The demoralizing pro-Iranian tone of the the comments below is chilling.
7
I can't pretend to know the dynamics of the decision making here, but I hope this was not indecisiveness, indecisiveness that might lead others to conclude that Trump is a bully who, when challenged and placed in a dangerous situation, reveals a cowardly streak.
99
@Erasmus
If this was a cowardly streak, so be it. It prevents the US from spiraling into another never-ending war. There are no winners. Only losses for both sides.
25
@Erasmus it takes a Washington outsider to come up with a brilliant strategy as this. By being ready to pull the trigger but holding off, he has caught Iran and domestic political opponents off guard. Iran would have to think hard before their next hostile action. Trump critics suddenly got the peace they have been screaming for but cannot support it-only doubt it. Good move President Trump.
3
@Erasmus
'... indecisiveness that might lead others to conclude that Trump is a bully who, when challenged and placed in a dangerous situation, reveals a cowardly streak.'
Yep.
16
in case of any additional provocations by iran the US must respond. In the long run there is no out but regime change in Iran.
7
Regime changes are best brought about by the people and not an external aggressor doing third parties bidding.
149
Provocations by Iran? We are provoking them! And who gave us the right to regime change in that country?
47
@lieberma the provocations are entirely committed by one party. Trump. the treaty never should have been broken.
55
We, the American public, and probably even the decision makers in our government can not possibly know what is going on in the Middle East, any better than we did in the 1970s, when the coming revolution in Iran was a complete surprise to US intelligence services. However, for a president that seems without peer in managing the optics of situations that reflect on his leadership, this saber rattling by the American military, followed by Iran calling his bluff, followed by a complete reversal without explanation, does not look good. It's almost as if a higher party than the American president reached Donald Trump and told him to stand down. Who or what might that higher power be?
42
This is not a football game who wins “hoorah” so forget how things “look.” This White House and Bolton for that matter should never have begun these escalations. This is a serious situation where if military action is taken risks more US lives. Iran will not stand down after a few missiles! Iran is been complying with the accord whether one likes it or not! Trump at the bequest of Saudi Arabia for one and our other Middle East “ally” for another we’re not happy with the arrangement so here we are! This is fully on Trump and I hope he keeps to his decision not to start the war that Bolton is baiting!
8
@Michael Cooke. That “higher power” has to be God’s representative on earth. Franklin Graham? His female spiritual adviser who offered the emotional prayer at Trump’s last rally that Donald prevail since he is anointed by God?
5
The United States sponsored a coup in Iran in 1953 which replaced a democratically elected, albeit communist leaning, leader and replaced him with Shah Reza Pahlavi, who’s secret police murdered as many as 60,000 Iranians. With respect to Iran, we are reaping what we have sown. This won’t end well for anybody.
14
If Trump hadn't pulled us out of the Iran pact none of this would be happening. This entire situation is 100% on Trump. His hate for Obama will turn out to be his Waterloo.
372
@scott k.
True. But what is happening exactly? The Soviets shot a manned U2 in 1960 and nothing happened. Over the years both China and North Korea have held Americans hostage for transgressing borders and nothing happened. The Americans shot down an airliner in the same skies a couple of decades ago and what were the consequences? Not much. Even if an American response had occurred last night, it was probably calculated to be a retaliatory strike in equivalence to a drone take down. And called off because the US figured that the Iranians, just seeing American assets in the air on their radar, was message enough. I don’t think the world is ending here.
5
@scott k. I agree. next good step is find a way to ease or do away with the sanctions. he thought he could be all stick and no carrot..... not gonna work. current conservative foreign policy first assumes that other countries will roll over for the US. they don't seem to realize everybody knows we lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.
9
Hate plus ignorance is a dangerous combination. He has both.
21
“This is a dangerous situation,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We are dealing with a country that is a bad actor in the region. We have no illusions about Iran in terms of their ballistic missile transfers, about who they support in the region and the rest.”
and yet so many on this board think that the US and just stand by and feed the dragon and all will be fine or that we can blindly sign a treaty and peace will reign.
Which NYT readers recall Soviet-German non-aggression pact of August 23, 1939 or before that, PM Chamberlain's return from Munich by plane and his waving papers and declaring "peace in our time" after throwing Czechoslovakia under the bus in 1938.
The JCPOA was merely Kerry and Obama kicking the can down the road - in return for paying Iran large sums of money and lifting sanctions so that it could fund its war machine. Treaties and diplomacy often fuel aggression and that is what the JCPOA did. Iran's # 1 export is not oil, it is money for war and weapons and training of violent extremists throughout the region.
War is not coming to the Middle East, it has been waging for decades and particularly since 2012 when Obama ceded Syria to Assad, Iran, Hizbollah and Russia. Trump has inherited Obama's mess which did nothing but feed ISIL and Iran and other forces for evil for years. Yes remember Obama's grand plan to ignore ISIL and Iran - that is why we are now in the mess we are in. Feeding a dragon is never a good idea.
7
@American,
Rather long on hyperbole there.
Iran is not building a "war machine." That distinction belongs to the United States.
The US did not "pay vast sums of money" to Iran. Under the terms of the deal the US released Iranian assets that it had frozen under the previous sanctions.
Iran was honoring the deal, as every other country party to it has verified.
Iran is no threat to other countries in the Middle East. Its pose is defensive. And it's certainly no threat to the US 7000 miles away.
24
Yes, it’s easy for arm-chair generals to make bold assertions without citations.
7
The US os the aggressor pure and simple. Take the US military and its weapons and its money out of the Middle East and you May still have war but not nearly on the scale that is existing today (see Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine).
12
Called off because there were no allies who were going to come to our side. No way the UK, France or Germany is involving themselves in this mess created by Deranged Donnie and Buffoon Bolton. Trump trashed the Iran Nuclear Treaty and the rest of our allies continued to support it and the Iranians continued to abide by the rules.
This entire mess is on Trump's hands and he only did it because he's obsessed with President Obama and is a bootlick for the Saudis who want us to fight a war with Iran on their behalf - same scenario with Netanyahu. He wants us to fight the Iranians for his benefit -- who says the Arabs and Jews can't get along when the Saudis and Israel want the same thing.
10
1. Industrial-Military complex is alive and well in U.S.
2. Rise of anti-Semitism in Europe is a cause of concern for Israel. So they might be wanting divert some of that.
3. Israel's fear of Iran the only formidable adversary for them in ME is legit as stupid Iran's leaders can't keep their mouth shut.
4. Iran genuinely entered into a Nuclear deal that postponed their acquisition of N weapons which is the only course available. However, a nation wanting to go nuclear will eventually get there. Israel and SA don't want that to happen.
5. Finally, it may all come down to SA - dealing with losses in Yemen from its adversary Iran, loss of face & backlash in journalist' killing, having a pliable admin in the U.S. with the likes of Bolton etc. to advance its agenda.
6. For all the bad press he gets, POTUS actually seems to show some wisdom and restraint. If he avoids war, one can say his talk of make America great again is genuine and not just a rhetoric.
7. U.N is as usual toothless.
2
"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it brought the drone down as it was "violating Iranian air space" over the waters of Hormozgan province.
Zarif provided coordinates to back the claim.
"At 00:14 US drone took off from UAE in stealth mode & violated Iranian airspace," Zarif tweeted. "It was targeted at 04:05 at the coordinates (25°59'43"N 57°02'25"E) near Kouh-e Mobarak."
"We've retrieved sections of the US military drone in OUR territorial waters where it was shot down."
But the Pentagon published a map showing the flight path of the drone, which indicated it traveled outside of Iranian waters and included a photograph showing it was at the coordinates (25°57'42"N 56°50'22"E) when it was downed.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/iran-says-downed-us-drone-recovered-in-its-territorial-waters-11647330
Nothing more than another bright shining lie, the kind of lies that lead to war and the downfall of empires. Men will die, if this is not stopped by the grown ups in congress, men will surely die. The men who die will not have bone spurs in their feet, their bodies free of bone spurs will be shipped home in a box draped with American flag. They will die because of a lie.
51
A war with Iran benefits Saudi Arabia and they own Trump. And 15 of the 19 attackers on 9-11 were from Saudi Arabia...begs the question why are American families going to being used for war fodder for Trump’s sick personal agenda ? Trump and the republicans are insane and the world is very aware of their duplicitous war provocations with Iran. From day one, Trump and the republican neocons decided Iran was their war target. The Republican Iraq war killed thousands and maimed thousands more and Iraq is still a basket case. Plus, it created Issis and put America in trillions of dollars in debt. There is no upside to war with Iran, no matter what our pathological liar occupant in the Oval Office says.
7
It was a vindictive hateful racist impulse to demean our former president in any way possible that created this mess.
Now Trump has created a situation in which this government can no longer be trusted to be up front or honest with its people or allies. Providing we have any true allies left at this point.
How many people will have to needlessly die before the great orange impulse and his foolish war hawks are removed from the picture?
This is an event that happened because of Trump and the man now has not a clue how to deal with it. No ability to reason combined with no diplomatic skills and relies solely on threats to achieve an unknown end game is exactly why he never should have been allowed the position of president and proof that he needs to go as quickly as possible.
6
I think his bone spurs must have started acting up again.
3
Congress has Raped our Constitution and they are as incompetent and unfit as Trump. There is no rationale or authority for any of these actions. Trump did not have the authority to remove the US from the Iran Agreement and Congress should not have allowed and sanctioned this. Constitutional authority for this Agreement is "by and with the advice of Congress." The same would apply to remove they are not made to walk out of. The election of new presidents does not undo the work or obligations of previous administrations. Congress has not made it clear to Trump. Utter insanity -- the only reason -- Trump hasn't revoked everything going back to George Washington didn't think of it yet. He's too obsessed with Obama. Congress needs to immobilize Trump, re-enter the Agreement and renegotiate from there, without Trump, who has proven he is incapable. Trump has caused and provoked all of these actions and continues to do. Iran will knowing react to protect itself. Trump is Tyrant threatening the world and there should be no reason our allies should assist the US in Trump's self-made crisis. He is a threat to the world. A pathological liar will not be believed by anyone especially when he has Congressional members, an Attorney General, Secretary of State and an Administration who aid and abet his lies daily. He is dangerously unfit and incompetent, putting all our lives at risk. Our Constitution prohibits chasing wars, provoking wars and this is what is happening.
2
No matter how Trump spins it the bottom line is that when attacked by Iran, he ran.
1
If there is one thing this world does NOT need, it is some nitwit at the top of the largest military machine known to mankind.
No strikes on Iran for any reason whatsoever.
Iran is not an existential threat to the US.
7
When Trump bombed the airfield in Syria, it was a hugely expensive, yet symbolic gesture. It allowed him to look tough but accomplished absolutely nothing. This is a different ballgame. When you make statements like fire and fury and destruction like the world has never seen, and it will be the end of a country, it may sound good and seem very tough on CNN and Fox. But when you actually have to do something....lots of people are going to be killed. ANYTHING, and I mean anything, that happens from here on out is on Trump. You can try and blame it on Obama or Hillary or the Democrats, but it is your finger on the trigger. You break it. You own it. One thing Trump has shown throughout his life is an unwillingness to pay the price for anything. Well it's lonely at the top time. And if you are not up to the task.... A task you created..... And make no mistake....pulling out of the treaty was intended to bring us to this point....If you can't handle the consequences of your decisions or plan for the inevitable consequences of your policy decisions....then it is time for a new president. There's no one at times like this to take the fall. You just blinked. Can't just take a mulligan. No one will believe it's just some 400 pound guy on his bed in New Jersey. No lying your way out of this one, Don. Time to put the big boy pants on.
9
Other than his Red State cult, is there anyone who believes the President?
30
What would Fox News be saying if, it was Obama that pulled back / stranded down? Somehow, there would be enough tranquilizers, in the pharmaceutical industry, to calm them. Tick, tock, tick tock - waiting for the outcry, the hysteria and calamity.
17
A good thing Obama never did something like this!
11
Where is Jared Kushner? Isn’t he supposed to be solving the Middle East’s problems? Haha
21
$130 million. For a drone with a go pro cam. The DOD scam persists.
20
President Trump is totally incompetent. He literally had no idea when to use the carrot of when to use the stick. This is from the "Art of the Deal" guy.
First, he pulls the U.S. out of the JCPOA for no apparent reason. It's probably the best of a bunch of not great options to prevent Oran from gaining nuclear weapons. Next, he makes a bunch of feckless threats that Iran knows he will never follow through on. Iran begins acceleration of enrichment beyond JCPOA limits, then Trump wants Iran to follow the guidelines of the deal he pulled us out of! Now Iran takes aggressive action and he makes excuses for them!
15
Don't keep poking the bear, Iran.
2
I wonder if Putin called and told him to back off.
26
At what time did Putin call in?
15
Oh, Trump, you media-manipulator, you! Play with our collective psyches for your own gain(s). If there's "collateral damage," at least talk of impeachment takes the back stage, so it's all good.
5
Wag the dog.
7
Saudi Arabia says jump and Donnie asks "how high?"
11
Someone asked how many US wars in last 100 yr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States#20th-century_wars
Wikipedia gives a rough idea of US wars in the 20th century but no information on the cause of the wars is included.
Western Hemisphere: Mexican border war 1910-19; Occupations of Nicaragua 1912-33; Haiti 1915-34; Dominican Republic 1916-24; Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba 1961; Guatemala: CIA coup d'état of democratically elected president Jacobo Árbenz ; Nixon approval of coup removing socialist president, Salvador Allende in 1973 followed bu more than 15 years of military dictatorship followed under Augusto Pinochet.
Asia from 1950: Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Afghanistan 1978, 2001-present
Middle East : The 1953 Iranian coup d'état was the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favour of strengthening the monarchical rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi on 19 August 1953, orchestrated by the United Kingdom and the United States, and the first United States covert action to overthrow a foreign government during peacetime.
Also Lebanon crisis 1958, Lebanese war 1982-84; Tanker War Persian Gulf 1987-88; Gulf War I 1990-1991 (Iraq), US Invasion of Iraq 2003-2011
Africa:; Simba rebellion 1964 (Congo crisis); South Zaire War 1978; Gulf of Sidra encounter 1981 and 1986 (Libya Somali Civil War Intervention 1992-1995; Sudan 1998
Europe WWII 1941-45, Bosnia 1992-95, Kosovo 1998-99
8
For the love of God and Country impeach Trump!
17
Nice going Trump... your “Obama Moment” will be remembered by America’s enemies ...
Now maybe Iran will no longer threaten the US ... maybe no longer threaten Israel ...or the the Gulf countries ... or maybe will not interfere with oil shipments ... or maybe stop testing it’s Ballistic Missiles ...or maybe not enrich uranium ... or give up its pursuit of Nuclear Weapons ... maybe ???...
.... maybe N. Korea will give up its Nuclear Weapons ...
The new Trump doctrine; Speak LOUDLY.. but cary a small stick ...
5
So now trump needs science and the generals to continue his bluff. He's supposed to know more than the generals and our intelligence agencies combined.
It's interesting that Iran is claiming to find drone wreckage in their waters. Has the US recovered anything from thedreone in international waters?
We do not have the leadership we need to keep us safe. trump has yet to explain why Iran is a threat needing to be attacked.
The jerk is going to get people killed for nothing more than his vanity and his tv ratings.
So sad when it's difficult to believe that our president is telling us the truth.
11
When your main interest is increasing the price of oil, maybe a war in the Middle East is a good bet for a gambling man who always plays with someone else's money.
10
According to Reuters (quoting Iranian officials), Mr. Trump warned Iran via the Sultanate of Oman that an attack was imminent, and called for talks.
If this is true, it seems this Administration's principal tactic was to have it's finger hovering over the launch button, make sure the Iranians knew it...then offer talks. It's all a theater performance led by a reality show personality...and abetted by second rate co-stars like Mr Pompeo and Mr Bolton.
We -and the rest of the world- have no need for further macho bellicose showmanship that could inevitably lead to a major catastrophe. We have suffered enough in Afghanistan (which is still going on after 18 years) and Iraq.
8
I think we have spent enough lives and money on wars in the Middle East. Enough with the Grand Standing mr. President.
Calm down and go back to stealing money.
3
Trump: Manufacture a crises and make the American people, via him, fix the crises.
Only difference is this would/will(?) become a world crises and there's no fixing it.
Who let this guy in the door of the White House?
7
There are some things missing from the Times report:
1) The commander of the Iranian Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims that the downing of a US drone was a warning to an American military aircraft that was flying alongside its UAV. Brigadier General Hajizadeh told state TV that the main reason for shooting down the drone, which marked a serious escalation in tensions with the US, was to force the American P-8 military aircraft to divert course, according to Iranian media. See:
https://on.rt.com/9ws3
2) The drone had its identification transponder off. In violation of international standards.
Even so, the New York Times article is very good. It's interesting to see how his advisers are split on attacking Iran. It is a measure of how out of control things are.
4
When will DJT, Jr. volunteer to join the military so he can help fight his daddy’s wars? African elephants can attest to jr.’s ability to shoot a weapon. Are bone spurs inherited? We already know infidelity is a family trait, so why not cowardice?
13
Trump needs to give Iran but two choices: extradite Ali Khamenei to US custody to face criminal charges, or become a parking lot.
That's it. The pussyfooting must come to an end.
"the drone, which costs about $130 million". This is the most noteworthy part of this article. Why does a drone, any drone, cost 130 million dollars? US military hardware is ridiculously overpriced, and US tax payers are getting swindled by the military industrial complex.
Maybe you should start buying your arms from Russia and China.
6
No doubt The Donald had to consult with Bibi to see where we go from here. He has pretty much outsourced United States foreign policy in the Middle East to Netanyahu. They say that Bolton is in the Middle East talking to the Israelis now.
9
Trump is already going down as the worst president in our history. He might avoid impeachment, but only by obstructing congress to an unprecedented degree.
Trump doesn’t read. He doesn’t listen to briefings (unless he’s in them). He has only war hawks around him, and no clue, let alone context, for making life and death decisions.
Trump should just admit he’s in way over his head and resign. I’d give him criminal immunity for the sake of our country, but Pence and the entire cabinet would have to go with him.
5
No matter how Trump spins it, when we were attacked by Iran, he ran.
After reading the article, Trump can either hit Iran with more sanctions or let another country like Israel do his dirty works for him. Israel is an expert on airstrikes and they know the region well. MSNBC reported that Vladimir Putin gave his answer to this situation: any retaliations against Iran will have dire consequences against the US.
2
How very strange! Our normal propensity would be to believe “Everything” our government says regarding an incident like this if we were living in a “Normal” time. We are NOT!
Let’s be very clear! Iran is a bad actor! Has been for a very long time. When I was born in 1938, the United States became a true beacon for freedom and justice, especially AFTER WW2. I believe deep down that in premise, we still are, but the colors are starting to fade!
Donald Trump didn’t start this fading, but he and his fellow Sycophants sure are adding a lot of Bleach to the process.
This I can promise you: If we go to war with IRAN, we all lose! Think IRAQ and Syria were crazy? Iran would be insanity.
Last thought! I really don’t trust or know for certain who’s telling the truth! That bothers me more than anything else.
5
Well, how many of us have been saying---hope there is not a real crisis with this band of incompetents in charge---the crisis has arrived, and as predicted, the gang that can't shoot straight proves it can't shoot straight. Remember Obama's bad deal, when we had a semblance of peace and country scaling back on its nuclear capacity--now we are ready for war, Iran back to its path of building a nuclear arsenal, not to mention North Korea ---winning never felt so good.
7
There is a way to fix this: Democrats in the House march over to the Senate and sit down on the senate chamber floor -- making sure to keep things tidy! Then, they invite the Senate Majority Leader to either 1) start doing his REAL JOB, or 2) quit.
If that doesn't work, a guided tour of the National Archive (if it isn't closed!) could be arranged.
1
It’s a bizarro world when one believes Iran and not the President of the US but that’s kind of where I stand.
10
Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and if given the means, will raise the ante by introducing nuclear weapons. Obama gave them a chance which they squandered, using their new found $billions to wreak havoc in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza.
The way you stop a bully is by punching them in the nose. We should continue tightening sanctions, penalize countries who for their own selfish mercantile interests go around the sanctions, and strike back militarily if they attack our interests. Hopefully, in time, they will join the world of civilized nations and the Iranian people will be freed of this horrific theocratic regime.
1
My thoughts: As misguided and creepy as trump is, the pull back is the best thing that he has ever done. He's the one that ripped up the Iran treaty solely in order to get back at Obama. He threw his plate of food all over the floor and no one is picking it up for him.
1
Peter is crying wolf once again and many people, rightfully so, are raising a single eyebrow.
2
Remember the Maine!
1898 - and excuse for war (with Spain).
1964 - US destroyers torpedoed in Gulf of Tonkin (war with China/N.Vietnam).
Then 1988 - USS Vincennes in Iranian waters shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 killing hundreds including dozens of children (no war).
2003 - photos (fake) of threatening weapons of mass destruction (war with Iraq).
Now 2019 - mined non-US ships and destroyed unmanned drone ... what awaits the region this time?
The US seems to call the shots (quite literally) and it all depends on their agenda. With this feckless president and
buffoonish if hawkish advisors, the future looks very bleak.
4
I would not allow my sons to fight in this war.
6
A glance at the map attached to this article shows that at best we were skirting very close to Iranian air space during a period of ultra-heightened tensions. What are we thinking?
This has Gulf of Tonkin written all over it.
6
Reminder to our Allies - he didn't get the popular vote.
70,000 votes in total - spread out over three purple states - allowed this inexperienced, intellectually challenged, sociopath to take hold of the worlds greatest democracy and nuclear arsenal, despite a popular vote of over 3 million more votes for his experienced, , battle-tested opponent.
The Electoral College does not reflect the will of the American people, does not reflect democracy, and is not in our national interest.
We need to abolish it .
13
Did Putin force Trump to back-off his petulant positioning or did Putin order trump to back down? Will we ever know the truth as Trump is always lying?
5
Waffler-In-Chief. I'm relieved he called it off, but his ignorance and lack of fortitude become especially concerning at decision points like these.
2
Bolton is clearly trying to engineer a Gulf of Tonkin episode to drag us into a war with Iran. A war we cannot win, will take thousands of lives, cost tens of billions of dollars we don’t have, and will tank the world economy.
This man is a war maniac and needs to go. Now!
6
So happy to have a president whose default behavior is “flailing”.
4
Many generals warned Trump not to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Treaty, but he didn't listen. It showed to the generals & to Americans his lack of understanding of the treaty's containment of Iran.
TRUMP: “So a general said, 'Mr. Trump doesn't understand. He knows nothing about defense.'
I know more about offense and defense than they will ever understand,
believe me! Believe me!”
July 27, 2016: Trump’s speech in Scranton, Pa.
9
djt preparing yet another gift to dictator cohort Putin. Putin now owns Syria, and is about to watch the USA drop the first match into the world’s biggest tinderbox. Putin then gets to see the USA embroiled in another endless war, festooned with terror attacks on U.S. soil (Iran’s ace in the hole), while Putin’s oil revenues go through the roof and Americans are paying $15 per gallon for gasoline. The stable genius will be winning yet again (though Americans will be dying)!
4
So, now Iran is to be punished for defending itself. And Congress's constitutionally-required advice is to be ignored in determining if a war is to be started. And none of us knows the truth in this matter, especially when the President makes up his own convenient "truth".
How far this President has sunk from honoring his inaugural oath to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic." He has become its worst enemy. And we, the American people, are the losers. No wonder there is so much despair in the land.
4
Chicken hawks playing toy soldiers -- this is so sickening. The Republicans will wag the dog and kill hundreds of thousands of civilians as they did in Iraq to distract and keep power.
"What is the cost of lies?" are the words the HBO Chernobyl series ends with. The cost is, always, in the lives of people who obey like sheep, and people who have no say at all.
5
I have been apposed to impeaching Trump, wanting the American people tp vote him out of office. But this latest insanity has got me thinking we need to get this maniac out of office as done as possible before he starts a war to please his radical base. Now it's up to Democrats in the house to put a stop to this insanity.
7
First, Trump violates the multilateral Iranian nuclear arms control pact, despite the agreement working to prevent Iran from getting the weapons. Second, Trump slaps crippling sanctions on Iran. Third, Trump blackmails the other parties to the agreement to not continue to buy Iranian oil. Fourth, Iran decides it needs nuclear technology to protect itself from Trump. Fifth, Trump sends the military to the region to provocatively be right near their borders. Sixth — and this isn’t known for sure as the source is the Trump regime — the U.S. claims Iran attacked a U.S. spy drone.
Seventh? Trump seems to want to start a war. God please save us from this lunatic.
7
RQ-4 Global Hawk, a surveillance drone made by Northrop Grumman is a flop. It cant avoid missiles and is a sitting duck. Again the US is ripped off by the military complex. How is it that no one in the military knew this aircraft was junk? Lets ground all the Global Hawks and subpoena the engineers and executives before congress and get our money back.
In the meantime, the US needs to left the sanctions, or as the dictator Trump calls the sanctions Economic Warfare, and restart the negotiations and come to a peaceful solutions. As for Pelosi she needs to wake up and stop her endless support of inhumane sanctions and perverse military spending or just resign.
2
Deranged Donnie is eager to start a fire fight with Iran to deflect attention from his low polls and to energize his base. As well as all of his legal problems. He will then call upon patriotic Americas to rally around him against the foreign enemies. He will do Anything to boost his 2020 re-election chances. Even if it kills people. To the Dotard, they are just collateral damage.
8
I wonder how the US military and security apparatus would react if an Iranian spy drone was spotted just outside US airspace, let alone inside of it.
5
Every day with this insane Trump brings another low point for everyone here and the planet. What is it with old men and war? Particularly old men sending young ones to kill millions of people.
For what? So Iran won't develop a nuclear weapon. Why do they want one? Why do we continue to make them?
We are headed for the end. There are too many irresponsible people in control of power.
4
Seems like it was only yesterday that I watched the Gulf of Tonkin develop and later the WMD (you break it, you own it!). Here we go again. That song that mentions The Fool On The Hill keeps playing in my mind. Sad!
3
Trump worsened our relations with Iran when he reneged on the Iran Nuclear agreement. Mistake #1.
Because he has zero skills in negotiating with world leaders and not a diplomatic cell in his head, he left no chance of a replacement agreement with Iran.
Sadly, Trump’s approach to dealing with Iran was more like a schoolyard bully than a statesman - using the same three tools he uses in his infamous real estate deals, i.e. intimidation, leverage, and a club.
Is America ready to risk the lives of our troops?
God forbid.
Apparently, 4-time draft dodger trump is ready to push the button himself.
Over killing a drone!
I want to see his face when the first USA casualty of his preventable war comes back home in a body bag.
Again, God forbid.
Will his T&Ps be thrown back in his face?
This mess with Iran was instigated by trump. And for trump and his henchmen to engage our military in a war that would have been prevented if we had an intelligent and qualified president.
Other than protecting our environment, avoiding new and endless wars through diplomacy and negotiation are the credentials and policies I’m looking for in the 2020 presidential candidate. And you can be sure trump lacks those.
6
It's funny how when the press asked the president what the US response would be and he wouldn't tell him. The previous president telegraphed every sing move and every pull out making sure that radical Islam knew what the US would do next. The previous president also on his on his own bombed Libya took out Khadafi and ISIS filled in. The previous president also made changes to our military so that you could only shoot at someone who is shooting at you making it harder to fight a war. Big differences.
I feel sorry if any of our troops get captured by Iran. We all know how our President feels about service personnel who get captured by the enemy like that Senator McCain.
5
John Bolton was recommended for the job he has by Sheldon Adelson. As Trump's biggest financial backer, Adelson's recommendations carry great weight.
Mr. Adelson has long advocated for lethal "preemptive" military action against Iran. Adelson is 86 years old and not in good health. He is rarely seen in public. His junior partner, Bolton, is in his seventies and, until now, has always been a second tier operator. He has never been able to start a war of his own. Iraq
wasn't his that was Cheney's.
A Detective Columbo might conclude that a savvy businessman like Mr. Adelson would put a semi-desperate junior partner like Bolton on a pay for performance arrangement. A Detective Columbo might conclude that, given the age of the parties, and the political calendar there was a certain urgency to getting hostilities with Iran started.
A Detective Columbo in his conversation with semi-desperate Bolton would speculate on how a war in Iran would change Bolton's life. Respect, finally. A seat at the Big Table. Book Deal.
Speeches, 500K per. Kissinger would take his calls.
Detective Columbo would say "just one more thing...John, you didn't actually send that drone a little further than you were supposed to did you....you wouldn't do that...would you, John...did it occur to you...John...half a million dead bodies....
3
Follow the money, Iran, Venezuela and North Korea have no central bank and their currency is not tied to the dollar. Do the math.
1
Gulf of Tonkin --- Straits of Hormuz.
Think about it. Nothing learned.
4
What is our oil doing under their sand?
3
Puzzle: Which country is this?
- If you work industriously over the years and accumulate savings to make your dreams come true, you wake up in a morning and see your wealth is cut by one third, because of unprecedented sanctions on your country's import/export.
- You are arduously working for an International company and your professional career is going well. Suddenly, that company lays off all of its employees, not to get penalized by the US govt.
- If you want to go on holiday, you should take the risk of collapsing your airliner since it dates back to the 1970s and they can't renovate their fleet.
- When your nation amasses and votes for moderates to take office, you will see sb in the US degenerates your hopes and powers up belligerents.
If you can digest the pain in the above sentences, you are an Iranian.
As an unassuming, immaculate, and well-educated nation, the US govt. did everything to us to hate it, but we still keep our hopes and trust in the democracy entrenched in the U.S.
As one of our greatest poets, Nezami puts in, "A gloomy night ends up in brightness", So I hope, someday, this animosity and preposterous hostility would end and our two great nations come to an invincible alliance and multifaceted engagement.
5
The GOP establishment (mostly war hawks) wants to (1) use Trump to achieve sth they wanted for some time, a war with Iran, and (2) to get rid of Triump in the oval office, exactly because of this war. One stone two birds. Such a "crude" strategy.
1
It's good to know that the drone was unmanned --- has any drone ever been manned?
1
New York Times: please have your reporters and analysis writers present the situation with Iran accurately. Jingoism is what got us into so many needless wars that cost lives and that we never won. Here is the jingoism: Iran did not just "suddenly" attack the United States. First, Iran in good faith signed a treaty of nuclear disarmament and peace with the United States under the Obama administration, a major milestone. Then Donald Trump took office and in an act of extreme bad faith, suddenly broke the agreement. That act unleashed years of hostility and mistrust, and took us back to the hatred toward the United States that started with the fall of the Shah of Iran, to wit, the United States acting in bad faith. Every time the NYT leaves this history of Trump's actions out of an article, you spread jingoism. We do not need any more American troops killed in the Middle East over needless, US provoked conflict. Do your job.
3
Going to war over a drone. More trouble started by Trump. If this escalates to an invasion bring the draft back and force the Republican sons and daughters to fight there wars this time. Where are the churches they should be saying to Trump talk at all cost.
2
Is it possible that this will be the first crisis faced by this administration that is not managed like some reality show cliffhanger? The early returns are not promising. We are also seeing the drawbacks of having an ignorant and narcissistic Commander in Chief who has given significant leverage to war mongers and let moderating voices of reason leave.
2
Noam Chomsky, emeritus professor MIT now retired in Arizona and still teaching at University of Arizona once said, " If there is a War Crime Tribunal, all of the US presidents after WWII will be found guilty. "
This is another example if war breaks out between Iran and USA. History may not repeat itself in the exact way, but it certainly rhymes.
4
This reads as further evidence that the Trump administration seeks twofold to justify a nearly $700 billion military budget, and bolster his ability to grow the job market - all in time for 2020. This seems evidenced as the Times reports no available info here on a true investigation or gathered proofs that the drone was in fact in international airspace.
Another war abroad won’t ease the angst (war) here at home
1
Setting aside Trump's role in this conflict -- it rests entirely on his shoulders -- should we believe the liars we know or the liars we don't?
2
Noam Chomsky, emeritus professor MIT now retired in Arizona and still teaching at University of Arizona once said, " If there is a War Crime Tribunal, all of the US presidents after WWII will be found guilty. "
This is another example if war breaks out between Iran and USA. History may not repeat itself in the exact way, but it certainly rhymes.
2
Trump needs this war.
This nation needs reinstatement of Obama’s deal.
War without reason is treason.
Peace, unless we or our allies are attacked is patriotic.
A drone is a chunk of metal.
Wars take lives.
Then again, too many of us believe even petty property crime is legitimately fought off with lethal force: burglars running from the scene, or, as happened in LA, a possible suspect in car vandalism, pursued by car foot and helicopter deserves to be shot in the back.
What kind of values are those?
If I were to catch a guy stealing my stereo, even if I have a weapon I will neither own nor carry, gets asked “why are you that hard up?”
I might even tell him “put it down - here’s the $20 you’d get for it from a fence, come back tomorrow, and fix the window and we’re square”.
Think about your own value system - do you leave your stereo in your front steps and wait, with gun drawn, for someone really hard up to grab it?
To show you had a “right” to kill him?
Do you fly a big shiny drone either a couple of miles off territorial waters or a couple of miles inside - possibly within a margin of error for weapons systems, with an armed response planned and ready to go, or do you negotiate a pact that soothes everyone but the House of Saud?
I hope the adult in the room who halted Trump is a sane Member of Congress or Pentagon staff, prepared to use any means necessary to block this “I need a war” madness.
3
Why would we be flying a drone over international air space anyway? Are Pompeo and Bolton suddenly interested in the ecosystem of the Strait of Hormuz?
5
Congress, we need you to step up and stop this madness. Please vote now to withhold war powers from Trump.
3
More Trump indecision on life-or-death matters and other critical time-sensitive issues, all springing from Trump’s thorough ignorance of anything more complicated than the daily choice of jelly or butter on his breakfast toast. Meanwhile, the Democrats have assembled an outstanding lineup of over 20 passionate, knowledgeable and fully qualified candidates for 2020, every one of them far more capable than Trump will ever be. While Trump dithers, his tough-guy public persona continues to disintegrate. He’s pretty much destroyed any integrity the Republicans might have had in the old days, and energized the best of the Democratic challengers.
Trump will leave office in disgrace and leave the White House in shambles. I personally believe Trump will be ousted well before Election Day 2020.
1
I propose the president forms a new elite MAGA Force to fight Iran; must be over age 55, support Donald Trump and be a registered member of the NRA. They will have my thoughts and prayers.
6
...and Republicans, this is what comes of making a game-show host your President.
4
So what if a drone DID fly over Iranian airspace but, when the drone operator found out that the Iranians had learned of it, moved it just a few miles out beyond the border? I'd bet a dollar to a donut that an Iran drone as close as 30 miles from the US coast would be shot down withouta second thought.
2
Hundreds of flights from the UAE to South Asia and Australia pass over the strait of Hormuz. Shooting a SAM into the air in such a congested air space is a recipe for disaster. There has to be a solution to this ridiculous affray without jeopardizing the lives of innocent people!
1
Would the Iranian targets be unmanned or would the US in retaliation for the destruction of a machine kill people?
1
The media complains if we don't be the world's policeman.
That's a question; should we be the World Police,?
Is Iran a danger to us?
Iran is not Iraq. Bad things happen when people play with fire.
1
Well Mr. President, you're finding out that the high office you hold doesn't merely consist of holding "feel good" political rallies, sending forth incoherent and obnoxious tweets, engaging in lie-stuffed photo-ops, reveling in your White House "chaos theory" of governing and, of course, playing endless rounds of golf. You've recklessly created the first real, serious crisis of your tenure. America, and the world, is watching. The odds are decidedly against you acting "presidential" for the first time ever based upon past unstudied, impetuous conduct. Are you capable of change? Nah, when "pigs fly"!
3
“The US said the drone was shot down here.” “Iran said the drone was shot down here.” (Just slightly off the US-claimed position.) It doesn’t matter where it was.
Queue chorus: “Yes it does! Yes it does!”
(No, it doesn’t.)
List a series of facts and observations about the situation. Add as much emotion and anger as suits your mind for indignation and righteous outrage. It doesn’t matter.
Queue chorus: “Yes it does! Yes it does!”
(No, it doesn’t.)
Make a choice about how you can change the situation and take weapons away from bad actors.
Queue chorus: “It’s impossible! It’s impossible!”
(It’s possible, likely and inevitable.)
It’s coming soon.
The shooting hasn't even started yet and it's already cost us $130,000,000.
2
Iran can avoid this crisis by throwing a few compliments at Trump.
Weak men like Trump crave validation and praise.
1
I’m so old, I remember when Cons said Trump wouldn’t get the US involved in more wars
3
We engineered this conflict from the get go.
2
It looks to me like Trump is playing good cop/ bad cop with Bolton and Pompeo being the bad cops and Trump being the “good” cop.
1
What is that word I’m looking for? Ah yes.. premature?
Thousands of Trump lies are coming home to roost. Who really knows where this drone was shot down or if its path had crossed into Iranian air space? From my perspective, Iran has at least as much credibility as Trump. Unfortunately, Trump's lies bleed into all facets of his administration. Now, even the military and intelligence officials can not be trusted.
1
Let's be clear: he's prepared to order the deaths of hundreds of people over an unmanned, unarmed machine.
Not likely.....but maybe Trump was having an Inspector Javert moment.
So we wait with bated breath wondering whether our country will be dragged into another war. This must be torture for John Bolton: So close and yet not there.
1
"But the department incorrectly called the flight path of the drone the location of the shooting down and offered little context for an image that appeared to be the drone exploding in midair."
Editor, please!
But not sure it would help. The whole situation is absurd. Our war machine is in the hands of demented people trying hard to find an excuse to bomb and kill. I wonder what their next trick and sales gimmick will be. Will they get an American pilot killed to justify a war?
1
This commenter wants to visit Iran some day:
"I hope one day we can be friends with Iran. I want to be able to experience the ancient culture, hospitable people, wondrous beauty of the architecture and make friends."
Two travel tips:
1. You can do that right now, and should.
2. Don't let any grass grow under your feet. If you want to visit Iran, do so soon -- such as before we go to war with Iran. People tend to get a bit cranky when bombs are falling on their heads -- especially toward tourists from the country that's dropping those bombs.
Oh, great. This episode, this discussion is a perfect distillation of America's predicament since Trump was elected.
We have a deranged, incurious, ill-informed, insecure, racist, xenophobe for President who has the attention span of a crack-addled rat, and the rest of us stand around wasting our time and our lives pondering whether (A) said President has "simply changed his mind" on the strikes or (B) "whether the administration altered course because of logistics or strategy."
Folks, WHAT DOES IT MATTER? Either way, our blood and treasure hangs in the balance as does the fate of a sovereign nation, both at the whim of an imbecile madman and his rogue government.
This is what America has been reduced to. And the mainstream media, including the NYT, reports on the pathology unfurling before our eyes as though it's all normal.
It's not normal, and America is sleepwalking straight into its self-destruction. I think the American citizenry is aware of how precarious our situation is; our politicians, media and pundit class not so much . . .
1
When you have the Secretary of State, who's supposed to put diplomacy above all, pushing for a military attack on Iran, we know this is all a sham. Pompeo, Bolton, and the other warmongers in this administration need to be marginalized fast.
Trump jus wanted to tell Iran that he was seriously serious.
1
This erratic man should not have access to the nuclear codes.
Trump is incompetent and he knows it.
The generals are all gone from his administration. He has no defense secretary, his acting defense secretary has resigned, and the new acting Sec Def is a former lobbyist.
Trump has to rely on the evangelical Pompeo who prays daily for Armageddon and for the second coming of JC. And then there’s the advice of John Bolton, a man who’s been praying for decades to have a war and regime change in Iran.
This can’t end well. Trump has no diplomatic path and no way to win a war with Iran. There’d only be losers.
But if Trump’s bone spurs were to act up...? Well, maybe he could resign to spend more time with Eric, Don Jr, and Baron. Maybe get to know them before he has a heart attack or gets impeached.
1
What exactly does John Bolton gain if he finally gets his war with Iran?
Thank you NYT for reporting on the facts. I didn’t think that was necessary but I just cancelled my subscription at WAPO for warmongering about Iran and Venezuela and it appears you’re still doing your job!
“But top Pentagon officials cautioned that such an action could result in a spiraling escalation with risks for American forces in the region.”
Thank God SOMEone is still doing their job...
Is the tail wagging the dog or vice-versa? We'll probably never (if ever) know for sure until after the 2020 election, which this incident seems to have been created to officially kick off the Trump campaign. Creating obfuscation, distraction and fear are all part of the incumbent's playbook.
Impeach.
Vote.
If the Senate allows this madman to take us to war, it will be the end of the USA. I am ready for a new country (or countries) to be formed from the wreckage.
Turns out this happened in 2011, not "more than 20 years ago." The point remains the same:
"Both [the US and Iran] say the ... drone was shot down by a ... missile. That is a demonstration by the Iranians that they have that capability..."
This passage suggests that Iran's ability to shoot down a US drone came as a surprise. That's hard even to imagine. After all, Iran long ago (2011) demonstrated its "capability" of doing much more than that: It actually took over control of a US drone and landed it gently at an Iranian airport (after which Iran "reverse-engineered" the captured drone). In light of that long-ago accomplishment, it shouldn't surprise anyone that Iran can shoot down a US drone yoday. Frankly, even I could come close to doing that, and my anti-drone capabilities are fairly rudimentary. I suspect that both the US and Iran military guys have since moved far beyond that.
Like I said yesterday it is not necessary to do an actual attack right now, but pretend that we are going to attack. That way Mullahs there will be very tense and let it continue for a while until they break down. This will weaken Mullahs further and with tightened sanction we can mellow the Mullahs to a situation where they will be ready for talk. I think Trump is smart, calm and not a war monger, and is using the NY Times to convey the message. NY Times may be too eager to brand Trump a wimp already. But if a strike is needed, Trump will do it as he did in Syria.
1
Voting in a Republican chicken hawk always seems to bring us a war which will waste lives and billions of dollars and make the world a worse place. Isn't it ironic that old bone spurs seems to find war a lot more attractive now that he is wagering other people's lives. If he had not been too cowardly to serve in Vietnam he might have learned that war is almost never the best way to resolve a dispute.
2
Our action reminds me of the sibling in the back seat of the car holding his finger only millimeters from his brother and exclaiming, “I’m not touching you!” That never ended well.
Should a president ho believes that drones can be manned, but " we were lucky there wasn't a man or women aboard...very,very bad " (paraphrase) be allowed to make any decision regarding either attacking a foreign entity or taking our country to war.
If this man can't be bothered to read history and intelligence briefings, bone up on modern military armament and tactics, and listen to military leaders, he should have no business making these decisions. And that goes for those hawks he surrounds himself with.
Unfortunately, he is and has been operating way above his pay grade. And for that we will all suffer.
1
The first casualty of war is the truth. That drone was in Iranian airspace and was warned many times. These are small provocations to justify a war and sell it to the brainwashed masses.
103
"Very bad mistake" = U.S. blatant reneging on the 2015 Iran Deal. A true disgrace for our country.
4
One of Trump's hollow promises when he ran for office was to curb American interventions in the Middle East. The Obama nuclear agreement with Iran didn't resolve all problems but it effectively managed Iran's nuclear threat and encouraged a thawing of relations. Then Trump stupidly cancelled the agreement with Saudi encouragement and the United States now finds itself in exactly the type of confrontation the agreement had been preventing.
3
Regime change in the United States is what brought us here !
3
Trump needs to give Iran but two choices: extradite Ayatollah Khomeini to US custody to face criminal charges, or become a parking lot.
That's it. The pussyfooting must come to an end.
The call from the Kremlin reminded him to focus on destroying one country at a time. For now, it's the United States of America.
3
Maybe Vlad Putin told him to cancel the strike.
1
In his latest tweet, Trump may confuse "site" and "sight," but would Obama have stood up to the military at the last minute because he was told 150 people would die?
Putin called Trump and told him to call off the strikes in Iran.
Trump listened.
1
Another Republican President...Check! Tax Cuts for the Rich....Check! Another pointless war in a foreigh country...Check!
Electing a Democratic President to Clean up the Mess...most likely. When will this cycle stop???
2
Bombast interruptus
1
Wow.
Good thing he read "Two Corinthians" rather than Corinthians 1:
14:8 "If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for battle?"
1 Corinthians
I had been calling them the Iranian Republican National Guard Corps. Instead I should have said 'Islamic' RNGC. Iran, the ruling government, did nothing. It was the quasi-independent IRNGC which not only launched the intercepts and set out the mines but also sponsors terrorism throughout the ME.
President Obama set out to deal with the moderates who won election in Iran as a way of marginalizing the radicals in the Guard. It worked. Until Trump stupidly and from an abundance of ignorance and incompetence blew it all up.
Now the IRNGC is poised to take full control of the Iranian government. Trump's bungle.
1
Our administration is so scary---a horror movie except it's real--this vacillation where the chief actor is unsure of his own mind or resolve. Should I start a war where who knows how many will be killed? Should I explode the Middle East and cause Iran to unleash its partners---especially in Lebanon to rain bombs on Israel and let them have their own war? The ramifications of any action are long, complicated, and hard to pull back once released. Yes, yes, I'll do it. They won't start with me again because I'll show them how strong I am! No, no, let it go. Not right now. Maybe , next week. I can imagine our Great Leader who thinks he's a genius thinking. No doubt, it's time for a regime change (but not in Iran).
2
130 million dollars for a drone? Does this bother anyone?
2
The chicken hawks saber rattle and a weak president responds.
2
The vulgar, insecure bully of a man in the Oval Office, one who is illiterate to boot, says that endless wars will eventually come to a glorious end. Glorious?
The hope of the majority of Americans and our allies around the globe are hoping that his presidency will soon come to an inglorious end.
2
Let's see. The Iranians shot down a flying piece of US metal that arguably was or was not in Iranian air space. Our President Trump, to show the world how "tuff" he is, orders a military strike against Iran that will cause the death (murder) of 150 human beings and devastate the lives of their wives, husbands, children and families. Either (i) just before or immediately after this military strike was begun, common sense reared its unwanted head at the table where President Trump and his "Acting " advisors were sitting, or (ii) the Iranians informed Trump that his attempt to bully them into speaking with him by ordering a military strike was going nowhere. Either of these reasons left Trump with "nowhere" to go except call off the strike, and then tweet his claim for another victory. This Trump episode pointedly illustrates what to expect from a President who is a bully (and a coward) and fills his administartion with "Acting" (and sometimes Republican controlled Senate approved) sycophants who can instantly be terminated, pushed overboard, and replaced.
"Iran made a mistake." Trump. As hard as it for me to say this, I have to give Trump credit, for not making another and bigger mistake by allowing a U.S. strike on Iran. The situation with Iran is a Diplomatic problem, not a military one. Regardless, of much John Bolton, MBS, and MBZ wants it to be a military one. What do we do now?
The U.S. needs to walk back from the precipice of war, and engage in a Diplomatic solution with our Allies, and possibly the U.N. That will be easier said than done. Particularly, since our diplomatic influence has seriously been eroded since our current administation has taken office. Nonetheless, it will be a better solution than another stupid war, for another stupid reason. It is easy to start a war, much more difficult to end one, i.e. Iraq and Afganistan.
Trump is reminiscent of the uni-cycle riding clown one would see at a circus. Going in circles. Going backwards. Going forward. That said has Bolton or Pompeo ever served in the military? Both are cowardly armchair warriors that would rather send our troops in danger.
1
Gulf of Tonkin, USS Maddox recollections, anyone?
2
Why does the story include no mention of a huge June 5th fire at an Iranian oil storage facility or the fires that suddenly hit 6 Iranian Merchant ships on June 7th? This is reported in a June 17th story in oilprice.com. is it possible that the subsequent attacks on international shipping we're in retaliation?
1
He ain't bombing Iran,it's all hype just like the stuff that went on with North Korea a year ago
1
This is all about getting Trump re-elected, people.
1
Trump has no clue what he's doing as president of the US. Double that incompetence for his wishy washy foreign policy. #Waffleman.
2
"Iran Air Flight 655 was a scheduled passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai via Bandar Abbas, that was shot down on 3 July 1988 by an SM-2MR surface-to-air missile fired from USS Vincennes, a guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. The aircraft, an Airbus A300, was destroyed and all 290 people on board including 66 children, were killed. The jet was hit while flying over Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, along the flight's usual route, shortly after departing Bandar Abbas International Airport, the flight's stopover location. Vincennes had entered Iranian territory after one of its helicopters drew warning fire from Iranian speedboats operating within Iranian territorial limits."
Wikipedia, "Iran Air Flight 655" (A very thorough and lengthy account, well worth reading, particularly that initial American accounts of the shootdown were proven "erroneous.")
And some want to go to war with Iran because they shot down a DRONE?
1
Have to laugh, once again proves POTUS is unfit for office and is mentally unstable. Once again tortures the frenzied media with "I might" "I might not" "Here is what I am thinking""I changed my mind", all on public display where a nuclear nightmare hangs in the balance. His new nickname should be "The Big Tease" as he never does what he claims he is going to do. Someone please, please invoke the Constitutional amendment that replaces him before this washed up reality show host kills us all.
1
Let’s get to the US’s motivation behind war here: it’s economic. Oil prices are down bc Iran is in the game. When we sold oil worldwide a few years ago, oil prices were low. Loans are then made on futures such that, say $2/barrel gets repackaged into $4/barrel. If the price of oil doesn’t rise to the future predicted price, US banks & economy lose money on the futures bet, putting US oil traders & banks in the red. Notice the article states that yesterday’s tensions raised oil prices. If they got to the “right price point,” this fake war by fake prez who scrapped a workable Iran Deal wouldn’t be happening. War is economic. The whole point is to raise oil prices to save the futures, hedge fund bets.
1
Many Republicans including Trump will likely lose re-election if they continue to move towards war with Iran.
Iran has shown their coordinates for the drone’s position. America has not. America has also not proven to anyone’s satisfaction who exploded those
tankers.
Americans are normally suspicious of Trump and his advisors, especially Bolton who is a crazy warmonger. Lies and secrets have consistently haunted the Trump administration and we Americans have every right to be suspicious of this present administration and we are.
3
The Bangkok Post has a picture of an Iranian official standing behind the remains of the drone, now if it was shot down in International Waters as the US claims would the US not have grabbed it? More evidence not to believe a word that comes from the White House.
4
“We have it all documented. It’s documented scientifically, not just words.” DJT. Precious.
3
Like many things, Trump creates his own problem again. His hate for Obama led him to renege on the 2015 treaty with Iran, although it was working, plus his blind affinity for Israel and their fear of Iran, plus his affinity for all things Saudi, and their fear of Iran. Plus he hires Bolton, a known proponent of Iranian regime change, whatever that is. Plus Trump puts on economic sanctions and defines the Republican Guard as a terrorist organization. So...what did he expect the Iranians to do? Run up the white flag? No. He wanted the Iranians to escalate to justify further US escalation. They did and he blinked. So much for being a tough guy. Trump talks tough, but he's weak. I'm not in favor of war with Iran, but now the whole world knows he doesn't have the guts, and that makes it worse that he even started on this path. And all of this...all of it...was totally unnecessary. Just like tariffs and detention camps in Texas.
2
President Trump stopped the attack because of his concern about the estimated 150 Iranians who would be killed.
Liberals should praise and applaud President Trump for his decision.
2
Did Putin tell him to stand down? Has the President ceded foreign policy to the Kremlin? One must ask the question given the history of the two men in the region.
1
From the moment Trump pulled out of the ‘horrible’ Iran nuclear deal, the war had been declared. First more sanctions to provoke and corner the Iranians then Bolton and Pompeo to orchestrate the rest.
Sad indeed.
2
A bellicose shouting man (lock her up) with his hand on the Nuclear button and other destructive munitions and he hasn't thought through contingencies?
Does Trump understand this isn't a movie with multiple takes?
Our country deserves so much better than this. His July 4th self-adulation speech will drip with dark irony.
3
You mean the fellow finally is learning how to be presidential and not just a cheap demagogue narcissist? WOW!
Perhaps somebody with brains reminded him of the Gulf of Tonkin charade, when the military lied to President Johnson who escalated the Viet-Nam war that we ultimately lost.
On the other hand, if the fellow had not pulled out of the Iran treaty we would never had gone this far. One thing is bone spur and the other is brain spur.
"The president has embraced a reputation as someone who punches back when he is challenged."
Trump bullies, taunts, provokes and punches first. Clearly the aggressor in the region is US.
If Trump attacks Iran he will be precipitating a catastrophe for America and the world and he will be fully responsible for it. He started this dispute with Iran by rescinding America’s treaty with that country and that was a grievous error.
Since Trump has not released the coordinates justifying a strike against Iran and Iran has done so, Trump’s reasoning is very suspicious. Iran will be believed above America.
One can only hope that Trump fires Bolton and listens to more reasonable advisors. Americans do NOT want war with Iran or any country. We oppose Trump’s warmongering.
3
This sounds like an “All hat and no cattle” thing. In the end, he knows that everyone will see that his actions are completely responsible for this situation. His instinct for self preservation is telling him to back away slowly before it really hits the fan. This is why he has to go.
1
I find that the most telling part of the NYT article is:
"Iran’s ability to target and destroy the high-altitude American drone, which was developed to evade the very surface-to-air missiles used to bring it down, surprised some Defense Department officials..."
This is Iran's shot across the bow. Iran is not Iraq. There are worldwide and severe economic consequences to a war with Iran, and they know it. Can the US economy (on life support already via the FED) stand a shock like that? That's the real political calculation on both sides. Sadly, I think we're going to find out.
1
Perhaps the timing wasn't right just yet for re-election purposes.
2
This story reveals several dangerous weaknesses of the Trump administration. First, cancelling the Iran deal was a reckless act by a president more concerned with buffing his imaginary deal-making prowess and dissing Obama than stability in a volatile region. Do not forget that all of this, and whatever else might transpire, is directly linked to Trump unilaterally cancelling a deal that every other interested party, including Iran, wanted to continue.
Second, because of Trump's penchant for lying there is grave doubt about the U.S. version of the events surrounding the Drone's destruction. While some skepticism is natural whenever international adversaries promote opposing versions of an event, Trump's never-ending stream of untruths about matters large and small makes accepting the administration's view much less likely. Perversely, foreign adversaries can exploit that distrust; a reality that will hamper the Trump administration for its remaining duration.
And thirdly, Trump has removed or driven away every almost every capable cabinet member and senior advisor, leaving third rate and/or acting personnel to advise a president widely described by most who have worked closely with him as dangerously uninformed, resistant to being briefed and intellectually wanting.
So Trump singlehandedly initiated the conflict, his version of unfolding events cannot be trusted and his decisions are suspect both from a staff advice and personal level. Thanks, Trump voters.
5
Trump's critics will, of course, argue that this decision demonstrates his reckless an fickle temper, but I and many more Americans who support this Commander-in-Chief would argue that it demonstrates his willingness to second guess his military and intelligence advisory staff and exercise restraint and cautious. In that sense, Donald J. Trump is a true leader and, in many ways, he parallels President Theodore Roosevelt, who in the early 20th century made it clear to rest of the world that America was to be respected not toyed with on the international stage. For that TR won the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump will probably never receive that recognition, although his predecessor in the WH did for doing absolutely nothing at all! Our nation is blessed to have him as its President. I support the President, have since the day he announced his run. I support Trump. America first! Not last as it had been before. MAGA! KAG! Thank you.
It was never a difficult answer to the question 'who is telling the truth?' These days I find myself asking ' who is lying the least?' Trump and by extension the USA, does not come out on the trustworthy side. Sad.
1
Trump pulled the US out of that 2015 nuclear pact and the clean air pact and the Allied Alliance pact.Soon the US will be on its own without an alliance with other countries mostly because they won't trust us because of Trump and his lies.When you think about it that drone cost more than what taxpayers paid for Trumps golf for a year.Not by much, but more.But it won't come close to what Trumps tarrifs are going to cost taxpayers and especially farmers and tech companies.
2
The problem with Congress handing the war powers to the President is there's no mechanism in the Constitution to ensure the President is sane. Then again, neither is there any mechanism to ensure Congress isn't feckless.
The notion that the aborted strikes would, in your words, "have been the president’s third military action against targets in the Middle East" is a dangerous mischaracterization. The US has been at war (or "taking military action" in your toned-down euphemism) in the Middle East, under presidents of both parties, pretty much continuously, for decades. From Yemen to Afghanistan to Iraq to Syria to Libya to the occupied Palestinian territories and beyond, the US has the blood of literally millions of civilians on our hands, whether directly, or by proxy. It is largely US corporate "interests" that are behind the ongoing tragedies throughout the region, and largely US arms causing the slaughter. Barbara Lee is vindicated once again.
After 6 years of sequester on military spending were finally starting to stockpile new ordinance. We need a place to drop the old ordinance we stockpiled under President Obama.
1
People close to Trump have long said that he really has no policy or beliefs. He just has PR positions the substance of which he could care less about. Confronted by something, he goes with his formidable gut. The main objective is to enhance his image.
Yesterday, the war mongers in his cabinet must have persuaded him that his tough guy image required retaliation. Not against an unmanned drone, but facilities where lives would be lost. Thank God that someone (Melanie, Ivanka, who ?) got to him and explained to him that he was going to war just like we did when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. So our tough guy backed down after planes were in the air saying: oh the drone strike must have been a mistake by a low level functionary. Doesn’t sound to me like the way the Ayatollahs run things over there.
We are a rudderless ship. We have empowered a man so devoid of objectives and values, and so obsessed by ego and the need for adoration, that his reaction to situations is dangerous and unpredictable. The Democrats must impeach him, he is not a problem. He is a clear and present danger. Let us pray that in the meantime he doesn’t start the next big war.
3
Let’s face facts. It is unlikely that Trump could point to Iran on a map. He is unlikely to know very much about its society, culture and ideals. I doubt he gave it two minute’s thought before his attention was brought to it by his war-mongering off-siders. Despite this, and at any moment, Trump could destabilise the world, dragging the allies of the US into a war based on nothing. He will expect these allies to support his ill-considered and ill-informed decisions despite repeatedly disparaging them in the time he was been president. He preaches isolationism but threatens global chaos. I can only assume that the Saudis have promised to line his pockets well for Trump to drag himself away from images of himself on television to threaten to wreak havoc.
2
Trump is beholden to his base. As soon as Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbough criticize him for (rightly) canceling the strike, he'll order another one. Hopefully I'm wrong here, but I'm quite confidant he'll have bombed Iran by Sunday, and Bolton & Pompeo will get the war that they've dreamed of.
1
Whether this country's young people have to go to war seems mostly based on the whim of Trump, a self-absorbed billionaire with no clue of how normal people function (or of the losses they can incur). It's like America is a game for Trump.
Didn’t we try regime change in 1953? This is the result.
Our history with Iran goes way back. Don't for a second forget that we supplied Saddam with the raw materials to produce chemical weapons ("we know he has WMDs, we have the receipts...") and helped him target Iran during he Iran/Iraq war.
The mentality that lives in the knee jerk reaction of weaponry and war, is increasingly visible against the ever more threatening reality of a planet being destroyed by that mentality.
If nothing else (and there is plenty more) the Trump presidency is making clear the value of treaties and negotiated solutions, by its refusal to maintain and honor them.
The biggest picture in the White House Situation
Room and in the rooms of power throughout the world, should be the indescribably beautiful picture of Planet Earth, from space. That's what we should be fighting for, not the ego of presidents.
1
Paper tiger. No wonder his cred has always been best expressed in negative numbers
We're clearly teetering on the brink of a catastrophe. This should be Exhibit A of why Donald Trump should be removed from office. Thank God that our military, even without the leadership of Him Matt is was able to talk sense to the nonsense of the neocon voices that bequeathed us the Iraq War. The road to this point began when Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear accord and ratcheted up with sanctions and the multiple deployments of military forces to the Persian Gulf. Democrats are right to urge restraint and de-escalation. But, we need more than that; we need statesmanship with a vision of how to get there. The Trump sanctions have crippled Iran's economy giving him immense leverage to get a deal. But, as always our Deal Maker -in-Chief is AWOL. Does Elizabeth Warren "have a plan for this"? Bernie? Biden? Buttigieg? Anyone?
Although I oppose President Trump with every fiber of my being and most of them in my clothing; although I fail to believe a word about Iran or anything else coming from this execrable administration, I am encouraged and surprised that Trump demonstrated the capacity to think twice about launching a death-dealing military strike in retaliation for a provocation that was, itself, a retaliation against a chronic years-long drive to ruin Iran's economy and starve its people of food and hope.
All of this is in the service of one-upping the better president and better man who preceded Trump.
1
It's interesting that the President claims to trust science as it pertains to downing of a military drone and the march to war, but not as it relates to global warming or any other of the well documented challenges ahead of us.
2
"The retaliation plan was intended as a response to the shooting down of the unmanned, $130 million surveillance drone"
$130 million for an unmanned drone? misspelling? ripoff?
So it appears that even though our drone had the capacity to take evasive action against the Surface To Air missile of Iran, it mysteriously did not do any such thing. It looks like John Bolton and the worthies at the Council on Foreign Relations are getting closer and closer to their fond dream of war with Iran. I also think that the Kagan family (Don and Robert Kagan.) must be mighty pleased.
I love those who think Trump has some master plan, the stable genius. All Trump was thinking, "if I start a war today, I'm going to have to pass on golf this weekend. Turn the planes around. Maybe next week."
3
I hate to think it but I get the sense that this insanity is meant to ensure trump's reelection. Not unlike Nixon sabotaging the Paris peace talks during the Vietnam War.
The GOP serves no useful purpose other than to serve itself.
1
Trump’s impulsivity is frightening. His political game plan, and I avoid using the word strategy because he has none, was to undo anything having Obama’s name attached to it. The nuke deal may not have been the best, but it put a lid on things. Trump’s bluster isn’t working and we knew that would be the case. He threatens, then caves in and backs down. At best he manufactures a problem and then claims a fake victory.
Now we are on the brink of a serious issue , with no allies, no logic and a congress that fails to wrap their hands around an unruly child with his hands on the switch.
1
Another crisis of his own making that he is finding not so easy to solve. 2020 cannot come fast enough.
I have not wanted to have Trump impeached as it would further separate our social groups. It appears that he has sensed my feelings and may attack the little country that has a better record of rational diplomacy and honesty than we do. In which case, I will actively work for his removal.
Perhaps we will actually be saved from war by Trump's love of belligerent dictators, who he admires and with whom he obviously identifies. With his history of attacking our allies and befriending our enemies, we're probably safe.
It's actually terrifying that a real estate mogul, a slick grifter, is in charge of our military. The same sunshine patriot who got out of the Vietnam war because his father rented to a storefront podiatrist, who claimed he saw bone spurs, where there were none. Now this spoiled son of a wealthy real estate tycoon gets to make the call if we go to war or not, a man who has the judgement that has already sent him into several bankruptcies and a few divorces.
The thing about war, it's easy to get into one, but very hard to get out. We are in a very scary place. Trump actually is beginning to believe he deserves to be President, that this is his destiny. His ego is skyhigh, like Johnson ....before Vietnam.....another one term President who thought he was smarter than everybody else in the room.
Just a thought, but maybe it became clear that the coordinates were as Iran is claiming.
(1) I don't understand the logic behind the plan: they want to drop bombs that would presumably kill people to retaliate for a drone--an unmanned machine, that was being used for surveillance and possibly provocation, possibly in their own airspace--being destroyed? Why would anyone do that? If a foreign adversary who had recently pulled out of a treaty with us sent a drone to spy on it, wouldn't we be justified in shooting it down? (2) Our so-called Commander-in-Chief is incompetent, and will likely blunder us into a war that only a few extremists on either side want.
So the airstrikes are called off? Whew. Someone must have reminded Trump that McCain once generated a minor controversy by singing, "bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran" during a campaign stop in 2007. Not one to let go of a grudge, Trump will now re- sign the Iran- Obama deal (with Obama's name scratched out and Trump's in its stead) and negotiate to build a self-named tower in downtown Tehran. I guess ego driven foreign policy can occasionally produce good outcomes for the rest of us.
This is standard trump. First he calls attention to himself. Then he backtracks while everyone simmers and then he hits forward. I'm not sure if it is indicisiveness or intentional. trump THRIVES on attention.
Throughout the Cold War, there were a dozen or more shoot -downs of US aircraft by the USSR, China and North Korea. No counter "strikes" were made by the US.
For example, the North Korean downing in 1969 of an EC-121 in international waters. Thirty-one Americans died.
Nixon and Kissinger did nothing.
Why would we even consider the possibility if igniting a war over the loss of a pilotless drone?
And let's not forget the shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes in which 290 passengers and crew died.
1
The danger here is that the only advisor to keep us from war is the Pentagon, which lays a top the military industrial complex. The odds of a war starting are increasing faster than most thought. Glad Congressional leaders are pushing against war authorization.
The diplomats have gone and left us with chickenhawks and chest thumpers. The leadership across gov. branches is vanishing. Did they really think they could employ the"bloody nose" strategy and there not be further escalation?
Speak up now.
1
Vlad probably expressed his disapproval through the back channels, usurping every one of trump's advisers.
Mr Trump needs to change channels from Fox to The History Channel. 70 years of us interfering in Iran has consistently been the wrong move. On the other hand, if the goal is to steal Iran's oil then Trump is your man.
Was it just theatrics? Trump’s brand of gamesmanship?
Trump has this pattern of behavior. The latest example before this was with the Mexican Tariffs threat. He got right up to it and suddenly there was this magical deal. I don't know what happened here, but for now cooler heads may have prevailed. No one knows how long this will last. Trump has caused this situation with the pull-out from the Nuclear Treaty and putting on harsh sanctions and letting his hawks--Pompeo and Bolton--run their mouths. If war comes, it's on Trump. Maybe some little part of him knows that.
2
We follow the Cheney precedent at our peril. Cheney's bad faith intelligence doomed 3000 of our young soldiers to a violent death on foreign shores along with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, many of them civilians. Now the same bad actors are provoking a war on trumped up evidence. Trump's rejection of diplomacy and his utter lack of credibility will leave our nation without allies in Europe and would provoke retaliatory action throughout the world if we continue on our violent and ill-informed trajectory. Who benefits from these manufactured wars? Ask Cheney's military contractor friends how much they profited from that war as merchants of violence and death.
3
I’m not sure it matters where the drone was flying. We are in the provocateur in this situation. Our policy toward Iran guaranteed that this day would come and Trump and his third string advisors guarantee maximum danger.
1
We use the ADIZ to monitor and intercept Russian aircraft approximately 200 miles from U.S. or Canadian Coasts. From published reports, Russian aircraft never get closer than 39 miles.
It would be interesting to know what we would do if a known adversary came within 17 miles of our coast.
1
Iran is no threat to the U.S. Iran is not our enemy. North Korea has nuclear capability to hit the Pacific coast of the U.S. Trump should be focused on North Korea and stop harassing Iran.
2
I certainly didn't vote for Trump, but it's great that he made the right decision here. I imagine that he is getting a huge amount of pressure from everyone around him to do this.
For the partisan warriors out there, look up an interview with Obama in the New Yorker published after he left office where he talks about the immense pressure of the "Washington playbook". No matter which side of the partisan divide, Washington has a certain thing it wants done. In this case, it is strikes on (and likely war with) Iran. I don't care how vile of a human being Trump is, he made the right decision here and to do so he resisted all the force of that Washington playbook to make it.
6
Let's hope what transpired really was a change of heart and not Trump floating a trial balloon to deploy military action for his 2020 prospects! What are the chances that this man believes all's fair in war and elections?
I haven't a clue as to why the "stand down" order was issued.
All I can say and feel is a heartfelt "Thank goodness" and a deep sigh of relief. The U.S. does NOT need to be engaged in another conflict. Lately, our track record stinks so why go looking for yet another never ending conflict that does nothing but cost billions of dollars and many, many, many lives.
4
The President seems to be 'running' the country like it is his mom & pop business. Pile on debt, renege on contracts, lie and claim it was mere puffery, delay legitimate payments for work already performed etc etc.
What has that got to do with situations like Iran?
In a business situation, when the risk reaches an unsustainable level, you declare bankruptcy and leave others holding the bag. In the current situation, when the situation implodes, the negative consequences reach us (and our children and grandchildren). And the consequences are global.
3
Say what you want about the Iran agreement but as a minimum it brought Iran in . Over the years talks and negotiations could occur with Iran seeing itself less as an adversary and more as a partner.
The Iran situation if it could not be solved , it could at least be managed.
With Trump its" shoot first, ask questions later".
So where do we go from here ? more conflict? war?
I do not see Trump rejoining the agreement.
1
We as a country have been down this road way too many times before: Remember the Maine, the Gary Powers U-2 incident, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, the list could go on. There have been case after case of the American people being encouraged to support a confrontation with another country for reasons that were later proven to be entirely bogus or of our own making. Considering that this President makes a daily habit of lying, we shouldn't believe anything that he says at this point.
1
Apparently, Donald Trump did not understand that Mike Pompeo and John Bolton do not use bombastic, war-mongering talk as a negotiation tool. Trump does, but not these men. He now is trapped in a crisis that he created and one that he may not be able to 'walk back' as he so often does.
This country now faces yet another crisis which can directly be placed at the feet of Trump. It is no surprise that in the latest poll, only 37% of the respondents indicated that Trump should be re-elected. That number may be the last number above 30% if Pompeo and Bolton have their way.
1
Heaven help us if Iran does start a "formal" war beyond their "Mother of all wars" since they know we have no national resolve to fight one. How can we ever win without the Greatest Generation behind us? We are split in every direction and can't make a single move that our pols and citizenry supports.
Here's a general comment.
In the future, the office of president should be performed by people who have served in some level in official public service. Whether it be a local council person, mayor, congress, whatever.
The office of president is in charge of actual lives, not just making or spending money. We don't know the details of what transpired, but what we do see is a person who our country is suppose to look to for clear decision making. A few minutes longer and we would have a full blown war that would be unwinable. Just for the fact that a war with Iran would be an asymmetrical battle. We would be dealing with a very capable military, with some serious fanatical allies willing to fight a conventional war with terrorist tactics.
We have a president who doesn't like or listen to criticism, who insulates himself with carnival conventions. Our country has not been served well. What good is a bump in your 401k when our country's blood and treasure is poured into another war started by a man child who has never served the public?
5
there are so many things I wish he would reconsider but I like this decision. lord only knows what his motivation is but this isa wise decision..... what comes next?
The Pentagon is concerned, and it's most likely concerned about the safety of US forces in Afghanistan. If Iran is attacked why wouldn't they attack US forces on their eastern border? How would the US protect them?
As we get closer to the election, Trump will do whatever it takes to look strong. It may have all been a sham - he never intended to send missiles to strike Iran - he only wanted to make it look like he was about to do it. How else will he compromise America's security before the election?
We've lost the moral high ground with the international community. We build support by being honest, respectful and strong. Under Trump, our words, actions and deeds have not been honest, respectful or strong. Trust is earned, by keeping your word, the US along with international countries made a deal with Iran on a specific issue, the US convoluted the issue and broke the deal, full stop. Not we're trying to change the perception of who's actions are to blame. From the perspective of Saudi Arabia, and Israel (how conveniently untainted, I mean fare and balanced is that?)
Despite having the worlds most powerful military we look weaker now than before he broke the deal; I blame TRUMP, and his State & National Security minions. Trump has so tied his agenda to undoing whatever Obama accomplished as his MO, without considering fallout or consequences. He has no hesitation to reneging on his word on serious issues, but his word is now the word of our nation; and the impact to our nation may not be so easy to rectify. The GOP are so pleased with Trump the deal maker; I wonder if anyone can identify any deals he's made for the good of our country? (no doubt deals for the Trump family, Kushner's, along with swamp creatures in his cabinet ripping off the treasury, either directly or with slimy self serving executive policy decisions).
2
This is how wars get started. Indecision on the part of our leader just shows, once again, that he is NOT the "stable genius" that he claims to be. It sounds as though someone was able to stop his latest tantrum in time. He as done everything he can to provoke Iran. What did he think would happen? It's way past time for him to leave.
"'It’s documented scientifically, not just words.'”
Sure.
And is the heroic last minute restraint sourced anywhere but in one of his tweets?
Kudos for the military who are opposing the deranged diktats of Trump’s war cabinet, placing US soldiers in harms way for no reason and throwing the US into another military confrontation that surely will bring nothing but woe.
Opposing such actions is the patriotic thing to do and hopefully this opposition as well as the opposition from common citizens and Congress, as well as our allies, will remain and become stronger.
Trump changes his mind, yet again. Starting a strike then calling it off sends a signal to Iran and the world which anyone can interpret however they wish. Iran will probably see it as a sign that US had second thoughts and got scared to proceed.
What's next; that he changes his mind and wants back into the Iran agreement, like he did with TPP?
Or maybe he'll demand a deal with Iran which is little different than the existing agreement, except that Trump will take credit for it?
China and N Korea must see this as further evidence that Trump has no plan and little ability to get anything done; it will embolden them all the further.
I laugh at the people that think this is all about reelection. First of all the free stuff crowd offer little competition to him. There was much more fighting during the Obama administration, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Egypt. Outside of aggression towards Iran, that up to this point has been peaceful. The Trump administration has maintained much more calm internationally and domestically then seen in the previous 8 years.
2
Trump not approving strikes is one of the smartest things he has done. Of course, he should go to Congress first anyway, which he somewhat did with a meeting. But, second, Trump once again made a problem that didn't have to happen. Trump is America's greatest enemy, not the Iranians. Remember, Iran did not carry out 9/11. It was mostly Saudi's who followed through on Bin Laden's plan.
Trump has worked hard to disconnect reality from language, as Masha Gessen pointed out a couple of years ago in the NY Review of Books and elsewhere. The only thing that is reliable about Trump is that what he says and what is true have no necessary relationships. When he says: it is documented scientifically not just words, he is trying to walk back his whole existence as a showman. What does that even mean? As if science doesn’t occur in language? Who knows if there even was a drone?
Either it was or it wasn't . We have satellites an GPS everywhere. Whats the mystery?
Trump broke what was once fixed. If he wants a fight let him put Don Jr., Eric, Jared, and Ivanka at the point of the spear in harms way. No Trump has ever served in the military but they sure love to play at being generals.
1
If only he had an ounce of credibility. This is when being able to trust the president is crucial. He is busy trying to gauge how all this plays to his base instead of the interests of the country.
1
Bolton, Pompeo, and Haspel favored military strikes.
The military didn’t favor military strikes.
Trump had to choose.
He chose wisely. I knew he would.
1
Donald Trump doesn't want a hot war. That's my take. He was critical of our Iraq war, unlike most Republican pols. He knows that a war will depress the stock market. It will erode his already shaky standing in approval polls. He also knows that conducting a war, where he's the decision-maker (he doesn't delegate authority well to others) is not in his skill-set. Losing a drone, even a costly one isn't worth, to him, the political risk. He'd weigh the politics first. If American lives are lost, he'd feel more political justification. We're not there yet.
The shooting down over a $130m unmanned drone doesn't warrant a military response despite the urging of Larry (Mike Pompeo), Moe (John R. Bolton) and Curlyjoe (Gina Haspel).
Maybe [Lord] Trump, after rising from his autotheist chair in the Situation Room rolled the numbers around, had a moment of clarity and realized its just not an effective strategy - it would cost more to retaliate.
2
The day after the election, it was my prediction that tRump would get us into a war because there is nothing like a war to make a President unimpeachable. I'm crossing my fingers that I was totally wrong. It seems possible that even an amateur conman has some common sense.
Compare his demeanor to Kennedy's during the Cuba missile crisis. Could anyone be less Presidential than the 2nd place winner residing in the WH? Still, I'm hoping we somehow maneuver through this without a war.
If a spy drone have invade United States air space it would have been shot down. The first question is who order the drone to go on the mission? The United States is not in a position to start a war. It is time for trump to go either by the amendment in the Constitution or impeachment.
Iran has no economy. Held back from true discourse and diplomacy by fundamentalist chokeholds, the country is poor. The people are kept in the dark.
Weapons sales are its bread and butter. Trump sets a good example by trying to sell weapons to the Saudis.
The last US war that was fought for legitimate reasons was WWII.
The US made a lot of money during that war even as it lost a lot of people.
Since then making war machines has made the US number one in developing these items.
So why not keep turbulence brewing all over the world
It seems that our country now has been actively engaging in active progressive warfare every since then crying "I was protecting US interest and sovereignty.
Please tell me how in the world is the US protecting our interest when it goes into another's hemisphere halfway around the world?
It's all about the money.
2
Trump pulled out of the Iran deal because Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel wanted him to. These countries never liked the deal because even though it restricted Iran's ability to build nukes, it allowed Iran to build its conventional military and strengthen its hand in the region.
The Obama administration pursued the nuclear deal because they decided that America's chief concern was nuclear and that the US has meddled too much in the Middle East. They understood the nuclear deal would lead to an increase in regional conflict, at least in the short-term. They felt this was an acceptable risk because the US has become cornered in the region. They (we) prop up regimes who mistreat large segments of their own population and have allied with one side of an internecine conflict. The Obama administration wanted the US to step back and allow regional powers to sort out their disputes because they (Obama admin) were aware of the negative effects colonialism, negative even when intent is benign.
The Trump administration wants to go backward, to unlearn complicated lessons. They are not willing to allow regional players to sort out their problem. They are afraid of losing control of the conflict and they don't believe colonialism perpetuates conflict. Regardless, they are focused on control now, at the expense of the future. They are deciding to return to the strategy of allying 100% with Iran's regional foes.
Additionally, Trump himself probably just views Iran as a plot of land.
1
This is the very picture of a mind that is driven by emotions rather than reason. When behavior shifts with mood nobody knows what will happen a few minutes into the future. Rather dangerous.
13
I don't mind the President changing his mind and aborting the attack, as long as he had a valid reason to do so. I hope it wasn't just a random twitch of his attention deficit mind, or the last phone call he received from someone or other. His herky jerky thought processes and total lack of knowledge about international relationships, diplomacy, history, or the consequences of random belligerence by the guy giving orders to the Pentagon inspire no confidence in me. At times like this we need an actual competent leader not Donald Trump. I wonder what Friday will bring.
It's a good thing he didn't draw a red line like Obama, because that would have been bad and would have lost the US a lot of respect.
Kudos to Justin Trudeau, a man with iron self control. How he kept from laughing during that silly press conference is a mystery to me.
4
@greppers It was like listening to an eight-year-old describe how he “almost”
beat up another kid up but didn’t.
The Global Hawk was not designed to evade surface to air missiles as stated in this article. It is a slow, non-stealthy aircraft that loiters at a relatively modest 65,000 feet (Gary Powers was shot down at over 70,000 feet nearly 60 years ago). Clearly vulnerable to SAMs, the drone’s mission is to loiter outside of hostile airspace collecting visual and electronic data from afar. Additionally, the aircraft lost was a variant of the Global Hawk called a Broad Area Maritime Surveillance- Demonstrator, a predecessor to the Navy’s MQ-4 Triton. This aircraft is designed to fly at lower altitudes than its Global Hawk cousin, where it is at even greater risk.
8
@Campbell
So in other words, it's great trolling bail if one wants to incur an attack/excuse for hostilities.
Timing seems suspect to me. Just when the Senate voted to block the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, there was an “ incident” to show how Iran was indeed “ dangerous”.
16
“We have it all documented. It’s documented scientifically, not just words.” Implicit reminder that Trump's "words" are seldom truthful. Also - Trump's statement are just his useless words. Suggestion for Trump: Let this be a learning moment. Forget about have a war and boosting your re-election campaign, and spend the rest of your term trying to establish yourself as a credible leader. If you were not such an dishonest person, MAYBE your words would count for something. That still won't solve your problem of having zero support from our allies - but we'll leave that lesson for another day.
6
Trump wanted a better deal with Iran. Well, now he's getting that deal. Mining shipping routes in the Gulf, and obviously the possibility of stepped up Iranian agression toward Israel. More expensive oil... who does that help? The frackers? Sounds like the "Drill Baby Drill" people got to Trump, along with the tariff seekers - US Steel and Whirlpool. Yes, foreign policy dictated by corporate greed. Trump as the front man.
7
Trump has painted himself into a corner. What else is new.
8
I don't think Trump will initiate hostilities with Iran, not out of principle or reason, but because it would almost certainly cost him his re-election. I think they will cook up an excuse for Israel to attack Iran and then "go to Israel's aid."
4
Where are the professionals in the State Department?
7
They all left under Tillerson. That was his job; to gut State
President Trump was correct to HOLD OFF on a military response. We don't need another war in the Middle East. The war will only benefit the military-industrial complex and the Israeli lobby. Mr. President, stay away from Iran. They are 3 times larger than Iraq, and will hurt us. You were elected to get us out of that morass of the Middle East.
2
One explanation for the "pull back" would be if Trump found out that he had been misled by his advsiors into approving an opeation already under way. In other words he pulled back when he saw he had been "suckered" by his advisors. Trump would react to this, given his personality. As for the location of the drone, who can tell? One thing is sure: the drone was up to no go, from the point of view of the Iranians. If a foreign drone approached the US you can be sure it would have been shot down also.
5
Using the drone attack as justification to strike Iran is like blaming the fish for aggression after it bites your baited hook.
Trump only stopped it because he calculated that it would be bad for him. Our credibility on the world stage is eroded every day Trump remains in office.
13
Why do we give a hoot? So tired of being the self appointed world’s policeman.
Supposedly, China and Japan import the most petrol through the strait. Where is China’s brand spanking new Navy? Where is Japan’s Self Defense Force? Where is the European Union?
Oops, a bridge too far, Euros ain’t coming. No matter what.
We should declare victory and make like a tree and leave. There is never going to be peace in that region. Period.
Sad day when a lifelong Republican cannot believe his own military and intelligence agencies. My generation suffered 50,000 Americans dead in Viet Nam after being lied to by our government over what happened in the Tonkin Gulf. We killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis after being lied to by our government's "slam dunk" assurances about WMD and yellow cake. Now who can trust any assessment coming out of DC? It's long past time for us to get out of the morass that's the Middle East. Let Bibi and MBS do their own dirty work, alone or in collusion. Let the Europeans protect their sources of energy. Bring our boys, and girls, home.
6
Since we can position postage-stamp-reading satellites above Iran any time we desire, why on earth would we need to position a drone even close to Iran if not to test for weaknesses for a potential strike?
6
@William Perrigo
A pretty costly "test" if you ask me; $138 million up in smoke, when, as you say, we have satellites that can see inside our cars. I can't help thinking what good could be done with that kind of money.
The GOP, not content to spend trillions on the illegal and immoral wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is now willing to wage an even worse one - and yet it is Bernie Sanders who is the threat for wanting universal healthcare and free education?
15
Could it be said, could one dare say this: that the words patriotism and loyalty condone or encourage genocide, the murder of civilians, the destruction of nations, and the cunning schemes of wealthy persons and corporations that stand to make a profit out of war. And that, in today's world, there should be no place, in a civilized and advanced country, for these words to be used to excuse a president's rush to war ... even if it be for the noble purpose of getting reelected and further enriching the already obscenely rich?
4
So our military industrial complex designed drones that couldn’t be shot down by surface to air missiles?
I hope there is a return policy for these drones to whoever makes them
2
Why are we even over there? Can’t we just leave the rest of the world alone?
7
We almost started a war over the loss of an unmanned machine ?
7
Errr, quick question : How come a supposed to be sophistated UAV that cost $130 Million a piece gunned down by (most likely by S-300 missile) a $1 million dollar missile ? Yes the entire S-300 system can cost $110 million, but still the math doesn't add up. Especially if you discounted the $110 million by the fact that S-300 was a 1970's technology
3
Trump has led us to the brink of a major confrontation with Iran, and very possibly even a wider war in the Middle East with his posturing and dangerous escalation of the Iranian situation. First, his unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, then his ramping up on iranian sanctions, and now his deployment of heavy offensive strike forces to the region. John Bolton and his neocon cronies have been itching for this for a long time. This latest incident with the drone smacks of the WMD fiasco advanced by Dick Cheney and company during the last Bush administration. And can it be a coincidence that it comes at a time when our "very stable genius" president faces challenges to his seat in the 2020 presidential election amid very serious ongoing investigations into his campaign's behavior vis a vis Russia in 2016? Nothing but a war suffices to ensure a second term for a sitting president, as history well documents, Unless the few remaining responsible Republicans in the Senate summon the courage to stop this nonsense and stand up to this president we are doomed to repeat extremely grave past mistakes.
4
"this drone was in international waters" "It's all documented scientifically."
Since when does Trump put his assurances on anything scientific?
5
I do not trust what our government said about the drone shoot down. Trump and his warmongering cabal have released no believable data that the drone was in international waters. Only Iran has released tangible info.
Since Trump and his cohorts lie constantly there is no reason to believe them. Many I have spoken to instead believe Iran. It is shameful that Americans cannot trust their own government and that we feel this way. But it is logical that we are suspicious.
4
I'd rather we sit this one out immediately.
4
I love NPR, but am very disappointed with the network's coverage of the US-Iran conflict, as heard on Morning edition. One of the program's female hosts-I think it's Rachel Martin--appears to support the ham-fisted Trump administration's actions against Iran. She has accepted largely without question the statements of obviously biased interviewees who support those actions. When those critical of the Trump administration's conduct speak out, she challenges them, parroting hawkish views.
Altogether,this reporter is subtly helping to establish justifications for a US war with Iran. Her interviews sound much like some of those from the buildup to the Iraq invasion.
I love NPR, but this must stop.
8
True: NPR for all its very fair and liberal viewpoints practically put out a Welcome mat to the Iraq war
3 things stand out in this article.
1) It is the first time I heard/read that Iran issued multiple warning to the US prior to shooting down the drone.
-Did the Iranians in fact issue multiple warnings? Why was that not mentioned in either the military official statement or the Trump briefing? What was the US immediate response if a warning was issued?
2) The Northrop Grumman drone that cost $130 million dollars was supposed to be undetectable.
-Why was an undetectable drone detected? What action is being taken by Northrop Grumman to correct this? Is the military holding Grumman accountable in any way?
3) Iran claims 12 nautical miles (approx 13 actual miles) off their coast as their airspace. The US was within 21 miles of their actual coast.
- If you compare what Iran considers “their airspace”and where the US said they were in relation to the Iranian “coastline”, that puts the drone approximately 8 miles out of Iran’s airspace.
In a period of mounting tension between the US and Iran, does anyone not think that being within 8 miles of Iran’s airspace is not provocative? If the situations were reversed, what would the US reaction be?
I suggest we ignore all advise from Bolton, Graham or Pompeo.
We do not have clean hands.
3
@LeslieTwice on the 19th Russia crossed over into Japans Air space while being trailed by Japanese jet fighters.
The plane was not shot down.
It’s a little hypocritical isn’t it. We have drones deployed around the world that operate within various countries territorial limits. These drones assassinate real, or perceived, terrorists inside a country's territorial limits. The principle that an individual cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards is basically ignored. Collateral damage is deemed acceptable if the target is considered “high value”.
4
What a dangerous ruler the U.S. has right now. I say"ruler" because he's not acting like an elected official.
3
Trump is being urged, by Graham, Cotton, Bolton et. al. to bomb Iranian naval vessels. I wonder if Iran has the missile capability to sink or severely damage the USS Lincoln? Imagine the how that would be received.
1
Enough with the unitary executive military responses. Military actions against any foreign nation must be approved by an action of Congress, not the President alone.
This executive authority is a misinterpreted residual from the September 2001 S.J. Resolution 23 that authorized the President to “use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided theterrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizationsor persons....”. The recent tensions and action by Iran are not part of that authorization so Congress must approve any use of force.
If there is confusion on this issue, then Congress should pass legislation spelling out how acts of war are under the purview and authority of Congress, not the Executive Branch.
5
Trump's actions should be discussed under ther rubric of who's pulling Trump's strings at times like these, times that need a critical thinker at the helm and not someone with all that cheap-optic, chest-pounding, garrulous nonsense Trump's come up with to replace press briefings on the white house lawn like the Howdy Doody character Mr. Bluster.
Trump's 'favorable' polling numbers have been consistently in the mid forties since he got Rudolph Giuliani on board, close to two years now. But Trump's handlers know he'll need to pick up another four, five points to win in 2020. Going to war with Iran would appeal to his base, but he's got them no matter whast this president does. That's a given. It's that mid-range, undecided voter he needs to convince.
And, as ythe saying goes, "Here they go again". And by that I mean all those left-leaning 'talking heads' mentioning polls going south for Trump. Well, they're not. They have to quit using polls like Quinnipiac. This Univertsity poll is always running a skewed three to five points against Trump when it comes to 'favorability vs favorability'. it's deceptive. Trump is holding steady in the most reliable Nate Silver '538' polling and has been for over a year when it gauges 'most likely or registered voters'.
4
Americans's unwillingness or inability to value diplomacy promote WAR to demonstrate our "strength".
Buckle up..here we go again.
1
We are justifying our actions as “self-defense” when we are standing over Iran with a carrier group and flying survellience drones off their coast (if we can believe our lying president).
Why? Because Iran is not abiding by the treaty WE RENEGED on and instead are trying to strangle this country with sanctions.
Didn’t Trump justify tariffs on steel as a matter of military security?
Hard to claim Iran is the aggressor when we are thousands of miles from home standing militarily off its shore. The world has long given the US a pass as an aggressor trusting us. Trump has shown the world he is a wanna-be dictator who.....to put it bluntly....lies ALL THE TIME to our allies, to our citizens.
5
Sad and sick that we can't trust our own government to keep us OUT of war, when it's obvious it wants one for strictly political purposes - to help Trump get re-elected. Anyone who votes for this man should be drafted and sent to the war he starts. If you believe in him so much, you can do the fighting.
3
Sorry, this is a re-election ploy; the Donald would like everyone to think that he is a benevolent, caring thoughtful person. He doesn't have a nice, kind bone in his corrupt body.
Not everyone was born yesterday, Donald.
4
While Trump's rhetoric and post-election actions have horrified and demoralized me, until now I haven't been frightened. I wrongfully believed other national leaders would prevent his narcissistic insanity from getting us into a war with another nation. I am now afraid, very, very afraid. Americans, please come to your senses.
2
Moral equivalency. Just as the Soviets were on the same moral level as the USA, now Iran is. Yes, the Mullahs in Iran are just the same as any US politician. Why not move there?
2
Trump consistently uses distraction to take us away from the horrendous problems with his poor leadership and chaotic administration. He is now bringing us to the brink of war to divert our attention away from his many domestic problems.
I ask, how much longer can Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress sit and watch this unstable madman bring us to verge of an armed conflict? When does Trump cross Pelosi’s red line?
Nancy you recently said Trump needs an intervention do your job and draw up the articles of impeachment.
3
Lindsey Graham and other Republican Senators can forget re-election if they continue to support Trump’s
Warmongering. Americans do NOT want another Republican war. We want peace!!
3
It is somewhere between amusing and downright frightful to read these comments indicating that the theocratic Iran is somehow a normal, peace loving, passive nation just looking to live out their existence. The idea that Iran was just minding their own business when Trump "started something" is beyond the pale. It is willful ignorance.
Iran is, and has been, the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world. They have promised to destroy Israel (of course, these days, among Libs Israel's existence is considered a provocation). Iran is a radical Islamic nation with Jihad as their primary objective. This goes back decades, not until the last election. The deal that Obama and the EU made was absurd, and was nothing but an effort to kick the can down the road a few years until Iran had The Bomb. Trump was right to pull out of a farce. And btw: did Iran behave all during the time of the agreement? Not even for a second.
And now the "war monger" Trump, who has taken far less military action during his Presidency than Obama did, is being criticized for even responding to Iranian provoked attacks with only a show of force?
This is exactly the kind of head-in-the-sand thinking that led to WWII. Refusal to face down an evil enemy always winds up in a worse situation eventually.
1
I'm so glad it's not Russia running US Middle East policy.
I'm so glad it's Saudi Arabia and Israel running US Middle East policy.
I'm so glad Jared Kushner and Sheldon Adelson are running US Middle East policy.
4
The USA has become a farce.
As Trump keeps pumping the blood into his base, we keep going further and further off track.
That part is frightening and irresponsible.
But the farce is that there are those in government who can stop this train wreck from happening but let it continue because they love power and are afraid of standing up to Trump and risk losing their seats in the next election cycle.
We tore up that contract with Iran. We are the ones who are rattling sabers. We are the ones posturing and brazenly choosing war over right and just action.
We are the ones who are stoking and kindling the 'fires' in the Middle East. In short, we are the threat to peace, decency and human rights.
The GOP is single-handedly draining America of its resources, terminating our ability to project soft power, undermining whatever moral standing we have in the world.
They have to go. They should be prosecuted and put in jail.
2
trump was not there, so he cannot be exactly sure whether the drone was in international air space.
Trump claims he was against the U.S. war with Iraq. But now Trump is provoking Iran after unilaterally reneging on a pact with Iran to curtail nuclear weapons.
This is not Trump's garden variety hypocrisy -- like accusing Obama of playing too much golf and then playing far more times himself. Lives are at stake here.
If Trump leads us to bloodshed, we cannot sit by quietly and allow a malignant narcissist to spawn death, pain and suffering to placate his fragile ego.
Resist. Protest. Speak out.
3
First he says he will, then he won't.. He's undecided now; what are you gonna do?"
WOW! wouldn't we ALL be so surprised to wake up and find that we are at hot war again in the Middle East.
Iran, USA and others...all men who will reduce their countries to rubble for pride and profit.
Look at Assad...rules over a pile of bricks and a rag tag army, but, man, does he have the POWER! He WON! ( with a lot of help from Russia)
So now we, the American people, are willing to destroy human life for the sake of an advanced, exorbitantly expensive flying robot?
2
Meanwhile, on July 3, 1988 the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air flight 655, a commercial Iranian airliner flying over the Strait of Hormuz killing all 290 people on board while the passenger plane was still in Iranian airspace. Remember the Tonkin Gulf incident, a US Military made up an incident to get Congressional and Americans support for war in Vietnam. And you want us to believe anything our US Military tells us?
3
Impeach Trump. That'll stop this madness. (and Mueller gave us the grounds.)
So far Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are not doing their job.
5
Better an unmanned drone down than a pilot in captivity. Plus you know where the missile was fired from. It might help to knock out some of Irans air defence system.
1
Don't send in the drones.
Send in the clowns.
Send Jared. He's famous for Middle East peace. Especially when it involves investment opportunities in kingdoms where the leaders have no scruples. On the world stage there's nothing like proposing to build a hotel smack dap in the middle of a dilemma that has roiled the world for decades. If not centuries.
4
Iran has captured a number of US reconnaissance drones over the years, some by accident, some by design. The latest intercept is no big deal. The US can solve any similar problems in the future by backing away from provocative approaches. Fools that suggest a military response to the loss of an unmanned aircraft are recommending that American and Iranian boys should come home to their mothers in coffins.
1
An "acting" cabinet is perfect for a president that is only playing at his job. Our acting president has no clue about how to run a country, nevermind commanding the most powerful military on the planet.
2
We have a dangerous president. We don't even know who persuaded Trump to call this apparent overkill action off. The atmosphere of belligerence and threats towards Iran has been entirely instigated by Trump. He takes differences to the edge, as though we call the shots in the world, then somehow extreme action is called off. This fits entirely with his failed dealmaking style of bullying, clueless. Iran has ways of causing us great harm, including asymmetrically, to soft targets via terror tactics.
1
Really, I imagine that all of this is because Trump consulted and discussed an attack with his advisors in chief....Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. We all know what experts they are on Iran.
1
This is the trouble with 'real estate deal' behaviour and how it was that years of experience developed the discipline known as 'diplomacy' as a preferred way of negotiating. Because in the real world of Global Interaction by country leaders, when millions of peoples lives are their responsibility, what you gonna do when your bluff and posturing and big talk and threats get called. The answer is that by careful attention to detail, by deep respect of those who work for you and know more than you do about the delicate and volatile nature of global politics and the crucial need for building good relationships, and specifically your role as President in that regard, around the world -you never let it reach that stage.
Blustering in with a 'How hard can it' and 'who needs experts' approach is ignorant and dangerous.
It seems, the attack on the oil tanker didn't produce the expected results.Shooting down a US drone didn't work either.What's next? A few defensive missile from your aircraft carrier, parked at Iran's front door. Even worse, your president will be another nineteen month in office.
What exactly is Trump's goal? Has he even thought about it? Force Iran into submission because he's so big and bad? Good luck with that!
2
Smart move to hold off. Keep the economic pressure on Iran to come to the table and talk about a permanent end to their nuke program and a permanent end to their proxy wars through terrorist organizations.
1
Let’s compare:
Saudi Arabia conducts an illegal war in Yemen and supports terrorist organizations, suppresses its people, violates human rights and supports death squads murdering its citizens.
President Trump visited Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad and showers them with the most modern weapons the US has to offer.
Iran conducts an illegal war in Yemen and supports terrorist organizations, suppresses its people, violates human rights and supports death squads murdering its citizens.
President Trump has pulled out of an international treaty that avoided nuclear armament of Iran, strangles Iran with economic warfare and provokes it with military built up on its border.
The US suffers from an Iranian derangement syndrome and is tricked by Israel and Saudi Arabia into attacking Iran.
Don’t fall for lies and don’t support the pervers logic of war. We have done this grave mistake before.
1
“This is a dangerous situation,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We are dealing with a country that is a bad actor in the region.
Yes, unfortunately it is the USA.
2
Where the STRIKE needs to be—
Is for Congress to finally relieve the United States and the world of this erratic dangerous unfit-for-president individual known as Trump.
1
"According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC):
It said the ‘Global Hawk’ spy drone took off from a US military base in south of the Persian Gulf at 19:44 GMT on Wednesday (00:14 am local time on Thursday), switched off all of its communication systems, and flew towards the port city of Chabahar via the Strait of Hormuz in maximum stealth.
When flying back to the western part of the region, the unmanned plane violated the Iranian airspace near the Strait of Hormuz and began to spy on Iran and collect information, the statement added.
The IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defense unit shot down the intruding drone in Iran’s airspace at 23:35 GMT, it noted."
So, the question is why the Global Hawk got detected? That can be: 1) tremendous US military mistake, or 2) Iran has the technology to detect surveillance aircrafts.
Why the delay? His grifting children and team of draft-dodging advisers don't yet have their designer military uniforms. They are on order for the July 4th festivities in D.C.
"They'll see how tough we are when we have on our shiny shoes, medals and shoulder braids. This is the last time we outsource time-sensitive work to China."
The problem with Donald Trump now is that after 10,000 lies can we believe anything that comes from his mouth or those around him? He has proclaimed that he loves the undereducated, but does anyone who IS educated actually trust his judgement?
The only thing that Donald Trump has been consistent about is that he never acts in America's best interest...He only acts for his own power and enrichment. Nothing like starting a little war to stay in power when your poll numbers are sagging.
1
Pelosi's comment referring to Iran as "a bad actor in the region" implies tacit support for Trump.
Don't count on the Democrats — a majority of whom went along with Bush's lies that led to the criminal invasion of Iraq — to keep the US out of war with Iran.
The Democrats voted to increase the Pentagon's budget right along with the Republicans.
The United States is controlled by a two-party warmongering plutocracy.
2
Where are the STRIKE needs to be—
Is for Congress to finally relieve the United States and the world of this erratic dangerous unfit-for-president individual known as Trump.
1
The real story here is how we have such an obviously incompetent person occupying the White House. I cringe listening to him blabber his disjointed and simplistic thoughts.
All I can think of is the story of the Emperor's New Clothes as I watch everyone seeming to take him very seriously when it's clear that he's incapable of carrying out the responsibilities of this job
1
All the blame for this provocation lies with our dear leader, starting with the withdrawal from the Nuclear Pact. Trump and his henchmen are itching to start an unnecessary fight. The United States, under Republican administrations, has an endless appetite for war and destruction.
This administration is trying very hard to provoke a war with Iran. Congress, please stop this from happening before it is too late!
1
Is this a “Wag the Dog” moment? Very convenient that this decision comes the week before the first Democratic debate. How better to deflect attention and also to cast a pall of possible war over the proceedings? It’s too Alex-Jones-y to accuse them of provoking the Iranians to shoot down the drone, but this guy is focused like a laser on events that he can take advantage of.
Nothing is more important than the decision that the President stayed away from an imminent strike against Iran. This is commendable.
Neither the President nor the country wants any more war on Mid East. President’s own base do not want any war, and nor does the rest of the world. Europe would be incensed if USA goes into a war with Iran by provoking it from the start.
Congress is not all that keen to get into war via proxies like Saudis and UAE; that’s why arms sales to these countries was questioned by a bipartisan move, which, though, got vetoed.
Given all this, our thanks to the President for the best decision he took on this.
5
As usual, no solid evidence to back up Trump's claims either in connection with the two tankers in the Gulf last week and the surveillance aircraft which was probably violating Iranian airspace, as the Iranians have supplied GPS coordinates and the U.S. has not. Trump, Bolton and Pompeo are all affected by serious mental impairments making them unfit for the critical positions they hold. Trump's extreme narcissism, Bolton's obsessive behavior (not to mention his apparent need for a strong enema) and Pompeo's evangelistic delusions of "end times" and "armegeddon". Ms. Pelosi's statement after being "briefed" is, once again, extremely disappointing, to say the least.
7
Trump may be cautious because he doesn’t trust the military or the IC. He should seek third party verification of where the drone was before he decides what to do.
This goes way back to my youth. Sonny Fox, Henny Youngman, Milton Berle? "What's shaped like a box, smells like a lox and flies. A flying lox box."
Only this one was $130,000,000.
2
@Eddie GrewupinjerseybutnowlostintheGers
Sonny Fox
I was on Just For Fun once. Gold team.
Sonny Fox also hosted Wonderama.
Sonny Fox is still alive
If Trump attacks IRAN w/o congress approval, we must hand him to ICC.
2
I'd rather the president kept his hostility to a minimum, say, shooting some unarmed person on Fifth Avenue, than wielding the big stick that is the US military.
6
Given the wall-to-wall mendacity of Trump, only a fool would believe anything he says. With Trump and the danger of Iran, are we approaching the “boy who cried wolf” story in real life?
6
The key sentence in this article is: “No government officials asked the New York Times to withhold this article.” Translation: the US government wants to appear as level-headed and rational before they proceed with a full attack. Elementary my dear Watson.
3
This respite is temporary. Our open-mouthed, closed-ear fool is going to let Bolton and his ilk back us into a war.
Our real enemies are wily and will bid their time. Trump, on the other hand, is talentless and clueless. Whatever Iran's game is, it not does not involve mistakes. Trump should keep his big mouth shut and listen to someone other than his war mongers.
4
@Peak Oiler
When you said our enemy is wily and will bide his time, i thought you were talking about Putin.
This is what happens when you hire the wrong guys - war hawks like Bolton and Pompeo.
6
Is it possible the Iranian system simply glitched? Showing the drone in Iranian territory when it was actually inside international waters?
Never attribute to malice or intent what can be blamed on human stupidity.
1
Iran provides proof of drone location while the USA provides a flight path. The USA can do better and if they have indisputable proof that the drone not over Iran then they should provide it. The President is a liar and the military does and says what it’s told. So this morning it appears that the USA has provoked Iran so as to justify an attack.
6
I think Trump is a 'genius'. He all along planned to threaten and then pull back. Remember what he did with North Korea? Fire and whatnot and then fall in love with Kim. Now he is about to fall in love with an Ayatollah.
3
War = ‘Squirrel!’. Misdirection at play. Solves SO many US imbalances at a critical time: re-election, solidifying domestic support, looming economic problems, etc.
When a country spends $4 trillion a year on military and doesn’t use it, how do you justify it? It’s like having 20 cars, 19 of which you don’t use, and asking to buy more....on credit.
Destabilizing the Persian Gulf is incredibly stupid policy. All of these countries want to kill each other already. Bring your to a gasoline party.
Isn’t it enough that we supply weapons to Israel, Saudi, etc?
The US overthrows a democratically elected government in Iran by a CIA covert coup in 1953, and puts in a Shah (who did not even want the throne & had run away).
US continues to support the Shah as he grows stronger, loves the power, loots his country, amasses wealth, and builds his Savak force that brutalizes the citizens.
Finally the Iranian people revolt in1979 and bring in Ayatollah Khomeini. Shah flees.
US labels Iran a terrorist state. Does the CIA coup of 1953 in Iran constitute labelling US a terrorist state?
US walks out of the nuclear treaty... just when relations had started thawing.
US continues to push Iran into a corner at the behest of the most despicable government on the planet... the Saudis. US needs to stop talking about democracy when it is in bed with all the dictators!
It would not be surprising if the drone was shot down by the US itself to plant the blame on Iran...an excuse to start a war.
US...if you want to prove you are a world leader, then spend time in building bridges and bringing nations together. Building & promoting peace; not continuing to sell arms to stoke more wars. For all the money spent on arms, there could be schools & paid teachers in every nation around the world teaching peace and living in harmony on this one planet we all call home!
Dear US...want to try a different approach? Imagine! A world with no wars! Can you?
6
Unfit officials are acting very very dangerously. As Somebody said yesterday: there was stupid people involved into the drone destruction (but also into the provocation and suspended retaliation). Evil is everywhere. Let's start WWIII? That's is the idea? Iran, the US, and many other sides closely responsible should rest this very moment to their experienced and adult people (and unfit official take the chance to listen and learn). Let's send 'childrens' to the backyard, because adults needs to Talk.
1
Iran shoot down a DRONE and we are going to get into another hideous, deadly forever war? And the administration thinks our allies are going to follow us down this insane path? The President is mentally unbalanced, a chaotic personality that bullies our allies, frustrates justice, and lies with every sentence. This cannot go on. Armageddon anyone?
3
War with Iran would be really stupid and dangerous. Have we learned nothing from the war in Iraq? There are no easy quick wars. The people of the Untied States will not stand for this. Will Trump now blackmail the opposition? If you impeach I will go to war? The republican party is a danger to the planet.
2
I’m imagining the book title, “The Worst and the Dumbest” will hit the shelves after 2020; that is we survive the trump era.
4
Once again, Trump shows his cowardly side while trying to act the bully. He is just such a poor example of a leader. Don't worry, though, as no sane American will ever mistake him for a leader.
Trump is behaving like a typical bully: slam the Iran deal, insult their leaders, impose sanctions illegally; send 1000 troops to the area, park US aircraft carrier off Iran shores etc. But when Iran pushes back Trump turns chicken and runs. He has no idea what he's doing except to bluff and hide. He thought a war would win 2020 election until someone reminded him of the costs and consquences. Of course his supporters are screaming "Well done!" in support of a draft dodger and a coward.
2
looks like Trump wants to win the election.
“Loose and stupid". The Iran mess is a perfect storm for trump to launch into his bombast tough guy persona, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. It's really galling to see this so-called commander-in-chief calling the shots on putting young americans in the military in harm's way as part of his reckless willy-nilly foreign policy in the ME. A deliberative war coward, trump himself evaded sacrifice through blatant graft not once but five separate times in the Vietnam war ... a draft dodger par excellence. 58,220 americans sacrificed their lives as he carried on his self-serving hedonistic life style with absolutely no regrets or second thoughts.
1
Bolton is a reckless warmonger amply demonstrated by decades of reckless bellicose bombast, yet another in a long list of trump blunders in hapless cabinet appointments.
1
We should not attack Iran. We should return to the JCPoA.
1
Vivid demonstration of a weak, weak leader with no principles.
2
This shows in shocking relief what Trump’s governing by tweet leads to. Trump tweets, then changes his mind and tweets the opposite 5 minutes later. He is known to be a petulant self serving and immoral creature who changes his mind and lies all the time. Little wonder he sends planes off to bomb then changes his mind. This is why this despicable, unfit creature is so dangerous to the safety of America and should be removed.
1
The world laughs at us. What weak bluster!
Oh Chicken Little and his chicken hawks are such an embarrassment.
The trouble is these little boys might start WWIII by accident. We have all “acting” members in the cabinet. Haven’t had a real SecDef in five months after even General Jim “Chaos" Mattis left his office.
Does anyone here understand how EASY it is to use the nuclear triad? That’s why up until this POTUS we’ve had strong civilian SecDefs. The business of the Pentagon is to make war and business is good...we need a strong counterbalance civilian.
Trump wants to “play at war.” He learned NOTHING going to Europe the last two years going to cemeteries made up of brave American lads and lassies.
Does anyone think that he thought D-Day stood for Donald?
BTW it’s only 15’ from order by the president of nuclear weapons to their deployment.
https://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-bomb-launch-procedure-us-government-president-2017-11
3
The U.S. under direction from the second and their proxies Bolton and Pompeo and pressure from the Saudis and UAE have been attempting to provoke a war with Iran since Trump decided to violate the Iranian, international nuclear non-proliferation agreement officially known as "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," followed by the reapplication of intense sanctions.
Trump and his team bypassed strong bipartisan support to end support for the Saudi side of the genocidal war in Yemen, which the administration and the Republicans plus the bought and paid for "centrist" members of the "Democratic" contingent of the party that is always ready to help build and ship more missiles.
The mullahs and the dogmatic religious idiots in Iran are not good people and neither are similar people in the West.
Anyone who wants to provoke or continue a war that is not being fought to defend one's sovereign nation is committing a crime.
The U.S. clearly seems intent on starting another war based on fake intelligence and by intense efforts at provocation.
Rather than making every effort to maintain the peace in the region, it is clear that the administration is doing everything it can to provoke conflict, while still supporting the genocidal, Saudi backed war on Yemen.
Corruption, deception and barbaric brutality all around. If anyone was actually interested in global market stability, security and peace, these clowns would not be making the calls. What else is possible.
Suddenly realized it would mess up his weekend Golf, so he called it off...maybe Monday ....
3
Why are we willing to start a war with Iran over a destroyed toy but not with Saudi Arabia over a murdered and dismembered American citizen?
Asking for the thousands who will die in this re-election campaign photo op.
5
If an unknown drone flew within 21 miles of the United States coast, would we shoot it down?
3
TRUMP Refuses daily security briefings, saying that he does not want to hear the same words repeated daily for the next 8 years. He spends hours of "executive time" alone in the Oval Office, watching Fox News. Meaning that his formulation of foreign policy consists of tweets sent out in reaction to statements on Fox News. Since he can neither read nor write, nor will he accept briefings, his input of information is monopolized by the propaganda and extremist political opinions expressed on Fox News. There is a rumor that the song played when Trump enters a room is "Failure The Thief," rather than hail to the chief. He is the worst rogue player on the world stage because he has his itchy filthy little fingers on the NOO KYUH LER buttons. He is a racist bigot, a liar, a fraud, a criminal and a monster. Trump has not the slightest understanding of culture of any country, least of all the US. He has seen to it that he has Made America Break Again. It is a terrifying day when the US must look to Iran for cooler heads to prevail. But that is where Trump has led us. I curse the GOPpers for having permitted him to be their candidate. Had they done any investigation of is financial records, they would have easily found 110,000+ pages documenting his highly unethical, seemingly illegal dealings. As it is, the GOPpers have embraced a thief, a crook, a liar and a monster. The GOPpers have led us to this point in time when the US is regarded a a rogue nation! A POX ON GOP!
2
The Trump administration acts like a squirrel trying to cross the street.
Cuban missile crisis, Gulf of Tonkin resolution, U.S. medical students in Grenada, Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. The Iranians are in a similar (but more threatened) situation as the US was during the missile crisis (which also happened after the Bay of Pigs invasion sponsored by the US). The Iranian government turned against the US after we had supported the dictatorial Shah for decades and then some Iranian idiots took over the American Embassy and held diplomats hostage (encouraged to a certain extent by Ronald Reagan who did not want Carter to succeed in freeing them). In turn, we financed Saddam Hussein's war of aggression against Iran, thus supporting a type of 'state terrorism' on a scale easily as big as any activities the Iranians may have supported.
After 9/11, the Iranians offered help to the US in combating Al Qaida, an offer we turned down because we obviously preferred to invade Afghanistan on our own and probably knew that the Iranians wouldn't go along with our planned invasion of Iraq. All this did not prevent Iranian-backed forces from working together with the US to defeat ISIS. Much of this history seems to be conveniently forgotten.
Various US governments massaged the truth until it came out to their liking. Let's hope we can avoid a repeat of history. It would make us look rather stupid.
1
typical bully behavior---Iranians stood up to TRUMP---he backed down....
When will this country smarten up? 45 is an incompetent who is being manipulated by everyone from Bolton, Miller, Adelson and on and on. You get the government you deserve. Vote this clown show out before it's too late!
1
The US needs to launch a nuclear attack on Iran for the sake of the MAGA base.
Fox News or Trump's lover Hannity probably told him his base does not want war. It certainly is not that he cared about human life or the mess he would be making- he simp!y has no conscience.
1
Trump is out of control. He is 300 pounds of brain damage who started this trouble with Iran The churches who supported this wild man need to step up and say talk at all cost. He should be in jail for collusion ,tax evasion and women abusing. This is Russia’s ally and Putin warned us about attacking any more of them. Going to war over an unmanned drone . Very mental .
1
so the U.S. has the right to fly surveillance drones off the coast of any nation, without being shot down....hmmmm....American Empire
5
Everyone who knows anything about spy drones like RQ-4A (Global Hawk) should know that it is important where it looks
not where it flies.The shut-down RQ-4A was spying on Iran.
2
The media needs to get this right. First, ANY US involvement in the Middle East is rooted in America's oil interests in the Middle East--and it has been since the beginning of the Cold War. Control of the Middle East is considered a strategic point for defeating potential enemies like Russia or China, so we are militarily, politically, and economically engaged in the region doing all sorts of things over there that, if reversed (think the whole "Russia gate" scandal) our citizenry would be outraged. Second, the US has been actively involved in interfering with Iran since the end of World War II: Deposing their elected leader in 1953 and leading a coup to institute the Shah; aiding Iraq against Iran in the Iran/Iraq war; and crippling sanctions because Iran won't do what we say. Third, any current conflict with Iran is completely and utterly the fault of Trump and the intension of Bolton: Backing out of the Iran nuclear treaty and then imposing sanctions while deploying a military presence in the region.
With all of that said, I don't even know why it matters whether or not Iran shot down the drone, or the drone was over Iranian borders, etc. This all has to be seen in CONTEXT and in historical context, the US is by far the provocateurs; and in the current context, Trump is poking the hive and antagonizing Iran.
6
He was never going to attack. This is his Reality TV show. Just like all that Rocket Man bellicosity. Talk about fake!
6
All this time I thought he was orange but it seems he's just dark yellow.
Ronald Reagan: "Go ahead, make my day."
Donald Trump: "Go ahead, make your day."
Had Trump been President during the Cold War the Berlin Wall might now be built in lower Manhattan.
3
@Didier
He may yet get it built in lower Manhattan.
I assume that Putin called Trump and told him to back off.
12
Only the best and the brightest, Sean Hannity, giving advice..the new defense secretary ..
8
Why do the words "Danger, Will Robertson! Danger! Danger! Danger" keep echoing in my mind?
2
No one in the Administration has a invasion war in mind for Iran. Further the President has made it clear for a long time now he is not interested in Military action.
While being reasonable in light of known action & unknown to us action taken by Iran that the US &it's Allies strengthen their readiness. Clearly Iran is trying to pressure the region as sanctions are now taking hold on their economy.
Having lived in Iran back in the early & mid 70's I have a sense of what things are like in the streets of Kerman, Isfahan & Tehran. I spent a lot of time in those communities and pride plays a large role in the Persian mind set. The Mullahs are under a lot of pressure and every sable rattle they do they do to hold onto the street.
No doubt many on the left and the right thought for sure Trump would have responded Militarily after the shoot down of the drone. That would have been the easy thing to do.
For those of us who have been paying attention to President Trump for a while now one thing stands out that is missed by all the hate mongering out there. Donald Trump values human life, and so far nothing Iran has done to date has taken a life. Damaged and destroyed property yes.
The President has taken a step back given the Mullahs 1 last chance to avoid a blood letting. No doubt this is the harder thing to do lets hope they take it.
The President is unconventional & what will follow if the Mullahs don't come to their sense will not be what is expected.
2
“It’s documented scientifically... Not just words...”
*Sigh* When will this living nightmare be over?
6
Do we actually know for sure that "planes were in the air"? Part of me wonders if that news is all just stage-managed strongman optics by the bigly Actor in Chief ... because militarily speaking, one does not launch expensive assets to an attack only to turn back midway.
Or, as I read earlier, maybe Tweety did have planes in the air but realized that war is hard and he doesn't want to spend the effort......
2
Absolute immunity!! That's what we need from Trump!!! Bringing Impeachment Investigations and the powers they unleash NOW will do that.
Trump is desperately flailing around for distractions, and that is all Iran represents to him. Iran sees Trump for what he is, a hollow man without principles or ability who is headed for impeachment or a drubbing at the polls.
If Trump attempts to fix this election with Russia and Israel's help it will be outed in real time and any coup will be met by violence and riots not from Trump's racists, but from the population centers of our nation. Congress should do its job and bring impeachment investigatory powers to bear NOW.
Our allies shun us in rightful disgust. Do you job Democracy. Use the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin was right. "A democracy if you can keep it."
5
Just before the general elections, a democratic nation's aircraft was shot down in enemy territory. The pilot of the aircraft was rescued and treated like a war hero and the democratic nation retaliated against the foreign nation.....The divisive leader of that country ended up winning a 2nd term.
Sounds familiar? This happened in India 2 months ago.
'Expect the same with this U.S president
1
Here's where having a competent President would have really helped you America.
4
Trump is handling the Iran situation correctly.
1
When you know your choices are win another term or prison for the rest of your life, a sociopath like Trump will do whatever it takes to get reelected...no matter if it costs innocent people their lives or their abilities to earn a living.
5
I find the day to day adventures of the Trump administration emotionally exhausting, so I took a day off from the news. Did I miss anything?
3
The limited strikes would not be guaranteed to succeed, even in hitting their targets. Even if unsuccessfull, such is an act of War, and Trump and the neocons have no authorization or declaration of war from Congress. Further, they have next to no support from the American people.
Any act of war will be used by the Iranians as justification for their own retaliatory strikes, which could easily include launching ballistic missiles at Israel and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, and US surface forces. They are holding the high cards here, and the US military cannot possibly take out all of Iran's retaliatory capacity.
In short, the situation has a high probability of setting off a general war in the Mideast, effectively closing off shipping in the Persian Gulf, sending the price of oil sky high, and provoking a global recession which the broke Fed can't bail out.
It will also be a disaster for Trump's re-election chances. He deserves to go, such a weak blustering man who gets pushed around by Sheldon Adelson and his frothing neocon stooges Bolton and Pompeo.
The American people and the world will be blaming Adelson and the neocons for this incipient catastrophe.
It very well could be the Armageddon that the christian zionists believe in, with the obliteration of Israel (but not the whole world) in the generalized Mideast war. Not quite according to their script.
They've been asking for this a long time, and they should get it.
I dont understand why a journalist for a reputable news outlet will not say president Trump as opposed to Mr. Trump. I don't ever remember seeing Mr. Obama or Mr Bush. It's kind of obnoxious seeing it constantly.
1
@Tom: Yes, "Mr" (instead of "President") is indeed standard reporting style after the title is first cited. Please hold your outrage for when Mr. Biden begins his first term in Jan 2021.
3
@Tom,
You're mistaken.
The Times's style is to refer to "President" in the first reference in a story and to "Mr." in subsequent references.
2
I am sure the US or any westerns country would be comfortable with a strong armada off our coast and with UAVs flying in so called international air space a few miles away from our countries!! Let's be serious for once, if possible... without even speaking about the result of such a war for the entire humanity. Study history Mr Trump and learn also from Afghanistan... thousands of young americans and others have been killed and the Taliban will be soon back to Kaboul, look at Irak, look at Libya... our military answers are just spreading hate and catastrophies. May be time to realise that you are wrong and that some people around the world don't really care about your dollars... they stand for their ideas and their country. USA has never got a war on its soil since the civilian wars and for each western soldiers killed, how many muslim civilians? You are makiing America the smaller it has ever been.
Why are we even there? Does anyone know?
2
Does anyone remember the Airliner destroyed in flight over the Persian Gulf during Bush's time?
1
Strikes in retaliation of shooting an unmanned drone?
So, hypothetically, if Iran shoots down a US commercial aircraft with 300 passengers aboard, it will be what, nukes on Tehran?
Yet it's what happened in 1988. Except it's the US who shot an iranian aircraft, within Iranian territory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
2
Who is playing the role of the bully here?
Strongest country on Earth far from home poking around.
The US will start WW3, the industrial war complex demands it.
1
With a surge of military enlistments from Oklahoma, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Alabama, the Iranians will understand that a rejuvenated USA will not tolerate additional downings of missle avoiding RQ-4's.
2
Transcript of last coded intelligence communication from US drone: "There are indications that Iran is in possession of highly sophisticated and effective surface-to-air missile technol..."
Check the White House phone records. My theory: Mr. Trump stopped the attack because Putin ordered him to back off.
I am pondering another front. After the last unforgivable fraud precipitated by these warmongers was paid for with the blood of thousands of our soldiers, and many more of those living devastated in the aftermath of ‘following orders’ turned suicidal or worse, a threat within their own communities. What I am pondering on is how many who will get sent to battle in the guise of ‘defending our freedoms’ will fall for the next big sham. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...I must dissent.
4
Sun Tszu, The Art of War:
Appear weak when you are strong. Appear strong when you are weak. The elections are coming and with Congress breathing in his neck, Trump, Bolton and Pompeo need a false flag war to raise Trump's popularity thereby willing to risk an armed conflict with Iran’s allies (Russia and China). This is so dangerous. One mistake and we're all gone!
Trump is provoking Iran to please S. Arabia, especially Mohammad bin Salman al-Saoed, and OPEC for the oil,
S. Arabia: who delivered the 9/11 terrorists , the sponsor of ISIS.
Crown prince MBS ordered the killing of WaPo journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The same guy who wants to execute a teenager who protested a couple years ago at the age of 10 against sharia law. Let that sink in. Enough said.
Are we finally going to march on Washington?
4
Best idea yet. Count me in.....
This situation can’t be put down to “fake news”. It seems that Russia has objected to a strong US response (warranted or not), and Trump has complied after weeks of ramping up to a potential conflict almost no one could understand. Do we need any further proof he’s on the hook?
We were told he’d get tough with N. Korea and then Iran. I wasn’t ever of a mind, but it looks like it was all hooey and everybody knows it.
It is obvious that Trump is mentally unstable and that he should be removed from office ASAP...
3
Like most Europeans in general and French in particular, we no longer trust neither respect this administration. Having destabilized and dismembered the Middle east for the next century was not enough. Now, they want to put Chaos into another cradle of the civilization. Maybe just for the fun, or because they could.
Disgusting
1
Is there a well placed spy in the military that helped IRAN shoot down the drone? Or is it just the over-confidence in our technology? Are we back in "300 BC"? Have the tables been turned, are we Xerxes? The modern king-god Trumpes, surrounded by his self-serving minions who tell him what he wants to hear. This is the recipe for disaster when it comes to the winds-of-war!
Maybe one of Trump's 2020 campaign people told him that an airstrike that killed civilians could be used against him in the election.
@scrim1
I think it also has to do with the fact that the Iranians have already published the exact coordinates that they claim they downed the drone at (which was very much within their airspace), and are demanding that their evidence as well as the US's be presented at the UN to verify their claim that the US was the aggressor here.
The Trump administration I should add has not released any evidence to date backing up their claims that the drone was shot down in international waters.
Now, considering that the Straits are a very heavily trafficked area I can only assume that there are more than just us and the Iranians monitoring the area with radar, meaning the truth of the situation WILL come out.
I'm guessing that Trump blinked because he knew that the US couldn't back up his claims and the US attacking Iran over an easily exposed lie would be too much even for him to bluster through.
1
Trump is a liar who cannot be trusted. Let’s see the objective evidence demonstrating exactly where the drone was when it was shot down. Let’s hear audio of the repeated radio warnings Iran claims they made (presumably about the drone being in Iranian airspace). Let’s get to the truth.
Premature withdrawal. First the agreement and now the air strike. He needs to discuss this with his therapist.
Really?
Iran's provocative move?
How would you react if a foreign power puts thousands of armed soldiers, dozens of aircraft, bombers that can only either carpet bomb or deliver nuclear bombs, aircraft carriers, drones and submarines to the Golf or Mexico just off the borders of your national waters?
Would you stay calm and whistle, hoping the aggressor, in this case the US is definitively the aggressor, would go away?
Iran has every right shoot down the drones as soon as they enter into Iranian airspace for just an inch.
What we see here is an illegal aggression by the US and no one else.
Time for massive sanctions against the US.
Make the US the next North Korea by applying the very same rules they apply onto others.
Get real NYT, you're just jumping the bandwagon of an illegal war that Trump is starting on the behest of his cronies in the GCC states and because Bolton and Pompeo want to help with his re election.
There is no reason for this war other than stupid US politics.
The U.S. legacy of lies in foreign policy, now put on steroids by an administration that exists on lies, is catching up to us. No one trusts or believes us, and no amount of bullying or chest-thumping is going to change that.
MAGA guys and gals: Do you want your sons and daughters now dying in a war only being fought because John Bolton and Mike Pompeo's backers want it?
Trump ordered the strike, but who called it off? Putin? Did they speak before the stand down order was given? Or is Trump just a vacillating gutless man?
The man knows absolutely nothing about history, diplomacy or war. A downed drone is not a reason to go to war. People, imagine Donald Trump and John Bolton in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis and you will see what I mean. Cooler heads, both Kennedy's and Khrushchev's saved the world. Donald Trump is a 14-year old poseur who is way over his head.
Another term for Pres Trump and Europe and US will also be at war.....
Maggie Haberman just said it best on CNN. Trump says two things, often in the same sentence and often completely in opposition to each other, so that people can hear what they want to hear from him. Truth is dead, and a spineless coward killed it.
2
Put yourself in Iranian people's shoes for a moment. 80 Million of them. They must be utterly terrorized by all those warships, fighter jets and warmongering at their borders. What US is doing to Iran is nothing short of terrorism.
3
Yesterday, at the press conference, a reporter asked if there were any Americans killed in Iran's destruction of our drone. Trump answered that there was no one on board the drone at the time of the strike. Justin Trudeau, who was at his side, just rolled his eyes. By the way, Webster's definition of a "drone" is "an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control or onboard computers."
How about “an unthinking and uninformed man manipulated at a distance from the Kremlin”?
I’m for a diplomatic solution whenever possible but Iran’s actions called for a proportional response.
Now the bully-in-chief had his nose bloodied, authorizes a retaliatory strike, and backs off.
His hawkish advisors propose a plan and he can’t agree on a decision.
I don’t know what to think!
Has his true character been revealed? Is it what we always thought it was?
An empty suit.
A blowhard.
A fake leader.
After yesterday’s rhetoric, this is surprising. And upsetting.
He is becoming a laughingstock.
A small attack is exactly what the hard liners in Iran want. That will consolidate their power and allow them to build nukes. It will be the opposite of a deterrence. How stupid of this administration to even think of attacking. And, Iran has the mutual assured destruction of the West's economy if they destroy Saudi oil fields, which they can easily do. They hold the last card, short of annihilation. An invasion is out of question.
Good god, who is running this country?
It is truly a sad world when I believe Iran's version of the drone strike over my own country's.
But that's what happens when you tell at least 6 whopping lies a day.
3
Neither the US Government or the Iranias can be trusted; both are roten to the core.
Well Trump was itching to go to war with North Korea & now Iran. Is his insanity about to create two wars.
The Europeans, British & Australians should stay as far away from this nut job as possible. Does America have an allies left? Its doubtful.
1
What is Congress waiting for? Impeach before it is too late!
1
How did Iran develop and deploy a surface-to-air missile system capable of taking down a U.S. drone that was designed to prevent such action? Might they have got the system from Russia, might Russian's man they system? I know those are rhetorical questions...
You look at the situation that President Trump has gotten us into with Iran and all you can do is shake your head. Anybody and I mean anybody who honestly looks at our (Trump's) relations with Iran and its rulers knew that this was going to happen sooner or later.
President Trump's "policies" against Iran will lead us to war unless he, Trump, backs down. Iran will not come to the table and capitulate. Remember our history with Iran, we helped overthrow the democratically elected PM in 1953 for Britain and reinstalled the Shah of Iran - a brutal dictator. Think before you act, they teach our support of the Shah in schools just like we teach our children about the American Revolution.
Obama's treaty was working - if we took the same Trump attitude towards our history of treaty's with Russia and China were would the world be right now? Maybe a ball of ashes...
10
I wonder what Gore Vidal would have though of Trump. That Trump is actually far more Dovish than his predecessors, and seem to instinctively not want to be mired in foreign entanglements makes me wonder.
1
Trump would be smart to pass this over to Congress.
He is obviously terrified about having to wear this if America starts a war with Iran.
I don't think he wants war. He wants the reputation of being a person who is not afraid to start a war if he has to. It is all about the brand for him.
Passing it over to Congress, which I believe is how the process is supposed to work, gives him a buffer and someone to blame.
8
An unnecessary situation when the Iran deal was working just fine. Anything that happens on the region from now on, will be Trump’s fault due to his insecurities as a politicia, leader and the need to erase his predecessor’s work.
12
@DAT, did the USA not hand over bucket loads of CASH to the tune of 1.7 billion or something close to that amount via those private planes Obama sent before Iran would release those detainees and that Washington Post journalist? Would not exactly say the Iran relations with the USA was doing so well.deal, was it?
1
Doesn't Congress have any say in whether or not this situation warrants an aggressive response? trump once again trying to show that ONLY he knows what is best. It's a miracle cooler heads prevailed somewhere in his chain last night.
4
4 years ago, I would have trusted any United States Government statement as to where the drone was shut down. Today, I cannot trust either side anymore. This is how much trust the US has lost in the world in the last few years. Regaining such will takes decades.
10
Trump's incoherent, illogical and profoundly incompetent behavior, endangering us all, has never been more clear. He pulled out of the Iran deal to appear tough, to scorn Obama and to please Netanyahu and the Saudis. He followed the advice of Bolton and Pompeo in imposing brutal sanctions on Iran, laced with ultimative public demands which amount to requiring that the regime step down. And he kept insisting that he is "ready to talk" - applying his "negotiation tactic" to this proud adversary, well-entrenched and with little to lose. This street-wise, primitive bullying approach will not work with Iran - or any other nation - but that is all Trump seems capable of. Is there really no one on his team courageous enough to tell him that he needs diplomacy, realistic goals and persistent negotiation, and that international scene and armed nations are not there for his reality show glory??
13
Trump can forget re-election if he continues to pursue his warmongering course. Americans do Not want war and he will not be forgiven for this grievous action.
4
What better than a drawn-out, expensive, unpopular and divisive war started by the US to cement China's position as the emergent world superpower.
6
Sean says "see, Trump can exhibit restraint"
And if he started a war, that would be ok too.
1
If by the Grace of God, we manage to avoid a war with Iran or some other country while Trump is in office, the next President will clearly have a big mess to clean up after all this.
A thoughtful choice in 2020 is truly demanded of all of us now. We cannot afford another “inexperienced”, unfit individual who is incapable to learn quickly on the most important job of the land.
5
Many folks below seem to have not read quotes attributed to Madame Speaker.
She basically said that Iran is our enemy and acts contrary to our interests - actually damages our interests.
As to folks comparing Iran "parking" an aircraft carrier etc next to our shores - let's remember we are in international waters.
We are challenging China - no less - with it's illegal claims over South China Seas.
And we are a global power with assets and bases built overseas at the invitation of local governments or at least their approvals. Our fleet is based in Baharin - a nominally shiite country but with Sunni rulers.
For me, I just hope POTUS with his aversion of "endless" wars - does not pull what his predecessor did with Syria - "my "red line" - never mind."
Sooner or later, POTUS needs to realize that continued talk only will lead to more aggressive confrontation which then will definitely result in an endless war.
If he firmly believes that the drone was in international waters - we ought to at least show force against this base where this "stupid" commander fired his missile from.
As Madame Albright famously asked one time "Sir, what do we have a military for?"
Madame Albright also condoned the starvation of 500,000 Iraqi children.
One derives no credit in citing her as a model.
1
Possibly there is a lot of new weaponry to be tested in vivo.
"It was not clear whether Mr. Trump simply changed his mind on the strikes or whether the administration altered course because of logistics or strategy. It was also not clear whether the attacks might still go forward."
Erratic behavior of this sort (Trump's apparent modus operandi) is just the sort of thing likely to get us into a serious armed conflict. "Keep 'em guessing" serves the US just as poorly with adversaries as it does with allies (e.g., Mexican tariffs, Canadian tariffs, and the list goes on endlessly).
When will the Republicans in Congress begin to understand that we have an demented plutocrat as our chief executive and commander-in-chief of our armed forces. They need to remove him from office as totally and utterly unfit.
3
The propaganda from our side is incessant. Even the cost of the drone at $130 million is a lie. That sum is already sky high, but the actual cost is truly astounding, as $12 billion was spent on the program and only 2 were built. Two drones for the cost of an aircraft carrier! One crash landed and the other was shot down by a homemade Iranian missile that probably cost them a hundred thousand. This illustrates the mind-numbing waste and corruption of a Pentagon that is ripping us off every day.
6
Meanwhile, the economy that Trump boasts about appears to be slowing down. Time to threaten a war, right?
2
Administrations have done these kind of lies and falsehoods to pursue a course of agenda that they want for generations. The only difference is that this administration lies so badly. I suspect that they are lying to their own base who would believe them if they told them the sun rose in the west, and the rest of the world who knows they lie all the time so it really doesn’t matter what they say. The difference is that we all-the whole world- will pay the price of their chest thumping.
1
Interestingly, Iran had to cancel the press releases saying that the US strike hit a hospital, an orphanage, and 3 mosques, but that there was no damage to military targets.
1
Were allies in the loop when deciding to attack Iran?
The Trump fall back will be " international allies need to do more to sort Iran".
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was derided by the Mr Trump.
Mr Trump left the deal despite French, German, Russian, British and Chinese objections.
Leaving the deal was not a good choice.
To be blunt Mr Trump's signature on deals is laughable.
The biggest, greatest sane genius needs to focus on war and its consequences.
VOA reports:
Trump initially authorized attacks on a handful of Iranian targets, such as radar and missile batteries, according to The New York Times.
The Washington Post subsequently also reported that administration officials said the president approved the counterstrikes.
It is not clear whether Trump simply changed his mind on the strikes or whether the administration altered course because of logistics or strategy, the newspaper reported late Thursday, adding it is also not clear whether the attacks might still go forward.
Oil and gold prices, US dollar down.
Mr Trump is a realtor neither a military strategist nor financial guru.
The markets are troubled..
An indecisive president who can't make choices is very concerning.
A ground to impeach?
Further VOA reports:
The Federal Aviation Administration Thursday evening issued an emergency order prohibiting all U.S. aircraft operators from entering airspace above parts of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
A good look for business?
1
How terrifying to know with each step this president takes that he has absolutely no idea what he is doing and does not seem to care that he is putting not only American lives but the entire world in danger. This is a man who claimed he was always against the Iraq war but put in charge of his foreign policy men like Bolton and Pompeo, whose propensity for attack dog mode defines who they are.
It's beyond time for Congress to demand Mr. Trump cease his provocations.
3
That was *way* too close for comfort. I really do not like what Trump stands for, but I do commend his anti-war instincts for finally kicking in, enough to override the opinions of Pompeo, Bolton, and Gina Haspel.
Imagine that, it was Trump whim that actually prevented this from being a bigger mistake. This is crazy. Please, can we have a better diplomatic team to deescalate tensions?
2
$130 million for a drone? That would buy a lot of teachers. That would supply a great deal of medical care. That would repair a lot of roads.
Why don't we stop with the expensive military adventuring in other countries, and start fixing our own? And isn't that what Trump said he wanted to do? So why is he listening to Bolton and Pompeo???
4
"It's documented scientifically, not just words"
Since when did Donald Trump start believing in science?
3
“We have it all documented. It’s documented scientifically, not just words.”
Since when did Trump start believing in science over "words"?
2
Sadly, if this escalates those in the area already suffering will feel the brunt of it. Iran will escalate it's attacks in the the middle east on our perceived allies, we'd hit back on theirs. More civilian casualties. Trump painted himself into a corner with obnoxious statements about the Iran deal. Iran acts badly, no doubt, but that deal was a step in right direction; what do we have now. Iran has a real Army and is not intimidated by the bluster. An escalation will be awful.
2
There was a time not long ago when I would never have disputed the US, but now our president has difficulty between what is truth and what are lies. Our government has condoned his behavior and has let him slide by not calling him out. The fantasies that go on in the presidents mind have landed us in the position that no one in the world believes a word we say. We are now as reliable as Russia, China and N. Korea.
3
Three things to consider:
First, The U.S. has a long and steady history of faking attacks on us to justify going to war. Remember the Maine, when the Spanish-American War was ginned up over a fake attack on a U.S. boat. Remember the Tonkin Gulf; the Pentagon Papers revealed that the North Vietnamese did not attack the U.S. Navy. Indeed, how plausible was it anyway that North Vietnam would attack the U.S. Navy? Non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
This is a miserable history of lies justifying America going to war.
Second, neither Iran nor Persia have invaded anyone for an awfully long time. Can anyone remember off the top of their head when they last provoked a war?
Third, the U.S. and Iran had a treaty and it was the U.S. that decided not to honor that treaty and to begin an economic war against Iran when Iran was obeying its treaty obligation.
Not a history for American pride, is it?
5
Many folks below seem to have not read quotes attributed to Madame Speaker.
She basically said that Iran is our enemy and acts contrary to our interests - actually damages our interests.
As to folks comparing Iran "parking" an aircraft carrier etc next to our shores - let's remember we are in international waters.
We are challenging China - no less - with it's illegal claims over South China Seas.
And we are a global power with assets and bases built overseas at the invitation of local governments or at least their approvals. Our fleet is based in Baharin - a nominally shiite country but with Sunni rulers.
For me, I just hope POTUS with his aversion of "endless" wars - does not pull what his predecessor did with Syria - "my "red line" - never mind."
Sooner or later, POTUS needs to realize that continued talk only will lead to more aggressive confrontation which then will definitely result in an endless war.
If he firmly believes that the drone was in international waters - we ought to at least show force against this base where this "stupid" commander fired his missile from.
As Madame Albright famously asked one time "Sir, what do we have a military for?"
1
In Donald, we have the boy who screams wolf about everyone and everything, all day and all night. He lies constantly and frankly, we cannot trust a single word or deed that emanates from him.
In John Bolton, we have a war mongering fool with a terrible track record fomenting war in this region based on faulty interpretation of intelligence. Pompeo would love to bomb Iran but not quite as much as he wants to curry favor with Donald so there’s that dynamic. And no Secretary of Defense.
Layer the personalities over a complex region, the fog of war, and we have a recipe for disaster. Pray for our survival.
3
Trump pulls out of an important international agreement, which was signed by a former president, thereby debasing the word of the US on the world stage. He then tries to bully the country into submission, by strangling it economically. He refuses to believe the irrefutable scientific evidence on climate change,but chooses to believe scientific proof when it suits him.“We have it all documented. It’s documented scientifically, not just words.” How can you believe a word Trump says?
3
Interesting situation, Americans are looking for regime change in Iran AND in their own country.
2
The next step for Trump will be to demand that he be awarded the Nobel Prize for momentarily reversing the retaliation on Iran. Singlehandedly he saved the lives of millions, averted a war... for at least a day and a half until Bolton and Pompeo supported by MBS and Netanyahu regain authority over Trump’s decision making. Lock him and them up!
3
We are dealing with an unstable president, foremost eager to be re-elected, thus no surprise he changes his mind. Ordinarily his MO is at once oppose and retaliate against any opponent or adversary, instead he resorts to his known bellicose which unsurprising Iran must have hypothesize by now that he will be a fool to start a war which may sustain heavy casualties to the US troops no American likes to see.
countless and unnecessary amount of US casualties, no American is prepared to see.
2
Reuters quoted two Iranian officials as saying Tehran had received a message from Trump through Oman overnight warning about an imminent US attack. In his message, Trump said “he was against any war with Iran and wanted to talk to Tehran about various issues."
Trump is said to have given a deadline to get a response from Tehran but their “immediate response” was that it is up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to decide.
One official made it clear that the leader is against any talks, but the message will be conveyed to him to make a decision. He told Oman that any attack against Iran will have “regional and international consequences.”
While Trump has decided against a limited military action against Iran – at least for the time being – he should under Obama’s dilemma, when in August 2013 the Syrian opposition accused the Assad regime of using chemical weapons during attacks in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, allegedly killing some 1,400 people, including 426 children.
In response, a coalition of the US, the UK and France emerged to launch air strikes on Syria. But the British Parliament refused to support the strikes. Worried about alienating Congress, Obama also backed down.
2
Hmmm. There are how many surveillance satellites, air traffic control installation, etc, and the US cannot come up with proof of where this spy drone was? There is no doubt about what the drone was doing, right? We need diplomacy-you know to sign another agreement that we won’t honor. It’s great to be a billionaire, the rules don’t apply to you. Now let’s go kill a bunch of 18 year olds! Nothing we love better than dead teenagers.
1
There is absolutely no reason to wage war on Iran, we need to stop accepting Israeli and Saudi influence on the US and we need to leave the region. Let the tribal states wage war amongst themselves, and ally with the eventual victors, no more needless American bloodshed.
1
There is no simple solution to this problem. Iran had just done something very bad, and provocative, but we must must realize we have also done things that have severely escalated this situation. If Iran was flying drones near (or over) U.S. territory, there would be absolute outrage on our side. But at the same time we have to recognize that we have legitimate reasons to fly these drones near Iran (the drones was an UNARMED, surveillance drone). The next move we should take is to attempt to open up diplomatic lines with Iran, we should see if we can revive some version of the Nuclear Deal that both sides support. At the same time we should not back down our forces in the region until Iran agrees to some kind of deal with is and our allies (by allies I mean NATO and not groups in the Middle East that may want war with Iran). However, one major points does need to be recognized; it is the fact that Iran is a "bad actor", Iran is not democratic (like North Korea it claims to have a functional legislative branch, but in reality it is just a puppet organization of the Supreme Leader). Also, Iran commits human rights violations all the time (but then we need to remember that lots of countries in the Middle East do this also). I guess my overall point is that we need have extreme restraint in dealing with Iran, but at the end of the day we must be ready and willing to defend and protect our national interests. However, Congress should be consulted before military action is taken
4
@American Patriot
There is no legitimate reason for the US to fly drones over Iran.
If it was a joint effort by the international community to ensure they stuck to the agreement, that would be excusable.
Ultimately, the policy that the US decides who should be allowed to have nuclear weapons is not sustainable, or morally excusable. Israel refuses to allow international inspectors of any kind to monitor its nuclear ambitions.
Iran is not a "bad" actor. Iran's greatest sin is that it opposes the theocratic rule of Saudi Arabia - the country which has been shown to finance international terrorism (including attacking the US and its European allies). Iran is miles away more democratic and modern that Saudi Arabia and the rest of the theocratic gulf states.
1
@American Patriot The basic question is Why are we bothering Iran? We condemn them for doing the same things that we do. We overthrow governments, support insurgent groups, support repressive regimes, etc. Many of the countries in the Middle East (which we support) are repressive dictatorships/monarchies. But when the Iranians do any of these things then everyone becomes hysterical.
I know that our great "friends" Israel and Saudi Arabia both hate Iran. But why don't they deal with Iran and leave us out of it? How is Iran a threat to our national interests? It is because we are other there meddling.
1
After all the lies, trump and his administration have no believability. I am not convinced the drone was in international water. At least for now trump did something right by backing down from a strike. Although he had certainly ratcheted up the confrontational talk to no benefit, his go to move. Get trump out of office. We are not safe under his watch.
40
Decision making in the WH is known to be chaotic and this is what happens. We should no be surprised.
My betting is that once the war hawk Bolton had departed for Israel Trump consulted his "Gut" and decided to call off the attack.
Is this now an opportunity to get back on a diplomatic path to bring calm to the Region?
Probably not because of that chaos in the White House.
19
@wjth that's a very simple minded opinion.
So let me get this straight, everyone from the left wing war arm to never Trumpers to the generals to cabinet members were calling for a retaliatory strike.
Yet 1 man stood alone and said no. Now your reason for that are what he is weak? lol.
First off lets review how we got here. Iran starts covert ops, Intel picks up on their activities. US Starts moving assets to the region then over the next 2 weeks 6 oil tankers are blown up by mines 2 drones are shot down.
We caused this how exactly?
The whole time the President has been telling Iran he doesn't want war just come to the table, yet they refuse and go down a war path why?
1
Deep down, I have no qualm if the U.S. stays cool. Impulsive strikes only show immaturity. Retaliations can come in many forms. Remember the Stuxnet?
That said, remember the neocons' complaints when President Obama got the U.S. what she wanted from Syria without firing a single shot? They complained Mr Obama did not honor the redline.
History has a funny way to show threats, retaliations, diplomacies, what is overt and what is covert, and other factors visible and invisible are far more complicated
7
@Bos I remember , that resulted in Russian forced entering Syria and continued chemical attacks. Obama's middle east policy was a utter disaster.
I do agree holding back from striking Iran is the smart move and I in fact believe we can hold back even more in an effort to deny them the propaganda wins Iran is hoping to achieve.
The clock however is ticking they need to come to the table if they continue to slap the hand of diplomacy and continue their attacks when the threshold is breeched total air war against Iran's military capability will be unleashed.
President Trump doesn't do tit for tat when it comes to the real world he leaves that for social media
Trump has said several times now that he doesn't want to get us into another war. I'll take his word before I take the words of those who "believe" he's going to get us into a war. His critics seem to be in their own world, seeing what they want to see and believing what they want to believe about Trump.
10
@AACNY,
I'll take the administration's actions over their empty words.
Trump pulled out of a reasonable nuclear deal and with no justification re-imposed sanctions, all in order to provoke Iran.
His administration runs drones dangerously close to, if not directly over, Iranian airspace.
Two oil tankers, neither of which belong to the United States, are damaged near the coast of Iran under myterious circumstances, eliciting a saber-rattling response from Washington.
Iran is 7,000 miles from the United States and poses no threat to it.
Trump says he doesn't want a war. His actions demonstrate otherwise.
It's disheartening to know that whatever really happened, U.S. allies now tend to believe Iran more than they believe... us.
He did that.
48
It's hard to believe that the USA is still holding a grudge against Iran for the 1979 hostage crisis (Bolton having mentioned it in a relatively recent NYT op-ed), and still seeks a 'regime change' (we know how that goes) to reverse the coming to power of the religiously conservative Islamic government all those years ago. Clearly, the USA is not content with the status quo and leaving Iran in peace. Or is the USA such a puppet of Saudi and Israeli interests in the Middle East that it will go to war for them on the flimsiest of pretexts? Who's dictating the terms to who here?
The days of the USA being a reasonable, peace-brokering and cool headed nation, favouring intelligent diplomacy and dialogue over belligerence, and a beacon of moral superiority, are sadly over. Let's see after 2020.
19
@Kyle,
The US has never been a "reasonable peace broker."
It has for decades engaged in criminal wars started by lies.
It has favored ruthless dictators and suppressed popular movements, first under the pretext of "stopping communism," and now just nakedly proclaiming "US interests."
If the US were not a powerful as it is economically and militarily its government would long ago have been indicted and convicted of war crimes.
1
Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo just wasters another $130 million in a needless provocation. I guess they feel they have a blank check though, to spend as much as they like without any consequence.
They probably feel the same about Iranian civilians, and US soldiers.
22
We are witnessing from our president narcissism on steroids and a dearth of diplomatic skill to employ a strategy to reach an amicable resolution to this issue. Trump is astonishingly unqualified to serve as a statesman, but I’m afraid he is a spectacular showman.
9
This too is very troubling ... 120 million dollar, high altitude drones yielding a 'surprise"?
"Iran’s ability to target and destroy the high-altitude American drone, which was developed to evade the very surface-to-air missiles used to bring it down, surprised some Defense Department officials, who interpreted it as a show of how difficult Tehran can make things for the United States as it deploys more troops and steps up surveillance in the region."
14
I am still very nervous about what will come out of the Trump administration next, particularly if the talking heads on Fox News get inside Trump’s head again. But I am much relieved that the decision was made to stand down for now. War with Iran would be unimaginably horrific, and could very well escalate into “the war to end all wars.”
9
Enough of this bullying by the U.S. to Iran: first, by withdrawing unilaterally from a valid nuclear treaty; second, by imposing excruciating embargo; third, by bullying other nations not to buy Iranian oil. It's time for a show-down. Tehran may be weak, but even the weakest can't tolerate the constant bullying.
Once the war starts, Tehran will take control of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, with the consent of these countries' people and government, of course, and began a systematic multi-pronged war against the United States. For the U.S., it won't be easy to extricate from the self-created mess.
But first and foremost, let's have at it. Enough of this bullying. It's time for a showdown.
5
It would be a good idea to have a permanent Secretary of Defense before we go to war. Of course, it would be a better idea to follow the Constitution and have Congress declare war first. The best plan would be to impeach Trump.
25
In April 1988 The Vincent shot down an Iranian passenger airliner that was flying in predetermined route while the Vincent was well within Iranian waters. 290 Iranians were killed and the US later paid $62M to the families of those killed in retribution.
If Iran actually had downed the drone in international waters we would have been at war by now. Trump pulled back because his military told him that the drone was in Iranian territory and the Iranians have recovered the remains in their territory.
This is a ploy by Bolton and Pompeo to go the the POTUS and tell him- we told you so. But the military had the courage to stand up and say that is not what happened.
Lets hope it stops here.
23
The Iranians have been trying to provoke a US response for weeks, firstly with the attacks on multiple oil tankers and then by shooting down a US naval drone in international airspace.
The Iranians would have figured this illegal attack would force a US response under their terms, with them knowing the response would come within 24 hours.
You should never do what the enemy wants.
Much better to let the Iranians sweat for a week or two.
Ensuring that no US commercial aircraft can be targeted by Iran will keep the pressure on Iran.
So who will the Iranians provoke next?
4
@Tony,
The tankers do not belong to the United States, so the US has no right to feel "provoked."
The drone was operating over Iranian airspace, so shooting it down was justified.
The US has forces all over the world and has actively invaded countries in the Middle East and Africa. Iran has invaded nobody.
Iran is 7,000 miles away and poses no threat to the US.
The US, not Iran, is the aggressor.
It's understandable to want to fly a spy drone over Iran and it's fair that Iran would want to shoot it down if they can. What's good for the goose... and all. Why the drama? Spying has been going on since the dawn of civilisation. When a spy is caught spying you don't usually start a war over it.
8
If the "threaten, then back down" behavior pattern of this administration wasn't obvious before, it is now. I can't think of a worse way not to take military action.
I'm glad we didn't take military action. I think it's mainly election campaign strategy, but gaining a reputation for timidity won't serve us well in a brutal world.
7
@Gioco,
What you call timidity I call maturity.
Unfortunately, the US has the opposite reputation: as a ruthless bully that attacks those weaker than itself.
2
It’s jarring that we cannot believe our own government.
Is this going to turn into another Iraq? Where “facts” were manufactured to support another preventable war?
Trump as president is not good for America. He’s done more harm than good, on so many fronts. And starting a war is the last straw.
10
If Iran was flying drones the same way just outside American territory, would USA see that as a provocation?
Of course they would. So why don't USA accept that the American drones doing just that are seen as a provocation?
What if Russian drones flew all over the Mexican Gulf on a daily basis? And occasionally taking out Americans, military and civilians alike.
That's exactly how USA are doing, so when another country decides to take out the drone, I am really not surprised, because the good ol' USA would do exactly the same, AND THEN SOME!
5
This adolescent man wearing the title of Commander and Chief has placed us squarely in the middle of the dangerous game of cat and mouse with a country which he not only handed over an open invitation but triggered a need to gain momentum developing nuclear technology and not for peaceful purposes. It's no surprise that he ended this deal with Iran offering no alternative plan of action. It's no surprise he gave no audience to the voice of concern provided by our world allies.
I find myself perplexed for I no longer have confidence in my ability to decern fact from fiction from any words spoken by the members of The People's House.
donald is not a complicated guy. No, he is of weak character and purposely surrounds himself with a host of people that support his actions. He is now completely lost as to how to get us out of this dangerous game of cat and nouse. Frightening, truly frightening.
4
The well-known hawks in the Trump administration have been pushing for war with Iran ever since they were imposed on Trump. They have again tried to portray it as a cakewalk as they did in the case of Iraq. In a war with Iran, US will prevail but at huge cost to it and to the region. Iran has the ability to stop export of a drop of oil from the region, resulting in collapse of their economy. It will give US forces a bloody nose. All this is so unnecessary. 35 years of sanctions did not bring Iran to heel, but two years of talks resulted in a landmark agreement that blocked all paths to nuclear weapons for Iran. Instead of trying to undo everything Obama did, Trump should try to outdo him by reaching a comprehensive peace with Iran through talks. Trump should fire Pompeo and Bolton and should tell the Israelis and Saudis that he is not going to war on their behalf, but is going to push for a regional security pact with Iran. Problems can be resolved peacefully. War will be devastating for everyone. Choose peace not war.
8
All we really need to do with countries like Iran is keep the peace. it really is that simple. This is a situation completely of Trump's own making, he's owned it since he canceled the Agreement we had with Iran. He's obviously befuddled and doesn't know his own conscience, because he doesn't actually have one. His advisors are warmongers who aren't bright enough to have learned the lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq. Congress, please! Demand loudly and clearly to have a voice in this, and use your common sense to try to stop it. We the voters are waiting to hear your voices, and even if you can't stop Trump from creating a disaster, we are listening to your response...you are all accountable.
8
If Iran's radar personnel misread the altitude of the drone, then they may have readings that the drone was in Iranian airspace, when in fact it was not. So, Iran could truly believe false information that gels with U.S. claims.
2
Europe and Eastern countries have developed a system to do business with Iran despite American sanctions. Netanyahu is in the fight for his political life and comes up for a new vote in 3 months. A few days ago MBS was found responsible for the brutal death of an American. DJT is behind in the polls and yet America sees it as a priority to bomb a country minding its own business? Is a drone now worth more than a life? Are these men willing to go to war against a weakened country and kill thousands, possibly millions of people to shore up personal power?
3
This is precisely why countries want nuclear weapons - to prevent the US from attacking them.
6
There are two sides to this story. First, the US hegemony is challenged due to its unsuccessful campaign in Syria. Unfortunately, Russian prevailed in Syria and now both Russia and China are backing rogue powers and Iran to wage an unprecedented Cold War against the US. The ability of Iran downing a highly sophisticated drone tells this story. And the worst is that the US has created a rift in NATO, giving more breathing space to Russia. In short, it's naive to assume that Iran would be next Iraq rather it may turn into Vietnam if the US is not careful. Instead of giving Russia and China a willful and injured Iran on a platter, the USA and Europe should go back to Obama's deal.
Secondly, the US is waging a war against the backdrop of a proxy and gorilla war between Saudia Arabia (SA) and Iran. SA, Iran, and Israel are the worst actors in the whole region. SA has been escalating tension in the region to secure its monopolistic position in the oil market and to curb anti-monarch voices. The killing of a journalist is evidence that SA doesn't care about democratic principles. Backing a monarchy would only result in chaos and destruction. Most importantly backing such power would help Russia and China to rally more flags under their banner. We as the citizen of Earth should try to look beyond race, religion, and country and strive for peace. If we start believing and supporting the ideals of the Axis we fought in WW2, we may start WW3 with all the destructions.
6
I would like the NYT to point out, every time it reports on Iran exceeding the stockpile limits, that the US sanctions, prevent Iran from trading enriched uranium for natural uranium, which was a key component of the JCPOA. They have to stockpile, or cease production, which is in itself expensive, and time consuming.
In the midst of all this we have a leaderless Pentagon with an acting Secretary of Defense—replacing the previous acting Secretary of Defense who bowed out 48 hours ago.
The current acting Sec. of Defense was a classmate of Secretary of State Pompeo at West Point.
And National Security Advisor John Bolton is relentlessly trying to goad Iran into war.
It now seems likely Bolton and Pompeo are trying to goad President Trump into war as well.
2
Who can believe anything this administration claims at this point? Certainly not our allies - or the countries that used to be comfortable with that designation. If anything, our prevaricating president's penchant for lies, half-truths and unfounded boasting might throw world favor to the Iranians.
I woke up this morning wondering if WWIII had started in the night. Is this how every morning will begin now?
2
Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Tonkin, same difference.
4
I actually think that for this one occasion, Trump is the man we want in the room. Notwithstanding the fact that he is the reason Bolton and Pompeo have attained high-powered positions, I believe Trump actually does not want war. He actually seems relatively anti-war. Though there are considerable forces trying to push war, against the will of these two nations, but I believe for once Trump's instincts are right here.
7
Yes. His gut feeling about winning the 2020 election NOT the risk to American troops or innocent civilians.
This is a good analysis, but it elevates trump’s thought process far beyond the reality.
I would bet he thought about what the Saudis and Israel wanted, and then gave the strike-or-no-strike decision the same deep consideration he might give to what to have for dessert.
23
One of the reasons why we use drones instead of manned aircraft is that we can do more provocative things without putting American human lives at risk.
Any retaliation we might undertake would put Iranian human life at great risk. It would be an escalation and could lead to further escalation. A path best avoided.
11
Well, we are well into "he said, she said" territory, which as usual will probably have no winners.
Slowly "upping the ante" is extremely dangerous - in the face of continuing Iranian provocation it could easliy lead to conflict and/or more loss of respect for the US. The whole situation needs a complete change of US strategy, which at present is going nowhere fast: it is well established that the mining of tankers and downing of the drone was the work of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. We tend to forget that this body is always very aggressive and often at quite serious odds with the politicians in Tehran (often to their embarrassment) but they always present a united face when challenged by foreign interests, such as at present. I do seriously believe that all means should now be used to further drive a wedge between the two Iranian bodies, fostering and highlighting their mutual distrust and dislike - the CIA and/or others can do this, it is their meat and drink. Russia is doing it very successfully all the time these days. Please, let's at least seriously consider a change of tactics as I suggest, the present state of affairs is a lose lose situation for Trump, the US and all concerned......
5
@Charles H. " it is well established that the mining of tankers." It is hardly well established. And the entire crisis is one of Trump's own making. The Iranian multi-national nuclear agreement was working. Yes there were plenty of problems with Iran, but since we were now talking to Iran those probably could have been dealt with over time. And don't forget many of the then existing problems are also of our own making. We surround the country with military bases we have pretty much nothing, but saber rattled at then since their revolution, again a problem of our own making. A better US strategy for the region would be to get out of it. We have done nothing, but make it worse since we started mucking around in it the early fifties.
4
This is truly scary. How close is our nation to another destructive war? We've been down this road before; the Vietnam war and even the Mexican-American war were begun by border skirmishes that later turned out to have been manipulated. To borrow a recent phrase from Justice Sotomayor, there are higher values than ensuring that we never back down from a fight.
15
One sentence in this report uses a highly biased word: "the 12 nautical miles from the shore that Iran claims as its territorial waters". Iran doesn't just "claim" it - that 12 mile buffer is defined under international law, specifically the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The US has the same "claim" around Florida, California and the rest of its oceanic shoreline. The editors might protest that they were using the word "claim" in a legal sense, but they know perfectly well that in this context, it will be read as if the matter were disputable and Iran is trying to get away with something unreasonable.
30
@Melissa,
Excellent point!
So far, the analogy to the ending of the film, “House of Sand and Fog” has not turned dark and deadly.
3
How come we haven't heard where the wreckage of the drone was recovered?
I would imagine that if Iran had recovered such wreckage in its territory that they would be touting that fact.
2
@MIKEinNYC we never should have pulled out of the treaty in the first place. what would we do if China flew a drone near our shores?
1
@MIKEinNYC
As of this morning, they have done so.
1
@MIKEinNYC
They are touting that fact, and have shown pictures of the wreckage they recovered.
1
This might be a Trump negotiating tactic, like with the tarrifs. On the other hand, when it came to the tariffs, when Trump didn't get his way, he went forward with them. It's gotten to the point where we can count on Trump carrying out his threats.
3
He's giving them an out. Now they can save face by saying shooting down the drone and bombing the tankers were the act of a errant interests not reflecting our general doctrine/policy.
"We have now fixed the problem and look forward to productive new talks."
Otherwise... next time?
1
Well, I vote for listening to the Pentagon and not Trump's bevy of war mongering under-qualified political appointees. For a man who campaigned on getting us out of the Middle East, a war with Iran would really be a campaign promise broken. Isn't Trump all about fulfilling all of his campaign slogans, at any cost?
5
Meanwhile back at the ranch in the US the EPA is being gutted (already air quality is plummeting), the CFPB is being dismantled, Dodd–Frank is being compromised, the deficit is going through the roof, huge chunks of public lands are being sold off, world free trade is being seriously assailed, the justice department is being revamped with a slew of GOP biased judicial appointees, and all while the FBI is being disemboweled.
19
The official narrative indicates that the Pentagon refused to carry out the attack on Iran. The U.S. is on the verge of a military coup. At a minimum, the military brass will successfully push out John Bolton -- someone, who admittedly, is not mentally stable.
4
"Yes, we will." "No. we won't." Is he throwing darts to determine his actions? This whole affair is out of control. Leadership, my foot.
7
The dogs of war are out again. And the press, unwittingly or deliberately, goes along with the drum beat. After the Iran nuclear deal under the Obama administration, there were so many articles in NYT on travel in Iran, on culture, cuisine, architecture and art. Iran was being humanized. Under the Trump administration's bellicose rhetoric, all those human interest stories have disappeared. Instead, Iran is repeatedly characterized as a 'bad actor' in the region, exporting 'terrorism' in the region. Iran (and Iranians) are again being dehumanized. And the sad story of American-initiated wars will be repeated. The press, 'embedded' in the war machine, will report the progress of war, the taking of cities, the counting of casualties, and later on, the flood of refugees and the European response to the 'refugee crisis'. This is not what we want from the free press. The press is a pillar of democracy, a voice of reason amidst the brutality of realpolitik. The press, including NYT, should fulfil its responsibility and take a stand on what the Trump administration is up to.
11
I recently saw a comment posted on line observing that sons and daughters of those involved in the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, are now old enough to be deployed in the same country in the same conflict. The US has been `at war` for 18 years and counting. As the nation`s infrastructure crumbles, as citizen`s quality of life declines, the war profiteers continue to reap fantastic profits thanks to the US taxpayer. And yet Trump and the Republicans, and their supporters, want another conflict costing unknown numbers of human lives, and uncounted billions of more taxpayer dollars.
19
Two years into an administration and we are on the brink of war. Lest we forget, war kills and maims our children, spends our hard earned money for guns and wounds our national psyche.
President Trump, please think long and hard before entering into such a disastrous situation.
5
Hardly a coincidence that Trump starts his campaign and also rattled US sabers. Wars help win elections.
7
If the WH seeks Congress permission to go to war with Iran for its imaginary reasons, perhaps the Congress should authorise it with the proviso that the Commander-in-Chief personally lead the forces into the battleground along with his NSA and cabinet members in-charge of the US Armed forces. We will then see how much appetite exists for starting a new war.
7
All it will take to stop this strike and for US to get back onto Iran nuclear deal is for Iran to offer to pay off Trump's loans. We can look forward to an early morning tweet about Bolton being fired. This prediction would be funny if it weren't true.
2
All it will take to stop this strike and for US to get back onto Iran nuclear deal is for Iran to offer to pay off Trump's loans. We can look forward to an early morning tweet about Bolton being fired. This prediction would be funny if it weren't true.
How do we respond to an international crisis of the President's making when we literally trust none of the statements the President or his staff make? This is literally unprecedented.
11
IRG commander in Chief Hossein Salami is not a casual militarist or prone to risking the IRG's position of respect and authority in Iran. He is rational well educated, and a professional and understands the difference between posturing and genuine action. The tragedy here is that at some point he will have to act with force and to slap the United States hard. President Trump is not a professional, has no serious education and is an open bigot and believes whatever fever dream he engages this week. The Iranians watched war in Afghanistan and Iraq and understand up close America's military skill. They watch the US cynical embrace of Saudi Arabia and the very weird attachment Trump has for Putin of Russia. Meantime US sanctions against Iran are having a serious effect and the recent effort to stop Iran oil exports makes matters much worse. What makes everything so dangerous is that the Trump administration ignores a cardinal rule in international relations, "know when to shut up, when to back up, lighten the sanctions and let the other guy have a chance to step back" Kennedy understood this and was able to allow Russia to back up from Cuba in 1962. John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have trouble resisting the thrill of throwing a punch and thus ruining their credibility. An air war with Iran will be costly and a ground war however limited could be a 1914 style fuse that leads to disaster as a number of players decide to exploit the situation.
8
Why did Trump change his ind? Does he have a solid policy on Iran? Is Trump getting input from his advisors and intel community"? Is he listening to that input? Did Trump back us into a corner with all of his bluster? We don't want war with Iran. But if we put out a policy and then withdraw it, what does that say to the world? What does it say to Iran? Why does it say to our Allies in Europe who would be asked to fight alongside of us? Why is all of this happening? So many questions and so few answers. Troubling ...
3
Is it in the United States' interest of have the Straight of Hormuz open to shipping or closed? And those nations that want it open, what is in it for us?
Amongst all the theories proffered to understand what's actually going here, only those that result in personal benefit for Mr Trump warrant consideration.
It has been amply demonstrated that he fulfils sufficient DSM criteria to be diagnosed with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder; and, without exception, history shows that all his actions and decisions have been made for his own personal benefit or aggrandisement just as expected from one with such psychopathology.
Given the apparent power Mr Trump yields with respect to these most serious issues in the Middle East, I urge the Surgeon General, as a matter of utmost importance to the public health of the American people, to refer the President forthwith to an appropriate psychiatrist.
5
This is eerily similar to the Iraq run-up. It is now apparent that we went into Iraq knowing we would defeat an overmatched foe, but did not have a credible plan for winning the peace. It's no different here. And unless Trump has such a plan, it's time to put the saber away.
2
Anything goes nowadays. So many Democrats stayed home or went 3rd Party in 2016. Especially in PA, MI and WI.
The consequences are real and it’s important that every American feel them.
2020 is the time to atone.
6
Where's Congress in all of this?
The Legislative branch needs to take power back from the Executive branch. This won't happen when the Senate is being run by McConnell...
7
Let’s be honest.
The US doesn’t need drones for surveillance. Their satellites orbiting earth already capture everything they need.
Sending a drone that close is nothing else but a provocation.
During the Gulf Wars and Iraq our news came via established channels and newspapers. These days we learn much from various outlets and sources. Needless to say the narrative can’t be controlled like it used to.
The US unilaterally abandoned the nuclear agreement, sanctioned Iran even further and now provokes its aerial boundaries.
We see what you do.
5