 30, 2024 to Mar 30, 2025

I'm holding steady as I await the results of Israel's allies' efforts to de-escalate.  On the one hand, nuclear-armed Netanyahu has considerable support for doing almost anything to enable the ~70K of his citizens to return to their northern Israel homes. Demonstrations against his war policies appear to be almost entirely over the hostages.

On the other hand, Israel's allies don't want this to escalate into nuclear war.  Iran, the force behind the three entities making war on Israel, apparently lacks nuclear weapons. However, Iran has good relationships with China, which clearly has usable nuclear weapons, and Russia, which might have usable nuclear weapons, and which is a heavy user of Iran's missiles and drones in its daily attacks against Ukraine.

Summary of the current situation:

Dateline 9-30-2024 An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike in Beirut on Friday killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the IDF and the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based terror group both confirmed on Saturday. U.S. officials claimed they had no prior warning about the massive strike—likely carried out with U.S.-supplied 2,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs—which took place while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York City as part of the United Nations General Assembly meeting. After days of sustained attacks by the IDF—including another strike over the weekend targeting Hezbollah official Nabil Kaouk—the terror group’s leadership is significantly degraded. Israeli forces continued airstrikes in the region over the weekend, striking a port in Yemen on Sunday controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as well as bombing additional targets in southern Lebanon.

Source: https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/israel-kills-hezbollah-leader/

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 34th forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
93% (0%)
Yes
Sep 30, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025
7% (0%)
No
Sep 30, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025
Why do you think you're right?

I'm holding steady as I await the results of Israel's allies' efforts to de-escalate.  On the one hand, nuclear-armed Netanyahu has considerable support for doing almost anything to enable the ~70K of his citizens to return to their northern Israel homes. Demonstrations against his war policies appear to be almost entirely over the hostages.

On the other hand, Israel's allies don't want this to escalate into nuclear war.  Iran, the force behind the three entities making war on Israel, apparently lacks nuclear weapons. However, Iran has good relationships with China, which clearly has usable nuclear weapons, and Russia, which might have usable nuclear weapons, and which is a heavy user of Iran's missiles and drones in its daily attacks against Ukraine.

Summary of the current situation:

Dateline 9-30-2024 An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike in Beirut on Friday killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the IDF and the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based terror group both confirmed on Saturday. U.S. officials claimed they had no prior warning about the massive strike—likely carried out with U.S.-supplied 2,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs—which took place while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York City as part of the United Nations General Assembly meeting. After days of sustained attacks by the IDF—including another strike over the weekend targeting Hezbollah official Nabil Kaouk—the terror group’s leadership is significantly degraded. Israeli forces continued airstrikes in the region over the weekend, striking a port in Yemen on Sunday controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as well as bombing additional targets in southern Lebanon.

Source: https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/israel-kills-hezbollah-leader/

Files
Why might you be wrong?

The top wildcards are Netanyahu and the Ayatollah. If they muiscalculate, they face personal risks. The Ayatollah is deeply unpopular, but currently, his people are cowed. Although friendly Iraq controls the only ground invasion route to Iran, nuclear-armed Netanyahu could do to the Ayatollah, what Truman did to China's Emperor. However, at that time, most Japanese belived that their Emperor was a god, so he could simply tell them to lay down their arms and cooperate with the US invaders.  However, In Iran, only a minority (some Shiites) believe that their Ayatollah is doing the will of Allah, which in any case is less compelling than thinking him to be a god himself.

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 31st forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
91% (+4%)
Yes
Sep 28, 2024 to Mar 28, 2025
9% (-4%)
No
Sep 28, 2024 to Mar 28, 2025
Why do you think you're right?

Israel sends up a trial balloon regarding a ground invasion of Lebanon; Netanyahu warns Iran that Israel is capable of striking anywhere inside it.

Dateline 9-28-2024 Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was holding talks late on Saturday on possibly expanding Israel's military offensive on its northern front, his office said in a statement.
"Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant is currently conducting an operational situation assessment regarding the expansion of IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activities in the northern arena," his office said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-defence-minister-holding-talks-possible-expansion-offensive-2024-09-28/

Dateline 9-28-2024 As rocket lands near Jerusalem, PM warns Iran: ‘There’s nowhere beyond our reach’

Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-28-2024/  

Files
Why might you be wrong?

Netanyahu and the Ayatollah are the wild cards. Without the Ayatollah, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis wouldn't be heavily armed to keep on attacking Israel. Without Netanyahu, who needs the Ayatollah and his minions to keep himself out of prison, Israel would have done what it normally does, running wars for weeks to a few months at most before finding ways to achieve peace.

That said, the Ayatollah has a history of not going too far in his [provocations of Israel. Although a ground invasion of Iran is infeasible, Israel has nuclear weapons. Unlike Russia, Israel is capable of keeping its weapons and de3livery systems functional. That's why Putin and his minions keep on threatening global nuclear war if NATO keeps on hindering him from territorial conquests. His empty threats (thank the Lord!) come from weakness, while Israel's leaders always have understood Teddy Roosevelt's saying, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 33rd forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
93% (+2%)
Yes
Sep 28, 2024 to Sep 28, 2025
7% (-2%)
No
Sep 28, 2024 to Sep 28, 2025

Israel sends up a trial balloon regarding a ground invasion of Lebanon; Netanyahu warns Iran that Israel is capable of striking anywhere inside it.

Dateline 9-28-2024 Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was holding talks late on Saturday on possibly expanding Israel's military offensive on its northern front, his office said in a statement.
"Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant is currently conducting an operational situation assessment regarding the expansion of IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activities in the northern arena," his office said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-defence-minister-holding-talks-possible-expansion-offensive-2024-09-28/

Dateline 9-28-2024 As rocket lands near Jerusalem, PM warns Iran: ‘There’s nowhere beyond our reach’

Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-28-2024/  

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 10th forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
Forecast Window
23% (+16%)
Yes
Sep 28, 2024 to Mar 28, 2025
77% (-16%)
No
Sep 28, 2024 to Mar 28, 2025

With Israel being at war against Palestinian terrorists in its West Bank, and with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis, now Netanyahu is threatening the man orchestrating it all: Iran's Ayatollah.

Dateline 9-28-2024 As rocket lands near Jerusalem, PM warns Iran: ‘There’s nowhere beyond our reach’
Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-28-2024/  

Files
New Prediction
cmeinel
made their 5th forecast (view all):
Probability
Answer
0% (0%)
Less than 24%
0% (0%)
More than or equal to 24% but less than 26%
11% (-25%)
More than or equal to 26% but less than 28%
89% (+25%)
More than or equal to 28%

Following @DimaKlenchin given his base rate information here https://www.randforecastinginitiative.org/comments/140307

Files
Files
Tip: Mention someone by typing @username