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Trump Was Moments Away From Wiping Iran Off The Map, Then Things Changed … Here’s What Happened
The Beltway Report ^ | 6/21/19 | Jack Crane

Posted on 06/21/2019 12:12:49 PM PDT by JackCrane

Edited on 06/21/2019 12:48:29 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

General Jack Keane appeared with Stuart Varney this morning to discuss Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf after Iran had shot down a $123 million US Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Drone (BAMS-D), yesterday.

The New York Times reported last night:

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

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

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.

According to Gen. Keane, President Trump is said to have ordered an attack on the sophisticated radar-guided surface-to-air missile launch site, in response to the unprovoked attack.

The deployment of U.S. naval and air military assets had already been set in motion when the president immediately reversed himself and ordered a stand down.

Gen. Keane said that the president reversed that decision after United States intelligence sources had come into new information that the Iranian commander who ordered the strike had acted on his own and was being disciplined for his actions.

It is unlikely President Trump will allow himself to be rolled by a hostile foreign nation, but it is even more unlikely that he’ll add his name to the list of presidents who have allowed themselves to be drawn into unnecessary wars in the Mid-East.

Once President Trump learned that the attack was carried out by a rogue commander in the field, and with the knowledge that the economic sanctions he’s placed on Iran has that nation on the brink of financial collapse, he decided that continuing his more measured approach was the wiser alternative.

President Trump has rebuilt our military as a deterrent to foreign aggressors. But, he has replaced the use of U.S. military aggression with the employment of aggressive economic strategies.

This president understands that economic security is military security and he recognizes that our rebuilt economy makes us the most powerful nation on earth.

President Trump is determined to force hostile nations to come to the negotiating table – rather than a field of combat – by the imposition of economic sanctions in order to drive better deals for America and to make the world a safer place.


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KEYWORDS: blogpimp; clickbait; djibouti; eritrea; hassannasrallah; hezbollah; iran; lebanon; pimpmyblog; sudan; trump; yemen
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To: JackCrane

I would say President Trump got wind of the dimoKKKRAT skullduggery in this thing. I think he will strike but at a time of his own choosing.


81 posted on 06/21/2019 3:19:43 PM PDT by Parley Baer
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To: HarleyLady27

Trump himself in a tweet said he called it off...so is Trump lying to you?


82 posted on 06/21/2019 3:24:39 PM PDT by Dave W
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To: JackCrane

Sounds like a reasonable explanation to me.


83 posted on 06/21/2019 3:30:05 PM PDT by jimwatx
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To: bigbob

I prefer C. Let the Persian people give the mullahs the Ceaucescu treatment.


84 posted on 06/21/2019 3:41:45 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: Trump Girl Kit Cat

I discussed this with a fellow officer yesterday—it was all about proportionality. Blowing up SAM/radar sites is certainly acceptable given the enemy’s action, but the problem is that we just lost an expensive RC plane. Attacking those sites would’ve killed people.

I have no clue if that 150 EKIA number is accurate (I’ll assume it is), but that’s a lot higher than what we lost—zero. Suddenly we become the bad guys which gives Tehran some international momentum they didn’t have before. EU is only reluctantly on board with Iran sanctions and Russia is just itching for a reason to push us out of the area altogether.

All of that is diplomatic stuff. Look at the field day the Democrats would have with Trump acting like a “warmonger.” It was more than a little suspicious that The Usual Suspects were cheering hard for military action. They wanted Trump to bomb Iran so they could accuse him of starting yet another losing Middle East war and beat him over the head with it from here to November 2020.

By exercising patience, Trump has robbed EU, Russia, and the Democrats/Neocons of their golden opportunity to pounce. By further dragging this out, he puts more pressure on Russia and China to pull Iran to heel since they need the Persian Gulf oil lanes open far more than we do (China especially). And for what? The loss of a UAV? That’s a real bargain.

On top of all of that, I’m not so sure this wasn’t Trump’s plan to begin with. Early on he was talking about how this whole thing may have been “a mistake.” He said that in an Oval Office press event with Madame Trudeau and again on Twitter. The tweet could’ve been construed either as “Iran had an accident” or “Iran has pushed us too far.” Either way, he gave himself leeway to act or not act.

This is the value of having a legitimate strategic thinker in the White House. Every President in my lifetime most likely would’ve pulled the trigger. Not Trump.


85 posted on 06/21/2019 3:57:41 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater (Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. - Dwight Eisenhower, 1957)
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To: sparklite2

Notify the moderator, that is how.

You asked. I answered.


86 posted on 06/21/2019 4:03:05 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: JackCrane

Put some assets in the air, light up their defenses whilst confirming where they are and their capability,then stand down. The psy-ops effect is like waiting for your dad to get home. Much worse than the actual punishment.


87 posted on 06/21/2019 5:00:18 PM PDT by llevrok (Vote, while it is still legal!)
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To: Future Snake Eater

Attacking those sites would’ve killed people.

I have no clue if that 150 EKIA number is accurate (I’ll assume it is), but that’s a lot higher than what we lost—zero. Suddenly we become the bad guys...

Yes, and they would have been women and children who just
happened to be visiting a missile site on a school trip.


88 posted on 06/21/2019 5:04:18 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Fred Hayek

Your problem is that 95% of the Persian people either support the government or would defend it against foreigners.

Ever heard of Hamid Karzai? Ever heard of Achmed Chalabi?

For that matter, ever heard of Nguyen Cao Ky?

NEVER AGAIN.


89 posted on 06/21/2019 5:05:26 PM PDT by Jim Noble (1)
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To: Mariner

“If you are not committed to existential war, for the duration and no matter what else“

We would need 80-100 land divisions to conquer Iran and keep the Russians out.

We can’t field 12 divisions without girls.

This is an absurd discussion. We have neither the will nor the means to control the Persian theater (including Western Afghanistan) by force.

Not to mention the fact that neither the representatives of the people nor the representatives of the states will declare war - because there is no support for it.


90 posted on 06/21/2019 5:11:14 PM PDT by Jim Noble (1)
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To: kaehurowing

Why yes, Mandrake.


91 posted on 06/21/2019 5:11:23 PM PDT by urbanpovertylawcenter (the law and poverty collide in an urban setting and sparks fly)
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To: Jim Noble

“We would need 80-100 land divisions to conquer Iran and keep the Russians out.”

Ludicrous.

We could execute regime change with air power and 5 mechanized divisions and 5 armored divisions.

Likely with air power alone given 120 days.

If the Russians want it after that, they can have it.

I’m not saying we SHOULD DO IT, because I don’t believe we should.

But we could. The county is on the razor edge of collapse right now.

And it wouldn’t take 2 million men in ANY conceivable scenario.


92 posted on 06/21/2019 5:33:36 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Jim Noble

We have a whole playbook that just needs some modifications. It was the support of toppling communist regimes in Eastern Europe. We had intel assets there providing support, but no troops. None. We were merely the water carriers. Poland. Czechoslovakia. Hungary. Romania. Bulgaria. Hungary was unusual in that it was the Party Secretary who said “socialism didn’t work. We must start over” and discarded the whole system. In Romania even Ceaucescu ‘s army turn on him (remember Ceaucescu on the balcony addressing the crowd, and deluded? People threw snowballs at him, even the soldiers threw snowballs). The Persian people are proud, but they also have had enough. And the mullahs are fearing the people.


93 posted on 06/21/2019 5:42:50 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: Mariner

“The county is on the razor edge of collapse right now”

We have been in this movie before.


94 posted on 06/21/2019 6:02:40 PM PDT by Jim Noble (1)
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To: Fred Hayek

“The Persian people are proud, but they also have had enough”

And you know this how?


95 posted on 06/21/2019 6:03:53 PM PDT by Jim Noble (1)
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To: tet68

Even if they weren’t and were 100% IRGC, so what? I don’t think 150 dead and all the aforementioned domestic and international fallout is a worthwhile trade for a remote control plane.


96 posted on 06/21/2019 6:29:01 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater (Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. - Dwight Eisenhower, 1957)
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To: Mariner
You cannot undo an attack on an adversaries mainland.

Wise statement others should consider.

97 posted on 06/21/2019 6:51:20 PM PDT by frank ballenger (End vote fraud,non-citizen voting & leftist media news censorship or we are finished.)
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To: JackCrane

https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/news-nation/betrayed-attack-target-list-sent-to-iran-before-us-strike-aborted
This article claims that a traitor sent Iran the coordinates of the proposed attack and that Iran had time to arm those sites so that our pilots would be flying into certain death if the attack went forward as planned.
Who knows?


98 posted on 06/21/2019 8:27:34 PM PDT by tinamina
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To: JackCrane

Waiting for members of the prior administration to once more pay a visit to Iran??? Timing is everything...


99 posted on 06/21/2019 8:39:18 PM PDT by Ozark Tom
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To: JackCrane
Trump Was Moments Away From Wiping Iran Off The Map, Then Things Changed … Here’s What Happened

This headline is hyperbolic BS.

100 posted on 06/21/2019 8:44:39 PM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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