Authored by Jake Johnson via CommonDreams.org,
As peace advocates voiced alarm at the very real prospect of all-out conflict with Iran following the assassination Thursday night of that country’s top military leader on orders from U.S. President Donald Trump, war hawks who have had their crosshairs trained on Iran for years enthusiastically celebrated Trump’s decision — and even suggested the president should go further by targeting the nation’s oil refineries.
“To the Iranian government: If you want to stay in the oil business leave America and our allies alone and stop being the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world,” tweeted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime supporter of regime change in Iran.
Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Jim Risch (R.-Idaho), and Ben Sasse (Neb.) joined the chorus of applause, hailing Trump for taking “decisive action.”
Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, tweeted in response to the torrent of praise that “hawks are celebrating [Qassem] Soleimani’s assassination not because they believe it weakened Iran. Or the IRGC. Or that Iran will lose in Iraq. But because they believe we have passed an irreversible point of escalation.”
“From here, war is unavoidable, they believe,” Parsi added. “And celebrate.”
A reassuring list of trends for the start of #2020 #WWIII etc pic.twitter.com/IkJiGUrVYY
— Bel Trew (@Beltrew) January 3, 2020
The likely unlawful U.S. assassination of Soleimani — and the jingoistic applause it provoked — led many to express fears of a global conflict, briefly catapulting “World War III” to the top of Twitter’s trending list.
Trump, for his part, simply tweeted an image of an American flag following the strike:
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani, as well as at least six others, with a drone strike in Baghdad came after the Pentagon threatened Iran with preemptive action in response to supposed indications it was planning attacks on U.S. forces in the region.
Though the Pentagon did not offer a shred of evidence that Soleimani or militia groups were planning attacks, corporate media outlets dutifully echoed the Trump administration’s line, leading some commentators to see parallels with the buildup to the Bush administration’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.
For the record, we think #WWIII is a bad idea.
— Franz Ferdinand (@Franz_Ferdinand) January 3, 2020
“I don’t see any way to stop what is coming, war from the Mediterranean to the Indus and harsh repression in the U.S. that may vitiate the 2020 election,” said Barnett Rubin of the Center on International Cooperation. “This is the test for the Democrats: have our leaders learned anything since 2003? I fear the answer.”
Observers warned the U.S. assassination of Soleimani, on top of the Trump administration’s violation of the nuclear accord last year and other aggressive actions, effectively foreclosed the possibility of peaceful negotiations with Iran.
Franz Ferdinand and #WWIII: Why are these words trending? https://t.co/4RzgkaeH69
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) January 3, 2020
“Whatever happens next, understand and never stop pointing out that Donald Trump walked into office with no crisis with Iran,” said Stephen Miles, executive director of Win Without War. “He then filled his cabinet with warmongers, walked away from a multilateral diplomatic accord, and purposefully engaged in ‘maximum pressure.’ He owns this.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei quickly vowed “harsh retaliation” in response to Soleimani’s assassination, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the U.S. of committing “an act of state terrorism.”
Amid fears of revenge attacks, the State Department on Friday urged U.S. citizens to leave Iraq immediately.
“Trump’s Iran policy has been seeking to incite war with Iran since he reneged on the nuclear deal in May 2018,” said Sina Toossi, senior research analyst with the National Iranian American Council. “If a war breaks out, the blame lies squarely with this disastrous policy and its proponents.”
“Trump thinks he got his Bin Laden moment in an election year,” Toossi added. “In reality, he’s made the worst strategic mistake by an American leader since the Iraq invasion. The consequences will be felt for years to come.”
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Amid fears of revenge attacks, the State Department on Friday urged U.S. citizens to leave Iraq immediately.
Absolutely, get all people out of harms way, including all the US military assholes that started this shit.
all those patriot soldiers you thought would stand by american citizens as our country deteriorates?
guess where they’re going.
all those post- non- anti-american military welfare recipients that have been flooding our military and who would willingly turn their weapons on american citizens?
guess where they’re staying.
“Whatever happens next, understand and never stop pointing out that Donald Trump walked into office with no crisis with Iran,” said Stephen Miles, executive director of Win Without War. “He then filled his cabinet with warmongers, walked away from a multilateral diplomatic accord, and purposefully engaged in ‘maximum pressure.’ He owns this.”
Yep
There is an old axiom: The person who cares the least controls the relationship.
This is Iraq. They have nothing to lose. They can conduct and and all kinds of terrorism – and they are always given the benefit of the doubt.
Total eradication of the mullah’s is the answer.
I can only agree to this if total eradication of the Rabbis precedes it.
“Trump thinks he got his Bin Laden moment in an election year,” Toossi added. “In reality, he’s made the worst strategic mistake by an American leader since the Iraq invasion. The consequences will be felt for years to come.”
Yep
Sounds like a wise and accurate statement to me. Ziocons are very evil people. I see 2 of them have disagreed with you.
Good luck with that.
Iranian Twelvers are some scary people.
They take Islamic fundamentalism the extra mile.
Iranians are people of faith and pragmatism. They have no interest in a world caliphate – that would be Saudi Arabia. They have no interest in terrorism – that would be Israehell.
Trump = Obama 2.0
After Calling Out Obama for Starting War with Iran to Get Re-Elected, Trump Doing Same Thing
Certainly nobody can claim 2020 has been a boring year so far.
Just got back from filling up the tank with diesel. The stranger at the pump next to me say’s “This place sure is busy today”. I said “Yeah they’re probably trying to fill up for fear the fuel prices goes up from all that shit going on over there [Iraq]”. The asshole say’s “we ought to just take the oil for ourselves, that would fix it”. I said, “no you just cant do that, but they’re trying to”. [End of conversation]
With that in mind consider the following of Trump’s foreign policy agenda;
FLASHBACK!! Before elected.
Trump’s Middle East Policy Is To Confiscate/Steal Oil, He Said So Himself: In hindsight, ‘We should have kept the oil in Iraq!’
In Syria too!
After Trump takes office:
Trump Wants Deal With Exxon Or Other Company To Take Syrian Oil
John Bolton Says Ultimate Goal In Venezuela Is To Take Their Oil
Trump Boasts The US “Has Secured The Oil” In Syria
Assad say’s the US is stealing their oil and is taking them to court
Trump is wanting to steal Libyan oil
A book written by the former FBI directer has the following passage that reiterates the above proofs:
Now back to the short conversation at the gas pumps;
Stranger – “we ought to just take the oil for ourselves, that would fix it”. I wonder how many other Americans think this same way?
As above this mirrors Trumps thinking too.
A quote from Adolph Hitler;
“The great strength of the totalitarian state is that it forces those who fear it to imitate it” ~ Adolf Hitler
Can anyone say that at least some of the American people are not brainwashed as they were in Nazi Germany? The man at the gas pump was imitating his leader. This is leader worship par excellence! How is the US today not the Fourth Reich? How is it not like Nazi Germany? If the American people cannot see through their own governments propaganda, they will become nothing but automatons, robots, and androids just like the people in other totalitarian regimes do. The US is not immune from this condition.
I agree with a lot of what you post, but your ignorance about Nazi Germany is astounding. Really.
I understand that you don’t want the truth because you don’t want your illusions destroyed.
Do you think the media paints an accurate picture of Trump? Of course not, right???
If the media so effortlessly lies about Trump, which we can all witness in real time right now as it’s happening, do you ever wonder what else and who else they have lied about?
“‘“we ought to just take the oil for ourselves, that would fix it’. I wonder how many other Americans think this same way?”
actually, arguing that point was a high school debate team tactic back in 1976. was a novel concept back then which is why it was a good debate tactic – no-one was expecting it. but such thoughts have always been in the back, when it not outright in the front, of the mind of any militarily superior nation for the last 4000 years.
ooo, look at all the downvotes. simple facts can be so annoying.
Facts do refuse to play nice.
Talk about massive fuck ups…. now Trump is listening to the fuk-stains in the military brass and intelligence shit-bags who were part and parcel to the Russia hoax!
You have got to be kidding me.
Now it is revealed that this Iranian General arrived on a scheduled, commercial flight and was admitted into Iraq by the Iraqi government–and did not sneak in and was not planning terrorist attacks. It seems the guy was heading for a funeral of Iranians killed in December 30th.
Now if this was true, the whole bag of shit that President was informed about was just that–a bag of shit.
And he will probably be buried at sea just like the other ghost terrorists also.
You gotta love the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act disciples at TBP.
The sooner Tel Aviv resembles 1945 Dresden, the better?♂️