Iranian General Sulemain and others reported killed in Baghdad airstrike

[Skroe]

Realistically speaking, how does the next military budget look like during the next Presidency? Lots of B-21s, Columbia class subs, Ford Carriers, lots of F-35s, Trident/Minuteman replacements and cruise missiles?

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People have been sentenced. States can't commit war crimes, only individuals (from a legal perspective).

I’m replying from my phone (on a business trip until next week) which makes relying annoying, so I can’t go into great detail about that at this time. I will say if you search the exact phrase ‘F-15SE’ And My name you will see a post I made in the last week that may answer some questions.

I would also rather not go into great detail lest it become a war porn exercise and give the wrong idea. People shouldn’t be overly concerned with military hardware, except as it impacts policy. That is to say a US that has 280 stealth bombers ny 2035 will have very different posture vis a vis our adversaries than one that has 20 and a bunch of militarized 767s that can drop bombs.

I really only care to discuss the policy because the wrong crowd gets their war cocks hard from supercarriers and hypersonic wonder weapons and that sort of shit.

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It might have been f-15XE. I can’t remember what I wrote exactly.

[PickleballAce]

So much impotent European rage in this thread.

I know American hegemony is a real pain in the ass for you, but if your retarded ancestors didn't instigate two devastating world wars, you might not be in this predicament. Luckily, bullshit like what we've got going on with Iran is just a drop in the bucket compared to what happened when power was centralized in Europe, so....the status quo will continue to work out nicely.
[Infraction]

[Edge-]

Trump chose the most far out package the military presented. Pentagon officials were stunned.

They also lied about the intelligence of an imminent threat.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/u...suleimani.html

Not remotely shocked if the administration lied about the "imminent threat". And it would go a long way in hurting their legal argument for the strike.

However...really? Pentagon folks were shocked that Trump would do the dumbest thing imaginable? That he would be desperate for anything to distract from his impeachment? Are they all like...new to working with Trump? >.>

[Skroe]

Because you were profitable, yet you start to become more of a liability than a assurance in recent years. The US in the most recent years has started to meddle in affairs it has no business in.

Would you believe I heard people like you saying saying shit like this on forums like this one as early as Operation Allies Force in 1999? We’re entering the 4th decade of hearing this nonsense. Literally the exact same stuff. It never changes.

Let’s just say to you... I wouldn’t count on it. Honestly I’m past the “oh this shit again” point with basically what you said here.

[matt4pack]

So much impotent European rage in this thread.

I know American hegemony is a real pain in the ass for you, but if your retarded ancestors didn't instigate two devastating world wars, you might not be in this predicament. Luckily, bullshit like what we've got going on with Iran is just a drop in the bucket compared to what happened when power was centralized in Europe, so....the status quo will continue to work out nicely.

Well eventually you and those like you will probably be looked back at as the retarded ancestor.
[Infraction]

[Slant]

Cool. So we're threatening to be ISIS now and destroy cultural sites.

Ironically, the people of the Middle East see little difference between ISIS and the US. The US has been bombing stuff via drones for a long time now. It's just that this time they seem to have accidentally hit the Iranian #2 in business. Any smart foreign policy dude in the US would have told Trump to do what Obama and Bush did and not kill the bloke. But now that it has happened, the typical American knee-jerk is to own the fuck out of it. That's exactly what it feels like.

*accidentally smack someone* "Yeah, totally meant to do that, fuck you for trying to guilt trip me, there's more where that came from!"

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That would be a very serious war crime and I doubt the US military actually authorized that.

Cultural sites are not protected, what makes you think that? LOL Serious war crimes? Have you heard what US soldiers get away with?

[Combatbutler]

Would you believe I heard people like you saying saying shit like this on forums like this one as early as Operation Allies Force in 1999? We’re entering the 4th decade of hearing this nonsense. Literally the exact same stuff. It never changes.

Let’s just say to you... I wouldn’t count on it. Honestly I’m past the “oh this shit again” point with basically what you said here.

And I have heard US citizens going on about such meaningless drivel as freedom and democracy, despite the fact their very nation denies many nations exactly that, to ensure their own self interest. Whenever a person from the US starts going on about such things I have to suppress the urge to chuckle, yet here you are going on about the humans waste you elected into office and all I see is the perfect person to reflect your nation.

[Ripster42]

Strait of Hormuz is a choke point, very easily defendable and Iranian territory.

I don't know about you, but I live in the US. The strait of hormuz is not iranian territory. We do not recognize iran's (or oman's) claims to these waters and assert freedom of navigation.

[ringpriest]

Let’s throw a little bit of a preview out there. In the next 2 years congress will debate and then fund space based missile defense. This will be an extraordinarily expensive system that will take a decade and a half to build and represents a full policy reversal on the part of Democrats since 2009 when they opposed missile defense. Russia, China and hypersonic weapons will drive it. The reality of the threat will overwhelm the political considerations of costs and risks. Are you all in Anti-Trump ready for this? Because space based missile defense is a core part of defending the liberal world order against the new authoritarianism. You will all will have to choose soon, between accepting what is necessary or abandoning it entirely and aligning with the Trump perspective that the Liberal World Order isn’t our problem.

The 21st Century United States has yet to demonstrate that it still possesses (or can re-create) the institutional capability to successfully develop, produce and deploy novel weapons systems - everything that works was developed ~2000 or earlier; everything that went into the pipe after the War on Terra has turned into goat feces; what successes there are, such as the P-8 Poseidon (a militarized 737), are the result of re-using older technology rather than putting together new systems from the ground up.

[lockedout]

Israel using them against a non-nuclear adversary would be the end of Israel.

Really who is going to "end" Israel?

[The True King]

So much impotent European rage in this thread.

I know American hegemony is a real pain in the ass for you, but if your retarded ancestors didn't instigate two devastating world wars, you might not be in this predicament. Luckily, bullshit like what we've got going on with Iran is just a drop in the bucket compared to what happened when power was centralized in Europe, so....the status quo will continue to work out nicely.

Yes, thank you so freaking much for creating yet another war that will be the cause of tens of thousands of refugees, leading them in Europe. But I'm sure you don't give two shits about this as long as it's not your country that has to deal with this kind of invasion. As it stands there are many places in Greece that refugees are way more than natives. People are afraid to go for a walk, there have been countless reports of attempted rape and robberies etc. Because as you can guess, only like 20% of them are actual, true refugees. Worst kind of scum finds the opportunity to get through with this excuse..

[Paranoid Android]

Not remotely shocked if the administration lied about the "imminent threat". And it would go a long way in hurting their legal argument for the strike.

However...really? Pentagon folks were shocked that Trump would do the dumbest thing imaginable? That he would be desperate for anything to distract from his impeachment? Are they all like...new to working with Trump? >.>

I mean as others have said now our Intelligence Agencies are spot on. The irony might be here that yes, this maybe likely made up intelligence or exaggerated to a point for Trump to have a reason to take action.

[Skroe]

So much impotent European rage in this thread.

I know American hegemony is a real pain in the ass for you, but if your retarded ancestors didn't instigate two devastating world wars, you might not be in this predicament. Luckily, bullshit like what we've got going on with Iran is just a drop in the bucket compared to what happened when power was centralized in Europe, so....the status quo will continue to work out nicely.
[Infraction]

A very undiplomatic and frankly unhelpful way of putting it, but also essentially correct. What Americans 200 years ago termed the “Perpetual European War” culminated with the two most destructive wars in human history, in a 20 year span. It’s destroyed Europe’s global power forever. And rightfully so.

But Europeans are our kindreds. They are wrong on this issue. Very, very wrong. They must overcome their irrational fear of risk and consequences and return to a more reasonable sense of prudence. Because this is an easy benchmark and as an early one in the New Cold War era, it shows just how far they have to go.

But being wrong does not mean we should disrespect them. They deserve respect and friendship, even if they don’t always reciprocate.
They are our friends and family, not our subjects. Our own country was founded on the right to disagree. On this, we disagree. They are dead wrong to believe what they believe but they have the right to be wrong.

[Powerogue]

Someone told the dipshit that getting into a war would shore up his approval ratings, didn't they?

Yes, it was himself.





I'm pretty sure there's more because I couldn't find the one I remember.

[Slant]

I don't know about you, but I live in the US. The strait of hormuz is not iranian territory. We do not recognize iran's (or oman's) claims to these waters and assert freedom of navigation.

And you do that by antagonizing countries? I mean, what do you think the typical reaction of the US would be if Iran was floating missile boats 12nm off NYC or SF? You don't recognize shit unless it suits you, so don't even get on that high horse. US policy is hypocritical at best.

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LOL, imagine living in Canada under the protection and shadow of the might of the US and calling us big ol' bullies and lecturing us on how diplomacy is the answer. The only reason you have what you have is because we allow it.

Who exactly are you protecting Canada from? I mean, you can keep repeating the phrase "we protect you" all day long, but in the end, you're just a bully. And you're alienating even your closest friends. This is the path to solitude. And that's the first step to isolation. If any other nation on this planet behaved like the US, you would call for sanctions...

Your attitude is a problem. And you need to rethink your position.

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But Europeans are our kindreds. They are wrong on this issue. Very, very wrong. They must overcome their irrational fear of risk and consequences and return to a more reasonable sense of prudence. Because this is an easy benchmark and as an early one in the New Cold War era, it shows just how far they have to go.

Yeah, how about no.

There is no irrational fear. There is concern that the US is about to spawn yet another refugee wave for us to deal with. That is a very pragmatic and realistic view of the matter. There is zero in this for us. We don't give a rat's ass about some random US mercenary in the Middle East.

We have to go nowhere. You have to sit down and think real hard what you're trying to say here. Do you want friends or vassals? And how often do you think the EU wants to clean up your mess after you're done playing with your toys? You're almost drooling with patriotism right now, it doesn't suit you. Sit down, think about what anyone has to gain from a bullshit hyperbole sequence of events... over some random douchebag in Iraq? Like, what the actual fuck? You're not even looking at context anymore, someone called your mom names and you're out for blood. That's the current attitude here. There is no rationale behind US actions, there is just a hyperbolic President drunk on his power and YOU of all people going along with it... I'm disappointed.

[Slant]

Your toothless (also works as an EU joke) threat has been duly noted, as always.

Are you trying to be clever or something?

[Combatbutler]

That's the current attitude here. There is no rationale behind US actions, there is just a hyperbolic President drunk on his power and YOU of all people going along with it... I'm disappointed.

How is this surprising honestly? His posts in the past have been quite clear on such measures, Skroe's main problem with trump is he is an idiot dividing the american population and its powerbase, being a puppet, a president beating the rest of the world into submission on the other hand would very much be a president to his liking. It is a very consistent position of his over the years.

[Slant]

How is this surprising honestly? His posts in the past have been quite clear on such measures, Skroe's main problem with trump is he is an idiot dividing the american population and its powerbase, being a puppet, a president beating the rest of the world into submission on the other hand would very much be a president to his liking. It is a very consistent position of his over the years.

He used to and still does, I think, have a more differentiated and intelligent position than just bullying everyone outside the US. If that is in fact his position, then I would be very, very surprised. But, it would of course confirm the stereotype that Americans are slowly building up these years...

[Combatbutler]

He used to and still does, I think, have a more differentiated and intelligent position than just bullying everyone outside the US. If that is in fact his position, then I would be very, very surprised. But, it would of course confirm the stereotype that Americans are slowly building up these years...

His position is very much based in real politics, seeing the US as the undisputed superpower with clear privileges compared to the rest of the world, while his stance has mellowed somewhat over the years, in the past he considered nations like Germany as traitors, because they defied the US in terms of the iraq war, he is a hardliner, a very intelligent one, but a hardliner nonetheless.

[Combatbutler]

Alternatively you have other countries with average to below average economic power and no real military power trying to dictate how the US should defend its interests abroad. Better keep it to yourself if you wanna continue getting that check in the mail and not speaking Russian/Chinese.

If I wanted the opinion of people like yourself I would ask for it, Skroe is worth discussing with, people like you? Hardly.