Trump Approves Strikes on Iran, but Then Abruptly Pulls Back

[jpak]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump approved military strikes against Iran in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone, but pulled back from launching them on Thursday night after a day of escalating tensions.

As late as 7 p.m., military and diplomatic officials were expecting a strike, after intense discussions and debate at the White House among the president’s top national security officials and congressional leaders, according to multiple senior administration officials involved in or briefed on the deliberations.

Officials said the president had initially approved attacks on a handful of Iranian targets, like radar and missile batteries.

The operation was underway in its early stages when it was called off, a senior administration official said. Planes were in the air and ships were in position, but no missiles had been fired when word came to stand down, the official said.


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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/world/middleeast/iran-us-drone.html

[RHMerriman]

1. "...Trump is a bully and like all bullies, he is a coward. He is afraid to even take responsibility

At some point, the bluster is insufficient and the reality of taking responsibility for decisions that cannot be blamed on someone else takes hold ... Trump was sheltered his entire childhood, and he has ducked responsibility his entire adult life; I'd suggest he is almost incapable of taking responsibility for anything.

Yet another shooting war in Southwest Asia is, undeniably, going to be a failure for the United States; even if a US air campaign was "successful" in destroying significant Iranian military infrastructure, that is not going to lead to significant changes in the Iranian government's policies regarding the rest of the region, and the aftermath simply would encourage further asymmetric conflict on the behalf of the Iranian government.

Although Trump "might" gain a short-term increase in domestic support in the US, it would largely be from a marginal element of his already marginal base - establishment Republicans, for lack of a better term - and might actually diminish his support among isolationist Republicans. Independents and Democrats are unlikely to move toward supporting him, and if anything, such a failed conflict would drive independents further from Trump.

So there's no 'win" for Trump, other than in very short term and from a very small percentage of the electorate.

Ultimately, Trump understands the job is more than he bargained for; one of the very few "human" experiences he has had that got some coverage was his first - and only, if I remember correctly - visit to Dover AFB when the coffins of US military personnel KIA overseas came home; circumstances were such that he had to actually look a grieving family in the eyes and there was nothing "good" in the exchange for him.

Trump can't face the reality of actually being responsible for something; he can't stand the risk, and he has never had the moral, mental, or even physical capability to endure any sort of uncomfortable situation.

Now, we'll see over the next few days whether I'm correct, but the point about Venezuela is a good example; cheap and easy victories are the only ones he has the stomach for, and there would be nothing cheap or easy about a conflict with Iran.

As a far better man than Trump once said: "Victory has a thousand fathers; defeat is an orphan."

[CentralMass]

2. If only Fred tRump had abruptly pulled back about 74 years ago.

[Zambero]

5. Fred certainly lived to regret that

He eventually had to resort to the "off to military school" solution. Unreformed, Cadet Bonespurs would later emerge as a nuisance on a much larger scale.

[Wuddles440]

11. Laugh for the day!!!

[DownriverDem]

3. As much

as I hate what trump and the repubs are doing domestically, I have always had more fear about what trump would do foreign policy wise. He will get us into a war to bring up his poll numbers and to win his reelection.

[MaryMagdaline]

4. I'm Relieved he didn't bomb Iran. I won't taunt him about weakness.

He’s too dangerous if taunted. I’m afraid Saudi Arabia and Israel will push him into war. For once, I hope Putin wins him over.

Sick where we’ve ended up. A president with no integrity and no center.

[Bayard]

6. Not worth going to war over a freakin' drone!!

For godsakes! Especially since it was probably in their air space.

But how long will the temporary sanity last? I'm sure it was the Congressional leaders that pulled us back from the brink....certainly not Bolton or Pompous Ass.

[getagrip_already]

7. That's not what happened at all.

Trump planned the attacks so he COULD cancel them at the last minute. He the leaked that he called it off. Now he is taking cCREDIT for it. He did it to draw attention to himself and away from the other crap circling him in the drain.

This scenario exactly fits his warped narcissistic mind.

The missiles were never going to fly. Never. It wasn't his plan. The plan was to attack us using the media. It's what he does, And the media fell for it again. And he is smuggly content watching tellie-tellie.

[bluestarone]

10. I'm in your corner!

Totally agree! pre-planned and carried out! What a fucking game this asshole plays!!

[LNM]

16. My thoughts exactly.

He does this all the time.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. He's waiting for July the Fourth.

He'll announce the attack in the middle of his Celebration of Patriotism®. Cameras mounted in the attack aircraft and drones will show the killing in real time, as the crowd chants, variously, "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and "Lock her up! Lock her up!"

The ratings will be through the roof.

[rockfordfile]

9. People should be protesting. Just like the lies of the Iraq War.

Americans remember the lies and death of the Iraq War. Trying this crap again Americans are going to take it out on the gop.

One thing Americans have a big distaste for is Vietnam War and Iraq War bs. The deaths and lies.

A traitor trying to start a diversion. He knows whats coming next year.

[LogicFirst]

12. Trumps continuing motto:

Create a crisis, so he can avert a crisis. What a stable genius.

[duforsure]

13. Dementia?

[smb]

14. "Abruptly Pulled Back" aka "Putin Told Him 'Nyet!'" nt

[BlueIdaho]

17. I'm calling bullshit.

This entire story is nothing more than typical Trumpsky hocus pocus. He’s posturing politically to look like a tough but wise leader to pick off a few votes from low information voters. Notice how quick Trumpsky was to jump into an interview with Fuck Todd to spread the news that the Liar in Chief is indeed a thoughtful yet muscular President.

Bullshit.

[Dave Starsky]

18. In other news: John Bolton has swollen, excruciating blue balls.

He will need to put an ice pack on them.