Posted on 01/04/2020 7:28:53 AM PST by Kaslin
They were both general officers in their respective armies but otherwise, not much.
They are also both DEAD! :D
That should be the last straw and we should leave even before the vote.
The very fact that they would have a vote demonstrates that there is enough anti-US sentiment that we are wasting our soldiers’ lives, our money and our time.
Leaving Iraq to the control by the rogue, terrorist promoting Iranian regime gives them more control over the Persian Gulf, geographical connection to Syria, closer proximity to Israel, and they become a greater threat to Saudi Arabia and other gulf Arab states. It will make it much easier to launch military operations from what is now Iraqi territory. It will make it harder to enforce economic sanctions. They will gain control of a larger share of the world’s oil reserves. If they gain power through the acquisition of Iraq, they are more apt to employ that power to our detriment. It makes their alliance with Russia even more dangerous. I don’t want to be there, but I think it would be a strategic blunder to hand it over to them.
Until Bush took out Saddam Hussein, Iran and Iraq counter-balanced each other. As bad as Saddam was, nobody in the gulf region can fulfill that role. Israel is better off not to assert itself that way. To the best of their ability, they need to stay quiet and walk around carrying a big stick.
On the plus side, Soleimani has already achieved his New Year’s Resolution.
He’s finally stopped smoking for good.
“Iran needed to learn a hard, swift lesson.”
What lesson is that? That we can be intimidated with the strongest, most effective military in the world, or maybe another country can attack us and get away scott free, or maybe they can threaten us and our allies and expect us to take it sitting down, or that we have worked to free Iraq from one brutal ruler to let another come in and take over, or to consider they can expect people like Obama to protect them, or we are cowards or just plain stupid....? That administration is gone.
There is a line drawn in the sand over there and Iran has already crossed it. The war between these countries started almost 40 years ago and has never stopped. Now that we have relieved Iraq of the people that wish to continue the war in their country, and we have put lives and money into trying to make Iraq a free and safe place to live, we may have to do the same with Iran as they will not stop the war and they will continue to be the animals they are. There may be only one way to stop it. And it can start with Qassem Soleimani and Generalissimo Francisco Franco and continue with their navy if they wish. The choice is there’s. I hope they choose wisely.
rwood
“Leaving Iraq to the control by the rogue, terrorist promoting Iranian regime gives them more control over the Persian Gulf, ...”
So it’s containment and oil, the usual reasons. I guess they’re valid.
Some reports I’ve heard and read say that seven people were killed along with him. I doubt if he was taking an Uber at the time so I think it’s reasonable to assume that at least one or two of his fellow passengers were at least part of his chain of command.
Killing this guy was the right thing to do, so now “run”?
Wow! That sounds a lot like defeat.
Well, it's beyond doubt that American military deployments in the Middle East and, beyond that, heavy diplomatic activity with states like Saudi Arabia are in Israel's best interest.
The problem with your comment is that it can no longer be hidden that these things are NOT in America's best interest.
It's unfortunate to have to make an unpleasant choice in our own best interest, but there it is. That's the point to which history has brought us.
If by "care a fig" you mean, continue with the current slow bleeding policy in Mesopotamia and elsewhere, then no, I don't care a fig, and most Americans don't either.
That is 100% correct.
No, but yldstrk did, and by using such emotional language ("doesn't care a fig") revealed an unhealthy concern with the fate of a foreign nation over our own.
I've heard the "protecting Israel is protecting America" argument a million times, but it's no longer true if it ever was.
Our interest in Mesopotamia and the Levant is to get the hell out of there. Our interest in the peninsula is not to be identified with the al-Saud clan so that, when they fall, we don't pay any significant price.
And our interests with regard to Iran are to avoid war if possible and to win it if it can't be avoided - and we are certainly not going to win it with ten combat divisions, 290 ships, and no draft.
Soleimani led Iran's imperial effort to destabilize Iraq, crush Syria, and plunge Lebanon into crisis, all with the intent to cement Iranian rule over the whole north of the Middle East. He had little reason to think he would be stopped.
Okay I'll bite, what did they have in common other than their rank...and they killed people who didn't comply with their demands....
They are both dead ;)
We are in the Mid-east to insure the flow of oil to Europe and Asia. We do not need oil from the Mid-east as we now are energy independent.
We have spent enormous resources in money and man in this effort.
Past time to pull our troops and let Japan, South Korea and all Europe fend for their own in regards oil.
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