If you want to have a good idea of how the Iranians will react

[lunatica]

Just imagine what our reaction would be if Colin Powell or Wesley Clark were assassinated by stealth methods in broad daylight in the United States by Iran, or by any other country for that matter.

Stupid question right? Right up there in the Duh! category.

Does anyone really think there wouldn’t be retaliation for that or that there won’t be for the assassination of Suleimani?

Well, anyone other than the Trumps and their asskissers in the White House and the money lenders running the evangelical church and the drooling MAGATs that is.

[braddy]

1. Those aren't Qasem Soleimani.

To quote General Petraus.
"Again, it is impossible to overstate the significance of this action. This is much more substantial than the killing of Osama bin Laden. It's even more substantial than the killing of Baghdadi. "

[Hortensis]

30. Yes, he was bigger, a national political hero/leader also.

One NYT account I read, forget by whom, said that by any definition assassinating a top leader of nation-state is an act of war.

There is no comparison with assassinating a terrorist who moves from cave to cave to avoid it.

[braddy]

37. He was a terrorist who worked the entire ME murdering Americans, Brits, Arabs, etc., he also seems

to have led operations in Latin America, thank God we got him.

[mjvpi]

82. I would urge you to walk in their shoes

And be cognizant of the history between Iran and the US. We invaded the country right next to them and have a huge military presence to this day. How is what he did that much different than how the US behaves? I have a few Iranian and Persian friends. They are wonderful, smart, warm human beings. Our right wing Christian hawks are an exact parallel to their right wing crazies.

All blood is red and all tears are salty.

[braddy]

85. Wow.

[mjvpi]

87. We killed a minimum of 200,000 Iraqi civilians

The UN puts that number as high as 1,000,000. Old you be paranoid of the US? Especially with all of the anti Muslim BS that came with that invasion. How many did this man kill? Bad person, agreed. An illegal assassination that starts a war. Not worth it. Yeah, wow.

[Hortensis]

101. All too true. No one argues that this wasn't a murderer.

Many world leaders are. We needed Putin gone long before 2015, but there were good reasons why we didn't assassinate him while he was visiting one of Russia's neighboring countries plotting trouble.

[brush]

133. We also helped the British overthrow the democratically elected...

Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 and installed the Shah—all for Shell oil.

[The Bopper]

88. Just saying

So your reasoning is he was a terrorist in a War zone because he figured out a way to make his enemy to pay a price. You take any part of that and turn it around in our favor and they too would be a hero here. The Bull$hit part is he was openly operating in Iraq with their government’s apparent approval. He was at the friggin public airport when he was killed. It doesn’t sound like our blood and guts accomplished anything other than to make Iraq into Irans puppet. There is no good ending to this other than Trumpolini will beat his chest and claim it’s a win somehow if that’s your definition of winning.

[dware]

91. This was not, IMO, and illegal assassination,

he was in an active war zone planning and directing attacks against American citizens, that makes him an enemy combatant subject to targeting.

We can argue about the method it was done, but illegal? Not a chance.

[roscoeroscoe]

138. May I suggest

A fair amount of scepticism about the stated reason for the attack.

[dware]

142. Sure,

I wouldn't believe anything coming out of his mouth.

But it is a fact that this man was responsible for hundreds of American deaths.

I will not lose any sleep that this guy is now sleeping with the fishes, to quote a common mafia saying.

[braddy]

92. Yeah, he was at work killing us and we got him and some other important terrorists, who just

happened to be in the car he was in, and all this as our embassy was fighting for survival and burning from the first attack and our reinforcements were preparing for his follow up attacks.

[Hortensis]

98. Who here doesn't know that? I live surrounded by conservatives,

btw, and they typically assume people others are too stupid to have their clarity of understanding. Those like that don't realize or care that there's always more, to almost everything, than the simple self-serving views they adopt.

Iran, a nation of 80 million people, is in mourning for the death of their great national leader. And very outraged.

[braddy]

99. Yes, I see a lot of mourning over him.

[uponit7771]

117. Says who?!?!

[braddy]

118. That was his job, you should find out who the subject is.

[uponit7771]

119. So says the Trump admin? Jus sayin, 15000 lies mean something

[braddy]

121. So says the world, he was not an unknown, he had been at this for decades. Here is a Reuters article

from today. This article also reveals why we had to take him out as he landed during the embassy attacks.

"Inside the plot by Iran’s Soleimani to attack U.S. forces in Iraq"

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-soleimani-insight-idUSKBN1Z301Z

[uponit7771]

122. Iraq war like propaganda, fool me once ... fuck that twice shit. The article nor you are answering

... the question asked and you offer no proof that "the world" has designated Sol a terrorist.

Also, ... ANY ... ANY THING ... from this administration is a f ckin lie.

Let the functionaries come and tell us this was needed, there's no way "white house officials" are going to be taken seriously.

[braddy]

123. Did you read that Reuters article? How about the Atlantic? Here is one from them.

"Qassem Soleimani Haunted the Arab World
In much of the Middle East, and even in Iran, the military commander was feared, and his death has been greeted with elation."
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/01/qassem-soleimani-death-missed/604396/

[uponit7771]

125. More Iraq war 2 like propaganda. They didn't want to answer straight questions then and you're not

... answering one now.

Both articles are someones opinion and not official UN or even NATO designations if Sol being a terrorist.

I've read no where that even the Obama or Bush 2 admin called him a terrorist, sounds like some shit from Trumps admin and they're all liars

If Red Don bites the dust here we'll be all throwing a party so "elation" doesn't mean shit.

Something doesn't pass the smell test, how in the hell did all those protesters get into the green zone to even get near the US embassy.

Go ahead with the selling this same crap again ... I aint buying it.

[braddy]

129. I understand completely now.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

136. The Green Zone isn't fortified anymore

The Iraqis removed most of the walls and barriers and reopened the roads leading into the green zone back in June.

[rampartc]

135. what made solemani a "terrorist?"

he wore a uniform, held a rank, and fought invading or occupying armies.

that sounds more like George Washington or Nathan forrest than osama bin laden.

[braddy]

137. Operating, creating and masterminding terrorist operations throughout the Middle East, and elsewhere

put him on the terror list, that is why he came to the embassy operation where he and some other terrorists were taken out.


"Inside the plot by Iran’s Soleimani to attack U.S. forces in Iraq"

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-soleimani-insight-idUSKBN1Z301Z

[enid602]

94. Iraq

And not just an Iranian hero, but an Iraqi hero as well. Lot of Shiites in Iraq.

[atreides1]

52. Uh huh

You're quoting a man who resigned from the CIA in disgrace, and was charged with mishandling the classified information that he provided to his mistress and biographer, deliberately and intentionally lied to Federal investigators about both providing Broadwell access to the documents and their improper storage.



Pick someone with a bit more credibility, then Petraeus

[braddy]

63. He is correct, this terrorist's death is great news, better than Bin Laden and even Baghdadi, this

guy was an effective mastermind and we took him out just as he landed to finish off the embassy and whatever else he arrived to kill and destroy.

[Karadeniz]

89. Someone (expert) equated this to assassinating our secy of defense. Soleimani was a member

Of the Iranian govt and led their military operations. He was not an extragovernment operator.

[braddy]

93. How ridiculous, he led their terrorist operations internationally and attacks on Americans, and was

arriving to help with the embassy attacks and more.

[dware]

95. He was an enemy combatant in an active combat zone,

we can argue the way he was taken out, but the plain simple fact is that he was an enemy in a combat zone which made him a target for elimination.

[IphengeniaBlumgarten]

2. He was expected to take a leading role ...

in government in the near future.

[dware]

42. Not any more. nt

[Baclava]

3. The guy was in Iraq, not Iran, in a war zone, he had it coming for a long time, dont cry over him

The fucker was the one brought the really deadly IEDs to the roads of Iraq, killed a lot of US soldiers, fuck him.

[dware]

4. This seems to be overlooked here.

I won't lose any sleep, or shed any tears that this guy is now gone from the world stage.

[lunatica]

6. Where does it say you should shed a tear for this man?

[dware]

8. Just expressing my thoughts toward this man.

Nothing more.

But it's a fact that this man was the cause of hundreds of American lives being lost is being overlooked by the majority of people here..

Now, that said, instead of killing him in the fashion it was done, it could have been done covertly, giving the US plausibly deniability and, at the same time, sending a powerful message to the Iranian leadership.

[lunatica]

15. There's actually a very good reason why it's policy for most countries

that you don’t kill the leaders of countries.

Now Suleimani is a martyr. He is a cause, a rallying call for violence against us. Not just militarily, but in the heart of every would be suicide bomber and terrorist in the Middle East. Trump just threw gasoline on an already politically burning situation.

[roamer65]

18. Yeah...the red flag replacing the blue one on the mosque dome in Qom says it all.

[SQUEE]

105. That the Iranians are mourning?

Don't read too much into that, it has been flown as a sign of mourning for "martyrs" before.

[dware]

22. So what should we have done?

This man was actively engaged in the planning and execution of killing Americans, he was at war with America, he chose to place himself in harms way by being in an active war zone.

How much longer were we supposed to put up with this?

[lunatica]

34. Trump should have weighed the consequences of assassinating

A very popular General to his people. But, of course Trump just ignored such thing in his demented pursuit of adulation and heroism.

Do you really think assassinating Suleimani has made any American safer, or neutralized terrorism or the hatred people feel for us? Can you argue that things are better now that Trump took out a strong enemy? That he’s eliminated any danger to American troops or stateside civilians?

[dware]

36. As I said earlier,

this could have been done covertly, giving the US plausible deniability and sending a very powerful message to the Iranian leadership, but I think the Mango Menace is trying to divert from his domestic problems so he did this in a very public way, which was pure stupidity.

I will not shed any tears over this guy being gone from the world stage.

[lunatica]

43. You make a good point

but I wonder if any way of assassinating Suleimani would have prevented the upheaval we will see in Iran. He was immensely popular. A hero in the people’s eyes. If for no other reason that he helped contain ISIS and prevented it from getting a toehold or attacking Iran. That’s why I used the examples of our popular generals. It would make no difference in our reaction if they were killed covertly.

[dflprincess]

128. You can't understand consequences

when you've never been forced to face them or held accountable for anything you've done.

[Crunchy Frog]

38. Those Americans who got killed were also in an active war zone. n/t

[dware]

40. Ok, then we eliminated a major threat to our service personell,

that seems like a good thing to me.

[lunatica]

46. But how many other threats will spring up because

of this action?

There are no simple answers when you sit on the horns of a dilemma. Whatever course of action you choose comes with bad consequences.

[dware]

47. But those threats were already there,

and you are correct, we are on the horns of a dilemma and there are no simple answers.

[dware]

50. I am praying and hoping that cooler heads will prevail, here and in Iran.

I've seen war up close and personal, I never want to see it again and I fervently hope that the Mango Menace is gone soon, whether by conviction and removal by the Senate, slim hope on that, or soundly defeated in Nov.

Hope our country survives until then.

Thanks for the convo, it's been interesting, and I mean that in a good way.

[lunatica]

54. Thanks for engaging in the conversation!

You make very good points.

[Crunchy Frog]

59. And will you still be singing that tune in the event of major unforseen consequences?

Just like the "unforeseen" consequences of our cakewalk in Iraq?

If we really care about threats to our service personnel, we need to stop allowing idiotic, violent thugs into our White House. If we fail at that, then ever more people on all sides are going to continue to die, and any individual that we "take out" won't make a particle of difference.

Back 17 years ago, we blundered into Iraq and left it so destabilized that all kinds of outside influences, from Iran to al-Qaeda, were able to move in and exercise major influence when they had never been in there before.

Consequences for our own bad choices happen.

Edited because I saw your post suggesting you've seen combat. I respect your service, and don't want to attack you. I just want people to see the bigger picture.

[dware]

65. I was quite vocal about my opposition to the invasion of Iraq,

so much so that I was shunned for a while by my former Marine comrades, until it went all to shit, then they came to me and said I was right in my opposition.

But, again, IMO, this man was an enemy combatant who placed himself in harms way and it caught up with him.

Maybe it's wrong to feel relief that he's no longer a threat to the US, but I also felt the same way when President Obama ok'd the raid and elimination of Bin Laden.

[Crunchy Frog]

71. IMO Bin Laden was different, because he attacked the American people ON OUR OWN SOIL.

Anyone who does that is fair game, wherever they happen to be IMO.

Of course, by that same standard, an Iraqi would be fully justified in taking out Bush, Cheney, Bolton, or any of the other criminals who were involved in attacking the Iraqi people on there own soil. They'd qualify as enemy combatants too.

I appreciate that you went against the grain in opposing the invasion of Iraq. It must have been a difficult situation to be in.

[dware]

77. I can't disagree with you on that,

and you are correct, it was a difficult time in mine and my family's life.

Thank you for a good convo, it's been interesting, in a very good way.

[Crunchy Frog]

83. Thank you too.

I can be al little intemperate on things that I feel strongly about. I'm glad this didn't descend into a flame war.

[dware]

84. I'm a pretty tolerant guy,

35 years in the Marine Corps will do that to a person.

[Crunchy Frog]

27. GWB and cronies are the ONLY ones that are responsible for all those deaths.

And vastly more deaths of Iraqis. That's what happens when you carry out a full scale, unprovoked invasion of another country, and destabilizing an entire region. There wouldn't even BE an Iranian influence in Iraq if not for GWB and co.

[dware]

32. Sorry, but I have a different opinion as to this man being responsible for hundreds

of American deaths.

[Crunchy Frog]

41. No need to apologize. Everyone is entitled to their own set of facts.

Do you think those Americans would still have died if we hadn't invaded and occupied Iraq? Who do you blame for all the soldiers who died in Vietnam?

[dware]

45. No, they would probably still be alive.

I was against the invasion of Iraq, they had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, it was a stupid move on Bush's part and the Congresscritters that allowed him to do so.

As for Vietnam, I served also, and I blame the pols that sent us there in the first place.

[John Fante]

56. You're entitled to your opinion, not your own facts.

It's a fact that the invasion of Iraq led to the mess we're in today.

[dware]

60. I never said otherwise,

but the plain simple fact is that this man was actively engaged in planning and carrying out attacks on American citizens, he was an enemy combatant, he knew the risk of what he was doing, he, IMO, got what he deserved.

[lunatica]

66. I don't think anyone disputes that he got what he deserved

Unfortunately it basically serves to perpetuate the violence, terrorism and deaths in a way that wouldn’t happen if he weren’t assassinated.

They’re recourse will be retaliatory terrorism, so even more innocent people will die. On both sides. It’s a never ending impasse war. George Bush named it aptly as the never ending war. He made sure to make it that way.

[dware]

67. I sure can't and won't dispute what you are saying.

[John Fante]

72. And if his assassination leads to largest conflict since Vietnam, will it have been worth it?

Because that's what we're looking at right now.

[Bradical79]

96. Not sure it's being overlooked

The main topic has been both the intellegence and legality of killing him (under U.S. and international law). Also, whether there was an immanent threat of attacks he was involved in. He didn't consult Democratic leadership, so it's even less clear than usual how this decision happened.

From a practical standpoint, no one is safer after his killing, we increased the number of troops that are still there as part of a war that we started illegally, fighting against ISIS ground to a halt, our European allies are even more unhappy with us, and brought ourselves closer to major war that would likely cause hundreds of thousands of innocents to die.

Oh, and our "allies" that support this are a nation that had a U.S. journalist brutally murdered, while also being a major sponser of terrorism themselves, and another that is leading an ethnic cleansing campaign.

[lunatica]

5. You obviously didn't read my post.

Too bad.

[EX500rider]

7. I read your post and this guy wasn't killed in his own country...

...he was in another country directing militia groups against the US.

[lunatica]

10. My example still stands

What if one of our popular generals was assassinated in another country? Does that change how Americans would feel about it?

And the key word is assassinated, not just merely killed. It’s as political an act as they come.

[EX500rider]

13. If they were killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban it would not be "assassinated"

..it would be killed in a war zone by the other side.
This guy directed Militia groups against the US while in a war zone the US is fighting in. Legitimate act of warfare to take him out, he wanted to stay safe he should have stayed in Iran.

[lunatica]

19. Suleimani wasn't killed on a battle field.

Your example goes into left field.

Suleimani was assassinated. Assassinations don’t happen on battle fields. There’s a reason such killings are called assassinations.

[dware]

25. Wrong again,

Iraq is still considered a combat zone, IE, a battlefield.

[EX500rider]

28. If militia groups he directs are lobbing mortar rounds and rockets at the..

...green zone in Baghdad that counts as a war zone to me.

[Baclava]

33. Bid Laden was assassinated too, in his bed, were you against that? I was jumping for joy

No tears shed here

[lunatica]

35. Your tears aren't the subject of this OP.

Thinking is.

[dware]

39. But, were you happy that President Obama ordered

the elimination of Bin Laden?:

[lunatica]

49. I was relieved

But happy? No because there were going to be terrible repercussions.

There is nothing to be happy about needless wars. Nothing.

Please note that I wrote ‘needless’. The war in the Middle East was needless from the start. It opened the can of worms that exists there today.

[dware]

53. I guess I didn't really mean happy,

I meant more at ease.

I happen to agree with you on the needless wars we are engaged in, it's far past time to end them and concentrate on our domestic issues.

[lunatica]

55. I so agree with you!

We’re a mess internally! Our politically and social infrastructure is crumbling and it needs fixing!

[EX500rider]

75. "No because there were going to be terrible repercussions"

Which were what?

[lunatica]

78. The Creation of ISIS for one

Sure, Al Qaeda fell apart, but look at what took its place. And if you think we’ve seen the last of well funded and managed terrorist groups you’re being naïve.

[EX500rider]

102. The Al Qaeda branch in Iraq has little to nothing to do with Bin Laden hiding out in Pakistan.

Had a lot more to do with sectarian strife between the Shia and Sunni in Iraq:

ISIS:

The group was founded in 1999 by Jordanian Salafi jihadist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi under the name Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād (lit.?"The Organisation of Monotheism and Jihad&quot . In a letter published by the Coalition in February 2004, Zarqawi wrote that jihadis should use bombings to start an open sectarian war so that Sunnis from the Islamic world would mobilize against assassinations carried out by Shia, specifically the Badr Brigade, against Ba'athists and Sunnis.

So founded prior to 9/11.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#History

[lunatica]

103. Thanks for the history lesson

but it has nothing to do with your question and my reply.

[EX500rider]

107. It actually does...

...as ISIS was formed prior to 9/11 so certainly wasn't blow back from killing Bin Laden in 2011.

[Eliot Rosewater]

58. HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference

[John Fante]

69. Killing OBL didn't put us on the brink of war.

Having misgivings about the assassination of Soleimani =/= mourning his death. That is a BS strawman.

[lunatica]

79. Mourning his death?

Can you read?

[Baclava]

80. We've been at war with Al Qaeda for 20 years, and Iran since 1979, in one form or another

People act like this shit is new, targets of opportunity present themselves from time to time, that's all

Iran isn't stupid enough to want open war with us

[John Fante]

106. We have NOT been at war with Iran. Not 40 years ago, not 20 years ago, not 10 years ago.

Quit trying to justify this massively destabilizing move.

[braddy]

44. Suleimani operated as a terrorist and was killed as he arrived to lead killing operations against us

[lunatica]

51. I'm sure the Iranians will understand that.

[braddy]

57. Who cares what the terrorist enemy that oppresses the Iranian people thinks?

[lunatica]

61. Plenty will care when they carry out terrorist acts

against us. Probably even you.

[braddy]

64. He was when we killed him, that is why we killed him as he arrived during his embassy operation.

[roamer65]

9. Let's see if you say the same thing when the whole ME region is in full scale war.

...and your gas is $10 a gallon.

Assassinating Soleimani was a HUGE geopolitical mistake.

[lunatica]

11. Comment removed by poster

The response was to the wrong person.

[dware]

12. I think you replied to the wrong person. nt

[roamer65]

14. My reply was to Baclava.

[lunatica]

21. My apologies!

I will delete my comment.

[roamer65]

23. No worries, lunatica.

[Baclava]

20. Why are all these Iranian military leaders just walking around Iraq like they own it anyway?

Maybe we should just pull out all our troops out of everywhere in the M.E. and let the tribes fight it out.

[lunatica]

24. Why are we walking around Iraq like WE own it?

Yes. Like Colin Powell said, we broke it, we own it.

[Baclava]

26. The Bush boys broke it, and we've been stuck cleaning up the mess

Handing it over to Iran doesn't seem the best policy either

[EX500rider]

29. We left Iraq when they asked us to then came back to fight ISIS when they asked for help. nt

[tirebiter]

139. It's not so much Iraq/Iran

As Sunni/Shiite

They’ve got their tribalism, too

[Crunchy Frog]

16. It was a war zone, and soldiers in warzones get killed. GWB put them there, and is the only one

responsible for killing them. Fuck GWB.

And of course, by your own argument, any American who gets killed in Iraq has it coming.

War is Hell. That's why we shouldn't do it on an idiotic whim, like we did in Iraq, and may be about to do in Iran.

[roamer65]

17. +1000000

[Crunchy Frog]

31. It's been nearly 17 years since we invaded Iraq, and I still get furious about it.

[roamer65]

48. Because it the spark that lit the fire we are now seeing.

The fire will eventually either be called The Great ME War or WW3.

I am in the same boat with you.

[Crunchy Frog]

81. It's not just that. I can still remember the visceral feelings of horror and rage

that I experienced watching "Shock and Awe" unfold on the TV screen. It actually triggered a major episode of depression for me.

I think this time around I'm going to be a lot more numb. I can't afford to let it get to me at that level again.

[roamer65]

86. I hear ya.

[lunatica]

62. It still breaks my heart even after all those years.

[mwooldri]

68. Colin Powell or Wesley Clark are poor examples IMO

Now if it were them while in office and not in the USA then yeah it would be a better example. A better example would be Mike Pence or Mike Pompeo coming into Iraq or Afghanistan and the Iranians deciding to lob a missile their way....

But in general... if the boot were on the other foot... the domestic news would be 24/7 on the assassination and the war hawks baying for blood. Which is what the Iranian media is doing right now.

[lunatica]

73. I was thinking of popular generals being assassinated

Pompeo and Pence would get a reaction too, of course, but my intent was to put some sort of equal balance on someone not directly in the government. I chose generals because Suleimani was a popular, well liked general in Iran who was very well known by the population.

[stillcool]

70. from the comments I've read...

you would think some people truly believe they actually know the facts. That is more frightening than anything Iran could do.

[MasonDreams]

110. Yes, yes, everyone not only thinks they know it all.

They feel qualified to pass judgement. If he tried to kill my daddy, I'd get angry too. I wouldn't do what he did but he wasn't the sharpest and then came the alcoholism and coke. We all make mistakes.

We did "work" with and alongside Iranians in Afghanistan and against isis in Syria/Iraq.
The cooperation in Afghanistan stopped when GWB made his axis of evil speech that included Iran. (2003 I think)
Isis is Sunni and Iran is Shia. The pope is Catholic and the snake handlers be crazy.

If your religion doesn't advocate tolerance, patience, understanding, compassion, love etc.

Then try mine: in a large mixing bowl
Add the core ingredients of all Faith's
Add additional nuggets of wisdom as desired
Gently fold together & add a grain of salt
Rest mixture in sunlight while meditating
Enjoy in moderation

[Buckeyeblue]

74. I don't think much will come of this

Iran doesn't want their country turned into Iraq. And I don't believe Putin wants Iran turned into Iraq. I think their will be some threats. But that's about it.

[lunatica]

76. I hope you're right, with all my heart.

But terrorism is a whole different mindset.

[mercuryblues]

112. Iran is in a different

league than Iraq. If we go to war it is highly possible trump will nuke them.

[Cosmocat]

130. You think their regime can NOT react?

They are a regime that rules by power, they cant let this slide...

[Buckeyeblue]

140. It would be a very existential decision for them to attack the US at this point

Life in Iran would change drastically. Trump has no regard for human life and he is tone deaf about the future. I think he'd order massive strikes against all of Iran that would kill a lot of people and decimate the Iranian infrastructure. I think they know this. The Iranians are more realistic about their situation than Iraq was in 1991. I also think they have Putin's attention.

So to your question. Yes, I think they can not try to retaliate. I'm not saying they will never try to retaliate. Just not right now.

[Cosmocat]

141. Thats a different thing

They're not going to just randomly do something sometime today. But there's absolutely no way they can't do something pretty significant sometime this year. They can't just give the idiot a pass for this.

It's very similar to the GOP here. Their rhetoric about us over there is like the GOP to them here. They can no more not respond in a significant way to this, then if something similar were done by them to us.

[Ferrets are Cool]

90. Man, the TROLLS have come out in FORCE to take up for this administration.

Makes me want to

[Kurt V.]

108. or it could be a discussion on a discussion board.

I'm still torn over this. bad man gone, orange one clueless to POSSIBLE repercussions.

[lunatica]

109. I don't think anyone is torn over the bad man gone

I think many are quite concerned over how it was done and the repercussions which will cost many more lost lives.

This assassination sure as hell isn’t going to make everything better for all involved is it? Too bad acts can’t just live in isolation in a vacuum. Darn! They keep INFLUENCING shit! Who knew?

[Kurt V.]

111. the assassination will absolutely make it a better for future targets of this person. like being

alive. good grief. but yeah, the the repercussions is a huge unknown. none of it good. That's why I'm torn.

[Ferrets are Cool]

114. There are many BAD men in America.

If China sent a missile here to kill one of our leaders...hell, even if it was McTurtle, would Americans just "be ok" with it. This was an act of war and will have repercussions. The mad man is already bragging that we have 52 other targets, many of them cultural sites. Somehow we must stop this madness.

[dware]

113. Or maybe we're just discussing this,

I had a very good and civil discussion with some here who have a different perspective than I, does that make me a troll for this Admin?

[uponit7771]

120. IKR !?!?!

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

97. In Trump's mind, killing Suleimani is greaterer than Obama killing Osama bin Laden.

It's the greatest assassination in the history of the United States. I think Lincoln and JFK would disagree.

Except . . . everyone had heard of Osama bin Laden, and his name is associated with the greatest mass attack on American soil. We knew his face, we knew what he did, and no American wept for his loss.

Plus, there weren't tens of thousands of Iraquis (Afghanistanis? Saudis?) pouring into the streets demanding revenge against the U.S.

As far as I know, Suleimani -- though powerful in Iran and responsible for deaths throughout the Middle East -- wasn't a person whose name was familiar to more than a handful of Americans outside the intelligence and military communities, and I'll bet it wasn't known to a sizeable majority of the people who worked there.

So, while Fat Donnie is taking his victory lap -- and he and his minions are trying to explain (without much success) after the action was taken exactly why the general had to be killed at this time, just when IQ45 has been impeached -- he thinks he's won the Indianapolis 500 when he's actually gotten a participation trophy in a community BMX bike race.

BTW, I predicted that the Repugs and Faux new talking heads would start screaming that the Articles of Impeachment be withdrawn because they distract from the commander-in-chief's (sic) attention toward the (not a war) crisis (that he had created.)

My wife just passed through Fox on the way to another channel and they were talking about just that.

[lunatica]

104. You're right

I had no idea Suleimani existed until he was assassinated. Bin Laden, on the other hand was familiar to us political wonks from way back when we were funding him in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union. He was our hero then.

[erronis]

100. Strange that nobody talks about the US taking out Mussadegh or other foreign gov't officials

We've always acted in only our own best interests, in a limited time-frame and with almost no understanding of cascading events.

We seem to have inherited this stupidity and blindness from the British colonial empire as well as other wannabe european ones.

We are doomed to repeat history.

We are doomed to similar failures.

[Crunchy Frog]

115. Yep. It's no surprise that we're still paying for that little stunt.

I feel that many people, even here, have some notion that we should be able to do anything we want to anyone we want, and never experience any consequences.

But if someone ever does something to us, it's some kind of abomination against God and nature.

I guess that's what they call American exeptionalism.

[erronis]

116. You nailed it. Just throw that word "god" into it and it becomes holy warfare.

Even tho the USofA is supposedly a secular republic that word seems to cue all sorts of reactions, usually negative.

[dflprincess]

124. If the government of Iran really wants to get to Trump

It will do nothing more than a little saber rattling. No retaliation, condemn any acts a splinter group may commit, maybe file a formal complaint with the U.N. or go to The Hague. Make it clear it will try all legal, civilized channels first. Be the "bigger" country.

Any acts of retaliation will only play into Trump's hands. They have to know this and they know that in 53 weeks the government of the United States may be sane.

Though this does not protect us from any false flag operations the Trump administration may start.

[uponit7771]

126. Someone mentioned they should talk about attacking Trump labeled properties world wide ... just

... talk about it then have Trump send US troops to defend his shit.

Then, let Red Don's cult defend that move

[dflprincess]

127. That would be an excellent move! nt

[Cosmocat]

132. They cant not do anything

They rule by powe and intimidation and the US is their #1 boogyman, just as they are the GOPs biggest boogyman.

They cant not respond.

[Aussie105]

131. Simple questions:

How many more are there on Trump's hit list, and does he have enough drones?

. . . . must buy shares in body bag manufacturers, they are going to be busy!

But no one knows all the facts. Did Trump have some solid intelligence about this, or is he just pissing in the wind?

Whatever.
A leader from country 'A' assassinating a general from country 'B' while said general is in country 'C', is a bad look, no matter which way you play that scenario.

[lunatica]

134. Trump must think he's in some CIA spy movie

where people are killed every day by governmental command.

He has his fantasies.