Discussion: All Systems Go For Retaliatory Strike Against Iran — Until Trump Abruptly Pulled Back

We are strangling their oil exports, and in particular hitting the business interests of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It is the Guard hitting back at us. Partially to show relevance, but partially to drive up oil prices, which indirectly help Iran (they still sell some oil) but also (they hope) will cause oil buyers in China/Asia, etc to easy the pressure on them.

I have no doubt that the Iranians were responsible for the Limpet Mines. This was, and is, an anticipated response to Trump’s own actions. The Iranians have made clear for 30 years that if we choke off their oil exports, they will close the gulf. This is simply an example of their reaction, and follows a pattern going back to the Iran-Iraq war in the early 80s.

I have doubts, made more powerful by the established fact that no one can trust a word from this administration. I am not at all sure who can trust, but I am absolutely sure who I cannot trust.

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Colbert made a joke last night about the time when the USA stated something (the attack on the tankers) and the world believed the USA. With NY times reporting Trumps 1000th lie. No one today knows who is telling the truth about the tanker attack. Trump and his administration has no credibility. Try raising the patriot support for an armed engagement with Iran with the majority of the nation knowing Trump lies 24/7.

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Earlier in the day, some Nat. Security people met without him to plan response. Seems like it was about 11am, so still exec. time. and they probably didn’t want to have to explain everything again. Still, who’s running this country?

Look, Trump lies, no one believes what he says. But this is very much part of a pattern by the Iranians, and there is a lot of evidence, of exactly the sort you would expect given our surveillance capacities, for us to have. Adam Schiff came out of the confidential briefing and made clear this is a real issue, and I trust him.

The reality is that the US military does not want war, only the Saudis, Isrealis, and Pompeo and Bolton want a war. The Fox News side of the Administration (Carleson, etc) don’t want a war. Trump is in conflict because his handlers (Russians, FOX, Saudis, Alderson/Nuttyaho) are all on different sides, but that does not make the underlying issue into a false flag.

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I just saw Leon Panetta on Today. He pointed out that calling back a strike in progress is fraught with potential for disaster, such as planes not getting the message.
Is anyone else having flashbacks of Fail Safe?

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When was the last time it really mattered what the US military wanted? (I do not say that to disparage the military.) This administration is not the first or only one that sees the military only as a hammer. I do not ask the hammer for permission when I strike the nail.

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War with Iran would be idiotic and tragic. But making the decision and getting all set to “retaliate” and then backing off for no reason other than lack of commitment, is also idiotic and dangerous.

Trump, acting true to form.

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It really sucks when you abuse, manipulate and loot a nation for nearly 60 years and they have the temerity to push back at you. Ingrates.

In 1951, Mohammad Mosaddegh was appointed as the Prime Minister. He became enormously popular in Iran after he nationalized Iran's petroleum industry and oil reserves. He was deposed in the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, an Anglo-American covert operation that marked the first time the United States had overthrown a foreign government during the Cold War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
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I am not saying that the Military is in charge, after Mattis left, any restraints on crazy shit went away. Only grifters are in charge now. But the Military bureaucracy has ways of making sure that accurate information gets through. They are not e.g. making up fake pictures, and if they show a radar track, potting data on our surveillance flight, I trust it.

Notably, in a similar incident (when US sailors strayed into Iranian waters) they did not contest they were in the wrong place.

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[quote="] The strikes … were reportedly championed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, CIA Director Gina Haspel and National Security Adviser John Bolton.
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Bunch of fucking chickenhawks. If they want war with Iran so bad, send them and only them.

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because small d!ck syndrome.

With a long history of murder and mayhem.

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Trump’s problem at the moment is that he has intentionally surrounded himself with corrupt and immoral cretins, and he cannot overcome their own infighting when their personal goals conflict. There is no clear and certain path that gains him a personal advantage at no personal cost, and that is his only measure (even if it is usually applied only in the moment, and with little more than a nanosecond of consideration of the future). He may actually have to make a decision. (If Putin is telling him to back off, which is certainly possible, that may make the decision easier, but it will leave him with a conflict, one he has no idea of how to handle. It also makes him look weak, which he particularly hates.)

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Trump went on to threaten Iran that if they sink one of our aircraft carriers, he will post a very nasty tweet about their moms.

What an absolute wuss. How can his MAGAts support someone who rolls over and can’t make a stand.

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If Trump really wants to destroy Iran, he should just get himself elected as their president.

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Lying, cheating, and stealing his way to the bottom…

And apparently his bluff was called. Which I’m happy about don’t get me wrong. But his BS threats and claims so annoy me!

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It really sucks when you abuse, manipulate and loot a nation for nearly
60 years and they have the temerity to push back at you. Ingrates.

And install a dictator (the Shah) who tortured and murdered his people for 25 years and set the stage for the Ayatollah Khomeini to take over.

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If I recall correctly, Trump pulled us out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, not 2017.

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I suspect that Russian military is watching our moves in the region.

I suspect Pootie was alerted to movement of our resources and he made a call.

I hope that the intelligence community was monitoring things…

My guess we can track a timeline of at least …

Trump Calls for strikes, call into his cell phone, trump calls off strikes.

Putin is surely sophisticated enough to ensure the call doesn’t appear to originate from Russia.

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Vlad made the call to stop the attack apparently, which is not surprising. I’m gleaning that from the statement issued by Russia shortly after the NYT/WAPO reports came out warning the US against war/escalation.

The Vlad news took the steam out of Trump’s PR gambit. Media and a lot of gullible Dems were painting Trump as the person of restraint. Trump is a reckless war monger friendly incompetent leader. You know how I know that? He dropped out of the JCPOA and appointed John Bolton. That’s all you need to know.

Trump created this road to nowhere chaos in the Middle East. He’s just a vessel who is easily manipulated by all sides: Bolton, Kim, Bibi, MBS, Vlad and others. Vlad’s the daddy though so he gets the last word. In this particular case, that was probably a good thing.

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