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'Not Proportionate': Trump Explains Why He Halted Air Strikes Against Iran
Townhall ^ | 06/21/2019 | Matt Vespa

Posted on 06/21/2019 7:22:23 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

For some, you could hear the sound of war drums. It was coming. Iran had shot down a surveillance drone in international waters. President Trump did not mince words, saying Iran made a huge mistake, though was cagey about military action. He told the press “you’ll find out” when asked. President Trump has taken action before, firing cruise missiles at an airfield in Syria in 2017 after a horrible chemical weapons attack struck the town of Khan Shaykhun. The airfield was the staging ground. Reports trickled in last night that air strikes were ordered against Iran but were halted by Trump. We didn’t know why, but earlier this morning the president tweeted that he aborted the mission because the retaliatory strikes were not proportionate (via WaPo):

EXCLUSIVE: Iran received message from U.S. President Trump via Oman overnight warning of imminent attack on Iran - Iranian government officials pic.twitter.com/kzV1S1MCHC— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) June 21, 2019

....On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not....— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019

....proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world. Sanctions are biting & more added last night. Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019

President Trump ordered an attack on Iran on Thursday in retaliation for the downing of a surveillance drone in the Strait of Hormuz but called the operation off just before it was due to occur because it would have caused extensive casualties, he said Friday.

In a series of morning tweets, Trump said he called off strikes on three Iranian sites minutes before they were to be launched because he was informed of the likely loss of life among Iranians.

“We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die,” Trump tweeted. “150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it.”

Such a death toll was “not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone,” Trump wrote, adding: “I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world.



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airstrikes; boltonlosesagain; djibouti; eritrea; hassannasrallah; hezbollah; iran; lebanon; neoconswantedwar; sudan; trump; trumpmiddleeast; trumpsaidnotoneocons; yemen
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To: SeekAndFind
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump Replying to @realDonaldTrump ....proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world. Sanctions are biting & more added last night. Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!
40.2K 9:03 AM - Jun 21, 2019

Question: If we were to 1. Change the name to Barack Obama and 2. Change the date to (say) Jun 21 2016. How many people here would be supporting what the President did? I suspect the attitude would be just a little different.

Also how has this been seen in Tehran? Because their view is the only one that matters. Now I (obviously) don't know what their thinking is, but I suspect it goes something like...We Attacked Them, And They Did Nothing....Again.

201 posted on 06/22/2019 6:47:40 AM PDT by Valin
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To: catnipman

When did proportionality become something important when dealing with an enemy?


202 posted on 06/22/2019 6:49:39 AM PDT by Valin
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To: SeekAndFind
We don't have to be the first to run into a fire to save the old lady's cat...

If the straights of hormuz gets blocked China and the far east will be hurt more than we'll be hurt. Let's sit back and wait to see who gives a damn - who will step up and offer help - before we rush in alone paying the full price with our lives and treasure.

203 posted on 06/22/2019 7:56:31 AM PDT by GOPJ (The press whores for democrats... Biden with white supremists? Biden was with fellow democrats.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Proportionality is one of the tenets of just war, and iirc, part of geneva/hague


204 posted on 06/22/2019 12:09:09 PM PDT by xzins (Retired US Army chaplain. Support our troops by praying for their victory.)
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To: free_life

I think money is logarithmic. Back where we peons are, 100 million is worth many lives worth of effort.
It may be a small amount from some purses, but from ours it is a lot.


205 posted on 06/23/2019 12:26:22 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no o<ither sovereignty.")
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To: SeekAndFind

My take is that the Globalist crowd wanted a war. They set one up. Oops, Trump didn’t take the bait.
In mid-May, Diane Feinstein met with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Zarif. Why? To set up a false flag to oust PDJT?

https://www.theblaze.com/news/why-did-dianne-feinstein-meet-secretly-with-iran-as-tensions-with-u-s-peaked

Kerry went to Iran last September.

https://nypost.com/2018/09/12/kerry-admits-to-meeting-iranian-officials-over-nuclear-deal/

The Globalists failed to get the Russian war they wanted so they could impeach Trump. Now they have turned to Iran, hoping for the war they want to take back the reins of power.


206 posted on 06/23/2019 5:36:09 AM PDT by WWG1WWA (Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity." -Marcusurelius)
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To: Delta 21

If Trump did that then he would not be re elected and then where would we be? Just where the anti Americans want us.


207 posted on 06/23/2019 6:23:04 PM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: SeekAndFind
Remember, we did not go to war with Russia when they shot down a MANNED U-2. Going to war over the loss of an UNMANNED drone is a very bad idea. Losing a drone means at worst we lose the vehicle, not a pilot, or worse, let them capture a prisoner. Drones can be replaced much more easily than can a pilot.
208 posted on 06/26/2019 6:01:35 PM PDT by JoeFromSidney (Colonel (Retired) USAF.)
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