I’m HARDLY a Trump fanboy. Nobody makes me nuttier, every single fucking day.
However -
—bombing w/o congressional approval is the MO of all modern US presidents - Obama didn’t bother with it in Libya in 2010, either.
— If you’re looking for corroborating intelligence, Israeli intelligence is the best anyone’s got, and while the idea of “imminent risk” of a nuclear device is DEFINITELY questionable NOW, the indications of significant progress of Iran towards fissile, bomb quality uranium is not arguable, despite the quotable stupidity of Tulsi Gabbard, as is their missile technology to deliver it which is clearly being developed to deliver heavy ordinance to Israel. Why develop that particuarly if you're not planning the option of something more?
NOW - IS IT TRUE that Netanyahu has been whining about the “imminent capability” of Iranian nuclear weapons for 15 years? YES.
IS IT TRUE that Netanyahu is in a political position to make bombing Iran now very suspicious and politically advantageous to himself? YOU BET.
IS IT TRUE that Netanyahu knows how to fellate the President of the US “just so” to get exactly what he wants, when he wants it? NO DOUBT.
BUT - it is also true that Israel has eliminated many of the tools for retaliation at Iran’s disposal in Gaza, the West Bank and in Southern Lebanon and Golan, weakening Iran decisively. Russia is also busy with Ukraine, making this a prime moment if there ever was one, for dealing with the ongoing Iranian nuclear weapons threat. Now, you could argue that the methods of eliminating some of those tools has been unduly brutal and inhumane and even a war crime and I MIGHT AGREE with that, and yet, the military implications and opportunity still remains for today and likely today only.
FINALLY - it’s also true that the expressed policy of both Democratic and Republican presidents since the Iranian revolution has been that a Iranian nuclear weapons capability is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE and will not be tolerated — that’s what the JCPOA was all about as well — which despite Trump’s walkaway was a deal ultimately doomed to failure, which anyone with any diplomatic experience in the Middle East will tell you. (I recall going to a half dozen conferences discussing this with Obama State Department spokesmen at the time - nobody bought Kerry's analysis then, and it's proven to be at best incredibly optimistic -- if not complete kumbaya fantasy in expectations from an extreme islamic religious state). To blame Trump's walkaway from the JCPOA as the 'reason' for needing this US military sortie is facile and inaccurate, although it did likely accelerate it maybe a year.
Instead it seems to me that this US military mission with armaments unique ONLY TO THE US military was INEVITABLE, and I for one have thought so since the JCPOA was signed in 2015.
I cannot foretell the future, no one can. But I am convinced that the US (and yes, Trump) has done a good deed for the world yesterday -- provided Trump, the Republicans and the Israelis have learned their lessons of the neo-con bullshit on 'regime change' that led to the 10 year Iraqi disaster.
I’m HARDLY a Trump fanboy. Nobody makes me nuttier, every single fucking day.
However -
—bombing w/o congressional approval is the MO of all modern US presidents - Obama didn’t bother with it in Libya in 2010, either.
— If you’re looking for corroborating intelligence, Israeli intelligence is the best anyone’s got, and while the idea of “imminent risk” of a nuclear device is DEFINITELY questionable NOW, the indications of significant progress of Iran towards fissile, bomb quality uranium is not arguable, despite the quotable stupidity of Tulsi Gabbard, as is their missile technology to deliver it which is clearly being developed to deliver heavy ordinance to Israel. Why develop that particuarly if you're not planning the option of something more?
NOW - IS IT TRUE that Netanyahu has been whining about the “imminent capability” of Iranian nuclear weapons for 15 years? YES.
IS IT TRUE that Netanyahu is in a political position to make bombing Iran now very suspicious and politically advantageous to himself? YOU BET.
IS IT TRUE that Netanyahu knows how to fellate the President of the US “just so” to get exactly what he wants, when he wants it? NO DOUBT.
BUT - it is also true that Israel has eliminated many of the tools for retaliation at Iran’s disposal in Gaza, the West Bank and in Southern Lebanon and Golan, weakening Iran decisively. Russia is also busy with Ukraine, making this a prime moment if there ever was one, for dealing with the ongoing Iranian nuclear weapons threat. Now, you could argue that the methods of eliminating some of those tools has been unduly brutal and inhumane and even a war crime and I MIGHT AGREE with that, and yet, the military implications and opportunity still remains for today and likely today only.
FINALLY - it’s also true that the expressed policy of both Democratic and Republican presidents since the Iranian revolution has been that a Iranian nuclear weapons capability is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE and will not be tolerated — that’s what the JCPOA was all about as well — which despite Trump’s walkaway was a deal ultimately doomed to failure, which anyone with any diplomatic experience in the Middle East will tell you. (I recall going to a half dozen conferences discussing this with Obama State Department spokesmen at the time - nobody bought Kerry's analysis then, and it's proven to be at best incredibly optimistic -- if not complete kumbaya fantasy in expectations from an extreme islamic religious state). To blame Trump's walkaway from the JCPOA as the 'reason' for needing this US military sortie is facile and inaccurate, although it did likely accelerate it maybe a year.
Instead it seems to me that this US military mission with armaments unique ONLY TO THE US military was INEVITABLE, and I for one have thought so since the JCPOA was signed in 2015.
I cannot foretell the future, no one can. But I am convinced that the US (and yes, Trump) has done a good deed for the world yesterday -- provided Trump, the Republicans and the Israelis have learned their lessons of the neo-con bullshit on 'regime change' that led to the 10 year Iraqi disaster.
I hope to God they have.