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[US Foreign Policy] Peace For Sale

monikermoniker Registered User regular
edited October 2020 in Debate and/or Discourse
A new thread to discuss US policy towards other nations in war and peace.


On January 3rd, 2020 the President of the United States ordered an airstrike against Iranian General Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The head of the IRGC Quds forces and somewhat equivalent to DNI, Joint Chief, and shadowy Secretary of State rolled together. The assassination of Soleimani occurred without informing Congressional Leadership, which is required by law [ 50 U.S.C. § 3091(a)(1) ] due to Congress having sole warmaking powers under the Constitution. (though having granted the Executive a wide berth for exigencies under the War Powers Act, this was not an extraordinary circumstance) As of now Iran has condemned the assassination by our government, and has made threats of unspecified reprisals in response.


At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.


The Electoral College has been hell on Iraq.



What will happen next? Events, dear boy, events.

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Posts

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited January 2020
    I really hope people attack Sean Hannity for his warmongering.

    .. Not physically.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Trump tweeted a few minutes ago.

    All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.
    "So far, so good!" is an inappropriate statement but whatever.

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    All is well when we're fucking on the brink?

    You are a MADMAN.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • Desktop HippieDesktop Hippie Registered User regular
    I mean so is “all is well”

  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    It's better then the alternative. If he thinks his ego is hurting, he will lash out. If he can convince himself he's "winning", he's less likely to start a war.

  • BurnageBurnage Registered User regular
    I just

    I genuinely can't fucking handle that tweet. "All is well" followed fucking directly by "Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq". That's nowhere near all is fucking well.

    That's a message from someone in a role that would have once unironically had him labelled the leader of the free world. It's absolute insanity.

  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    0pdfo4jdcl9o.jpg

  • Desktop HippieDesktop Hippie Registered User regular
    If anyone is wondering how Hannity’s show is going tonight, he has Oliver North on right now to talk about the evils of the Iranian regime.

    Yes. That Oliver North.

  • ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    I know this is rote to say at this point

    But imagine Obama saying “all’s well!” by tweet, after refusing to go in front of cameras, after an Iranian attack on a joint us base.

    I’m sure this is all Obama’s fault tho they’ll make that clear

    Also is this actually a US base? Or some sort of joint base?

    Also all’s well when it’s looking like there are Iraqi casualties

    Just because the missiles were ineffective does not mean all is well you fucking sociopath

    The right wing has gone off the deep end defending this

  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    I was thinking the only way out of this is if Trump was able to go "hah, their attack was pathetic, we're not going to bother to retaliate against it." but decided that was too stupid, even for Trump.

    The fact it sounds like there's even a sliver of a chance I may have been right is fucking incredible.

  • JragghenJragghen Registered User regular
    I can't read "all is well" without thinking of the Bollywood movie Three Idiots, which makes that statement feel a little surreal

  • KamarKamar Registered User regular
    I seriously hate Republicans so much now that it worries me sometimes. Then I think about it and no, that's the appropriate feeling. Assuming good faith and shared values, valuing and feigning normalcy, that's is why this can happen. Because they never fucking face any consequences, even when they break the law to do evil shit.

    And Democrats let that happen every time, because they don't give enough of a shit to risk looking bad with the stupid American public, or because opening that door catches Democrats too, etc. Fucking hell. I think I hate most Democrats too, right this moment.

    I want to hear things like 'prosecuted for war crimes' and 'referred to the Hague' out of Democratic candidates and elected officials, and I want follow-through in 2021.

  • OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    Either Trump A) thinks he won or B) actually started shitting bricks (probably (A))

    Simultaneously, I'm slowly moving back toward reinstating the draft. That might actually be one of the only things that will get people to fucking vote for the policy they want (not war).

  • No-QuarterNo-Quarter Nothing To Fear But Fear ItselfRegistered User regular
    A confederacy of dunces.

    We'll be lucky to live through this.

    *spits*

  • Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    Either Trump A) thinks he won or B) actually started shitting bricks (probably (A))

    Simultaneously, I'm slowly moving back toward reinstating the draft. That might actually be one of the only things that will get people to fucking vote for the policy they want (not war).

    It would not, any more than it stopped Vietnam. Rich kids will have ways out and everyone else will keep voting their tribal identity.

  • OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    Either Trump A) thinks he won or B) actually started shitting bricks (probably (A))

    Simultaneously, I'm slowly moving back toward reinstating the draft. That might actually be one of the only things that will get people to fucking vote for the policy they want (not war).

    It would not, any more than it stopped Vietnam. Rich kids will have ways out and everyone else will keep voting their tribal identity.

    The world has changed a lot since Vietnam. The effects and costs of war are a lot clearer than they were even back then.

  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Oghulk wrote: »
    Oghulk wrote: »
    Either Trump A) thinks he won or B) actually started shitting bricks (probably (A))

    Simultaneously, I'm slowly moving back toward reinstating the draft. That might actually be one of the only things that will get people to fucking vote for the policy they want (not war).

    It would not, any more than it stopped Vietnam. Rich kids will have ways out and everyone else will keep voting their tribal identity.

    The world has changed a lot since Vietnam. The effects and costs of war are a lot clearer than they were even back then.

    Vietnam was a little over a decade after the end of the Korean war, which ended with a victory (in rar rar US terms)

    We are STILL IN Afghanistan and Iraq with no real "rar rar US" victory in sight.

    Undead Scottsman on
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular


    Reuters' Tehran Bureau Chief. But not seeing anything else confirming it yet.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    Oghulk wrote: »
    Either Trump A) thinks he won or B) actually started shitting bricks (probably (A))

    Simultaneously, I'm slowly moving back toward reinstating the draft. That might actually be one of the only things that will get people to fucking vote for the policy they want (not war).

    It would not, any more than it stopped Vietnam. Rich kids will have ways out and everyone else will keep voting their tribal identity.

    The world has changed a lot since Vietnam. The effects and costs of war are a lot clearer than they were even back then.

    Vietnam was a little over a decade after the end of the Korean war, which ended with a victory (in rar rar US terms)

    We are STILL IN the Afghanistan and Iraq with no real "rar rar US" victory in sight.

    Vietnam was the first war that actually had reporters and film from on the ground. That's why the US saw so much unrest over the war.

    Combine a draft with on the ground footage plus tire from Afghanistan and Iraq -- and we've seen polling in this and previous threads that people do NOT want a war with Iran -- and I would bet people would vote out warmongers.

  • SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment Grab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front door Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Brian Stelter with CNN reporting per Iraq sources no Iraqi fatalities at Al Asad

    so, no fatalities period if the US report is accurate

    SummaryJudgment on
    Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
  • I ZimbraI Zimbra Worst song, played on ugliest guitar Registered User regular


    Reuters' Tehran Bureau Chief. But not seeing anything else confirming it yet.



    AP reporter confirms, citing Iranian state TV.

    I guess we can hope this is just a really unfortunately-timed accident.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    That would be encouraging. So hopefully we get some blustering nonsense about how Iran couldn't even kill anyone so we're done unless they attack us again.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    Maybe we'll just act all tough and pretend like we were totally for really real gonna eff em up good if anybody had been hurt but since they didn't we'll let it slide this time.

    God I really hope that's what happens.

  • Desktop HippieDesktop Hippie Registered User regular


    Reuters' Tehran Bureau Chief. But not seeing anything else confirming it yet.

    The Associated Press have it, quoting Iranian media.

    A Ukrainian airplane carrying 180 passengers and crew has crashed near the airport in Tehran, Iranian state TV reports.

  • davidsdurionsdavidsdurions Your Trusty Meatshield Panhandle NebraskaRegistered User regular


    Reuters' Tehran Bureau Chief. But not seeing anything else confirming it yet.

    The Associated Press have it, quoting Iranian media.

    A Ukrainian airplane carrying 180 passengers and crew has crashed near the airport in Tehran, Iranian state TV reports.

    Blurb says suspected mechanical issue.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular


    Reuters' Tehran Bureau Chief. But not seeing anything else confirming it yet.

    The Associated Press have it, quoting Iranian media.

    A Ukrainian airplane carrying 180 passengers and crew has crashed near the airport in Tehran, Iranian state TV reports.

    Blurb says suspected mechanical issue.

    Hopefully reality's writers are just drunk again and this is an absurd coincidence. Ukrainian Air, of all carriers!

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Edit: On second thought, not really necessary right now.

    godmode on
  • Desktop HippieDesktop Hippie Registered User regular
    Yeah, it looks like it was a horrible accident, though I doubt that will stop every right wing yahoo on Twitter swearing Iran shot it down.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular


    Junior Senator from Minnesota. More of these statements, please.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • exisexis Registered User regular
    godmode wrote: »


    Reuters' Tehran Bureau Chief. But not seeing anything else confirming it yet.

    The Associated Press have it, quoting Iranian media.

    A Ukrainian airplane carrying 180 passengers and crew has crashed near the airport in Tehran, Iranian state TV reports.

    Blurb says suspected mechanical issue.

    I mean, they can't well say their AA defenses went off on civilians who flew in with incredibly poor timing.

    Crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in Tehran, according to CNN.

  • BrodyBrody The Watch The First ShoreRegistered User regular
    Prohass wrote: »
    I know this is rote to say at this point

    But imagine Obama saying “all’s well!” by tweet, after refusing to go in front of cameras, after an Iranian attack on a joint us base.

    I’m sure this is all Obama’s fault tho they’ll make that clear

    Also is this actually a US base? Or some sort of joint base?

    Also all’s well when it’s looking like there are Iraqi casualties

    Just because the missiles were ineffective does not mean all is well you fucking sociopath

    The right wing has gone off the deep end defending this

    According to a co worker who was stationed there at some point, it was a U.S. base, then we pulled most of our troops out, and now it's an Iraqi base with U.S. support personnel.

    Also, I guess it has a big bunker for everyone to go hide in in case someone launches missiles or w/e at them, plus a good 15 minutes heads up as long as the missiles don't break the sound barrier.

    (I'm not sure how accurate this information is)

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  • DacDac Registered User regular
    Brian Stelter with CNN reporting per Iraq sources no Iraqi fatalities at Al Asad

    so, no fatalities period if the US report is accurate

    Which makes sense. If Iran wanted to kill people with no notice, they could. The fact that they (apparently) used missiles that gave the base plenty of lead time to secure people says to me that they're trying to thread a sticky needle, needing to balance an appropriately dramatic show of force while also doing what it can to minimize the risk of casualties.

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  • dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    If we don't go to war because the president wants to say, "Bro, you hit like a girl. I'm so very awesome!"

    I'll fucking take it. Yes, the POTUS is a frat turd who learned about countries with hard names to pronounce and manliness from 80s action movies. I don't care. Whatever makes war not happen.

    dispatch.o on
  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    From my experience, 15 missiles (depending on their power) on a base is more than average for a single attack, but really not that much more than a typical attack. Established bases with US personnel tend to have radar and other countermeasures for both warning, protection from, and destruction of artillery/rockets/missiles in flight.

    If it ends up that there were no deaths or even casualties, it’s not that hard to believe.

    If this missile attack were even a month ago, it wouldn’t even register in the news. It’s only the current context that it’s a much bigger deal for the media to give a flying fuck on a base attack where no one dies.

    Trump would be smart to let this end here. (Insert joke here on Trump’s intelligence, I’m too tired to give a shit about humor right now.)

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  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    Yeah, it looks like it was a horrible accident, though I doubt that will stop every right wing yahoo on Twitter swearing Iran shot it down.

    Nah, it'll be conspiracies of sabotage. It's where my mind went when I saw what airport it was out of. Only reason I can mostly dismiss it is because as damaging as yet another crash would be to Boeing right now, the overall impact on the US economy or military-industrial complex would be pretty subtle. And we're past subtle.

    Still an absurd coincidence.

  • Giggles_FunsworthGiggles_Funsworth Blight on Discourse Bay Area SprawlRegistered User regular
    Has anybody been following plane movements in here? Lot of fucking troops moving into the ME, and shuffling assets around Europe, pulling them out of other theaters, etc.







    Also a Saudi prince was just at the Pentagon.


    Saudi prince meets Pentagon chief, discusses ongoing military cooperation

    Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, said in a tweet on Tuesday he met U.S. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and discussed mutual challenges faced by both countries.

    He also emphasized the importance of both countries' ongoing military cooperation as it serves regional and international security.

    The meeting comes after the killing of a top Iranian military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. drone strike on Friday at Baghdad airport that has sparked a major escalation of regional tensions.

    Gillis Jones is a journalist and information security professional

  • TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam We Registered User regular
    I really dislike the direction this thing is going right now.

  • Doctor DetroitDoctor Detroit Registered User regular
    Could some of those assets be traveling to the ME to pick up their people and equipment?

  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    When the only thing preventing a war in the region is if a doddering narcissist is able to find a way to save face without resorting to said war, it's in your best interest to act like war is inevitable, even if you're desperately hoping it is not.

  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    I saw an article recently that Canada was redeploying some forces to less hostile areas. Maybe that was a ruse. If we’re dragged into this bullshit I guess I’ll have to find Toronto chapter of the protests that are happening.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
This discussion has been closed.