What has Trump done?

by

Last night, the United States launched a drone strike that killed Iran’s leading commando in international guerilla and proxy war, intelligence, and terrorist tactics, Qaasim Suleimani.

It also resulted in the death of the leader of the radical Iraqi branch of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Iran has, of course, vowed revenge.

Tears should not be shed for these two men. They were terrorists and murderers who have caused the deaths of many innocent people, including hundreds of Americans.

That said, what has Trump done with this action?

The Bush II and Obama Administrations had opportunities, along with apparently the Israelis, to target assassinate Sulemani several times over the last 20 years. They did not for fear of a major Middle East War.

People have to wonder if Mr. Trump and his people have thought through all the potential repercussions and have planned for them.

This is not the first time the Trumpists (or others in history like the Eisenhower Administration’s restoration of the Shah in the 1950s) have taken ill-advised unilateral action with respect to Iran.

In 2018, the Administration launched a massive pressure campaign on Iran following Mr. Trump’s widely condemned pulling out of the Iranian fully complying Iran Nuclear Agreement.

The move, designed to economically cripple Iran, did accomplish that but instead of bringing them to the negotiating table, helped escalate regional tensions including attacks on oil tankers and drones as well as the intensification of regional divisions between Shia and Shitte communities.

Only time will tell if Trump made another miscalculation, without consulting the Congressional Gang of Eight (sorry, Lindsey Graham does not count,) with regards to Iran.

Commenting on last night’s action, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that people would be dancing in the streets now that Suleimani was dead.

That comment was eerily reminiscent of when Vice President Dick Cheney said that we would be greeted as liberators following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Everyone knows how well that turned out.

Featured Image from Foreign Policy

 

 

5 thoughts on “What has Trump done?”

  1. This smells like Netanyahu. He has been trying to get the US engaged wirh Iran for years, as a proxy for him. And with his legal trouble and a split Israeli electorate,what better way to help him electorally. Most rational humans know Trump is incapable of strategic thinking in analyzing possible outcomes to unilateral actions, so we know he did not do that. The bottom line on this is Netanyahu and Trump’s own ego interest in praise. God forbid we try a multi pronged approach to improving relations with Iran rather than never ending conflict. The nuclear deal with our allies was a start but since it was under Obama, it was obviously wrong.

    • I’m sure Netan-yahoo is delighted but I think there is a straight line from Trump’s impeachment to his “Osama bin Laden moment” which is what this is. Trump’s reckless reality show presidency is centered around him. He doesn’t see anyone else. In his twisted, sick mind he has to believe that he has just reversed his impeachment.

      • Liza makes a rare drive by!

        It’s a literal buffet for Trump supporters and never-Trump leaning conservatives and the media.

        It distracts from the daily deluge of new evidence for impeachment.

        It certainly makes Netan-yahoo happy. He’s a crook, btw, and needs the distraction himself.

        It makes the Trump base happy, because ‘Merica! F*** YEAH!!!

        It makes the Bush-ites happy, because endless wars are double-plus good. Why these people aren’t rotting in prison for war crimes is another issue.

        Oh, wait, no, it’s the exact same issue.

        It makes the military-industrial complex happy, defense stocks rise on the news.

        It makes Putin happy. Fight me on it! Trump doesn’t do anything on the world stage unless it’s Putin approved.

        It makes the mainstream media happy, because ratings were slipping on the never ending impeachment story. Nothing attracts eyeballs and clicks like staring WW3.

        It makes the right wing media happy because they think being good at organized violence on a massive scale is what makes America great and Jesus happy.

        If you know your history, you’ll know that Iran and the US were about to trade friendship bracelets when GW Bush made his “Axis of Evil” comments and broke the young lover’s hearts.

        This all helps the Dem candidate in 2020. Trump ran on stopping endless wars and he just gave that away.

        And my, what a cynical old man I have become.

          • Vietnam when I was 15 years old. My plan was Canada.

            My daughter spent a month there for school a few years ago, she got to visit the Sinchon Museum of American War Atrocities.

            The recent news that Bush and Obama both knew Afghanistan was a losing battle informs us that we have learned nothing.

            Nice to see you again, missed the fine song curation, also, No WileyBud No Peace.

            Peace.

Comments are closed.