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Iran Calls Trump’s Bluff: The President is caught between hawkish goals and dovish means.
Wall Street Journal ^ | June 21, 2019

Posted on 06/22/2019 3:25:28 AM PDT by reaganaut1

President Trump called off a military strike against Iran in mid-mission Thursday, and his supporters and even some of his critics are hailing it as an act of restraint and courage. The question for American interests is whether Iran and other adversaries will see it instead as a sign of weakness and indecision.

“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 proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone,” Mr. Trump tweeted Friday morning.

It’s important to understand how extraordinary this is. The Commander in Chief ordered ships and planes into battle but recalled them because he hadn’t asked in advance what the damage and casualties might be? While the planes were in the air, he asked, oh, by the way? This is hard to take at face value.

More likely, he changed his mind because he had second thoughts about the military and political consequences of engaging in a conflict he promised as a candidate to avoid. Mr. Trump may have saved Iranian lives now, but his indecision and professed fear of casualties may be risking more American lives later.

Squeezed by the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign, Iran’s rulers are trying to pressure Mr. Trump in return. In recent weeks they have attacked oil pipelines, mined oil tankers, and this week brazenly shot down a $130 million U.S. drone monitoring shipping lanes over international waters. Iran’s bet is that Mr. Trump is so averse to military confrontation that he will ease U.S. sanctions. On the evidence of the aborted mission, they may be right.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2020election; djibouti; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; election2020; eritrea; hassannasrallah; hezbollah; iran; lebanon; mediawingofthednc; nevertrump; nevertrumper; nevertrumpers; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; smearmachine; sudan; trump; wallstreeturinal; yemen
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1 posted on 06/22/2019 3:25:28 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

They are trying to ruin his re election chances.


2 posted on 06/22/2019 3:30:07 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (nicdip.com)
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To: reaganaut1

Without a doubt, WSJ’s dumbest article to date. But, I have complete confidence that they will soon outdo themselves.


3 posted on 06/22/2019 3:31:59 AM PDT by jazminerose (Adorable Deplorable)
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To: ronnie raygun
They are trying to ruin his re election chances.

They are trying to goad him into starting a war so they can post a daily body count and destroy any chance he has of getting reelected.

4 posted on 06/22/2019 3:33:07 AM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: reaganaut1

WSJ = Swamp


5 posted on 06/22/2019 3:33:14 AM PDT by hadaclueonce ( This time I am Deplorable)
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To: reaganaut1

Kill the Iranian leaders. That will put a damper on their plans to kill more Americans.


6 posted on 06/22/2019 3:35:30 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: ronnie raygun

WSJ doesn’t have the power to kill a few spiders.


7 posted on 06/22/2019 3:36:40 AM PDT by jazminerose (Adorable Deplorable)
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To: reaganaut1

The Neo-cons and Never-Trumpers have now spoken.


8 posted on 06/22/2019 3:39:07 AM PDT by Redleg Duke (We live on a tax farm as free-range humans!)
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To: reaganaut1

They have it 100% bassackwards.

The EB claims President Trump’s greatest FP weakness is in its “volatility”. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That’s the greatest strength.

The whole point is to keep our enemies completely off balance and confused at all times. The President understands this from decades of complex business negotiations up against some very shrewd and often very shady characters.


9 posted on 06/22/2019 3:40:03 AM PDT by jazminerose (Adorable Deplorable)
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To: reaganaut1
Thank you for your back-handed compliments. This is the reason I dropped my subscription to WSJ.
10 posted on 06/22/2019 3:41:19 AM PDT by Rapscallion (If they are not for Trump, they are against him. Fire them.)
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To: reaganaut1

I am impressed that we have such good communications in our military to call off the strike on a dime......unlike in the move Dr. Strangelove


11 posted on 06/22/2019 3:43:51 AM PDT by BRL
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To: minnesota_bound

When waging war one can not be afraid of killing our enemies.

A mistake our county has made for decades.


12 posted on 06/22/2019 3:49:24 AM PDT by riverrunner ( o the public,)
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To: ronnie raygun

Yes. They never say anything good about Trump.

WSJ used to be require reading. They’ve gone so far left that It is now not even worthy to use in the bottom of a bird cage.


13 posted on 06/22/2019 3:49:30 AM PDT by boycott
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To: All
Tucker Carlson on the demented neocon, John Bolton
14 posted on 06/22/2019 3:53:05 AM PDT by JonPreston
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To: reaganaut1

They prefer dovish goal & hawkish means


15 posted on 06/22/2019 3:53:39 AM PDT by granada
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To: reaganaut1

Lol

Iranian crazies know that a big bang could land on their heads anytime. ..notwithstanding the loss of life and perhaps significant damage to weapons production facilities, this will have been just as effective as an actual attack. But now the crazies have lost a degree of support. Attack(s) could still happen that will significantly damage weapons production facilities. How’d you like to work at one of THOSE places?!

The President doesn’t have to ask about loss of life numbers, that’s part of every option presented. It didn’t go down as reported. This was intended to set the table with an Iran on notice and nervous and a world audience that now is less on Iran’s side.

Indecisive like a fox.


16 posted on 06/22/2019 3:56:19 AM PDT by Principled (No one will conquer America, from within or without, until its citizenry are disarmed.)
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To: ronnie raygun

By “they” I take it you mean the WSJ & the Iranian regime


17 posted on 06/22/2019 3:57:15 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: riverrunner

But Trump can’t kill liberals, progressives and neocons, even though they are trying to destroy his presidency.


18 posted on 06/22/2019 3:59:23 AM PDT by granada
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To: reaganaut1
...whether Iran and other adversaries will see it instead as a sign of weakness and indecision.

How about advance strategic planning for the 2020 election?

19 posted on 06/22/2019 4:00:42 AM PDT by GoldenPup
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To: riverrunner
When waging war one can not be afraid of killing our enemies.

So say the generals (and rightly so).

The President on the other hand has to deal with his political opponents who will make hay of every enemy civilian life taken.

20 posted on 06/22/2019 4:03:52 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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