'Not Proportionate': Trump Explains Why He Halted Air Strikes Against Iran

Townhall ^ | 06/21/2019 | Matt Vespa

[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.

[DiogenesLamp]

No response is not an appropriate response to Iran destroying our 250 million dollar airplane.

I thought it was like a 20 million dollar drone?

Yeah, 20 million is a lot of money for us peons out here, but it is not even a mosquito bite for the US.

I see the Iranians as desperate to start a war, and so i'm hesitant to do what they want. Let them provoke us further.

[dowcaet]

And how do you know the people who are involved in the ongoing coup against this president aren’t in cahoots with Russia and China to egg on Iran to start a war against us? This presidency has changed the global equation and there are a lot of Deep State/globalist insiders who will do anything to deny this president a second term, even plunging this country into what could be a catastrophic conflict! Iran is a terrorist nation and the world has much to fear from them, but don’t kid yourself into thinking they’re being this aggressive on their own. The Russians, Chinese, and the Deep State here and around the world want the old world order back to “normal” with us being a paper tiger while they control everything!

[central_va]

This was a made to order excuse to destroy all Iranian nuclear facilities. We whiffed this one but I am sure there will be other opportunities to screw up.

[Starboard]

“...does not mean there is no war going on. Only that is being fought in multiple dimensions”

**************

Correct. I seriously doubt that we are “doing nothing”.

[DiogenesLamp]

Not proportionate for this specific incidence. But shooting down this drone needs to be placed into perspective with Iran being responsible for many American deaths over the years, in Iraq, terrorist actions and otherwise. That case needs to be made with the citizens so that next time there is something similar to the drone attack happens, we won’t feel restrained by the fact that no one died. A whole lot more than 150 Americans have died at the hands of the Iranians over the years.

I think that if starting a war with Iran will damage Trump's election chances, we will lose far more than we will ever gain from doing it.

Trump is the last bastion of sanity and freedom in this nation, and if another nutbag Democrat gets that power, It will cost us far more in lost freedom than any war with Iran would have ever benefited us.

Let us not be penny wise and pound foolish.

[central_va]

his presidency has changed the global equation and there are a lot of Deep State/globalist insiders who will do anything to deny this president a second term, even plunging this country into what could be a catastrophic conflict

Catastrophic for who? What a bunch of pussies. Promising to stay out of war does not mean not retaliating when struck in the nose by a psycho. We will pay for this inaction. We always do.

[bigbob]

He now has a yuge bargaining chip with Iran. Anyone who cannot see this is as dumb as the neo-con Bushes, et al.

[Scrambler Bob]

MSM this morning said $130 mil

[catnipman]

Trump’s playing a psychological cat and mouse game with the Mullahs ... he’s more or less daring them to do something even bigger so that there would be actual proportional justification for the pending attack (most likely against nuclear facilities) ...

if the Mullahs are smart, they won’t take the bait ...

if not, and the Mullah’s are stupid enough to take the bait (like the dying lying fake stream enemedia always takes Trump’s bait - sometimes even in the form of fake leaks when he wants the to publish something), then the Mullah’s will regret the hell that Trump will unleash on them ... I guess it all depends upon how much the Mullahs value their nuclear facilities ...

[central_va]

What bargaining chip is that? LOL

[CondoleezzaProtege]

We don’t need war with Iran.

[Starboard]

Good comments. But I suspect that we are not sitting around waiting for the next provocation and are rather retaliating in other ways.

[grey_whiskers]

Stable. Genius.
And hung like a centaur.

[DiogenesLamp]

Well today you sound like a plant from the revolutionary guard. But don’t take it personally, most of Free Republic has gone daft over this issue.

I have always believed we should have beat sh*t out of Iran back in 1979 when they seized our embassy personnel, and I have never changed my mind about this.

I *want* to destroy the existing Iranian government, and I'm perfectly fine with a war to do it.

But I also think there are some things more important than righting this wrong that idiot Jimmy Carter created, and one of those things is protecting our country from an even worse threat than Iran, and that is a Democrat President.

Iran isn't going anywhere, but the election is next year. If starting a war with Iran will adversely affect Trump's reelection, then it is a cost we cannot bear.

We can bide our time for a year and a half, and once his election is secure, we can blow sh*t out of Iran, and I will applaud.

But let us keep our priorities straight. The first thing of importance is protecting freedom here in America, not regime change in a foreign Muslim nation in which America really no longer has any significant interests.

[ryderann]

“But I don’t like “proportionate”. “

For sure. In court you get cost plus triple damages.

[Charles Martel]

Do the Dems really want an ally that’s the #1 sponsor of international terrorism?

You forgot the /rhetorical tag.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Yes, of course they do. Good is evil and evil is good to them.

[BigEdLB]

Agree. By doing this The Prez really plays with the mullah’s heads

[LibWhacker]

Sounds wise, but you risk death by a thousand cuts.

[Conserv]

It’s quite obvious who the loon is...

and it’s YOU.