Iranian General Sulemain and others reported killed in Baghdad airstrike

[Kellhound]

It was logistically impossible for either side to actually mobilise those forces against each other.

The US had 3.5 million troops in Europe in 1960, and then there is the rest of NATO to consider. The USSR meanwhile had about 4 million active troops (plus Warsaw Pact forces). These are active units, not mobilization units. The USSR generally had much larger reserve forces of more dubious quality than the West.

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Good thing Iran isn't interested in conventional warfare then.

Because they cant compete....

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Ok, I don't really care enough to discuss semantics with Americans. You believe whatever you want.

Im sorry you place too much emphasis on military strength's impact on successful diplomacy.

[Slant]

Im sorry you place too much emphasis on military strength's impact on successful diplomacy.

I don't, but since you seem to be ignoring what I'm typing, yeah sure.. why not. Whatever you want to believe, mate.

[Kellhound]

I don't, but since you seem to be ignoring what I'm typing, yeah sure.. why not. Whatever you want to believe, mate.

You called the military the weight behind diplomacy, its not. It is just a cudgel that can be brought to bare if other things fail and the rewards outweigh the risks. There are multiple weights behind effective diplomacy, and the military is the least effective of them.

And I am not your mate....

[Shadowferal]

https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-...-strike-2020-1

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was furious on Wednesday following a Senate briefing on President Donald Trump's decision to order an airstrike that killed Iran's Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, bringing tensions with Iran to a boiling point.

Lee told reporters that he "walked into that briefing undecided" on whether to support a War Powers Resolution being pushed by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. The resolution would limit the Trump administration's ability to take further military action against Iran without congressional authorization.

"That briefing is what changed my mind," Lee said. "I'm now going to support it."

He went on to call the briefing "probably the worst briefing, at least on a military issue, I've seen in nine years I've been here."

So again, the Trump administration continues to be incompetent and not be able to sufficiently explain their actions, even to their own party.

It seems that Democrat Rep Gerry Connolly is pretty much aligned here; House Democrat calls administration's Iran briefing 'sophomoric and utterly unconvincing'

“Without commenting on content, my reaction to this briefing was it was sophomoric and utterly unconvincing and I believe that more than ever the Congress needs to act to protect that constitutional provisions about war and peace,” Connolly told reporters as he left the briefing.

“I believe this administration is after the fact trying to piece together a rationale for its action that was impulsive, reckless and put this country's security at risk,” he added.

[Slant]

You called the military the weight behind diplomacy, its not. It is just a cudgel that can be brought to bare if other things fail and the rewards outweigh the risks. There are multiple weights behind effective diplomacy, and the military is the least effective of them.

And I am not your mate....

I know, I don't really care, buddy... don't you have an Alexa that will listen to your emotional problems?

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It seems that Democrat Rep Gerry Connolly is pretty much aligned here; House Democrat calls administration's Iran briefing 'sophomoric and utterly unconvincing'

“Without commenting on content, my reaction to this briefing was it was sophomoric and utterly unconvincing and I believe that more than ever the Congress needs to act to protect that constitutional provisions about war and peace,” Connolly told reporters as he left the briefing.

“I believe this administration is after the fact trying to piece together a rationale for its action that was impulsive, reckless and put this country's security at risk,” he added.

https://www.businessinsider.de/inter...0-1/?r=US&IR=T

Rep. representative finds more direct language to describe that briefing. But here's Skroe, justifying the fuck out of it.

[Kellhound]

I know, I don't really care, buddy... don't you have an Alexa that will listen to your emotional problems?

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https://www.businessinsider.de/inter...0-1/?r=US&IR=T

Rep. representative finds more direct language to describe that briefing. But here's Skroe, justifying the fuck out of it.

Im not your buddy either, I have standards.

[Shadowferal]

Ya...this point;

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, CIA Director Gina Haspel and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley were dispatched to brief both the House and Senate on Wednesday amid days of concerns from lawmakers that Trump was on a path to war with Iran, which on Tuesday night launched missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.

Lee said the officials warned that Congress would "embolden" Iran if lawmakers debated Trump's war powers.

Paul added that he found the briefing "less than satisfying" and knocked the administration for using the 2002 war authorization as the basis for last week's airstrike against an Iranian general.

"I see no way in the world you could logically argue that an authorization to have war with Saddam Hussein has anything to with having war with people currently in Iraq," Paul told reporters.

He added that using the 2002 authorization to justify the strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad was "absurd" and an "insult."

"Let's have the debate, and let's have some senators stand up," Paul said.

The briefing comes as the House is set to vote on a resolution on Thursday that would force Trump to end hostilities against Iran unless he gets specific authorization from Congress.

----------------------

Escalation forthcoming?

[Slant]

Im not your buddy either, I have standards.

Whatever makes you happy. Please don't bomb me.

[Kellhound]

Whatever makes you happy. Please don't bomb me.

Why would i waste the money on something like that?

[bladeXcrasher]

North Korea is launching nukes on commodore 64 level computers, age is kind of irrelevant in a lot of ways.

In 1999 the USA was launching nukes with a 1950s banking computer. You're statement is 100% accurate.

[Breccia]

I don't know much about this source, but they've pointed out something...interesting. Basically, Graham and Pompeo are slowly backing away from "We had to assassinate that guy, because he was about to murder a bunch of Americans" towards "We had to assassinate that guy, because it was the right thing to do". In other words, the same vague blanket answer a D&D character would give before pledging his pencil-and-paper life to rescue virtual orphans of an imaginary village on fire.

If "it was the right thing to do" sounds familiar, it should. Here's a video of Dick Cheney using it to justify the Iraq War in 2014, long after we knew all of the reasons W gave for the war were bullshit. "It was the right thing to do" is not the inpenetrable defense you think it is, guys, especially when just to justify murder. (Yes, you can murder evil people, it's still murder)

[Shadowferal]

I don't know much about this source, but they've pointed out something...interesting. Basically, Graham and Pompeo are slowly backing away from "We had to assassinate that guy, because he was about to murder a bunch of Americans" towards "We had to assassinate that guy, because it was the right thing to do". In other words, the same vague blanket answer a D&D character would give before pledging his pencil-and-paper life to rescue virtual orphans of an imaginary village on fire.

If "it was the right thing to do" sounds familiar, it should. Here's a video of Dick Cheney using it to justify the Iraq War in 2014, long after we knew all of the reasons W gave for the war were bullshit. "It was the right thing to do" is not the inpenetrable defense you think it is, guys, especially when just to justify murder. (Yes, you can murder evil people, it's still murder)

Seems in line with why many in congress are pissed at the reasoning..."vague and insulting.."

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...and here we go; Senators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war

The resolution, spearheaded by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), comes after days of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran in the wake of a U.S. airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran's top military general.

“The American people do not want another endless war in the Middle East — yet what we’ve seen in recent days is a president willing to make significant military decisions bringing us closer to war without consulting Congress or recognizing that our Constitution gives war making power to Congress, not the President,” Merkley said in a statement.

Paul added that Congress could "take a major step toward reasserting our voice by making it clear" that neither of the Bush-era war declarations cover a conflict with Iran.

“It is time for Congress to stop using previous AUMFs as an excuse to continue abdicating its constitutional responsibility on war," he said.

Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are co-sponsoring the resolution.

[Edge-]

I don't know much about this source, but they've pointed out something...interesting. Basically, Graham and Pompeo are slowly backing away from "We had to assassinate that guy, because he was about to murder a bunch of Americans" towards "We had to assassinate that guy, because it was the right thing to do".

So the "DEEP STATE" mislead them? "DEEP STATE" CONFIRMED!

[caervek]

I think his point was for everyone, including Russia to back off and let the ME...be.

I would be an idiot for trusting Russia not to intervene in the ME.

The slight problem there is that Russia is IN the ME.

A lot of people forget this as it's also in Europe, the far east, etc but yeah, it's ~100 miles from Iran hence their support for Iran against the west.

*EDIT*

Hell, prior to the creation of Azerbaijan in the 90's Russia and Iran shared a border for hundreds of years lol.

[Kellhound]

The slight problem there is that Russia is IN the ME.

A lot of people forget this as it's also in Europe, the far east, etc but yeah, it's ~100 miles from Iran hence their support for Iran against the west.

While the USSR was in the Greater Middle East, Russia itself is not.

[Draco-Onis]

Because they cant compete....

If you haven't noticed conventional warfare is basically dead, we are obsessed with fighting a type of war that went out the window since Vietnam.

[Shaqur]

Don't know if this was posted, but for all of you defending a terrorist, here are the facts from the first hand.

Enjoy.

[Puupi]

Don't know if this was posted, but for all of you defending a terrorist, here are the facts from the first hand.

Enjoy.

"facts", "first hand".

An Iranian American dissident living in the US. Her opinion is just as good as yours or mine.

[Shaqur]

"facts", "first hand".

An Iranian American dissident living in the US. Her opinion is just as good as yours or mine.

5sec google will yield the same results.
The guy was a terrorist who plotted tons of terrorists attacks.
If you want to defend that, go on, but know this, you are insane if you do so.

[ati87]

5sec google will yield the same results.
The guy was a terrorist who plotted tons of terrorists attacks.
If you want to defend that, go on, but know this, you are insane if you do so.

Nobody is bloody defending Sulemain is just in your silly world not attacking this guy means that we are defending him.
This propaganda tactic of constantly lying is getting a bit repetitive and honestly it only works in the right-wing echo chambers.

People are however questioning the decision itself, what it really accomplished and the justification.