This is how wars break out. Proxy wars are nothing new to this region, and Saudi Arabia and Iran are vying for power and influence. We can count many of our soldiers killed by IED's in Iraq, to be victims of Iranian intelligence and operatives. We supplied the Mujihadeen, and Sadaam Hussein, when they were fighting the Russians and Iran in their terrible conflict -- a conflict that saw children chained together to walk through mine fields.
When it comes to the MIddle East regional conflict zones, you can't believe everything you read.
Dear service men and women,
Sorry but, it looks like about 10,000 if you are going to have to die and at least twice number seriously injured or maimed because yet another privileged republican "president" has to distract the world from his criminal fecklessness.
Sincerely,
Uncle Sam
2
Based on questionable "intelligence" we're once again drumming up wars in the Middle east for no reason. We're not even done in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, where tens of thousands of Americans were killed or wounded, and millions in those countries killed and displaced.
In 2013 Gallup Polls surveyed 68 countries on everything from economics to war, peace, and standard of living. Guess what, America came on top as greatest threat to world peace at 24 percent, far ahead of the next country Pakistan at 8 percent, and China, North Korea, Russia. And that was when Obama was president, a Nobel Peace Price winner beloved around the world.
6
It's so great that we have friends like the Saudi's diverting money into Jared Kushner's bank accounts, cutting up troublesome journalists and setting up Iran for an attack by the United States. All in exchange for some weapons and nuclear technology that will be great for stability in the Middle East.
This administration doesn't even try to hide their obvious corruption. Congress needs to demand to see this "evidence" since most of the things Pompeo named haven't previously been ascribed to Iran. Why is that?
3
taken as a whole, Pompeo's lightning fast announcement that attacks on oil tankers in the Straight of Hormuz was the work of the Iranians is questioned by most Americans. maybe it was Iran, maybe it wasn't. but the whole thing seems fishy, what with Trump's escalating legal troubles, the election looming, and characters like Pompeo and war monger Bolton on the job to introduce this deus ex machina just in the nick of time. the Trump administration is like the boy who cried wolf. the administration's lack of credibility is not the work of the Russians, the Iranians, the Democrats, the press, or anyone else - they did it to themselves. when the President himself has so far told over 10,000 lies while in office (according to The Washington Post's tally), how are we supposed to know when to discount what comes out of the White House and when to fall back to the old default position of believing our own government over the word of foreign adversaries? not qualified to hold office? you bet! and if turns out Iran IS behind the tanker provocations - double!
2
People seem to forget that there were no attacks in the Gulf of Tonkin (it was made up). There definitely have been six tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The latest two were quickly reported on Iranian news. All attacks occurred near UAE and Saudi ports and involved tankers from UAE, Saudi and Norway. The two most recent attacks were on tankers headed to Taiwan and Singapore.
2
Step 1: Attacks--fake them or allow them to happen; Step 2: Feign outrage; Step 3: Sell it to the people using a corporate-owned consolidated media; Step 4: Invade Iraq, or wherever Saudi Arabia wanted you to, Step 5: Collect Saudi money and lots of U.S. tax money for as long as you can sell the conflict. Easy peasy.
4
"Mike Pompeo said Thursday that intelligence reviewed by American officials showed that Iran was responsible for attacks earlier in the day on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman."
So wait Mike, this is the same "intelligence" that your Master and your Party constantly tell the American People that we should NOT believe, correct? Thought so.
OK, now back to you and Bolton planning your war/Trump distraction.
1
Canada should not get involved with anything the USA is doing they are liars and issue these statements with no proof .
Trump has issued false information more than 2000 times. He issued false information about the CFO of Huwaie (spelling) and Wimp Trudeau arrested her and has held her under house arrest for months.
This has done serious damage to our relations with China. She should be released immediately with an apology.
1
But the president has told us repeatedly that we shouldn’t trust our intelligence services, right? Then again, we know he and the Crusaders (Pompeo and Bolton) are itching for a good ol’ Middle East war again to distrust from the utter failure of this administration to govern...
6
Liar, liar, pants on fire! It's so obvious that Trump is looking for something really grotesque to distract from the outtakes of the Mueller investigation. Will Americans actually believe this? Will the military succumb to this twisted man and his bizarre "administration"? Have we been so utterly bamboozled that we cannot see we are being used to keep a monster in the White House? No Democrat, no Republican, no American, should stand for this.
9
Another war like Vietnam, unsupported by the public. I wonder how many Republican senator Sons will volunteer to fight this war? if we go to war with Iran we are invading, we are not liberating like we did in Kuwait. we invaded in the Iraq War and it did not end well for us with many deaths. this President is unfit for office.
3
Whoever rush to the conclusion without clear evidence might well be the most likely suspect.
4
You didn't mention whether Iraqi WMDs were found aboard the tankers.
5
It’s a good thing these guys put all of their faith in the intelligence community.
4
I don't believe a single word of it.
11
Trump and his family are traitors. Follow their money.
11
The Gulf of Oman is the new Gulf of Tonkin.
GOP re-election strategy is shaping up.
President Bone Spurs thinks being a war time president improves his chances to remain indictable for 4 more years.
10
...and Iraq had WMDs.
13
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton seem to be desperate to start a war with Iran, and their boss, President Donald Trump, has clocked in over 10,000 lies since taking office:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/10/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/?utm_term=.2aabf1c1b10b
Sorry, but unless they can show us incontrovertible proof that Iran was directly responsible for this, all of their words are completely worthless.
8
thought experiment: if Putin tells Trump Russia did not intervene in US elections, Trump takes him at his word. if Kim Jung Un writes Trump a mash note, he falls in love. if Iran says it is not responsible for the tanker fires - and the Japanese owner of one of the ships agrees - why does Trump not accept their denial? ponder... and expatiate.
1
A list of government lies is too long, but here are some of the hit parade: Tonkin Gulf, we have no troops in Cambodia, read my lips, Iraq has weapons of mass destruction...……. .
We have a President that only occasionally tells the truth and surrounds himself with liars and now we are supposed to believe the latest lie that is being peddled with no proof. We have satellites that can see a fly on a flower and the government cannot back up their claims?????????
9
I am not a crook... a yuge middle class tax cut... my dog, Checkers... massive invasion at our southern border... Pat's plain Republican cloth coat... manufacturing jobs are flooding back into America from China... it will be better and cheaper... light at the end of the tunnel... so much winning you will be tired of winning... very quickly... as soon as the audit is completed... clean coal is coming back... too bad there is a 1500 character limit because any Times reader could go on all day with Republican lies and even longer if not limited to Republican dishonesty alone.
1
More lies, from a White House that simply cannot be trusted.
Do not let John Bolton start a war with Iran.
10
If anything happens in the shipping industry, near the middle east, and affects oil, then the US will say Iran did it. Any excuse to blame Iran.
8
@kathyzjim
Elaine Chow’s family has plenty of ships...
2
Remember these are the same administration that believes it doesn't need any 'stinking' evidence, thanks to the boy who cried wolf and a few others of a similar bent After all even the evidence presented could be via photo shopped images. Hence, this whole story could be a ;fake; event designed to create fake news which plays to a certain individual's 2020 election hopes. Don't believe this hype and scrutinize very closely. Now is the time to rely upon our allies and the UN prior to entering into any engagement with Iran. But that would be a sensible approach. Look who I'm talking to. A war with Iran is contrary to an America first agenda, bit suits the need for someone to get re-elected. Certainly not MAGA!
6
every time our government makes a statement or take action against Iran . someone is making a bank deposit somewhere in the world. if the rich fiefdoms are led by young undisciplined idiots like mbs the bone saw prince anything is possible
5
Iraq 2.0 one of the attacks Pompeo claims was orchestrated by Iran a car bomb was already claimed by the Taliban this is another rush to war to appease the Israelis and the Saudis .
4
Pompeo etal think we are stupid or what?
3
it's always worked for them before, especially since Congress went AWOL on War Powers.
1
Someone said it's not a binary choice (whom you believe) and I agree. I don't believe any of these snakes: Trump, Khamenei, Netanyahu, (Bolton, Pompeo, Haspel et al), Putin, none of these.
But strictly looking at "our side", we have a president who lies every five minutes, backed by a party of sleazy liars. Trump attacks as traitors and coup plotters the very intelligence agencies he now wants us to believe. Which is it, Cadet Bone Spurs?
The Republicans have faked intelligence before to form a casus belli; they now use "deep fake" video in their propaganda. If the Powell presentation at the UN was, er, exaggerated, imagine what they'll produce now.
So, who in their right mind believes anyone or anything from this administration? Better yet, what is in the best interests of this country?
5
Does Iran manufacture limpet mines?
2
Yeah, right. Very convenient.
5
"Mr. Pompeo did not present any evidence to back up the assessment of Iran’s involvement."
Will trump get Congressional approval first before going to war? Or will trump simply give the go-ahead in a tweet, a text or over the phone?
I'll never forget in early June, during trump's interview with Piers Morgan, Piers asked whether trump believed military action was needed with Iran. trump responds “There is always a chance. Do I want to? No, I’d rather not. But there’s always a chance.”
trump's cavalier demeanor about sending our troops to war displays his lack of emotional engagement; he treats the question as if he was asked if he was considering buying a pair of shoes. "There's always a chance. Do I want to? No, I’d rather not. But there’s always a chance.”
trump wants this war so bad, he can taste it. True to trump's historical behavior, the moment trump said "Do I want to? No. But there's always a chance" we knew he wants to say Yes and will jump at the first chance.
Where's Congress?
5
@LivingWithInterest
"Where's Congress?"
Not quite impeaching an obvious criminal in the White House, that's where. Let's hope they find a collective spine and say "no" to supplemental appropriations for another undeclared war in the Middle East. We'll see.
2
On one hand the Trump administration is casting doubts on our intel agencies and then turn around and ask us to believe their intel
Can’t have it both ways Mr President
11
Our PM Abe already landed in Tokyo. What a relief! He shouldn't have gone to Iran in the first place; Can he do something against Pompeo and Bolton? No hope.
4
Who didn’t see this coming?
The saber rattling of Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo has been going in for a while now.
And Trump had walked away from the Iran nuclear deal. No one else did. And Iran was compliant.
We have crazy people in the Trump swamp.
Bolton should have been banished government permanently after the Iraq disaster.
But who better to lead us into another unnecessary war than Bolton, I guess.
4
A war with Iran.
Iraq would explode with bombings and massacres
Syria would be a Russian proxy
Lebanon would erupt, spilling over to Israel
And Turkey would slaughter the Kurds
while no one was paying attention.
Turkey a NATO ally would probably
side with Russia to divide Syria
2
Hmmm...the truth meter is flat on this one. It makes no sense Iran would attack a Japanese ship while hosting the leader of Japan. More fake newz straight from the faker’s fellow fantasists. Panic in the White House much?
3
Let’s see the mindset of Trump when it comes to War, elections and polling numbers:
In order to get elected, @BarackObama will start a war with Iran.
~Trump Nov 29, 2011
Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.
~Trump Oct. 9, 2012
Don't let Obama play the Iran card in order to start a war in order to get elected--be careful Republicans!
~Trump Oct. 22, 2012
Barack Obama will attack Iran in the not too distant future because it will help him win the election
~ Trump Nov 14, 2011 (repeated 14X)
https://www.salon.com/2019/05/17/trump-warned-us-a-desperate-president-would-attack-iran-to-win-re-election/
11
This is idiotic - the choice is not binary between war and peace. Operation Preying Mantis demonstrated that there are numerous measures which can be deployed short of sustained warfare. However, the first time a mine detonates under a US Naval or US flagged vessel, the manure will hit the fan and given the recklessness of the IRG, that day is fast approaching. Iran is playing a game of Russian Roulette with the most powerful navy in the world and they are not competent enough to exercise sufficient command and control so as to avoid inadvertent attacks on US assets. After the Cole, we sank the Iranian Navy in an afternoon. Wee could easily take out Iranian IRG assets and do so from arms length.
1
...all the Trump haters should keep their powder dry until the Navy releases the video of an IRGC patrol boat prying a limpet mine off the hull of one of the burning freight ships....
Pompeo and Bolton want war with Iran.
Saudi Arabia wants US to fight THEIR war against Iran. They do not want any of their spoiled, wealthy, misogynistic princes to fight in their white robes - they want the men and women from North Dakota and Oregon and Florida to fight while they sit back in their Ferraris and make us pay for the oil to fight THEIR war.
Trump OWES the Saudi. He has millions, if not billions of dollars in loans from them, same as with Russia. He wants to do business with both in future.
He will declare war on Iran so he can pump up his ego with "his generals," and throw around his toxic masculinity. He will declare war to please Putin and Mohammad Bin Salman.
I am scared to death for our fighting forces. We are going to be dragged into another middle eastern war. We will not win. Thousands of our men and women will be killed, maimed, and will have to deal with Post Traumatic Stress. Innocent Iranians will be killed, too.
Nothing will happen to Trump or his spoiled children or grandchildren. They, of course, do not serve.
Elections have consequences - this time young Americans may die because of it.
This whole thing is dangerous. There is NO evidence the Iranians bombed those ships. The whole thing could be a set up by the Russians or the Saudis - red herring, blame the Iranians.
I wish we had someone SANE at the head of the US
14
This smells like a Tonkin Gulf of Oman situation. I do not believe a word Pompeo, Bolton or Trump have to say about this or anything else.
6
I certainly do not believe anything Pompous Pompeo has to say.
6
Many Americans believe the Iranian foreign minister over Trump. That’s where we are.
8
@Bob
I said often in 2015/2016 that we were entering Bizarro Earth through the backdoor.
2
I bet this is the work of those mischievous Norwegians !
4
Here we go, just as predicted, trumped up evidence in a useless and completely contrived war...and people keep voting for the bums...amazing...
3
What a coincidence; the price of oil has dropped from 63 Dollars per barrel weeks ago, to 51 Dollars yesterday. An oil Tanker appearing to be less than full, looking at the waterline, is burning after hitting a mine, and the Oil Company Military Republican party has no evidence to put forth but wants to stoke a war footing to make themselves look like hero's in their current troubles. One tanker lost and Billions of dollars to be made. Yes indeed, the G.reat O.il P.irates want to fix prices again. This also comes on the days following the announced intent to arm the big oil Gulf nations. I guess this is how Republicans create enemies to focus their followers lust for violence. They simply supply arms to nations to seed wars. I suppose a constant supply of enemies and conflicts assures a strong military Republican party. It's simple; when you give people weapons, they will use them. The little news stories about arms sales and sanctions get little attention, and they know it. That's how they start wars. The tanker wasn't very imaginative but it did make convincing pictures to instill in viewers minds.
4
Vietnam - Authorize full scale war over attacks on a boat.
Iraq - Authorize Full scale war over non-existing WMDs.
I guess this is actually two boats instead of just one so this can’t be classified as history repeating itself can it right?
What variation is next ... Reports that a WMD was used on one of the boats with no evidence the WMD ever existed?
5
So what is the who/what/when/where evidence for the placement of the limpet mines? Do they have some grainy footage of a state-sponsored frogman. Perhaps some fanatic in a rowboat or an inside player at the refueling facility? Until we see the evidence, everyone's a suspect and very few believe a word this administration says.
2
All the earmarks of another Trump debacle -- a very dangerous one. The President and his most bellicose minions (Bolton and Pompeo) are gambling with potential catastrophe.
Abrogating the nuclear deal, pilling on massive US sanctions while unabashedly supporting those regional Arab players who are overtly committed to the destruction of Iran -- no wonder the situation as become critically inflamed.
Given the information regarding the multiple incidents in the Straits of Hormous, it is obvious that Iran is playing its own wantonly foolish and very dangerous game.
Worse yet is the fact that Trump as Commander in Chief is entirely out of his competency zone.
2
Sixteen years ago a group of neocons and a naive and ill-informed President used largely phony "intelligence" to maneuver the nation into a war with Iraq that they had lusted after for years. The consequences were an unmitigated disaster and the world will reap the whirlwind for decades to come.
Now a similar group of warmongers, some of them the very same people, and an even more ignorant and simple-minded President, are using this incident to push us rapidly towards war with Iran, a war they have been seeking an excuse to launch for years. There is little likelihood that a war with Iran will have a good outcome for anybody involved.
Did Iran launch these attacks? In theory it is possible. They have the capacity. Does it make sense for Iran to provoke a military response from the US, even an all-out war? It is hard to see any scenario in which that benefits Iran. And despite the Trump administration's assertions, they have, up to now, provided absolutely no evidence to support the claim.
There are other state and non-state actors in the region who have the capacity to carry out such an attack, whose interests are served weakening Iran or by spreading more chaos in the region. They would seem to be much more likely culprits.
I wish I could confidently dismiss the notion that the US might have been involved, directly or indirectly, in these attacks.
War may ultimately be the price we pay for having elected the most corrupt and dishonest President in history.
7
Oil prices were collapsing. Nothing like military action to boost them back to lunatic prices. When a country has a single export things get desperate fast when prices tank.
Who did Iran think was going to be blamed for these attacks, Luxembourg?
Unfortunately, when sanctions are applied, even children are effected.
4
Anyone else notice how Trump insulted yet another Prime Minister.
But yes, Abe is shorter than he is.
4
Our Country needs rid of "regime change" peddlers. Their disease, and its inevitable destructive consequences, has got to go.
1
Reminds me of WMD I’m Iraq. Feel sad for the soldiers, their families, innocent civilians who are about to go face another meaningless conflict.
3
I suggest everyone revisit the events of August 2 to August 4, 1964/Gulf of Tonkin/Vietnam: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/february/truth-about-tonkin
U.S. covert operations resulted in limited North Vietnamese response but also the resulted the 'phantom' attack on the U.S. Maddox which has been detailed by the U.S. Government itself and led to the escalation of the Vietnam War.
The events in the Gulf could have been caused by a number of actors in the area and also 'rouge' elements within the Iranian government.
Regardless, the credibility of U.S. intelligence it at an all time low and I would not be surprised if some 'leaks' within the U.S. government indicate dissent with Pompeo's conclusions.
All we need is a war against Iran lead by a Evangelical Christian Leader/Heritage Foundation supporter who is financially backed by the Koch family and who considers climate change policy 'radical environmentalism'.
The true heroes will those individuals in the U.S. Government who are going to stand up against the evisceration of our democratic values and free press by a corrupt and self serving administration.
4
It’s eerily the same scenario and Bolton knows the plan well.
2
"Remember the Maine!"...Gulf of Tonkin... "Weapons of Mass Destruction" and now, Iranian culpability without a shred of evidence. Just trust John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. It goes on and on! As the song goes, "When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?" How easy it is to start a war!
5
Edgar Cayce predicted this years ago. It will get worse.
2
Evidence or not, war with Iran would be dangerous and very damaging to American interests. None of the major western allies will join a war led by Donald Trump. Their populations would revolt. They would demand that their governments oppose the war, with permanent adverse consequences for foreign relations. The likelihood of the conflict to escalate and spread is also high.
I would not support a war against Iran under this president even at the face of an open provocation. In this case, however, the provocation has been by the Trump administration. The administration terminated a functioning deal and imposed harsh sanctions in its place. The Iranians are no angels and their government is horrifying. The Saudis, however, are no better. We are offered two rotten apples and need not eat either. Let Bolton and Pompeo go out and fight if they want to. The rest should back out before it is too late.
12
@The Hawk
Exactly! Issue an AR15 to each, Trump, Bolton and Pompeo, and then air drop them into Iran.
Make sure we have a drone overhead to live-stream the spectacle. There would be 7 billion people watching, I guarantee it!
9
@Kara Ben Nemsi
Now THAT would be ‘must see’ Pay-per-View TeeVee.
3
Really? Here we go again. Have any wars been started because of someone striking solar panels?
5
I think there is a strategic war-term for this called BAIT and BLEED ie to get the US and Iran to duke it out in a war - but the initial attack was done by another state or group... Who would want to see the US dive into another expensive war? The list is long these days... also it could be hardliners inside of Iran that made this with the intent to get everyone to say exactly what is being said now: The Japanese minister is on a visit, why do something so obvious, of course it's not Iran etc etc. Don't take anyone for a fool here.
2
Give me one good reason why anyone should believe "U.S. intelligence".
5
@K
Point taken!
These days, "US" and "intelligence" is a contradiction in terms.
2
@K
Under the ‘direction’ of Individual-1...? Of course no one believes them
4
US intelligence? Yes
Pompeo and Bolton’s interpretation? No
4
A couple of damaged tankers and crude oil prices rise. Think about that and let that sink in. Now, think what would happen if a full scale war with Iran, as John Bolton, Pompeo, the Saudis, the UAE and the Israelis who are trying to start this war actually happens. The Strait of Hormuz would be shut down indefinitely. Crude oil prices would sore to levels never seen in history. Gas at the pump would easily top $10/gallon. World stock markets would crash. Take a screen shot of your 401K for posterity because trillions in wealth would evaporated overnight. The cost of war would easily top $1-2 trillion dollars, not to mention thousands of our kids in uniform dead and hundreds of thousands of Iranian civilians who are innocent and stuck in the middle of our beef with the Iranian government. If Bolton thinks this would spark an uprising of the Iranian people against the ayatollahs, he is incredibly ignorant of the Iranian people. Once again, as in the Iraq war, we would not be greeted as "liberators" but seen as an invading foreign imperialist force. It would destabilized Iraq and mobilize their Shiite population to join their Shiite bothers in arms and probably lead to a resurgence of ISIS there as focus is turned east. Iran would hit the oil facilities of Saudi Arabia and the UEA and possibly launch attacks via proxies at Israel. Russia may get involved. Our allies in Europe would hesitate to support us. In other words, the result of a war with Iran would be catastrophic.
6
I'm sorry to say that I don't believe a word that comes from this administration. If Pompeo is saying it's the Iranians, it's probably the US. All I'm seeing is incremental maneuvering on the part of Trump, Bolton, Pompeo and others to justify another pointless military adventure in the Middle East. If Saddam Hussein were still alive, he could write the screenplay. It's just revolting that these people are going to drag us into another folly that will enrichen Daddy Warbucks and kill more of our youth. If I were young enough to emigrate to Canada, I'd be out of here on the next plane.
9
If the US goes to war against Iran, we should insist the first persons to parachute in should be Mr. Bone Saw and Bibi, the only ones who stands to benefit. It always seemed perverse for us to sell them weapons and then also do their fighting.
8
So 3 letter agencies are all part of the deep state and untrustworthy, but unsourced and supported intelligence from Pompeo is of deep significance and must be taken into account. Now we just need someone with the stature of Colin Powell to testify that weather balloons are WMDs, up is down, the sky is red, that Eurasia has always been at war with Oceania, and that Trump will be set for his war of diversion, just like Bush was.
3
I am sure the”intelligence” supporting this assertion can’t be from US sources since they are untrustworthy. I assume the nice folks in Saudi Arabia and Israel kindly passed it along. Purely on altruistic motives.
7
As believable as "Obama did it".
4
“We don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.”
—Condoleezza Rice, beating the drum for our highly successful "cakewalk" in Iraq.
8
Bolton is a war monger, Trump wants us distracted from constant lying, corruption, malfeasance, the list goes on - what could go wrong...
5
The Gulf of Tonkin! Is Trump committed to re-enacting every single thing that ever happened in his sordid lifetime?
2
By the comments we the people are having a hard time believing anything this cabal of liars is saying
9
This a new American game of “who do you trust” relative to US claims against Iran of sabotaging of oil tankersh
1
Is this the "Reichstag incident" Trump needs to declare war and guarantee a second term?
1
Iran behind the attack? Try Bolton.
7
We should keep a cool head. We can’t blame Iran for the attacks without evidences. Iran government also should make efforts to demonstrate what happened in the gulf of Oman.
2
@Matsuda I'm not sure what Iran's motive would be to attack those ships, given that oil is Iran's life blood... and apparently, we don't have a clue who did it. A false flag attack would be par for the course for the Trump administration.
1
The manufacturers of explosives that go into limpet mines lace them with microscopic quantities of persistent chemicals or minerals to leave a signature in the explosion residue. That Norwegian tanker holed at the stern last month would have had residue blown inside above the waterline. So any proper investigation should have swabbed the residue for analysis. Question is, who made the explosive and, by extension, in which country was the mine manufactured, and to which countries were these mines exported?
These questions need answers before the United States reacts with military power.
5
I'm skeptical. Why? because Pompeo/Bolton have been beating the war drums against Iran since they joined the Trump Ad, while it's hard to imagine that Iran is eager to provide them with an excuse to attack it. Of course, there's always the possibility that the Supreme Leader Kh... has taken leave of his senses. On the other hand, it's at least as possible that Pompeo/Bolton have taken leave of theirs.
Could this perhaps be part of Trump's re-election campaign? "Once I start a war, no one will dare oppose me," thinks Trump. And I'm afraid he may be right.
4
If a state decided to sink a tanker, it would be on the bottom of the gulf.
A small craft, a portable anti tank missile (of which there are thousands lying loose in the area) and a crew of three are all it would take.
It could have been done by a non state oil trader looking to make a fortune on the bump in prices.
It will take a war to get trump reelected, and keep the family out of prison. The lives to be lost, and the billions wasted are of no concern to his gang as long as they got theirs.
2
Given the state of the Trump administration and it’s propensity for lies, misleading information, and generally muddying the water of fact versus fiction, my first reaction reading this is that the US has deliberately sabotaged the vessels as a pretext for confrontation with Iran. It says a lot about the state of the US and the character of Bolton et al that my instinct would lead me in this direction. Iran are the good guys, and the US the bad guys. Pompeo talks about diplomacy, the Obama Iran deal was diplomacy until they tore it up. The whole thing is a sorry mess.
1
Though I share the skepticism about motive, if credible video evidence is presented showing an Iranian boat removing a limpet mine from the Kokuka Courageous, then it is likely some faction in Iran is behind the attacks. That scenario is awful to contemplate.
1
My first thought is that the American President, Sec of State and government is lying. My second thought is, that is so sad. Weapons of mass destruction was bad, but this is in another league. Independent verification please.
6
Gulf of Tonkin of Vietnam and uranium yellow cake of Iraq stories told anew by a new set of hawks in the US. Except the world is bit wiser and isn't buying it anymore!
3
Said they get what they aiming for; a war with Iran
What is it again they like to accomplish? A regime change! Good luck with that
Look at Afghanistan, Libya,Iraq ,Syria,Yemen did they succeed on any of their goals
The Iranians ,far superior to any of those countries are very prideful people
and common sense by mean of negotiations is the only way to get to an understanding everyone can live with
2
Congress needs to demand accountability now. This is a set up.
6
Prove it, Pompeo. Verify it, anti-war Democrats.
5
Show of hands please: Who DOES NOT believe this administration's explanations of these incidents?
6
Not buying the Trump administration's version of this.
4
Dear Mr. Pompeo, if you and Mr. Bolton so desperately want to risk the lives of young Americans to kill innocent Iranians, then perhaps you can present us with the actual intelligence that proves Iran was behind these attacks. Otherwise, such attacks really don't make any sense for them. They have no history of attacking other nations, and it can only bring the destructive might of "the Exceptional" U.S. down upon them.
2
and here lies the problem... When you have a proven liar in the White House, when it comes to matters of war and peace, life and death, how can the Trump administration be believed. To all those Republicans who have enabled Trump by minimizing his obvious falsehoods, this is the true damage...the credibility of the United States of America, under this administration, is damaged. Possibly beyond repair for the foreseeable future.
2
It’s only been 55 years since the Gulf of Tonkin incident provided pretext for the war in Vietnam. These Gulf of Oman events remind me of those dark days of American history, and they don’t smell any better.
1
Conspicuously absent is any corroboration from American intelligence agencies, without which, claims by this administration lack any more credibility than statements coming from Iranian leaders.
If we can’t clearly see the existential threat to the United States that this article begs readers not to see then we’re done. This is page 4 material NYT, please don’t fall for the Faux bait and switch.
False flag operation.
We’ve been through this before. Just a causa bellum like the Gulf of Tonkin and “weapons of mass destruction”.
Any excuse to launch another war of Empire.
2
I really don't know why so many commentators here are claiming "They are trying to manufacture a war" when, in reality, all wars are manufactured. They always have been so.
Some are more contrived than others.
and soon they will look for weapons of mass destruction in Iran. Same party, same mistakes ...Just have a look at a map of the middle east based on confessions ... there you will see that everywhere the trouble is there is a mixture of sunit and shia people living there. Iran supports the shia and Saudi Arabia and UAE support the sunit population. As long as one of them considers itself as underpriviliged they will fight for more rights etc. The US should try to mediate between the shia and sunit instead of siding with the sunits and facing anger from all shias worldwide. The US should have learnt from Iraq and the years after 2003 when shia and sunit destroyed Bagdad with their bombings. And btw what would look like when the US starts a war after a "False Flag" operation by one of its biggest allies and arms customers?
4
What does it say about the state of affairs in this country? When the great majority of the commenters reflexively don't believe our leadership. How does a country function with this level of (sadly, well deserved) distrust?
9
Funny how the Trump administration casts doubt on its own intelligence apparatus when that intelligence implicates a potential conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election but embraces that apparatus when it suits their desire to formulate a rationale for possible military intervention against Iran. Can we afford to take anything this administration says as fact?
6
@Conrad
Good point!
1
Is this what our nation's colonial founders envisioned and codified for our nation; to dominate the world just as Great Britain did?
Are the Republicans so focused on using the mantle of Freedom in all their messaging that they would not practice it elsewhere?
No war in Iran. We know your deceptive diversion focusing on Iran. We know you are in trouble and diverting the angst outward to injustice against others.
I remember the unrest here during the Vietnam War. Is that what you seek to create? Is that the inevitable chaos you desire as an excuse to institute military rule of our nation? Does the Republican "New World Order" mean military domination of our nation as well?
Don't make the mistake of using another ship excuse for empire reinforcing and relevance. You know it would mean our fall. You would be consumed by your own misdeeds. You know how history works, Trying to create it was always a failed strategy.
Start to calm down. Stop the media blitz, and let time pass and the problem you created may go away so you don't have to play cover up.
No War.
1
"Iran" hasn't attacked any solar arrays or wind turbines...
2
No other forces in the area have the training or capability other than Iran...said no one ever except Pompeo...who completely ignores the possibility of Saudi Arabia, Israel, and of course the US itself, or their proxies (in the form of state-sponsored militias), all itching to go to war with Iran for over a decade but without pretext. And also don’t rule out China, which would like for nothing more than to distract the US with a senseless, unwinable, and financially draining war.
2
When the Trump administration spreads perpetual lies at home, it's very very hard to believe them abroad. This is what the GOP and #45 have reduced us to. A nation with no shared truth, no shared facts, no shared values.
4
Selective belief in conclusions of our intelligence community is par for this corrupt administration. How can it be believed when it must be investigated to determine its role in the June, 2016 FBI investigation which led to the Mueller report. Just another example of America's Evil Empire at work
1
WMDs anyone? A war with Iran would certainly do wonders for the re-election campaign of Donald Trump.
1
Unfortunately this looks like propaganda-speak on the part of our own federal govt. Iran is definitely a hotspot, but one big problem with Trump is that no one totally believes anything he says at face value.
1
Well, here we go, Gulf War II. Anything to divert attention from impeachment and corruption, and whip up the base to support him through another false war like they supported Bush's false war. It'll be that old maxim of "don't want to change horses in a stream" and he'll win re-election based on this. After this, our country is over, if it isn't already.
64
@DJKC
Uh...that would be Gulf War III.
10
A war didn’t work for Bush #1, and it won’t work for Trump #0.
2
@DJKC
I think you're one Gulf War short. We've already been in Iraq twice. This would make a third venture in the region.
9
Whose willing to have their military child die on Pompeo's word?
5
Does the Gulf in Tonkin (non-existent) incident come to mind?
The Johnson administration fabricated that one to justify his uninhibited aggression against North Vietnam.
Then, of course, there were Bush's famous non-existent WMDs, the story of which resulted in the deaths of many thousands of innocent civilians, as well as those of US service personnel.
This is liar Pompeo's phony story, backed by no evidence whatsoever.
No more wholesale murders in the name of "justified war."
No more Amerika Uber Alles on behalf of the rotten cabal in the White House.
4
This administration has lied consistently and the President is the liar in chief. I don't believe anything they say about Iran, Cuba, or Venezuela. Let's wait and see what credible sources like the NYT or the EU say about who did the attack.
2
Pompeo claiming that Iran bombed a Japanese tanker when the leader of Japan is in Iran is page out of Dick Cheney and the Neocons. Impeachment is coming, the fascist fraud president and minions think a little fake GOP war will absolve them of their crimes - NOT!
4
Just looked at InfoWars, even the viewers of that terrible site believe this was an inside job.
3
So the intelligence assessment about Russia was fake, but the one about Iran is real. Uh-huh.
4
Not a surprise. For all we know, the CIA funded some militant groups in the region to kick start a wartime economy. There's a LOT of speculation domestically in the US that the job market and overall economic picture is a lot more unhealthy than what's being reported. Several WSJ and other pieces that are worthwhile reads. If true, the economy here in the US is about to tank.
We've already seen that the easiest way to avoid a recession or outright depression is to manufacture a war. Everyone prospers financially in a war time economy. Bush 2 did this in 2001 (Iraq) by lying to Congress and claiming evidence of WMDs in Iraq. Along with the xenophobia of 9/11, it was incredibly easy for him to start with a non-approved conflict and scale it up to a full-time wartime economy. This essentially kept the US from hitting the wall when the .com bubble burst. 'it's the economy, stupid...'.
The US has a long history of using questionable circumstances to rally people and save their financial markets....Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gulf of Tonkin, Bay of Pigs, etc.
The US isn't chartered to protect international shipping in the Middle East.
Focus on the more immediate problems within our own country, and stop playing world super-cop.
None of these folks have shown themselves to be upstanding citizens or political leaders. Shell game in progress...
3
Or "How to manufacture a war 101".
4
Why is there no mention of Iran’s response? What is it? Or have they remained quiet?
@SM
But they were not quite. They denied having anything to do with it.
Remember the Maine!
1
Ever notice how this administration only likes to site US Intelligence when it supports their narrative? Otherwise, they shoot it down?
2
The Trump Administration has lied so consistently about literally everything, and taken even Putin's word above our own intel services....
We are supposed to believe them now ? The problem with yelling fake news at everything is that when you want folks to listen to you and believe what you say, you have no credibility.
Gulf of Tonkin....Remember the Maine. Sorry Donny, Fake News....
1
Who could use a good war to score points with his base? Hmmmmmm
2
@JPLA
The last 5 Republic Presidents? Maybe the last 6.
I thought the Trump administration didn't trust the US intelligence services.
3
Would this be the same "intelligence" that said Saddam Hussein has WMDs?
Or the same "intelligence" that doesn't understand that science proves the US attacked itself on 9/11?
I'm sick of living in a country that consistently attacks itself and others to start stupid wars.
This crisis was manufactured by Bolton, Kushner, Netanyahu and the Trump White House. This has Israel and Mosaad written all over it.
2
Recall the Iraqi chemical weapons vehicles disguised as ice cream trucks. After the war we found out they were used to transport ice cream.
1
The situation in the Straits of Hormuz has one reason, and one only: the withdrawal of the US from the Iran deal.
Trumps’s BFFs in the region (MBS and Bibi) couldn’t be happier with what is going on. They have enrolled Trump as their thug, and he is happily playing along.
2
@UB
So, America is now a mercenary nation.
I'm not overly fond of Saudi Arabia but 2019 marks 40th anniversary of the Iranian seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. The embassy personnel were held hostage for an agonizing 444 days by militants who paraded them around like spoils of war and threatened them with show trials. Iran remains a theocracy in the grip of fanatical ayatollahs to this day and yet the Times bloggers persist in giving Iran the kid glove treatment!!
@sharon5101
Individual-1’s BFF Kim Un Done is the third of his lineage in Nerd Korea presiding over the most brutal regime on the face of the planet. His letters are beautiful and his nukes remain dutifully pointed at our strongest allies in Asia.
Why are you covering this as though it was news? US “says”?
How about “lies”?
1
I’ve been around a long time, but not long ‘nuff to remember the Spanish war and false flag bombing references. I also can’t recall why during election cycles the prospect of War is an attractive lure for incumbents to dangle before the electorate.
Is it not unbelievable in this age of surveillance satellites, drones, facial recognition cameras everywhere that the perpetrators of this act were somehow not captured on video? And yet Trump and Pompeo offer nothing.
Look up operation northwoods for insight into the minds behind this event.
2
Or more likely, this was a U.S. attack to create justification for yet another GOP administration to go to war. Sorry, the Trump administration has no credibility when it comes to telling the truth.
6
I agree with commenters that suggest that the Security Council needs to review the "intelligence" offered by those who are angling for confrontation with Iran.
Due to the proximity of Saudi Arabia to the incidents at issue, a serious look at potential "false flag" activity needs to be pursued.
With the Khashoggi episode fresh in our minds, the brazen is becoming normalized for MBS.
Caution is called for...
And, the rush to judgement by Pompeo certainly does not implicate a measured response, by any means.
4
Look at the adjoining photo and observe there are two large Televisions adjacent to Pompeo. Contemplate that tonight.
Alas, our best hope is that Putin will hold Trump back from an attack on Putin's ally Iran. Certainly, the Republican Party would not--nor our "friends," Saudi Arabia, the U.A.R., or Netanyahu's Israel. Actually, Putin probably can and will.
1
Yes. This sounds like Bolton and friends are trying to get us into a war. Iran doesn't want war. We do t need to be the puppets of Saudia Arabia and Putin. That is EXACTLY what is going on here.
People need to wake up and realize this.
2
A possible attack upon an American vessel in foreign waters? Why that's just like the sinking of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor or the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Both lead to unnecessary wars. Let's hope Pompeo is happy enough to pretend to be a solider.
Sec. Pompeo’s rhetoric that these attacks are “unprovoked“ is absurd on the face of it Our government has been engaging in all out economic war against Iran for well over a year in form of sanctions intended to strangle them. In a struggle of this type, we can hardly be surprised when the weaker side chooses to retaliate.
Smells like another weapons of mass destruction incident to me. Let's vote these oil-hungry Republican warmongers who would accept the help of a foreign government again to win another Presidential election out of office.
3
Why would anyone believe anything the Trump administration says, on any topic? Third-party verification will be necessary from here on out. And that third-party can't be Russia...
2
The world knows Pompeo, Trump, and their pundits are simply not credible regarding Iran. They’ve been provoking Iran for months now, especially in the last weeks. Regrettably, look for ‘false flag’ operations in this situation.
1
It seems that these incidents are happening to push the US into war. The President of Japan is in Iran right now after one of their tankers where involved.
Is this information from the same intelligence agencies that the administration says is incompetent with regards to anything else that does not fit their agenda, such as Yemen, or Russian interference in the elections. If they are so untrustworthy on these topics, why are they to be believed now?
2
Pompeo is Secretary of State and the last person to know actual intel. He’s not in the loop at all. And everyone else, even Bolton, is silent. I’ll wait until someone close to our intel agencies tells us some facts.
Sounds like the Gulf of Tonkin incident. And who are we to accuse Iran of imperialism, anyway?
1
Petro-piracy on the high seas. The games gangsters play.
It’s almost as if Pompeo orchestrated it himself...
2
1845, the US invades Mexico under false premises; 1893, Invasion and occupation of Hawaii, false pretenses; 1898 Remember the Maine, false pretenses; 1915, Lusitania fraud; 1915, Occupation of Haiti, false pretenses; 1961, Bay of Pigs, false pretenses; 1964, Gulf of Tonkin, false pretenses; 1983, Grenada false pretenses; 1998 Kosovo, false pretenses; 2003 Iraq, lies; 2019 Pompeo more lies by those who profit from war and their creatures in the US government. And they say the US can't afford decent health care.
2
Who would like to see the US attack Iran? Three countries come to mind: Saudi Arabia, UAE and Israel. Just saying. Let’s see the evidence. Let’s see the intelligence.
1
One wants to believe our intelligence people, but when a Pompeo and Bolton are in charge and we have a Liar at the White House, all who want this to be so, I think what happened after 9/11 should be a cautionary tale. I do not believe anything any of the above tell us. The lie and the Republicans in Congress swear to it.
2
Willing to lose a family member fighting on the word of anyone in or around this administration?
1
Why does this not pass the smell test? We know Trump has very little affinity for the truth. We also know, because he has not made a secret of it, that Bolton is itching to go to war with Iran. We also know that Pompeo’s foreign policy attitude has an unrealistic slant. What do they think will happen if the US attacks Iran? Will Russia or China, both nuclear powers, jump in? They are playing with fire. We may not have to worry about climate change.
62
@Susan Piper
Think one step further: Who has the most to win?
Russia.
Sounds familiar?
No Facebook "mines" this time, just a few small real ones. They did not even have to sink the ships....
... and it's Lusitania all over again....
5
@Susan Piper The overwhelming majority of species look forward to human extinction.
1
External players such as Russia should not be discussing. They benefit by fomenting trouble for US on the domestic as well as the international front. The rise in oil prices plus the potential for arms sales are an added bonus.
2
Isn’t the US an external player, too?
Has anyone considered that the Russians might be involved?
They would be gaining way more than the Iranians from a stunt like this.
The Russians or the Saudis. But having to make the choice, I would say it was the Russians.
Fits perfectly into their misinformation ploy. Playing two sides against each other.
The Sum of All Fears.....
With a twist, in this case.
3
or saudi arabia
or the US
@Jared Woock
As I said: or the Saudis.
But as for the US: less likely, for two reasons:
1) The obvious finger-pointing. Of course, we are the prime suspects, because everyone hates Trump and Bolton.
2) Why would Trump need a silly excuse like that? OK, Bolton might be playing him, but without the CIA in the game, this is not going to work, and the CIA is not exactly on good footing with the administration right now, so for them to let their pants down for a stupid ploy like that??? If the CIA were THAT stupid, then God help us!
It is always Trump says, or Pompeo says, unless the subject is war. War sells papers. In that case, it’s US says, because a big entertaining war that sells a lot of papers isn’t going to happen unless the readers believe it.
2
Sometimes even people with no education in the field of psychology and psychiatry know when someone is really crazy.
Trump is crazy.
There are over 70 Million people in Iran. Does anyone really believe we could win a war there?
Please seriously coordinate and decide if the 25th amendment should be invoked as all you in his Administration know him better than us. Keep history in mind. Can we afford a major foreign policy blunder of a magnitude that now seems unimaginable?
6
We would definitely win a war there. It would be a long, deadly war, which is why it should be a last resort. But we would undoubtedly win in the end.
1
@SHAKINSPEAR, this is the type of hyperventilation that ends up adding white noise to many legit criticisms of Pres Trump.
"Trump is crazy, because Iran has a population of ~70 mill, and hence we could never win a war against them. QED"
That's what suffices for incisive analysis around here: stringing together non-sequitors, punctuated with "... because Trump is ____"
Just think how much more compelling criticism of US geo-politics these days would be if "boys who cry wolf" wouldn't have burned everyone out blaming Trump for everything.
@SHAKINSPEAR
We would win a war against Iran. But that's not the point.
If I were the Iranians, I would team up with the Pakistanis when attacked by the "infidels". When in doubt, the religious fanatics would join forces. And that would change the equation dramatically, because Pakistan has nukes. But so does India, and they would most likely team up with us. They have nukes, too....
Do you get the drift where that is going?
1
One problem is that this administration is totally lacking in credibility. They lie all day, every day.
I would like to hear from the intelligence community directly, and see any hard evidence presented to the UN Security Council.
We do not want to get into a war because Trump decided it would help his ratings.
7
Reminds me of Vietnam when third parties let off bombs to start a war and other nefarious intrigues. Iran does not want a war.
4
Iran has the least incentive to attack tankers in the Gulf indiscriminately. Despite that it is suffering economically due to US sanctions, it still has many sympathizers around the world, including many NATO nations in EU. It has no reason to make itself the enemy of the western world.
If Iran conducted covert sabotage operations just to revenge, it wouldn't have picked a Taiwanese and a Japanese tankers. Since all the tankers in the Gulf publish its navigation plan days before. Iran knows about all the tankers. Iran would have picked tankers of its enemies.
The fact that Taiwanese and Japanese tankers were targeted is interesting by itself. Why not a US tanker, EU tanker, or Chinese tanker? The attacker might try to avoid them purposely to either avoid damaging ships of its own or causing anger of powerful countries that want to conduct investigations themselves. The US would lose the authority for the investigation and ability to shape the outcome.
The who can benefit from the attacks? The motive may shed lights on the attacker(s). 1. Saudi Arabia. It is locked in a geopolitical fight with Iran. Its ruthless leader has shown no respect for international law. And it benefits from high oil price. 2. Israel. it wants Iran nuclear capability annihilated. 3. The Trump administration. The war hawks in the Whitehouse hate the Iranian regime. This would give them the legitimacy they need to pursuit EU and the world that the war is for the protection of international security.
2
@SpadeAce
Excellent analysis!
But you forgot the obvious beneficiary:
Putin
He has all the wherewithal to pull this off.
The Saudis?
Bunglers!
Possible, but so far less likely.
My money is on the Russians.
Here's where the rubber meets the road. After two years of dissembling and outright lies from the Trump Administration, even if this intelligence is true I am too skeptical of the messenger to believe it. You reap what you sow, and in the volatile Middle East that could be a whirlwind of trouble because the United States under Trump no longer has the diplomatic skill or moral authority to lead.
6
Are we going to fall for these kind of lies, yet again? Any kind of attack can be concocted by any of Iran's enemies to provoke a US led war against Iran. The media and the public have been lied to again and again by our "intelligence" officials and corrupt politicians to provide a casus belli against any opponent of choice. When will it stop?
5
Who knows what the truth is but what is likely to happen if the US keeps harassing the heck out of Iran?
2
Pompeo showed no evidence. He also thinks Trump was “installed by God” into the White House. I am not kidding. Let’s see what his bak account says after all those meetings with MBS.
5
Who to believe? The lying U.S. Government or the lying Iranian Government?
1
@Melbourne Town
After 2 ½ years of Trump, I'll believe the Iranians every time.
2
Gee, "Intelligence points to ..."
Does anyone remember that Colin Powell put on a hyge performance in front of the U.N., claiming to show that Iraq had WMDs? And we launched a war, killing thousands of Americans, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, destabilizing the whole region, empowering Iran and accomplishing ... nothing.
Pompeo is as trustworthy and truthful as Trump. Any bets that Iran REALLY did this? How about a Blackwater operation?
You see, Trumpsters, when the administration -- and we mean EVERYONE in the administration -- lies all the time, nobody believes them.
5
After telling literally thousands of lies since he won office with Russian assistance, why should we believe Trump and Co. regarding Iran? We've also seen his willingness to turn a blind eye to the vicious murderer MBS. Its bizarre that perhaps a majority of Americans think even the religious fanatic and terrorist promoting Iranians are more trustworthy than Trump and his Republican enablers.
We also know
5
even Trump said recently in an interview that "the military industrial complex realy wants war"
1
Feed the press and the public a heap of lies as a pretext to an unnecessary war.
We've seen this movie before.
4
Saudi wanted Saddam gone. So saudi attacked us, the bush business partner's son lied us into a war doing saudi's bidding.
5000 US, 30,000 US maimed - untold numbers of Iraqi's dead at a cost of 4 trillion.
Now Saudi wants Iran taken care of and we condemn them with no evidence.
How many US dead this time? How many maimed? on just another lie from another GOP puppet
2
Assuming Iran or a surrogate attacked the tankers (which is questionable considering how Popageno, Boulton, Saudi Arabia and the Israelis have been doing all they can to bring on a war), this would not have happened if the so called potus stayed in the JCPOA.
1
Why would anyone believe Pompeo?
4
But how can we trust that intelligence?
Pompeo thinks we are all asleep and easily manipulated. Well, not ALL of us are. He should be put away for lying and making false claims without proof about such a grave situation regarding our national security. CROOKED POMPEO.
3
Assuming Iran or a surrogate attacked the tankers (which is questionable considering how Popageno, Boulton, Saudi Arabia and the Israelis have been doing all they can to bring on a war), this would not have happened if the so called potus stayed in the JCPOA.
If they were Iranian torpedos, how could they hit the starboard side of the ship "Courageous" since it was that side that faced international, not Iranian, waters? Would it not have been obvious to have an Iranian submarine wandering all over the Gulf of Oman? Bolton and Pompeo are trying very hard to make their puppet boss acquiesce to an all-out attack on Iran. Fortunately, Trump has one single positive quality: he does not trust war as a policy tool.
2
How convenient. And of course, the US has a great history of providing accurate intelligence about countries it wishes to attack.
10
An administration cited for over 10,000 lies and distortions is hard to believe when it comes to a war declaration. Unless Pompeo has an unaltered video along with other corroborating evidence, going to war with Iran is just not a good idea.
That Iran nuclear deal is looking better every day, isn't it?
8
It is truly amazing how many comments here and on other sites disbelieve Trump/Pompeo/Bolton. Many more have greater faith in the word of the Iranians than our own leaders. For the record, I don't believe Trump or his "brainless trust" either, but what does it say about the state of our nation that we have so little faith in the people at the top of our government? SAD, as our truth-challenged president would say!
6
@flaind: I don't have much faith in people who have faith in God.
2
Not sad. It was a great step forward that the vast majority of people stopped blindly trusting Washington's lies. That is the heart of the so-called Vietnam Syndrome. It was learned at a terrible cost for the Vietnamese and American people. It was relearned with the WMD lies. It has nothing to do with party, as both parties of the rich have supported the war lies. The fact is that Israel and Saudi Arabia have been campaigning for a US war against Iran, and have direct access to the area of the attacks, and long history of covert, false flag operations and deceptions. The Iranians have made it clear they are not looking for war. It is the US that just sent two aircraft carrier groups to the area, and carried out mock bombings of Iran, right off their coast! What else do you need to know?
1
Iran attacks a Japanese tanker during Shinzo Abe's visit to Iran. Japan being Iran's largest and most important economic partner. Japan being one of Iran's largest consumer of Iranian oil.
They did this to provoke America?
Only in Stable Genius's world does this make any sense.
9
@Don My exact thoughts. Why on earth would Iran attack a Japanese freighter? Iran has said they want Japan to mediate between them and the U.S. - so the last thing they would want to be caught doing is attacking a Japanese freighter. It does not make any sense.
3
Here we go again ... Anyone remember the fraudulent Gulf of Tonkin "incident" that LBJ and the Pentagon used an excuse to wage the nightmare Vietnam War? Or how about remembering the equally bogus "Remember the Maine"?
Does Iran have WMDs too? If Trump and Bolton have their way you know they'd love to plant a few in the Iran desert. Can foolhardy Americans be so suckered again?
Don't answer that question.
5
This calls to mind two scenarios: the Gulf of Tonkin and Wag the Dog. Trump will desperately cling to anything to divert our attention from his corruption and illegal actions.
9
Which intelligence agency are they talking about? Trump has clearly said he doesn't believe ours.
4
Our *government has lost all credibility due to their constant lying.
7
Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton have zero credibility. Most likely, forces from Israel, Saudi Arabia, or the U.S. are responsibile for the attacks. Trump really doesn't know who caused this mess, but pompeo and u.s. military leaders certainly are aware and know why the attacks took place.
6
This story does not pass the smell test. Surely, American intelligence – and neither Mike Pompeo nor John Bolton qualify as skilled, objective intelligence analysts – can speak to whether Saudi Arabia or its surrogates were involved in these incidents. They have much more to gain than Iran, and little to lose, given the impunity with which MBS and MBZ play hardball in the region.
Surely, we cannot allow Donald Trump to use some Japanese tanker as his “Reichstag fire” to start an unnecessary war.
6
If Iran was a Christian nation Trump would be supporting them.
My advice: "Pick a party you don't like and blame them... you'll feel better while ignoring reality & facts!"
Many of our own experts, including war game simulations, predict the our country will lose the next major conflict.
Our most expensive weapon system, the F-35 Flying Coffin, is a death trap for our pilots.
Our Ford Class Super-Carriers, along with our other Aircraft Carriers, mights as well have a bullseye painted on them.
Me can't make a decent Littoral Combat Ship that actually works.
Few, if any, of our elected leaders son's, daughter's, grandchildren, or relatives serve in the military.
Our military is worn out from some two-decades of war. Our country is so polarized/divided, that we couldn't meet a threat even if we wanted.
None of the components that make up our most advanced weapons are made in the country. We don't even make a majority of our own bullets!
Most of our medicine and vaccines are made in other countries.
It seems as if the only manufacturing we actually do is rubber floor mats for foreign made vehicles.
We don't even have a decent news source that provides a balanced view anymore... Sadly, this last comment includes the NYT.
The NYT claims to welcome on-topic, polite critiques...
7
If the Trump Administration had any credibility, we might treat this seriously, like it was on the cover of the National Enquirer.
4
Gulf of Tolkien LIE revisited
6
Fake news. The trump administration discredits our intelligence community, and now claim that our intelligence shows that Iran is behind these attacks. Why should we believe this? Mr. Trump is the king of FAKE NEWS and ALTERNATIVE FACTS.
5
Amazingly, I find myself doubting this administration.
4
@Blue in Green Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha...that's a good one!
I thought the Trump administration doesn't believe in our Intelligence community.
6
I think many europeans have a hard time trusting information from USA at this point.
Provide us with some evidence. Preferably something a bit more substantial than the Iraq WMD.
3
@Lars Bahlse
A plethora of we Americans require evidence too my European friend. I don’t believe a thing that comes from the current occupant of our White House nor his “administration”.
Wow , go to work for 8 hours and come back to a news tsunami . Hmmm, the tsunami is happening right when Sanders is quitting and , Kelley Anne is in trouble. Something is going on at the WH, are they preparing for some bad Trump news to come out?
6
Let's look honestly at who stands to benefit from this event:
1. Israel and Saudi Arabia, who are pushing as hard as possible to get the US to fight Iran, using our blood and money for no possible benefit to the United States.
2. Donald Trump and his entourage of lying, cheating, scoundrels, who can hope the public will be distracted from their countless ongoing criminal activities.
Now---Who has absolutely nothing to gain from this action?
Iran.
4
With 10,000 plus lies and counting how is anyone supposed to believe this.
3
This smells like a set up. Saudi Arabia would like nothing better than to see the US go to war with Iran. Follow the money.
6
Trump doesn't believe US Intelligence about the Russian interference in the 2016 election and there's no reason to believe that Iran attacked the vessel. It could have been China, Israel, Spain, a fat, Caucasian living in Syria. Let's wait for Trump to ask the leader of Iran and hear his forceful denial.
3
Two and half years of Russia and Mueller will deliver the goods anyday now has so poisoned the discourse no matter what the subject NYT readers just pop off about Trump. All because Hillary dropped a few million of your campaign contributions on the famous dossier. Trump is no angel, by any stretch, but war monger - not a chance. Scappers / bullies always give up before the big fists fly. That's Trump.
3
Well, surprise, surprise, who’d thunk it that they’da come to this conclusion. Like clockwork predictable this “president”.
3
Trust Pompeo on this?
Hmm...can you say "Gulf of Tonkin?"
4
Oh, that famous "US intelligence". After all the lies and fabrications does anyone still believe anything they say?
1
Memo to Pompeo:
Show me.
2
Tonkin with Saudi fingerprints.
Guarantee it.
2
Is this The Gulf of Tonkin baloney or the weapons for mass destruction hustle? How many times is the American public gonna be fooled? I knew in my heart that Bolton and Pompeo would do everything in their power to start a war with Iran or North Korea within a year. These are the "grey men" who never have and never will be in combat, but have no problem sending our young men and women to be killed and maimed . It is all about puffing their chest and preening as tough guys. And those rewarding connections with defense stocks are just a bonus. God help us with these fools in charge.
5
Why is there is there this knee jerk desire among commenters to make Israel the convenient scapegoat for the attacks on these oil tankers? The attack on these tankers had nothing to do with Israel at all!!! This may come as a shock but not every problem in the Middle East can be traced to something Israel did or didn't do. Why don't you present some proof of Israeli involvement before you make the usual "it's all Israel's fault" accusations.
In addition this is not the Tonkin Gulf all over again. This imaginary war with Iran that everyone's been predicting for over 20 years has yet to materialize. How come??
1
@sharon5101
Well, Sharon, many of us out here in the rest of the U.S. have been watching Jared Kushner in cahoots with Israel on the news. Jerusalem has become the capital of Israel with the U.S. embassy moved recently over there. Remember? Netanyahu and Trump are both in trouble. Remember? Do you think the rest of us Americans aren’t watching? We are. Our sons and daughters and taxes don’t want another lying cheating person such as Trump and Netanyahu to Wag the Dog. I cannot and do not believe that Iran would attack a Japanese oil tanker when Iran needs to sell oil and Japan is a large consumer of Iranian oil. What sense would this make? It does not. Plus, Abe is in Iran for a peace mission. Come on, now, what sense does it make that Iran would do this to a big customer like Japan?
Sorry.. but Pompeo has ZERO credibility to say anything on this or any other matter.
He is a warhawk, in cahoots with Bolton.
For all we know.. this was a false flag operation perpetrated by US sponsored bad actors in the region. It has happened many times in the past in various parts of the world.. and one thing is sure... Pompeo and Bolton want a pretext to take action against Iran.
Attention Pompeo: the US does not need yet another fabricated pretext to invade another nation.
4
I do not believe any of this. Trump, Pompeo, & Bolten need this war to wag the dog. I assume we did the dirty deed or one of surrogates in the area.
4
I don't believe anything anyone in this administration says. It's all fake news to me.
1
There are over 70 Million people in Iran.
Once again, the Trump Wall st Administration has clearly demonstrated their mental decline, into the Abyss.
2
My advice: "When it comes to the situation with Iran, pick a political party you don't like and blame them... you'll feel better while ignoring facts & reality!"
Scary comments that should cause pause with the editors at the NYT...
Many of our own experts, including war game simulations, predict the our country will lose the next major conflict.
Our most expensive weapon system, the F-35 Flying Coffin, is a death trap for our pilots. (Why am I calling it the Flying Coffin?)
Our Ford Class Super-Carriers, along with our other Aircraft Carriers, mights as well have a bullseye painted on them. (What's wrong with them?)
Me can't make a decent Littoral Combat Ship that actually works. (What's going on with this weapons system?)
Few, if any, of our elected leaders son's, daughter's, grandchildren, or relatives serve in the military.
Our military is worn out from some two-decades of war. Our country is so polarized/divided, that we couldn't meet a threat even if we wanted.
None of the components that make up our most advanced weapons are made in the country. We don't even make a majority of our own bullets!
Most of our medicine and vaccines are made in other countries.
It seems as if the only manufacturing we actually do is rubber floor mats for foreign made vehicles.
We don't even have a decent news source that provides a balanced view anymore... Sadly, this last comment includes the NYT.
The NYT claims to welcome on-topic, polite critiques... we are in trouble!
1
I don't believe a word of what Pompeo, Bolton or Trump has to say about this. It seems a bit farfetched that Iran would do this at this time. As for the US and oil, let's work on weaning ourselves off of it and staying out of this part of the world in order to satisfy our oil needs.
7
Who benefits from this idea that Iran is responsible for these attacks?
In 1954 the US helped overthrow the democratically elected Iranian government and installed an autocrat. Our memories of our misdeeds seem to grow shorter and shorter- we are not innocent. We are uninformed.
3
I dont trust Pompeo or Bolton. I'm not a conspiracy theorist but I wouldn't put it past them to do whatever to convince Trump to proceed militarily.
1
The dog wags the tail
Again
2
Can anyone tell me when there has been a less qualified, ill prepared Secretary of State than Pompeo? Of course, he stands head and shoulders above our president..
4
It is imperative that Congress reclaim its status as the sole branch of government empowered to declare war.
1
Why would anyone believe anything this administration says? In fact, assuming the opposite is the truth is commonly borne out. Bolton and Pompeo both have a record of fear-mongering, while making bad decisions in pursuit of even worse policy. If the US gets into a war with Iran no one in the entire world will believe it is anything other than American aggression, although it will be supported by the usual middle-east autocratic states: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and our purported ally, Israel.
1
Nobody in the world will believe anybody from the White house on this, but will rather be inclined to suspect them instead. This is one of the dreaded (but easily predictable) consequences of the election of DJT.
I can think of three governments that might be interested in provoking a war between the U.S. and Iran, and Iran is not one of them. Nothing that Pompeo has said passes the smell test. Bone Spur 1 would surely be the major beneficiary but not the sole beneficiary of such a war.
1
Pompeo is (almost certainly) lying. Trump needs a BIG distraction, and the Republican Party would love, love, love an excuse to go to war with Iran, as they have wanted to ever since the late John McCain sung "bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."
Other than Republican hawks and their defense contractor campaign donors, who would benefit from another oil war?
Koch Brothers would love more expensive oil, as would Tsar Putin.
This might also mean that Putin has a secret pact with Iran to defend it in even of a war with the USA, and Pompeo is correct, it really is Iran that is (in some way) responsible for this attack.
I have strong empathy with lives at risk around the attack and the Republicans' beloved war for oil, but I take this as another signal that we should all be driving electric cars, e.g., Tesla's truly excellent cars, so we can wean ourselves off fossil fuel and the Mideast.
1
This is an attack on China's economy, not on Iran.
The US took down the Soviets by tanking the oil price. In the case of China they're set to do the opposite.
China imports 70%+ of its oil. A jacked up oil price will damage their economy.
Taken in concert with other US moves (tarrifs, etc), this is an effort to cripple China's economy.
1
political-economy lecture series 0300: the primary objective of good foreign policy rests on one thing and one thing only: ensuring that trade routes/shipping lanes remain open, that's all.
It was likely Iran. But it was not an attack on US vessels. Not an act of war, just Iran blowing things up again. Norway should respond as should Japan, not us. It was their vessels.
I don’t believe it for a second. Iran definitely doesn’t want a war so I find it hard to believe they’d do this. Plus this administration has even more of a track record of lying than W Bush.
1
Here we go again. Are people going to fall for this yet another time?
Let’s start the draft and let all rich kids serve this time in the wars the GOP start. I personally think Trump and the GOP paid someone to do it. They want wars so there Halliburton stock goes up . Very sad if they start another one.
Even if Iran is behind this, which is far from proven, this is really a fight between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi regime is just as dictatorial as the Iranian, maybe worse. Until Iranians fly planes into the Empire State Building, the US needs to back off and quit being the tool of Saudi Arabia.
1
It’s too convenient for Trump and Bolton and Saudi Arabia. Iran has nothing to gain and everything to lose. Oh, yeah, and they also have oil. Perfect.
1
Where is the evidence? Nobody died. No US property or citizen was involved. Thankfully we have a military that knows there is no vital or strategic interest involved and do not want to go to war for KSA.
1
"Mr. Pompeo did not present any evidence to back up the assessment of Iran’s involvement." So here we go again..........We can not trust anything coming from this administration.
2
What can the Iranian regime possibly gain by provoking a war with the US? Who was actually arguing for war prior to this event, and has been for a long, long time? Mike Pompeo og John Bolton that's who. This was most likely carried out by forces allied to the US in understanding by at least parts of the US administration. Israel and the Saudis being the most likely henchmen.
1
But Iran said they didn't do it. That's always satisfied trxmp when it came from Putin and Kim.
Maybe they did do this, stranger things have happened, but what would Iran's motive be? This isn't a good way to make them more secure or maintain good relations with Europe. They'd be dropped like a hot falafel. It's more likely this is a terrorist group that wants to stir up an America/ Iran conflict. Could be the Saudis, could be ISIS. Could it be another Tonkin Gulf?
1
Trump and his administration are certain that this attack in the Gulf of Oman is from Iran. They offer no hard evidence to support this conclusion... I wonder, is 'Oman' spelled "T-O-N-K-I-N"? Or will there be something else, when Trump needs a new external enemy to distract people with while he fleeces them? Deny, deflect, dissemble, distract - the Trump standard for 'truth'. Show the evidence, or tone down the rhetoric, Trump.
1
How serious is the threat being posed by Iran?
I can remember a time when it would be unthinkable to question the veracity of any threat assessment made by the U.S. Secretary of State. When JFK told the nation the Soviet Union was placing nuclear missiles 90 miles from Miami, no one stopped to ask is our President telling us the truth? But Kennedy would be the last president to be afforded such blanket trust. Less than 8 weeks after his Oct. 2, 1963 decision to begin withdrawing the 16,300 US Military advisers from Vietnam, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Americans believed President Lyndon Johnson when he labeled Senator Barry Goldwater a war monger during the 1964 campaign. John proved to be the actual war monger. By 1968 we were shipping an average of 250 body bags a week back from Vietnam.
Over the past 25 years, we have seen Presidential excess disguised as leadership involving usage of military force we later found out from without reasonable foundation to outright misuse of power.
Bill Clinton ordered the destruction of what turned out to be Sudan's one functioning pharmaceutical manufacturing plant the same week Monica Lewinsky testified before a Grand Jury. George W and Iraq's WMD threat and Obama's many errors in judgement. We could still count on honorable men and women connected to each Administration.
No such assumptions can be made in the 2019 madness that is Donald J. Trump.
1
Pompeo should take the intelligence to the security council and let the report be scrutinized. Let it not be a repeat of the WMDs evidence to invade Iraq. Let Iran have an opportunity to examine the evidence and validate it or refute.
Let us not respond by military action against Iran. The UN should ask both Saudi Arabia and Iran to back off their support for opposing groups in Yemen. These groups are committing crimes against humanity and the security council has to restrain both Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Let peace be the only option that is pursued.
101
@Girish Kotwal
Will Russia veto anything the Security Council decides to do because it is looking for an "in" with Iran?
1
@Girish Kotwal I sadly fear we will be howling into the wind.
2
This wasn’t a terrorist attack. As Obama once said, it is workplace violence. Or maybe it was caused by manufacturers of electric vehicles who hope for a huge surge in oil prices that will increase demand for their currently very expensive cars.
Not a single person should believe Bolton, Pompeo, or virtually anyone else in the pockets of the America's military industrial complex. They are making a bald-faced push for war with Iran for nothing more than money. We the people must stand united against this before we are once again made to foot the bill for the rich and greedy.
Please, think about who stands to gain from this madness?
128
@K.M: exactly!
"cui bono - to whose benefit?"
is always the first question to ask.
[almost] every war in history was preceded by at least
one blatant lie. don't fall for the latest round of those,
yet again.
"give peace a chance!" and warmongers the brush-off.
6
@K.M No, not the US Military, but those in the White House where lies have replaced any semblance of truth.
2
@K.M Hmm, who stands to gain from this madness ? Russia, who would love it is there was a shortage of oil. So why do we trust the word of one of Putin's agents: John Bolton ?
5
Neither Pompeo nor Bolton HAS presented evidence. Proof-reader!
15
Is it me or do you automatically doubt everything that comes out of this administration?
See: 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'
17
We have every imaginable reason to do so. He deserves no less than suspicion and contempt. It’s what he has earned.
With warmongers like Bolton, Pompeo, and Netanyahu pushing for a confrontation with Iran we are on the verge of another mideast quagmire. I'm old enough to remember the Gulf of Tonkin and the lies that resulted in 55,000 American deaths, and who knows how many Vietnamese. Have we learned nothing? Are we that stupid? Unfortunately we know the answers to these question.
10
Apparently, the Government has shifted the regularly scheduled Friday sensational news event press manipulation up to Thursday. It's the weekend news feed from the government. You know Trump is a Television man.
6
Does anyone believe Pompeo, or Trump, or Bolton, or any other cabinet member? Or any other sycophantic hack Trump placed in the government?
I wouldn't trust that Iran did this even if Pompeo played a video of Khamenei driving a boat and Rouhani placing the bomb. This administration lies about EVERYTHING having ANYTHING to do with their wacko agendas.
14
It would seem that after the false information that led to the Iraq fiasco, it would be very difficult to convince Americans to get in another military conflict. Unfortunately, the powers of the president have been expanded to the point where Americans don’t need to be convinced. It’s good to have, but unnecessary. Trump is making a fortune as president and I’m guessing he’s not heavily invested in the arms industry. It would seem stupid of him to risk the cash cow of his presidency and start a war. We’re all betting that he’s not that stupid.
7
Just wondering: what better way to get Iran in deep trouble and perhaps spark a US war with Iran than to fake Iran's guilt?
I mean, I'm trying to think of a good reason for Iran to do this. Jump up oil prices? Really, versus the incredible flak this would cause against them? You may not like Iran's leaders, but they have yet to exhibit such stupidity. They really, really don't want war with the US, even if they aren't going to kneel down and lick our boots.
6
Ah, WMD all over again... who’s the Cheney pulling the strings this time?
12
So we have the word of Pompeo and Bolton that Iran is behind this, versus all common sense.
Sorry, this WH is so infected by lying conmen that no one is going to accept anything but rock solid evidence.
4
Countries that make a lot more sense than Iran to have executed this attack:
Russia
USA
Israel
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Non-state actors/ISIS
...Everyone else
6
Jeez, why does this sound so familiar?
"USS Maine (ACR-1) was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor in 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898. American newspapers, engaging in yellow journalism to boost circulation, claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction."
...oh.
6
When the "intelligence" serves Traitor Trump and Mike Pompous it is to be believed. When it speaks to the Russian corruption of our elections, it is not to be believed. Simple as that.
4
This one is easy. Saudi Arabia. Eric Prince. Jared. Betcha a dollar.
4
I heard they were upset about a YouTube video? We should put that filmmaker in jail.
1
Americans are lying.
And we’re being lied to....
This is the work of Kushner's buddy MBS, AKA Mr. Bone Saw. Who Pompeo is going to fool?
5
Manufacturing Consent!
4
Israel and Saudi Arabia seem like the most likely suspects.
3
At least we know that we can trust Pompeo and Bolton.
Just kidding.
4
I trust Mike Pompeo not one bit on anything.
4
H-m-m-m Weapons of mass destrucction in Iraq. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Does Bolton think we are idiots? No proof, no declaration of war from Congress. We are way more than skeptical.
2
When there is a war, everyone who voted for Trump should go fight for the filthy oil that Trump loves.
3
I am glad to hear that you no longer have a need for any petroleum products. I doubt Iran did this and believe that spy satellites and drone videos point to someone else. I fault the Times for not having their usual insider information as to the facts.
You know you're in trouble when your first reaction to the headline is, "He would say that."
1
Right- after 1800 lies, we are now supposed to believe Trump and his minion Pompeo.
Parents, do not send your kids to this crooked war to enrich American oligarchs with Iranian oil!
5
"intelligence" told Sec?! Is this same " can't be trusted" " wrong" " fake news" i intelligent USA agencies Trump devalues ON A DAILY BASIS?! but today believe???
1
The words intelligence and Pompeo do not deserve to be in the same sentence. Liars, all.
3
Pompeo hardly speaks for U.S. Intelligence. Pompeo is a lapdog to the LIC (liar in chief). He presents no evidence. So I'm just going to believe Pompeo? Not likely. CREDIBILITY is earned, Pompeo and his liar of a BOSS have zero. Iran did this? I doubt it. I've been around longer than Pompeo, I've seen enough lackies to know one.
1
Remember the Maine! Gulf of Tonkien! 'Nuf said.
2
Oh, it simply must be Iran that's responsible...couldn't possibly be a setup by the USA war/oil hawks...and/or Saudis, and/or Israel, could it?
We Americans know, with absolute certainty, that our government officials would never lie to us about anything that might lead to war...again.
Don't we?
5
Trump has his war, at last!! Obviously his sons are going to volunteer to be in the front lines, like he did for Vietnam.
7
Why is this the only intelligence accepted by this administration?
2
Here we go again. Smells like the run up to the Iraq War or the Gulf of Tonkin or even further back, Remember the Maine. Impossible to believe Pompeo, even less our Lyin Commander in Chief. Nothing a Dictator loves more than a good war to consolidate power, like declaring Martial Law and suspending the Constitution. The ships looked like a couple of derelicts heading to the scrap heap. The Perp might have wanted to provoke an American response against Iran, a good candidate would be their mortal enemy, the murderous regime in Saudi Arabia, Trump's best friend.
2
Gulf of Tonkin, 2019.
1
Sounds like the trumped up charge of Spain blowing up the USS Maine in 1898--to provide rationale for starting the Spanish-American War.
1
Remember the Maine!
1
Donnie Trump needs this war far more than Bush and Chaney ever did. Trump 2020 I guess...
1
Oh, so *now* they believe the intelligence.
5
.. There is no way Pompeo attended West Point and Harvard!
2
This car salesman knows something?
3
Trump--like W Bush--"intelligence" is the classic oxymoron.
2
I certainly don't believe Pompeo, Kushner or Donald these days... literally... anything they say.
They want to start a war with Iran for oil. (Shame!! Bad boys!!)
I don't know, of course... but I suspect Saudi Arabia or Russia for the tanker attack. And Donald will protect them since he is an agent of Russia.
1
Never mind the shaming... and it’s not for oil. It’s solely to punish Iran for their presence and regional influence.
@Levon
You seem to know... "not for oil" and that the tanker hit is to punish Iran for being where they are on map and their influence on their neighbors...
But the torpedoed tankers were not Iranian and the attack has already raised the price of global oil products.
Why didn't the tanker sink? You would think a huge ship filled with millions of gallons of flammable liquid would be relatively easy to sink. Like they were in, say, World War I.
But, no, that wouldn't look as good on TV, right Donald? Better a flaming tanker LIVE! on CNN than a miserable oil slick on the water. Look at the pictures and be outraged! These fiends must feel the steely resolve of the American people!
Cue the military porn: fighter planes catapulted from aircraft carriers, B-52s rising majestically from arid airfields, tough young Marines packed onto transports. Donald Trump reading awkwardly from a TelePromptr.
And why do they keep calling Iran "the world's biggest state sponsor of terrorism", when we all know that dubious honor belongs to our dear friends, the Saudis?
4
Anyone else baffled that the Admin trusts CIA intelligence that Iran shot tankers 14 miles from its coast—what a shock—but as for Russian meddling in elections, that’s all questionable...
Welcome to the new world order.
4
Two thoughts, beyond the other comments about consistent lying from this corrupt administration. Pompeo is definitely prepared to lie his way to The Rapture. He is one scary, evil person, who sweats arrogance. Also, if they do succeed in lying their way to a conflagration, will the rank and file military and veterans still be Trump boosters?
2
Why would we trust anything said by the pathological liars who currently run our country?
3
Would Russia benefit from such a war?
1
No proof other than "We say so?" Have Americans become stupider than a bunch of four-year-olds on whom this line doesn't work?
2
The UAE and Saudi Arabia can lead our fearless leader around by the nose. I think it more likely that they are behind these attacks than Iran. Iran wants to hold on until this nitwit is out of office. I have no confidence in the Dynamic Duo, Pompeo and Bolton. This can, and perhaps has, gotten away from Don the Con in a hurry
1
"widespread criticism over the Iraq War and presentation of faulty intelligence that led to it,..." HA! FAULTY intelligence?! Those were not mistakes, they were lies! These are too, betcha. We might hear a claim later "Well, there was one suspect of Iranian descent. So, ..."
"Remember the Maine!"
1
This country was led into war in Iraq based on lies. This is no different.
No American kid- NONE- should die in the Middle East.
I do not believe Iran did this. I think Saudi Arabia, and the other Sunni terror states, did. And I bet officials in the US government know.
No war with Iran!
2
Funny how so many NYT readers question, when it suits them, our intelligence agencies when they criticize Trump for doing the same. Which is it readers? Believe the CIA and NSA or don't believe them.
@MCH
I do not believe ANYTHING that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth, nor John Bolton, nor Mike Pompeo.
@MCH
I take CIA and NSA with a grain of salt.
As for this administration, its reasonable to assume that they are lying.
These "attacks" are NOT a threat to international peace and security. That's just pap.
They are STAGED for political purposes - More prevarication and distraction by a WH trying to distract us from its legal mess.
2
Trump lies, people in his administration lie. So, why should anyone in the world believe their accusations?
5
Please enlighten me if you know more about international laws: So a Japanese tanker was damaged by a mine and Trump + Fox News claim it was Iran. And the USA should go to war to teach those Persians a lesson.
Now even if everything they said is true, why must America shed it's own blood for a foreign country's ship? Would you risk your son's and daughter' life for a Philippine tanker if it was hit by a Chinese torpedo?
3
Pompeo studiously consulted his prized ouija board for this conclusion. Why should anyone believe these third rate hacks who report to the all time "Liar in Chief"? An unprecedented, constant stream of falsehoods unabashedly told to the American public has consequences.
1
US Intelligence says it? Then Trump won't believe it. He'll want to know what Putin thinks first, and you know who he'll side with.
3
I trusted Obama. I trusted Bush, even when I probably shouldn’t have. (weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, etc. I DO NOT TRUST the Trump administration AT ALL. I’d bet my house, my retirement, my car, and my daughter’s college fund..... that these attacks were not from Iran. Their economy is hurting, they desperately want to rejoin the international community, etc. Sorry Trump and sorry Republicans — My family doesn’t believe a single thing you tell us. Lies lies lies. And you created this problem yourself!
5
Gulf on Tonkin redux. Pompeo - I wouldn’t trust him as far as a Game of Thrones catapult could throw him.
2
"Remember the Maine! Down with Iran!" Doesn't have as nice a ring to it.
1
The quicker America dumps unyielding support of Israel and Saudi, the better off the world will be. We had a perfectly good path to normalizing relations with Iran under Obama, but that's dead now ... along with thousands of Yemenis and numerous Palestinians.
But at least Netanyahu and Kushner are happy.
Anyone who believe Pompeo or Bolton is delusional.
3
The Saudi Minister just said they are going to develop nuclear weapons. Trump has sold out the world for self enrichment. This is despicable.
5
This is a set up; pure and simple.
6
Mr. Pompeo works for a liar who most often times doesn’t believe his own intelligence agencies. Why should anyone believe anything this administration says about anything? That’s the problem with lying Mr. Trump. You’ve lost your credibility. I’d rather have that then a fake billion dollars.
3
And here we go down that slippery slope once again.....
4
Keep slapping Iran with debilitating sanctions and after they consult with the Russians and Chinese, my prediction is that tankers will continue to be targeted by an unknown country!
The bad part?
Making a nuclear bomb isn't all that difficult. The US figured it out. Russians figured it out. France figured it out. United Kingdom figured it out. South Africa figured it out. Israel figured it out. North Korea figured it out. I'm not a soothsayer, gambler nor do I like guessing... but I have no doubts that Iran could figure out how to make a nuke just like India, Pakistan and China have!
I also have no illusion that if it came to push and shove, that Russia would be able to supply Iran with all the military equipment needed via the Caspian Sea and their allies.
In addition, if a conflict were to occur, none of our Aircraft Carriers would survive!
The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years. In that time, there has been less than 25 years of peace. One does not need to be a prophet to figure out that a war is coming!
Si vis pacem, para bellum!
Based on numerous studies by those in the know and for the record, we can thank Republicans, Democrats, Liberals and Socialists in the United States for this next part:
The United States will lose the next serious conflict!
We can also look in the mirror and thank ourselves for our country's downfall!
My advice: "Pick a party you don't like and blame them... you'll feel better while ignoring reality & facts!"
3
Trump set his stage against Iran to divert attention from his problems. The Russians moved military personnel into a major oil nation, Venezuela, just to our South. Now the Russians are a direct threat to our nation and Trump is instigating action to move our forces to the other side of the world while we have to worry about Russians in our vicinity. How are we going to defend our soil if the Russians are close and our troops far?
Are the Republicans really this ignorant? I'm no genius and this is all elementary to me.
2
Remember the Maine.
1
He had Trumps MAGA hat on when he said that.
MAGA stands for Middle America Gullible Again.
2
Just another Republican administration jumping at the bits to start another war under false pretenses to distract from the growing problems of our corrupt President Trump.
Defend the country yes! But the intelligence and proof better be concrete, before America’s blood and treasure is again spilled over a lie, and excuse us, if we don’t trust the Liar in Chief, Donald J. Trump!
1
Well, well, well...a claim that Iran is to blame, from the Administration who cried wolf?
Putin must be downright gleeful. What a fantastic payoff from his puppet: an entire American presidential administration discredited by association with the liar in chief.
It's going to take a generation to repair America's position in the diplomatic world.
2
Instead of the Gulf of Tonkin incident I'm going against the Trump grain and I'll call this the "Strait of Donald" incident.
Donald needs this war badly.
If Donald and Mike showed us a picture of the Ayatollah hanging upside down from the side of that tanker with a stick of dynamite and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth I wouldn't believe them.
Why in the world would anyone but a Fox drone believe anything that comes from these people?
3
God forgive me but I do not believe this quite yet. Why would Iran attack a Japanese tank out of its own coast - specially when the Japanese Prime Minister is in Iran?
It sounds very much like someone else is trying to cause trouble between us and Iran. They will have to show me solid proof first.
Furthermore, I worry that Bolton and company will leverage these “rumors” to push us closer to a war. Remember what he and his sort did about the never found weapons of mass destruction? Not again!!!
3
"Intelligence Points to Iran in Tanker Attack in Gulf of Oman?" Is that like "Intelligence" pointing to Iraq being in possession of WMD, as justification for war in Iraq? Intelligence served just one man and one objective in that case, and we must be wary, it may serve only one man and his own private objective NOW...
Are we going to let Trump slaughter yet ANOTHER HALF MILLION (or million, or TEN million) INNOCENTS, just to get himself re-elected in 2020???
1
@Richard Savary
No,we are not going to allow it.
The one thing we do know is Saudi Arabia is murdering Shia women and children in Yemen with the help of US arms and US mercenaries. There's actually proof of that.
1
@HL
Sorry, i need solid evidence. Just hearing there is proof of that is not convincing me.
Here's the problem: after all the lies, all the crying wolf, who can believe this "intelligence."
Trump and folks like Mitch who have empowered him, you are going to reap what you have sown. We don't believe you.
2
Hey if the countries that need Persian Gulf oil feel strongly enough to fight for it, let them do so.
The USA can offer thoughts and prayers as the other countries engage in the epic struggle
And besides, the USA is now an oil exporter. So Amurca doesn’t need any of that funky Middle East oil stuff either. Right?
4
President Bone Spurs trying to start a military conflict in order to appear 'presidential' for the election.
3
I also doubt that Iran was behind these attacks. And even if they were, recent events remind me of the lead-up to the Mexican American War (known as the North American Invasion in Mexico) in 1846: In a disputed zone between Texas and Mexico the US troops kept pushing right up to the line until finally the Mexicans cracked and a cavalry detachment attacked General Zachary Taylor's troops. Taylor could then report to Congress that Mexico had started it and the US just had to respond. And off to war we go!
Intelligence? We can't place any trust in our intelligence community, can we? They're the enemy of the American people! Maybe this is Russian intelligence that Pompeo is citing.
2
The Trump Administration has zero credibility, zilch, nada, none. Trump and pals make up “intelligence” out of whole cloth. It is all a distraction.
2
'Remember The Maine'.
Sorry but I don't believe him.
Not to worry, Trump doesn't believe US intelligence so why would they believe it now?
2
of course he wants a war before election year.
2
Here lies the problem with all this administrations lying...do we believe it or not? It mostly likely was Iran, but with the administrations messing around instigating Iran, can we the people be sure??? Ugh.
1
You notice that on the day after Trump went on national TV and said he would welcome dirt on any democrat by foreign adversaries, this is the diversion created by Pompeo for Trump.
1
The President does not believe anything the [US] Intelligence says. WMDs? Why should we care? To save what, Trump's presidency? Trump the Cry-bully in chief, caused this kerfuffle and has put us and all nations in harm's way by sabotaging talks with Iran, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, and doing and saying things that are impeachable. When the Russians are ready to say, "You're Fired!" to him, maybe the Congress will grow some.
1
Should the headline be " Secretary of State Pompeo Says Intelligence Points to Iran in Tanker Attack instead of "U.S. Says Intelligence Points to Iran in Tanker Attack"? The current headline makes the intelligence appear more authentic.
1
If you haven't seen "Wag the Dog" , get ready to see the live version sans Dustin Hoffman.
2
Trump may order an attack on Iran, may order an invasion, but the American people will not support him. He has only himself to blame.
The country has Trump and the Republican Party to blame for any act of US aggression - together they have turned the US into an unreliable world actor with zero credibility.
The US veterans of Vietnam were badly treated when they returned. They did not deserve the disrespect of the nation; they had been deceived by President Johnson and his administration. But today all of America, including the military men and women, know Trump is a pernicious liar backed up by Republican liars in Congress. They cannot follow Trump's orders and defend the Constitution and our nation at the same time. They will be treated worse than Vietnam vets who had no idea a president would send them into battle based on lies. Today everyone expects nothing but lies from Trump and the Russian Republican Party.
2
Who benefits from this attack on Japanese ships on the coast of Iran? Certainly not Iran who is hosting the PM of Japan as the attack happened and who surely knows the consequences of such action are devastating to their nation. Saudi Arabia? Well sure...they hate Iran and they love high oil prices. But most likely is Israel's Mossad. Netanyahu is in big trouble at home (both legal and political). Wagging the big American dog would help distract the Israeli population and increase his poll numbers. Trump, whose poll numbers are soft and could use a war dividend, can easily be wagged by Bibi and Bolton, whose DNA spells "Do War," would surely nod approval to a Mossad action like this. Congress! Remember the cost of your inaction in the Iraq situation? STOP THIS NOW!
2
Oil prices dropped this week and for once, republicans didn't complain about it. Then these attacks happen, driving oil up and republicans immediately blame Iran without any proof. Sort of strange, isn't it?
1
Who can trust what the USA says these days?
2
@Torben Ibsen
We’re in big trouble.
Pray for us.
Mr Pompeo,
Please give us American people, the proof of Iran's involvement. We don't want another crazy "weapons of mass destruction" case for your boss's political gain. Please do not sacrifice our sons and daughters for your selfish reasons.
Besides, America, financially and morally cannot afford another war.
3
I thought we were supposed to believe our intelligence agencies and it was even treasonous not to do so.
1
Just curious why I should believe Mr. Pompeo? How many times should I be lied to before everything this administration says is a presumptive a falsehood? I think I'm past that threshold already.
1
Is it in Pompeo's and Bolton's interest to engage with our intelligence services to proactively work to prevent these attacks, or to 'look the other way' ala the 8/12/2001 memo re: an imminent bin Laden attack on the US; so they have an excuse to blow several trillion $ and kill or maim thousands in our next Middle Eastern nation building exercise?
Just look how well the last one worked out...
1
Before we look at Iran, I would look at other Middle East players, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, who have a vested interest in sowing discord between the US and Iran. Nor would I put it past rogue operatives directed by the Trump administration. No one connected to this White House can be trusted to tell the truth about anything.
2
I'd believe Bagdad Bob over anything Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says. Pompeo is just repeating whatever Trump tells him to say.
2
No sane person should believe any word about Iran from current US administration. That is how much they are trustful.
2
"Intelligence" and this administration have nothing in common.
Blame it on Iran? Gee, I NEVER would have expected THAT!
After gutting the CIA of experienced operatives, how do they know that the Saudis aren't placing bombs on ships to give Trump and excuse to start a war? That would conveniently shift focus away from past misdeeds by this administration and the forthcoming impeachment inquiry, and give them the excuse to scream "Unpatriotic" to anyone who is against them.
After all, "Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels".
1
How about this, let all future Trump rallies become enlistment functions, where anyone who attends volunteers themself (or a loved one) for whichever conflict(s) their chosen leader's administration gets us into.
2
What happened in Gulf of Tonkin?
Sadly, nothing that the Donald Trump administration says can be regarded as fact by Americans. Lies are coming out of the mouths of everyone in the administration, egged on by the Prevaricator-in-Chief Donald Trump.
Not being able to depend on your government to be truthful is a pit-stop on the road to perdition.
1
Who among us would trust trump, Bolton or Pompeo to make decisions about sending troops to the Mid East, after the 2 years plus litany of lies, chaos and total incompetence coming from this administration?
Certainly not me.
3
Pompeo's face tells me that he knows exactly, what has hit that tanker. And it's not Iranian missiles.
2
Here we go with the lies to start a war and distract from the malfeasance of Trump.
1
Anyone else hear the X Files theme song? or perhaps the one to the Twilight Zone?
Saudis are probably behind this, trying to implicate their enemy, Iran.
Rational peace-loving Americans refuse to be swindled by these ferocious bumbling warmongers. We stand in solidarity with the Iranian people as they face deadly sanctions and the threat of invasion. Stand strong Iran: defend your land and people from imperial destruction.
1
We are being dragged into another conflict and it is not Iran
We should be careful!!
I what universe did Spain attack the Maine? Vietnam attack the USS Maddox? Iraq have WMD's? Iran attack a Japanese tanker?
Not this one, but the Lalaland that Washington hawks want us to exist in. We need to resist the false information that our government is pushing on us.
We should know by now that the hawks live to kill, the defense industry towers over blood diamonds, and they have come together in a circadian conspiracy to induce a recurring nightmare in our nation, one from which enough of us must wake up from before millions more are fed to the beast.
1
Bolton and Pompeo need to find something else to do.
This situation reminds me of something else ... what could it be?
The Iraq war?
1
Bolton wants war, and trump could use one to wag the dog, as the corruption and malfeasance of his administration becomes clearer every day.
No lives lost in this "attack" - that occurred whole Japanese leader just started a visit in Iran? This was not the work of Iran.
1
This dubious incident or "attack" appears to be the "Gulf of Tonkin 2019."
1
The "U.S." isn't saying this, the Trump administration is; through their puppet Pompeo. Where is Congress and our elected "representatives." It is all one big fiasco. A swamp indeed.
1
RIGHT NOW! is a great time to get all of our troops and military assets out of the middle east and redeploy them in california and arizona. at the same time, we should extract all of our troops and military assets out of asia and redeploy them in texas and new mexico. NEXT PROBLEM?
Oh hey I wonder if there's some kind of near surefire way to keep a deeply unpopular President office? OH I KNOW!
1
Suddenly the Trump administration believes our intelligence service? Don't buy it. Netanyahu and Trump both need a war right now.
1
Have we seen this movie before? Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction turned out to be the fabrication of republican chicken hawks and hopefully we’re not going to war again to boost an unpopular president.
1
If they honestly believe we're going to war over two tankers of crude, they are deluded.
Drumbeats for war, they have been itching to fight in Iran, they just will not stop till they go in for any reason.
Renewable energy solves that problem
My first thought was: I don't believe it. My second thought was: how sad it is that I place no trust in the U.S. Secretary of State.
We have certainly reached a pathetic state of affairs here...
2
Don't believe a word Pompeo says - he and Trump are bent on war with Iran, and if it means fabricating the "attacker", then so be it.
2
trump has persistently attacked a sovereign state and welched on a treaty. Why should Iran sit back and be bullied by bone cracks.
However I dont believe Iran has anything to gain from these incidents.
trump does. Him and pompo are the aggressors here trying to engineer a war.
Let us not lose the bigger picture that lies beneath these dramatic matters: if Israel has nuclear weapons (and is the only country in the world that are not required to officially say so) why should Iran not have them? Why?
Pompeo is trying to keep from smirking in the video and not doing a very good job of it.
Of course, US intelligence points to Iran because that is what Pompeo and Bolton want it to say.
1
Does this "intelligence" remind anyone else about the lead up to the invasion of Iraq? The timetable is just about right for the elections of 2020.
Don't fall for any lies from Trump and his administration. Too many of us made mistakes in believing good men such as Colin Powell. Known liars and chicken hawks like Pompeo shouldn't even get the benefit of the doubt.
You can't trust anything that comes out of this administration. Who knew the Middle east could be so complicated?
"... no other forces in the area have sufficient training or capabilities for the operations other than those supported by Iran."
This is a bald-faced lie. Placing a limpet mine (a centuries-old technology) onto the hull of a stationary ship in port requires little sophistication. Here are some non-Iranian groups who are fully capable:
Any of the maritime inspection and repair companies who routinely use divers to inspect ships in port, below water line. Click click.
Gulf Arab State forces, trained and equipped by the US military and a rogues' gallery of special operators and private contractors.
Raytheon. Ch-ching.
Then there's Russia and China ... they all have more to gain from heightened US/Iranian tension than does Iran itself.
Cui bono? Who benefits?
1
I’m sure Sarah Sanders will explain it all before she leaves.
1
The President doesn't trust his own intelligence services--unless they can back him up in a wag-the-dog war.
I don't believe my own government anymore.
1
Trump denies intelligence gathered showing Russian election meddling, but he immediately embraces the intelligence provided by Pompeo?
The intelligence community has been wrong from the Vietnam war to the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We have not been directly attacked. Our response for the strait of Hormuz being dangerous should not be spending a trillion dollars and the deaths of American and Iranian lives. It should be spending a trillion dollars on the green New deal and American jobs to stop our dependency on oil. If the US launches a war on Iran for oil, then oil prices and gas prices should be taxed to fund the war reflecting the true cost of oil. Then alternative energy will become massively cost effective.
There as a time when I would have believed what the Secretary of State of US. That is no longer possible.
1
@D Marcot Not since Colin Powell.
1
Remarkable how quickly this administration took what amounted to greatly improved relations between the US & Iran (and in some ways continued to improve) and whipped them into war-like tensions.
Interesting that they suddenly believe intelligence agencies.
1
So American intelligence/military have the capability to drop a missile with pinpoint precision on a specific hut in a small village in a remote part of the middle east on the other side of the globe.
Yet with all this high tech surveillance, Pompeo and Bolton are accusing Iran of these attacks based only on some "analysis" of "previous patterns". But no evidence.
How convenient this crisis with Iran... just in time to divert America's attention from the national uproar over Trump's traitorous remarks inviting illegal interference by foreign adversaries in our elections.
Geesch. Where is Congress?
AWOL again.
The broad skepticism of Pompeo's assertions owes a lot to the costly mendacity of Trump, G.W. Bush, and Cheney.
I wonder if the president will ever learn the value of scrupulous honesty, or even the mere appearance of it. It doesn't seem possible.
I have almost no faith or trust in American institutions that are presided over by Trump and his conservative ilk. When they say Iran is responsible it almost confirms for me that Iran was NOT responsible.
1
Let's not forget the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, based upon fraudulent "Intelligence," which allowed LBJ to gain Congressional approval to expand the US's combat role in Vietnam.
Trump is itching for a "good war" to turn down the heat from his problems at home. It worked for W Bush, it can work for Trump.
I'd need to see real evidence of the reality of Iran's involvement, not seem assertion by Pompeo. He's just Trump's boy, carrying water for the Israelis, Saudis and Emeratis.
I think it is most telling that so many of the comments wonder what the truth is and rightly so. That's what Mr. Trumps 'reign' has done.
3
When Trump supporters ask why people make such big deal about his false statements and exaggerated truths a situation like this exemplifies the importance of having a leader we can trust to tell the truth. Party alliances do not matter. A significant international incident has occurred. We need to have accurate information about the incident in order for the population at large to support the United State's response. We do not have that. This is big.
Hey, c'mon; things were hot here at home so the Republicans needed to pump up an enemy to divert attention and look like hero's. Russia responded by moving into Venezuela just south of us. The price of a barrel of oil dropped 12 dollars in about the last month. So it was time for all the members of the price fixing cartel to increase the price. It's like war games. So a couple tankers were lost. Collateral damage compared to all the money to made on Billions of barrels of oil elsewhere.
I'm telling my nephews not to join the military. It's no longer a defense department. It's an oil company.
Gulf of Tonkin, Gulf of Oman, what's the difference anyway?
1
Is this the new Gulf of Tonkin incident, a non-event confabulated to justify military intervention?
@Craigoh Its an interesting read:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident
I believe Pompeo is lying at Trump's direction. Iran has absolutely ZERO to gain by attacking shipping traffic in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia and Israel, on the other hand, have EVERYTHING to gain by provoking trigger-happy Trump into an uncalled-for war. Nothing like killing several thousand more servicemen and women to stir American blood before an election sure to be tight if the Russians stick their noses out this time around, right?
Pompeo, Bolton, and Trump now have there reason for staying in office. No need for the 2020 elections. Trump will get another term as The War President. Good grief.
The Saudis probably did it but if it was Iran, who can blame them for lashing out? Trump put sanctions on them and so they might as well fight back. Drive up the price of oil for the rest of the world and wreck our economy the way trump wrecked theirs. I’m sure this is exactly what all trump voters had in mind when they voted for him.
Gulf of Tonkin. WMDs in Iraq. Now the Iranians are attacking oil tankers, but not claiming responsibility? How did Pompeo come to this conclusion so rapidly? This doesn't pass the smell test or the laugh test for that matter. A secretary of State should be absolutely certain before making such grave assertions.
Who stands to gain from damaging an oil tanker carrying Saudi oil? Paradoxically, the Saudis. It will drive up the price of Brent Crude and increase their current revenue, not to mention the fact that higher oil prices will bolster their pending IPO of Saudi Aramco.
The other winner? The U.S., because then Trump and Bolton get their agendas fulfilled by America starting a war with Iran. Bolton finally gets to bomb Iran and Trump will raze any nuclear development facilities with said bombs. Ooh, and then Trump gets to sell more weapons to his buddy MBS, which will kill even more Yemeni citizens.
I smell a rat, I hear propaganda, I see machinations, I feel the U.S. is blithely pursuing yet another war in the Middle East and it all leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Israel is likely about to pile on or was instigating this as well. Netenyahu was trying to sell a narrative on attacking Iran preemptively not so long ago, but didn't secure much backing. This blame game may help his case.
The Pompeo-led propaganda machine is putting out a bigger smokescreen than that of the burning tankers in the Gulf of Oman ever will.
As long as Trump is in the WH and John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are on the loose, nothing is as it seems. I would bet dollars to donuts this is a planned attack by shadowy actors set up by Pompeo and Bolton to stir up an incident. It seems like a ruse to get Trump to sign off on an attack. To trust these nefarious characters, trained in chicanery, is dangerous as they are all unethical and have zero morals.
How can the Trump administration, that publicly debunks its own intelligence services in other matters, be believed. This administration is built on doubts and lies. How can their claims now be trusted?
Remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
Three words: Gulf of Tonkin. And we know how THAT turned out.
Trump needs a war to distract from hire issues and stay in office.
Harrison
Who bombed the tankers?
Iran would not provoke a war to save face - nor would Iranian allies.
Look to any other party that wants a war with Iran.
Israel, Saudi Arabia, and ISIS are three good bets.
I hope it is not our cloak and dagger operations.
Not US tankers. Not US personnel. Not US cargo. Trump says US is not the world’s caretaker. Tell us then, Mr Pompeo, why this is US business?
1
This seems made-to-order for Bolton and Pompeo. The timing even seems perfect. I think that the tail is about to wag the dog again. This time, however, we are much more likely to come away from it with a bloody nose.
Please don't help the hype. They're counting on you, all Television stations and papers to serve their purpose. After all, look at the photo of Pompeo framed by two big Televisions with images of burning tankers. Remember Iraq? I do. Let's not repeat that mistake.
1
Is it the same US intelligence agencies that Trump refused to believe concerning Russian hack of American elections? This is highly suspicious. Trump, Bolton, and his war hawks both here and in Israel are looking for ways to start wars with Iran, period.
1
The Trump administration pulling out of the Obama deal has caused this potential needless war with Iran. Americas punishing economic sanctions are putting Iran's regime on a bloody path of war to try to maintain power. This is not the time for another failed middle east war.
2
Gulf of Tonkin, Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and and and...The Hawks want and need a war. DO NOT Buy it.
It is time to impeach Trump: we need a real leader of this country, not a make believe.
Of course it is Iran. Only they would take the risk of the operation. Speculation about "false flags" can't be taken seriously. While the Arab Gulf states (as well as Israel) would love for the U.S. to attack Iran, they can't take the risk of being found out, and the resulting closure of the Gulf would not do them any good either. It is often overlooked that Russia would benefit from the rise of oil, but also would not take the risks involved.
As for Iran, if the evidence ties them to the attacks, that is fine with them. They only gain at the bargaining table. It is a situation where Donald is not the only party who gains by escalation. Does he know how to handle it? Chances are, he has never thought about it. That is the real risk.
2
@Jim1648 Suggest you read Wayne Fuller's comment. It makes sense.
@Pete Kantor
I read his comment first. It is a typical "NYTimes Approved" comment . That is why I made my comment.
What with the self dealing and constant outright lying from this administration I know that I will have a hard time believing their take on this.
13
Ah....the Gleiwitz Incident all over again....such a familiar playbook. I'm no conspiracy theorist...but I see a Saudi hand in this....much as in 9/11. You know, that inconvenient fact the current transactional U.S. administration would prefer no one mention as it might trouble their business relationship with such a reliable consumer of American arms.
4
There are two possible sources--a faction within Iran or a client group that does not want Abe to succeed or the Saudis and clients who also do not want Abe to succeed.
A setback for the cause of peace regardless. The US has no interest in provoking a regional war and should be a bit more measured in its responses. Lot's of groups that have no interest in de-escalating tensions in area.
Domestic pressure is increasing on the President. All the evidence is that his response to pressure is to lash out. If he thought a war would deflect that pressure he would not hesitate for a second. This has the potential for a regional if not global crisis. Congress must insist on evidence.
4
@David Jepson: There is probably nobody in Congress who hasn't violated one or more of its own laws and regulations.
It seems to me that the most likely instigator of these attacks would be Saudi Arabia in an attempt to throw blame on their primary opponent in the region. Assigning blame in an act of sabotage such as this will be difficult, since any actor could be in the pay of another state.
7
@Cheep Cheddar: Nobody who would disappear Jamal Khashoggi would do a thing like that, would they?
People aren't all that bright in Jared's jet set.
Until we have more than Bolton's word on this precarious situation, I will reserve judgment.
It seems way too convenient for this administration that seems to be itching to involve the US in another needless war.
9
@SL
Should always proofread my comments before rushing to send.
The first line should have read Pompeo & Bolton's word...
For two officials who've been steadily beating the drum for a conflict with Iran and an administration that continues to disregard the advice of its intelligence community going so far as to start investigating it for an attempted "coup," one is left with great skepticism over their statements that Iran was behind the attacks on the two tankers. All the shouts of "fake news" have now come home to roost as there is absolutely no trust in the credibility of the Trump administration. Given the potential for a major regional war, it's a sad day when there is no trust in your government.
7
When 99% of what this administration claim is false, I doubt that this is true. The Iranians are far too smart and sophisticated to believe that they could get away with attacking tankers. It will turn out, once there is a legitimate investigation that the Iranian government did not do it nor was aware that some other group was planning an attack. There is nothing more effective than starting a war to get a sitting President re-elected.
11
How did they so quickly decide that it was Iran that did this? Where is the evidence?
Pompeo still hasn't given any evidence about his previous claims that Iran was the culprit in the May ship bombings.
8
It'll be a miracle if U.S. forces aren't invading Iran by the end of the year regardless of who actually bombed the tankers. I'm getting Gulf of Tonkin vibes here.
8
A potential war with Iran is slowly being manufactured by Trump for possible use in the 2020 election. Despicable that he is, Trump is smart in that hustler way most of us have little respect for.
His wall is another issue he desperately needs; it still has not been built but perhaps his new 'deal' with Mexico will help, perhaps it won't.
Meanwhile, every interaction with Iran will include various takes on war; the possibility, the practicality, real issues, fake issues. To him it's all the same. Bolton plays the crazy guy, Pompeo the thoughtful one, Trump in the middle.
Do not lose sight of a fact: Re election is the most important thing to Trump. Not for his illusions, like his inaugural crowd size or his popular vote actually being larger than Hilary's. Not because he has some great 'vision' for the country.
Not for his 'legacy'.
Trump is desperate to be re elected because, mistaken or not, he thinks that as president he is not vulnerable to any of the state and local charges currently piling up.
And he fears that when he walks out of the white house a private citizen in January 2021 those charges will bury him.
He knows that his life will be consumed with these issues.
He knows that he could end up in prison.
Finally I agree with him about something.
He deserves nothing more, nothing less.
4
Massive failure of Trump's foreign policy. That's what this is.
And if it's some kind of trick to bring us into war with Iran - it's criminal. Hopefully that's not the case.
Unfortunately, we have to deal with the fallout of Trump's foreign policy, which isn't working - unless you consider war a "success".
4
Pompeo reportedly believes he is part of God’s plan to bring on the Apocalypse, the end of days centered in Israel that will herald Jesus’ return.
Bolton has wanted to launch a deadly, costly war against Iran for years.
It’s pretty clear Trump will do anything - anything - to stay in office past 2020.
These are the men we should trust? I don’t think so.
9
For me, no one in their right mind would believe anything Pompeo or Bolton says.
How ironic for this administration to assert that Iran is behind this, based on American intelligence, while Trump speaking for all in his adminisration has spent the last three years attacking, dismissing, and contradicting those same agencies.
If not Iran, Pompeo says "no other forces in the area have sufficient training or capabilities for the operations other than those supported by Iran." Really? Not the UAE or the Saudis under MBS, or even Russian supported actors? No one? Give me a break!
5
A speculator trying to increase the price of oil? Seems unlikely; planting limpet mines requires the resources of a government, or a quasi-government. That means Iran or one of its operating arms: Houthis or Hezbollah. The Saudis, UAE, Qatar, etc. aren't going to do this to the shipping that carries their only exports.
Limpet mines are the sort of devices that are attached when a ship is stationary, like in a port loading cargo. Attaching them to a moving ship from a small boat is tricky, not the least because the ship’s radar would see you approaching, and the crew would likely look over the side to see what you were doing.
1
@Pelasgus
So, this is from the Wile E Coyote/ACME school of frame-up jobs?
1. Mini sub 2. Night
I do not believe for a nano-second that Iran is culpable of these attacks. By the same token, By the same token, I no longer believe the public provocations of my own government anymore at any time. It lies through its teeth with a prideful arrogance that should put its citizens to abject shame.
Iran has no credible motivation to stage military attacks against the assets of American allies. Several other nations, however, have every motivation to goad the United States into attacking Iran militarily.
Secretary Pompeo claims that the sophistication of the attacks is too refined for a rag-tag non-state actor. Saudi Arabia and Israel, however, possess the means and the motivation for such destabilization. We know this because both countries have said so repeatedly.
4
I would be interested in the type of limpet mine that the US aircraft spotted attached to the stricken ship. Usually these mines are small enough to be carried and placed on the hull by swimmers. Not typically so big that an aircraft could easily spot and identify them. Limper mines are attached to vessels by swimmers and must be attached when the ship is at anchor. Did theses ships just leave a port easily accessed by Iranian Naval Special Forces. So many questions about the US evidence. Secretary Pompeo is being too vague to be credible.
1
I’ve seen this movie before. It’s called “The Gulf of Tonkin”. The original came out in 1964.
9
Bolton has been ready and rearing to start a war with Iran from the day he assumed office. I do not trust any assessments from any of these officials and will wait to hear more from trusted international organizations.
4
If the unexploded Limpet mine has made in Iran all over it, and bearing in mind that Iran, uniquely in the world, has not displayed outrage by the sabotage, then a retaliatory strike is on the cards. The key is a deterrent, to ensure Iran realizes that if they directly or via proxy are found to be party to such acts, there's a severe penalty to pay.
Trump appears to be in an escalating political crisis. Notwithstanding his protestations about “fake” polls, his polling against potential Democrat challengers looks bad. His continued reliance on executive privilege and other stonewalling strategies suggests that he is feeling the political heat.
What better time than now to try a major political diversion and pull a Gulf of Tonkin out of his hat. Given his attacks on these same intelligence sources for the fake collusion and obstruction one might wonder why he now trusts these sources. Like the secret letter from Kim and the piece of paper with the secret agreement with Mexico, none of these things pass the smell test. Trump and Pompeo’s belligerence toward Iran and their attempt to make it cry uncle suggest that this convenient “attack” on the tankers is part of the US war against Teheran.
My only question is what happens next?
3
I'm not worried -- yet. If DJT wouldn't accept the intelligence community's assessment of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, he probably won't believe this intelligence assessment either.
1
Isn't it strange that the attacks happen when Abe is in Tehran? Isn't it strange that our intelligence immediately come to the conclusion that Iran is responsible for it but Pompeo shows no proof? Isn't it strange that the statements were made by Pompeo who has wanted regime change in Iran for decades? Isn't it strange, that our Government doesn't wait for input from our intelligence allies? With so much disinformation and lies coming from the WH, how can any sane person believe anything. Israel and Saudi Arabia must be pleased knowing the US will stay in the Middle East and fight their wars.
5
The secretary apparently forgets that both the Saudis and the UAR has the capacity and would love to see more conflict between the US and Iran. Additionally, neither vessel was carrying crude oil. Pompeo and Bolton will keep beating this drum. The Gang of Eight must demand this "intelligence" immediately.
1
@JGrisham And didn’t the US just sell the Saudis (or try to sell to, I forget if Congress stopped that deal...) a bunch of weaponry?
The rest of the world does not believe Pompeo, or anyone in the Trump administration, either.
If Pompeo and Bolton want to go to war, we will be going by ourselves. The Saudis, for all of their bluster, want no part in a shooting war. Israel understands that going to war against Iran would be a disaster.
And we would be driving Iran right into the hands of Russia and/or China.
I am sorry guys, but this is so “weapons of mass destruction” ala Powell, that it is just horribly depressing. I am moving to Spain or Mexico or the Caribbean. At least we know about the corruption.
2
Iran was responsible to attacks.... And oil price went up today. Secretary Pompeo probably stopped the oil price and stocks plummet in the past few days. We, Texans, thank him a lot.
1
The suspicion among the commenters seems to be that some unknown government is creating a "provocation." Historically, government is by far the most extreme violent organization to befall humanity. We have no evidence yet, only speculation, based on which government's interests would be most advanced by this violence.
As a CIA boss, Pompeo called the Wikileaks organization, a "hostile intelligence service." Don't you all now wish Julian Assange would publish documents revealing who is really behind this violence?
5
@Jen, artist Government is, nominally, the organization of the citizens of a country. It must always be defended against power. In our case, government has been almost completely coopted by power, i.e. the rich and their corporations. THAT is the meaning of economic fascism, aka corporatism, which the US is more corporatist than any other nation on Earth. THAT is what The People have to resist most. We need to regain the government, for ourselves, for it to do its job, which is to serve the people (and NOT the rich)
Just remember, it was Eisenhower who deposed a lawfully elected government and got us into this mess. We owe the Iranians an apology.
4
Does anyone believe Secretary of State Mike Pompeo? Has any credible witness actually seen these ships? Did we do this to ourselves as an attempt to justify our next horrific assault?
2
Considering the way we got into the Iraq war (weapons of mass destruction, etc that didn't exist), I don't see how this can be credible news. Trump wants to stir things up and have his own war - in my opinion. Now, if someone else could verify Iraq's part with some evidence, maybe I'd believe it.
9
Trump is not a credible decision-maker for this situation: he knows nothing about the needs or plan for this situation. He would just have to say, "uh,huh.
Can anything said by any member of the Trump administration be believed? It could happen that something said was true or correct, remember Mr. Trump himself has told over 10,000 lies and we don't even count the lies of his appointees. But I'd suggest checking with several (specifically non-Republican) other sources as verification.
5
Unfortunately, Pompeo is a known Trumpist, so there's no way that we can believe he's not lying about this. This is pretty serious, so we need to have people we can trust in the government, and not people who lie about things constantly.
14
This has the fingerprints of Saudi Arabia written all over it! They absolutely don’t want Iran to reach any kind of detante with the rest of the world’s big powers. It would mean that Iran is able to start selling its oil again into the world market and lower oil prices. Additionally, it would make Iran a more credible and stable player on the world stage undermining SA’s economic might and political hegemony in the region.
13
@PK
And Iran is actually (though it's a low bar) the more enlightened country.
We’ve seen this movie before folks, under Bush the Second.
When are we going to stop pretending we are living in a democracy? We now have a tyrannical dictator and a Republican Party that simply rubber stamps whatever he wants.
This is obviously a pretext to war so Trump can stop any impeachment process with the excuse that you can’t impeach or even question a so-called War president.
Speaking as a Californian, I no longer feel represented by the executive or the Congress. Yet I’m now expected to pay for yet another war that I oppose. It’s time to start talking about secession. Perhaps that will get the attention of the taker - read red - states that depend upon our tax dollars but want to hand our democracy over to a dictator.
8
“Taken as a whole, these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security,” he said.
Please!
Does anyone actually believe Mr. No Evidence Pompeo?
11
Iran is trying to save the Nuclear deal. There is no way Iran would benefit from attacking these ships. Photos can be doctored and recordings can be falsified. A setup in my humble opinion.
9
So are we sure our own country didn't do this in order to provide self-fulfilling evidence for a war against Iran?
It sickens me that I cannot trust my own government enough to know the answer to this question.
8
And after the avalanche of lies we’ve had from this administration, why would anyone believe them about anything? DJT is like the boy who cried wolf. Nobody takes him seriously after so many alternative facts.
7
They want us to go to war. How many times is it going to take before people understand that governments use war as a diversionary tactic for their own failings?
5
'Mr. Pompeo did not present any evidence to back up the assessment of Iran’s involvement. '
Given that, I'd say that Mr. Pompeo is lying.
8
I do not believe Pompeo. This Trump Administration would definitely lie. How will we find out the truth? Our country should not act on this assessment. No evidence presented.
5
For a completely different take on things, I just checked out the Breitbart comments to see what the average Trumpster felt about this issue.
First of all, its way down the page with the story of SHS taking top and center.
Secondly, the average poster feels it doesn't make any sense and they feel that the "invasion at the southern border" is more important and that Trump is doing nothing about that.
When you don't even have the Breitbart crowd on-board for war with Iran, I don't know what to tell you.
3
Finally (and not surprisingly), Mr Trump has found a reason to start a war against Iran. Now Mr Trump can add a war in his political / personal vita and close that missing gap in his CV. His government will follow and execute accordingly. It will be interesting to see how other nations will react to that stupidity but I just hope they will stay neutral to avoid further political damage on a global basis. When he came to power the threat was far away from my point of view. However, we have reached a stage where not only Americans should be worried about his actions. Political freedom has a high price and I just hope his time ends as soon as possible to avoid further collateral damage.
4
If only the USA had a negotiated deal with Iran to stop this kind of tension from flaring up.
If only...
7
False. Trump is trying to start a war to deflect from the obstruction charges coming down, followed by impeachment. Remember when he suggested Obama would do it. It is within his playbook.
3
@S Lang
And Maddow convinced you that collusion happened too.
Although Iran has not attacked another country first in over 500 years, all of a sudden they woke up this morning while the Japanese PM was on a peace mission and they said, "Oh let's launch an attack on some Japanese tankers in the Gulf of Oman because we're frustrated." Sorry, this is hard to believe and I wouldn't trust Pompeo or Bolton on anything they claimed about Iran. They've got an itchy trigger finger. I'm old enough to remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The supposed grave threat from the tiny island of Grenada. The must have invasion in Panama to capture Noriega. I also remember Cheney, Bush, and WMDs. I'm not ready to play Charlie Brown to Bolton and Pompeo's claim that, "this time its for real." Hopefully the regime change we'll see first is here in the US whereby we can put stable and sane people in charge of our foreign policy once again and have a President who actually knows what he's doing. Then we can go back and deal with issues like Iran. Meanwhile, I think skepticism is much called for these days.
468
@Wayne Fuller
And I remember Iran blowing up the Marine barracks and US embassy in Beirut. Those were done by Iranian proxies (Hezbollah), but the orders came from Tehran.
That's an attack, on the US.
9
@Jonathan Katz I remember the US shooting down an Iranian civil airliner. I believe that
Iran has no interest in initiating a war with the US, but it seems that John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have had an interest in regime change in Iran for a very long time.
32
I must have missed when Lebanon became the 51st state. It was an attack on foreign military forces that were a co-belligerent in the Lebanese civil war, a clear case of self defence by the Lebanese forces carrying out the attacks.
16
"Mr. Pompeo said the American government’s assessment of Iranian responsibility for the attacks was based on an analysis of intelligence, weapons and patterns of previous actions."
That's right, patterns of previous action have informed us that Republican Administrations will start a war under false pretenses to pursue their own financial agenda.
14
Who would benefit from such a thing? Not Iran, other than increasing the price of oil. But that is hardly worth the risk. If the U.S. under the neocons decides to go to war with Iran, which is a far bigger and more difficult adversary than Iraq was, then Russia would benefit. It would seriously weaken the U.S. and there would be no "coalition of the willing". In fact, it would divide us from our allies even more than Trump has already done.
Who is sophisticated enough to do this kind of work? Russia. Who would benefit from higher oil prices? Russia. We are being played by a grandmaster while our president doesn't even understand checkers.
7
Let's see; Iran publicly states that there will be no war with the United States, as it is in neither's interest. John Bolton, on the other hand, stated to a group of expatriate dissidents that the U.S. would be in Tehran in 2019 presiding over regime change. One cannot tell where the decisive factors in a war starting with Iran enter in a factual way. That is to say, what factors will cause such a thing to happen, and who will decide to attribute those factors to bellicose action in just that way. If we return to a belief in the U.N., which seems unlikely, given the involvement of the U.S. in crusader-type wars in recent years, then we have to pay attention to the U.S.' blatant disregard for U.N. resolutions when such resolutions counteract U.S. interests. Whether this incident which Pompeo attributes to the IRI is a false-flag operation designed to start a war is probably as difficult to determine as the supposed role of Iran in it. There are other countries in the region, too, who possess weapons made by the U.S. and who have the capability to promulgate such an attack. After all, they have money (oil) to burn, and if a war of conquest is what is desired, then they think that they have the "mandate", meaning the might,to bring it about. I personally think the U.S. representatives are lying. Let us hope that another war of conquest is not begun.
2
I'm not the one who easily buys into conspiracies, but this one is difficult to read. What is clear is that Tump has played all his cards, and can Iran endure 1-2 more years of the current economic misery, they will have the upper hand. US under Trump will never be dragged into a major conflict in the mid-east, and Iran (and the world) knows this. Expect more of these incidents in the coming months.
1
It would not make any sense for Iran to attack Japanese tankers when the Japanese PM is in Iran for diplomatic talks. This context and timing just makes the whole idea implausible. Iran is also acutely aware of how badly the current US administration wants to start a war, so their entire stance right now could be summarized as "walking on eggshells".
The question we need to ask is: who benefits from disrupting Japan-Iran relations, and/or increasing tension in the region? Leaving out the Trump administration itself, the most likely actor would seem to be UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed who has the motive, the means and the opportunity (this occurred off the coast of UAE) and very little risk of getting in trouble with either the Saudis or the US.
5
"Mr. Pompeo did not present any evidence of Iran’s involvement..." in the tanker attacks, likely because they were not involved. Rescue vessels were conveniently close to the attacked tankers, and not much damage was done. It's a U.S., or Saudi, set-up to start a war on Iran.
Only the U.S., driven by Trump and John Bolton's obsessive hatred of Iran, and the Saudis, who Trump just sold weapons and top secret information to, violating a vote of Congress, have demonstrated such hostility toward Iran. The Saudis want power, the U.S. wants oil. Together, they want a war, based on no grounds whatsoever.
The rest of the world is content to have normal relations with Iran. Iran wants to normalize. They are not guilty of ongoing human rights violations like the Saudis, nor the duplicity and unreliability of the Trump administration. Iran has stayed the course of the nuclear accord, and all other of its signatories trust them. Only the U.S. walked away.
The U.S. rationale for attack is as invisible as Pres. Bush's invisible weapons of mass destruction. This is what comes from a U.S. administration based on lies, not law.
No one wants escalation of hostility in the Middle East, especially not with the trigger-happy Trump at the wheel.
3
I'm sure there are many military satellites positioned over the Straits of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. They have great resolution. Let's see the images.
5
Pompeo and Bolton are not good sources for intel. They want to go war with Iran. Raytheon, of course, sees a war with Iran as a cash cow, with them profiting much the same way many, many contractors plundered the government for money in Iraq.
This is war-as-business, which translates into our young people dying so Raytheon (and other corporations) can make gobs of money, some of which will inevitably find its way into the pockets of the colluding politicians.
I hope Trump maintains his position of not wanting to get the US involved in foreign wars, which was a big part of the platform he ran for president on. I hope his base of voters reminds him of that.
1
– Pompeo "did not present any evidence to back up the assessment of Iran's involvement".
– Remember: we are the good guys, we always tell the truth, no evidence needed.
– How about Iran's reasons to attack these tankers?
– They are the bad guys: no other reason needed.
– How about our reasons to accuse Iran?
Plenty of reasons, indeed: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Trump's problems piling up, the upcoming presidential election...
There is nothing a good war will not help.
5
This shows yet another problem with having a situation in which the only thing you can be sure of is that nothing you hear from the Executive Branch is the truth. The House leadership is willing to call them on their lies, but the Senate is knowing or unknowingly complicit through their absolute refusal to take any meaningful action. It remains to be seen what the military leadership would do if they were ordered to escalate by attacking Iran. But we've seen this play before and I don't think it will come to that. This is a variation of Your President's favorite script, (1) create an emergency, (2) let the world know that only You can solve the problem, (3) issue threats and ultimatums, (4) do nothing, (5) heap praise upon Yourself for solving the problem. Twitter, rinse, repeat. However, bad things could happen this time because he's playing in the big leagues where there are many other players almost as crazy as he.
3
Why does "Gulf of Tonkin" spring to mind? This president really needs a boost in the polls, and in John Bolton he has someone who has wanted to fight Iran for years. I'm just not buying.
2
These tankers weren't our ships. They weren't brining oil to the US. So tell me, why are we taking the lead on blaming Iran and potentially starting a war over these actions? Shouldn't the countries most affected take the lead?
3
Iran is hosting Abe this week. Japan owns one of the ships attacked in the Gulf; the other was carrying cargo to Japan. IRAN DID NOT ATTACK THIOSE TWO SHIPS.
7
This was not the work of Iran. There is no upside for them.
This was the work of people loyal to Trump.
War with Iran would be much worse than the debacle in Iraq.
4
The Trump Justice Department's indictment and extradition request on Julian Assange is a front assault on press freedom, yet US press has just begun to realize the implications and Dems are silent (muzzled by the Russian interference issue and fact that Assange disclosed DNC wrongdoing).
There is more protest and media coverage of the extradition issue in Hong Kong.
Climate catastrophe is becoming even more visible and urgent.
We need a national strike - like Mario Savio said, we must "put our bodies on the gears"
@Bill Wolfe
These are all good points, but I don’t see any connection with the subject of this article.
Fortunately, the staunch members of Congress will vigorously oppose and prevent any ill-advised military action against Iran. (End sarcasm font.)
Who in this administration would believe the assessment of American intelligence agencies? Those who put forth this conclusion should be investigated by the Department of Justice.
Ya gotta hand it to Pompeo. He may not be honest. He may not be very good at running an organization that depends, or used to, on professional diplomacy. But he's consistent when it comes to vilifying Iran.
1
Can we believe Pompeo?
No one in this Administration has any problem lying publicly, in full view, even when the truth would serve them better.
And we are know just how badly Pompeo wants this war. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Pompeo himself is behind this attack.
Our country is in grave danger.
2
Forgive me if I don't believe that all those asking for evidence would be satiated by clear evidence that Iran did this. When it comes to Russian collusion it is clear that after years of investigation and evidence it was a nothing burger. Yet all those claiming they needed proof we not satiated after the proof of no collusion came out. Just a goal post shift. I have no faith that even when provided evidence that it was clearly Iran many (if not most) of these folks would still claim that it was not Iran behind these attacks.
Remember the Maine!
If a trump appointee is talking, he's probably lying. Pompeo and Bolton want war. What better way to do it than to claim self defense from the stick Iran is pointing at them.
The sad thing is even if they are right, no one trusts them or us anymore. There will be no coalition if trump invades Iran.
1
You'll likely notice that the administration only believes the intelligence sources when it's convenient.
2
It horrifies me to say this, but I believe absolutely nothing that comes from our Federal government any longer. This screams John "I haven't seen a war I don't LOVE" Bolton, with backing vocals from Stephen Miller. At this point I'm much more inclined to believe the Iranians.
2
Pompeo is not an honest broker nor an honest person. Hard evidence from disinterested third party, please.
3
With international satellite data as well.
1
Trump has been willing to disregard and dispute the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies in the past, so why should he believe them now? I have zero confidence or trust for the Trump Regime.
4
The article quotes someone who says that Iran must carefully calibrate its response. Funny how our government doesn’t need to live up to that standard.
4
There's no reason to trust this administration or any administration for the past 100 years on matters like this.
This administration under hyper hawks Bolton and Pompeo have sought to rewrite the narrative on Iran since they withdrew from the nuclear agreement- which was working. Absurdly irresponsible and suspicious to blame a foreign power without evidence. Perhaps Barr could write up a little summary for us to swallow. It seems their guiding principle is cynicism. No Blood For Oil.
4
Neither were US flag vessels, so the US needn't do anything about it. Seems to be a war between Iran and somebody else.
3
The price of oil was at $40 a couple weeks ago, this happens, Trump blames Iran, and now it's $80. And we're supposed to believe that secret Suadi arms deal Senior Adviser and Son-in-Law Jared Kushner negotiated didn't include land-launched satelite-controlled stealth torpedeos manufactured in the US.
1
Since when does Trump believe our own nation’s intelligence agencies?
6
There is no reason whatsoever to believe anything that Pompeo (or Bolton, or Trump, certainly) say about this event. It is good that the Times immediately follows is paraphrase of Pompeo by noting that he did not present any evidence whatsoever - that is the least a news outlet should do, and is more than many are doing. Any "evidence" that our government subsequently produces must be discounted heavily, as this administration has well-established ulterior motives and a propensity to lie whenever it is useful, and even when it is not. I will be writing my Congresspeople today to urge them to throw whatever roadblocks are available in the way of war with Iran - though after decades of knavish ceding of power to the executive, there may well be little that the Congress can do to stop it from beginning yet another idiotic war, even more destructive than the last.
1
Looks like Trump may get a war. He needs one to drive his polls higher now and also to get reelected in 2020. The Washington establishment wants a war with Iran too. They have had it in for Iran ever since the Iranian Revolution and the US Embassy hostage crisis.
Iran is too big and too well armed fo Trump to reprise our Iraq invasion. Too many body bags make for bad TV ratings. So this may be once again just raining death and destruction from on high.
Conflict will close the Straights of Hormuz and do wonders for the price of US crude on the international market.
It's all good.
2
This is very confusing. The President of the United States doesn't believe U.S. intelligence sources, except in this case Pompeo received the reports, so they must be true, and we are supposed to believe unreliable sources and engage in a war with Iran.
Nah.....I don't think so. Why would Iran force a war right now? I think Pompeo is sourcing his intelligence from Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Russia.
2
It angers me that the Trump administration can point to 'intelligence' in this instance without any irony that they have been ignoring US intelligence on every other matter.
4
This administration's intelligence is anything but.
Since people in the White House from Trump on down seem to find reading lots of words arduous and unnecessary, at least the fable of the boy who cried wolf ought to be sufficiently short and succinct.
To summarize, ""Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"
Although, we can be pretty certain this latest blame Iran ploy from two foreign policy Luddites is not the truth at all.
1
Wouldn't unsubstantiated assertions cause unnecessary complications for Japan, while Trump's friend Abe is visiting Iran on a supposed peace mission?
2
This appears more like harassment. Less like warfare in the conventional sense. I'd say someone other than Iran is up to no good; but will refuse to name whom I suspect of such actions. Iran has little to gain from such in my opinion. Could this be about sliding oil prices? Another false flag type action. If I were a trouble maker; I'd disable a tanker and send a swimmer on board when they evacuate and wait for the enemy to come up close and then detonate the cargo. Now that would be an action of warfare from Iran. Of course the US Navy would be moored right beside the disabled ship... so take precautions guys.
I can imagine how different the world might be if Adlai Stevenson accused the Russians of planting missiles on Cuba without offering the photographic evidence as he did. This is just plain irresponsible!
4
our govt has zero credibility. I heard from a very reliable source that it was our own govt responsible for this attack.
This reeks of a false-flag attack by the Saudis or one of their allies, quite possibly with the knowledge and consent of Pompeo and/or Bolton. Iran has no good reason to invite a US military response at this point, particularly against a Japanese vessel when Japan's PM is on a peace mission. Raise your hand if you believe anything Pompeo or Bolton have to say about pretty much anything related to Middle East affairs . . .
4
Remember the Maine? We were told Spain blew up an American ship in Cuba. We declared war on Spain. Turned out Spain didn't do it.
3
I wouldn't believe a word Pompeo says. The administration is so corrupt and crooked that I wouldn't put it past them setting up a Gulf of Tonkin incident. Trump is in trouble on many fronts. He needs a major distraction. He (and his family) friends/business partners in the Gulf region. He's trying to award bomb-building business to Saudi Arabia (who just helped Kushner out of his financial jam with the 666 building). Who's going to make money out of a war other than bomb-builders (only one example, but remember Dick Cheney and Halliburton)?
5
When it comes to a possible war it would be essential to be able to trust the Administration to be truthful. This Administration has not earned the trust needed to accept at face value any findings.
We have a President who has lied to us thousands of times. As an example the reporting on whether or not Iran was holding to the nuclear agreement they entered in with the previous administration we received entirely different information from our allies as we did the Trump Administration. The previous secretary of state, national security adviser and secretary of defense gave us different information than their successors.
I trusted the first men in those positions, not the current group.
7
This is a very predictable result of Trump's cowboy diplomacy. If Iran's rulers, at great political cost, entered into an agreement to refrain from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief, and Trump unilaterally reinstates said sanctions while threatening war if Iran doesn't adhere to its end of the bargain, why exactly would Iran comply? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The US isn't the only country in the world with power. If Iran can at least temporarily spread some of the pain it is feeling as a result of this broken agreement onto others, why wouldn't it? What Trump has done is unfair and Iran is right to push back.
13
@Chris: They gave over their stockpile of uranium. Would you not feel scammed in their shoes?
Why would Iran attack Japanese ships while the Japanese PM was visitng? This is obviously a rogue CIA operation designed to create the pretext for a war, and to distract from the criminal President's crimes and admissions of guilt on national TV. Gulf of Tonkin much?
54
More facts and evidence hidden in Trump’s inside pocket; just like the sham Mexico deal. When is someone going to get a spine (Republican’s, are you listening?) and impeach this disgrace of a White House.
20
Just for the morbid curiosity of what kind of hornet's nest it would stir up, I would really really love to see what would happen if Netanyahu stood up and said "Oh yeah... That was us behind the attack."
Trump's and his cabinet's heads would all simultaneously explode along with at least 1/2 of Congress.
13
Okay…let's see. Japanese tankers attacked by Iran at the same time Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is meeting with the Ayatollah Khamenei?
And who exactly benefits from this?
Let's see:
1: Saudi Arabia - higher oil prices
2: US - who gets to blame Iran for yet more flagrant misbehavior
3: the Military Industrial Complex: See! Iran is the new buggaboo. Need more money, weapons, troops - and don't forget, we need to defend Poland from those pesky Russians.
If anyone believes Pompeo and his lunatics in the White House (John Bolton) and the Pentagon, then there's some swamp land in Florida with your name on it.
31
@Gerald Wadsworth 100% spot on.
1
Looking for an excuse?
How many more deaths, dismemberments and disfigurations can we inflict? What gives us the right to kill? Which god in whatever heaven?
Ego? Money? Fear? Ignorance?
The roots of arrogance spread wide in shallow soil.
22
I'd like to see some satellite photos of the mobile jetski launchers. Is Colin Powell available? Judith Miller? The Turnip is going to need some credible "expert" if this war is going to get off to a good start.
12
The intelligence might point to Iran but our common sense points to the Trump Administration and their co-conspirators in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
30
I disagree that our intelligence points to Iran. And I mean that in both meanings of the word “intelligence”.
2
Perhaps they can ask Colin Powell to confirm this.
13
I can easily imagine John Bolton sequestered in a locked dark room finishing himself off at the prospects of war with Iran. Such a sick man.
When Pompeo refers to intelligence sources does he mean Fox News?
17